Almost Perfect Timing - Wednesday 24th April 2019

Greensforge Lock to Before Bridge 54
5.5 Miles, 12 locks

Today's author is our granddaughter Evelyn aged 10.

This is the first lock that we did.  It was quite easy but I have to say some of them, wow, they were difficult.

 As we were heading to the next lock,grandma and I spotted a fake fisherman made out of old plant pots.  We both thought it was amazing and really inventive.

                             
This is the Botterham staircase lock. Staircase locks are very special locks because you save half a lock full of water over two locks for each boat that goes through.

As we were coming up hill people were queuing to come down. First of all, there were two boats                                         

then it changed to three       

and as I was getting on the boat another appeared from around the corner. 

 We were nearly finishing the locking for today but then we reached Bratch locks which is another set of locks. Luckily,this time we had the Canal and River Trust lock keepers to help us.

 The locks were really hard so they did it for us.

 
There were instructions for how to do it yourself.  The CRT volunteers start work in April and
finish in October but the locks are open all year round. It is important to do things in the right order.

                                                 
 This is a picture of the lock.

                                 
The lock keepers help paint the locks and keep the grass etc tidy.

   
This is the lock keepers office. Looks very posh.  Also, the kind , lovely man guided me and told me      how to work the locks.Very kind man.

     
Grandpa was talking to a man who was painting the locks. (He, the  lockeeper, came from Bromsgrove originally!)

             
  They also sell things (such as Rosie and Jim, boating plaques and little boating ornaments).

   There are also little cottages and lovely houses near the canal.

Like I said earlier some locks were very hard and wore you out  - and I mean WORE YOU OUT!

This is an old bridge that we found. It must have been from the Victorian age when narrow boats were pulled by horses. So the horse would be on the tow path walking along and as it was walking it pulled the narrow boat and the rope it was pulling the boat with slid through the hole no problem.

     
  This is a circular by-wash that carries the waste water away so it can be used again.

    I steered the boat around the corner. It was lots of fun but tricky.

    At the last lock, Monty decided he was going to sit this one out.

 Today's blog is called almost perfect timing because it just started to rain as we were mooring.

Jennie here now - I think Evelyn has done an excellent job.  The rain turned into a very heavy thunder storm, so yes our timing was perfect.  We also timed it right as far as the locks went - the three at Bratch were ready for us and at all bar one of the rest we met a boat coming out, so a very good day.  Just one boat passed us at the height of the storm - sadly the crew did look rather like drowned rats.