HuggableHamster

Rivets 5000 won on points… I think the rest of us won on having space 🤣

Hope everyone is feeling better rested! Thank you for a lovely event @Captain Pegg - excellent curry, terrible singing! See you all next year!

Yes we got the message just as we were pondering a beer before Rushall, oh well some replanning has occurred and we now have 50% more locks to do than our original plan!

We’ve just seen our first boat of the day, passed Dolly on the Walsall!

As we onboard Rebellion William have been very strictly adhering to the not leaving the boat (combined with me having injured my hip before lockdown and it not being fully recovered) our food is not up to our usual standards... Bacon Butties for breakfast, crisp and ham sandwiches for lunch (plus some really nice cheese), a little liquid refreshment on our way then to the chippy for the local delicacy of orange chips!

Log Time: 14:45, Wednesday 21st October 1801 Location: The Gospel Oak Ironworks, The (B$*&$&!!!!) Dumaresque Branch We arrived at the Ironworks, but there was no sign of ironworking today. The machines were silent and no other boats were to be seen. The only person was a very grumpy man, he was well dressed and as we approached he came over to us. “Have you seen this!” He exclaimed waving a copy of yesterday’s London Gazette, we shook our heads and he pointed to this announcement... “What are they playing at? Do you know where I can find this John Read fellow, I’ve come to collect my dues!” We shook our heads again, and presume he must’ve taken us for idiots as he huffed and turned sharply around. But we know this was not the end for the iron works, it seems it would go on to be taken over by Samuel Walker, whose company would go on to make the cannon for HMS Victory. Research notes The key to planning a good trip, is to know where you can go, and well that requires research - and @smudgepuss's amazing map! A lot of this research involved reading through Bradshaws, scouring old maps and google searches that kept ending up on Capt Ahab’s blog. It was on this (http://captainahabswaterytales.blogspot.com/2010/12/gospel-oak-branch-bcn-upper-reaches.html) particular entry about the gospel oak branch we saw a note. Update 30.11.12 My thanks go to Ray Shill who advised me that there was a further short lived extension to this canal: "One of the more obscure BCN private branches was the Dumaresq Branch that linked with the end of the Gospel Oak Branch and ascended through two locks to Gospel Oak Ironworks. It appears to have had a short period of existence, and I have only found it on one map at Birmingham Library Archives" This fateful note sent us down a rabbit hole... without the ability to get to Birmingham Library Archives we had an enormous task ahead of us. Where was this branch, where did it go, when did it go there? The answer to these and many other questions were obscured by the fact that Colonel John Dumaresq, after who (or possibly his brother Philip) the canal branch is presumably named, had two very famous sons, a very famous descendant who invented a mechanical calculating device and (as seen above) went out of business fairly soon after the canal was built. The man himself, he did many things, but have an easily findable canal branch, not a chance. In spite of this, and resorting to reading through such delights as the reports of Lord Dudley’s coal estate exploits... I suspect the poor F. Dumaresq was the Lieutenant Colonel’s brother Philip... we did eventually find a likely route... And then *finally* yesterday! We found this beauty... (this photo was buried somewhere on Ahab’s blog. We’ll certainly buy the map if we ever come across it in real life!) It would’ve been very useful if we’d found this 2 weeks ago! But who doesn't love spending hours searching for online maps, that may or may not have the lost canal branch on them! So our GPS continues... https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=14DTZ6L-V-Dc2k2KlIsBdrtdTW5R36awN&ll=52.54251902144439%2C-1.9980846112136987&z=12

Silly Minion it’s for the pandemic not a panda called Mick!

Remember: Rule 0: Don't go in the cut Rule 1: Don't empty the cut Rule 2: Don't be on fire Rule 3: Use the facilities at the pub!

Log time: 17:55, Tuesday 10th September 2019 Location: Oldbury Loop, North junction with Old Main Line Traveling in the present day there wasn’t much to see here, but we have a hunch that with an appropriate tweak to the Automat, tomorrow a loop of the old main line will appear heading left. And so, we tied our lines for the night, and went in search of orange chips from a local chippy. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=14DTZ6L-V-Dc2k2KlIsBdrtdTW5R36awN&ll=52.53999362466787%2C-2.0526729290847925&z=15

Log Time: 17:45, Thursday 22nd January 1959 Location: Blue Ball Basin We passed some men raising a barge that looked like it had been sunk for some time. (Credit http://blackcountryhistory.org/collections/getrecord/GB145_p_2073/)

GPS: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=14DTZ6L-V-Dc2k2KlIsBdrtdTW5R36awN&ll=52.617515884149135%2C-2.232917956164897&z=10 We've come so far!

Log time: 17:20, Saturday 26th May 2018 Location: Tividale Quays We snapped a photo of ourselves at Tividale Quays while taking part in the 2018 challenge - we don’t think we noticed it was us passing by...

GPS - https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=14DTZ6L-V-Dc2k2KlIsBdrtdTW5R36awN&ll=52.5388516599824%2C-2.0585687887175936&z=14 Log time: 16:15, Saturday September 9th 1899 Location: Top Lock, Toll End Communication Canal We got to the top lock to find there was no water in the main line! The keeper informed us there had been a massive breach at Dudley Port and all traffic would be stopped, probably for months! (Image from https://oldnblist.wordpress.com/author/canalorak/page/3/) We waited until the keep’s back was turned and swiftly returned to 1809 to continue our passage up the Tipton Green locks - unimpeded by the yet to be constructed New Main Line. Research side note: We’re not quite sure what the archivist was thinking when they wrote “Unfortunately, no-one was killed.”: http://blackcountryhistory.org/collections/getrecord/GB145_p_118/

GPS update: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=14DTZ6L-V-Dc2k2KlIsBdrtdTW5R36awN&ll=52.5307874847195%2C-2.0553482863450654&z=15 Log time: 15:55, Wednesday 13th June 1821 Location: Horseley Ironworks What a sight, we were lucky enough to see parts of the Aaron Manby (the ship) being packed up to be taken to Rotherhithe to be constructed. Overseeing this was of course Aaron Manby (the man) who was keen to make sure everything went smoothly for this, the first iron steamship to put to sea. It was a hive of activity, but everything was run with precision, and it is easy to see why even in the current time many bridges across the canal bear the Horseley Ironworks name, and indeed even after its move in 1865 from this site it stayed in business until the 1990s.

