PilgrimFather

We went over to have a look at the damage on Sunday & it's bad as it looks. The jury may well be out as to whether the earthworks for the adjoining Arla megadairy opened recently have had an effect. Ironically, it could be because the local drainage has been improved, but we'll have to leave that to the experts. All I can say is that if they are planning to use a crane to move boats over the top of the lock, they will have to put down a huge amount of concrete, because there is nothing approaching a solid surface nearby. My wife was talking to some boaters in Aylesbury basin this week; it's funny how quickly we forget the Arm was out of commission this time last year for lack of water...

We have got quite good at this, as our actress daughter always gets called for auditions as soon as she comes away with us. I have just spec'ed our our May fortnight via BCN, Worcs & Staffs, Severn, Avon & Stratford canals with interchange options every day!

Stourbridge flight...great festering, stinking piles of the stuff.

I have now been in touch with the nice people at Wychavon council, who mended their link & sent me off to look at this: PMTP report According to this, work is now under way, though they don't say when it may be complete. Worth keeping an eye on this, I guess.

Thanks for this - strangely in 50 years travelling around the country, the Warwickshire Avon has largely escaped my attention. With Canalplan suggesting it's a good 12 hours between the 2, if the council at Pershore really does have plans along these lines, I would imagine they will be well-used. The town is a decent spot for a rail/boat changeover, which certainly doesn't apply at Bidford. If we go for a Tewkesbury handover, I'll have to take a bike & cycle from Ashchurch station! (See Wychavon council report).

While researching a possible remote changeover for June - boat is stabled at Alvechurch - I started looking for pump-out & fuel facilities on the Avon. It looked like the good people of Pershore were trying to raise the appeal of their town by providing these. Otherwise there did not appear to be anything between Tewkesbury & Evesham - am I correct? Is there anyone based locally who can provide any further information? Many thanks.

We went through in each direction 2 weeks back & experienced this mid-culvert pause when heading east (up). I did what most of us would - checked the prop (my wife was at the helm, as she's only just over 5') to prove no issues there. I said to her "I bet we'll find a boat just come out of lock 6". Sure enough, we then started forward again to find one outside waiting to replace us. I suspect that getting washed back when 6 empties has more effect than lock 7, as we didn't have anyone behind us ascending Hanbury. It wasn't our only grounding. Black Prince boats had left a one-boat wide channel at Stoke Wharf. Fine, but when we tried to go through at 5 one evening, we "ceased to proceed". We were grateful to various residents on boats for helping to move parked boats so we could get closer to the central channel. In fairness to BP, we arrived home at the end of the week to a BW email warning us of low levels owing to vandalism. We got to Stoke Pound at 7.20 (this was before the clocks went forward), but my wife had earned her steak at the Queen's Head. [Other pubs are available.]

Relax - listen to those lines creaking...

We anticipate spending Sunday night in central Birmingham in just over a week & may not make a prompt getaway on the Monday. Has anyone here used the recommended pontoon at the top of the Camp Hill Flight in the recent past? How was the experience? Oh - and greetings to all. New on this website, but an owner within a syndicate for the last couple of years. I hope to benefit from your experience & chip in with the occasional bit of advice.