JamesWoolcock

For the past few years, the badly leaking locks through Stone on the southern route from the summit at Stoke have been constantly reported to CRT but nothing has been done. Because of the differential depths of these very early locks, and of course lack of dredging, Yard Pound in the town, most of all, runs low. Yard Lock is far deeper than the others so it's sorry state is a major factor in all of this. This year, or certainly before I left on my travels in early June, a substantial feed from the Caldon reservoirs has mainly kept up with the traffic and leakage, a situation for which we were grateful but unsustainable. Within weeks of my leaving, by chance,8 I met up with Richard Parry and Julie Sharman, CRTs Chief Operations Director. She appeared appalled that she didn't know of this and agreed that water supplies would run scarce if nothing was done as I predicted. Repairs to Yard Lock is at last to be tackled over the winter.

I think you will find that all the way through these locks and the tunnel is really quite deep and that you can afford to run a considerable amount of water off to get through. A few years ago in advance of taking a Small Woolwich through with deck board up, luby in etc I asked one of the several former boatmen in Gas St Basin what the air draught was. " No idea. We just run a foot or so off" was the answer. So we did!

Now open but with stipulations of boats travelling 10 minutes apart and slow speed too. How would you know how far the boat in front of you is? Unfortunately they have in retrospect extended the area concerned from York St in Stourport through to Kidderminster Lock, when the original stoppage was only from Kidderminster Lock to Caldwall Lock, the one below. Whilst the water here in Stourport is now well oxygenated and without any visible signs of pollution, I caught a bus to Kidderminster earlier and the film on the water surface there is as bad as anything the BCN has to offer on its worst day!

There's been a fish rescue above York St Lock in Stourport today after oxygen levels plunged. Many fish were coaxed into the lock and lowered into the Upper Basin with others transfered into the adjacent bye wash. A number of boats moored above the lock ran their engines in gear to help to raise oxygen levels until the Environment Agency's pumps arrived to take over the job. All stuck here waiting for the stoppage to be lifted. Although CRT reported that the pollution from the fire in Kidderminster hadn't appeared to impact on fish and wildlife, something horrid has made its way down the canal to Stourport!

Yes, hello again. Tied with friends who arrived this morning and came through it just before the stoppage was put on and they said it was severe and that it might be a few days before we can move off again. Reports from Limekiln Chandlery here had heard 4 or 5 days(!) so all we can do is keep an eye on CRTs emails and re-write our plans!

FMCs Petrel and Marquis with their full three foot draught each shared a fisherman's bivvy on the way to Ogley in 2018. The most evil bit of detritus I've ever had to remove with its spring steel ribs that a bolt cropper won't touch! Otherwise never had much of a problem up there and likely as much will make it part of our L&H Brownhills weekend too, should I get there. Currently stuck at Stourport awaiting the end of a mega pollution stoppage at Kidderminster.

Well no loose gravel now and no issues. A good find I thought.

Just drop down the lock and you'll find a lovely quiet mooring with hard fairly narrow towpath but few bikes and piling to moor to. Stayed there a few weeks ago for one night before going down to Bankcroft Basin and the River Avon. Would definitely do it again.

Dissolving?

There's always guys from the pub having a fag on the towpath that can be called upon to give some shove.

Isn't Braidbar another boat fitter?

Did that many years ago now to a BWB tug that had taken up a visitor mooring on the Coventry Canal at Fradley Junction for a week or so despite 'phone calls. Tied it to a tree in the wood on the offside.

Yep. Sad. Most who falsely claim they are 'boatbuilders' just aren't. They are boatfitters. And that's bad as well as sad.

As I understand it, CRESSY was burnt at Crown Wharf in Stone by Tom Rolt's friend and the founder of the Canal Cruising Co., Rendell Wyatt. Joules Brewery have just built a new pub on the site.

Morco? Got one of those too!