Oh dear... I haev sent you an email with the video, ill try and work out what happened this evening!

GPS: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=14DTZ6L-V-Dc2k2KlIsBdrtdTW5R36awN&ll=52.53835562018169%2C-2.0350447113606833&z=15 Log time: 15:10, Monday 18th June, 1792 Location: Toll End Junction - currently the junction between the Broadwaters Canal and what will be the Toll End Branch - except work had halted in 1784. We hopped back in time to see how the canal looked when it was only half finished... possibly better than it does today... but I digress. We, with a little luck, chose this date to bump into William Herschel (Caroline’s older brother). He and his friend Komarzewski had left his sister, wife and months old son in Slough to take a meandering journey through the industrial revolution ending with an honorary degree from Glasgow! The pair were on their way between ironworks, Herschel making detailed and intricate drawings of all the machinery. But nothing could compare to their visit to the Soho Works - Boulton and Watt’s magnificent manufacturing masterpiece. It was all the pair could talk about, and we were fascinated! Perhaps it was not such a shame that Caroline Herschel, not wishing to sing under any conductor but her brother, had turned down her opportunity to sing Messiah in Birmingham. For as they went from music to science the pair made great astronomical discoveries, and Caroline became the first woman ever to be paid to be a scientist. Our Herschel was asleep, but we will be sure to tell him about our meeting this evening over his peanuts. As we needed a finished canal to cruise up we dialled up a 1969 on the Automat Sehnsucht and continued our journey. This was the view looking back after we’d been under the first bridge (Credit http://blackcountryhistory.org/collections/getrecord/GB146_PHS_3979/) Books about the Herschel's https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=PmQxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT148&lpg=PT148&dq=did+caroline+herschel+ever+visit+birmingham&source=bl&ots=HXLCwiUuTW&sig=ACfU3U2TV3X6bxcdcCLsLn7ZXyo0szD4SA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwixxc2vkZbpAhVilFwKHbUFBJwQ6AEwDXoECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q=did%20caroline%20herschel%20ever%20visit%20birmingham&f=false https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=nrdgDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA149&lpg=PA149&dq=william+herschel+visit+to+soho+works+birmingham&source=bl&ots=jiSsWQ9Dkk&sig=ACfU3U2t0Q95OOHKJtuoNvoas0n7Q8M5tA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwie-IG9jZrpAhXtThUIHYegAssQ6AEwAnoECAYQAQ#v=onepage&q=william%20herschel%20visit%20to%20soho%20works%20birmingham&f=false

Log time: 14:40, Thursday 7th May 2020 Location: Moorcroft Junction, Walsall Canal The last time Rebellion came down this canal, during the 2019 marathon, we had an incident where we met what we now refer to as “The Walsall Whale”. We have cruised the Tidal Thames, the Tidal Trent, The Severn out of Sharpness and down to Bristol, but of all our adventures this was definitely the scariest. In the gloomy evening as we sat with our cocoa (ask @smudgepuss for her divine recipe) all of a sudden we tilted to a terrifying angle, cocoa went *everywhere*, wine glasses smashed and we feared for our lives... This was the picture from the camera fixed to the front of Rebellion when we hit the Walsall Whale: The horizon is meant to be rather more horizontal than that! For some reason, despite this experience (and despite a yoof throwing a stone through our window when we were on the same stretch in 2017!) we were still planning to cruise the Walsall Canal again in the challenge this year. We’re all mad. And our GPS is still going strong https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=14DTZ6L-V-Dc2k2KlIsBdrtdTW5R36awN&ll=52.57130843455097%2C-2.046714354624555&z=14

Log time: 13:50, Saturday 20th April 1957 Location: Anson Junction We set off again in 1957, only four years before the Anson would be abandoned. As we left the Anson and moved on to more familiar waters, we snapped this shot (Credit: https://collections.canalrivertrust.org.uk/bw200.1.10.34) https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=14DTZ6L-V-Dc2k2KlIsBdrtdTW5R36awN&ll=52.584178576935145%2C-2.0210224530025016&z=15

Log time: 12:35, Tuesday August 21st 1923 Location: Anson Canal, Junction with Bentley Canal The Anson branch, completed in 1830 provided a link to Lord Litchfield’s coal mines and limestone quarry. This industry was in decline by the 1890s as the resources depleted, but this canal got a reprieve when Birchills Power station was built. Officially opened the year before we cruised past it, the power station’s pumphouse could be heard pumping away as every day its two pumps took up to 10.6 million gallons of water to be used for cooling. Sadly we didn’t have time to cool ourselves in the much cleaner water of the swimming pool in nearby Reedswood Park, so we stopped to enjoy the summer sunshine and a gin and tonic before lunch!

Log time: 11:00, Wednesday 11th May 1892 Location: Nechall Hall Colliery Basin Opened in 1845, closed in 1953 we visited the end of this canal half way through its existence (though the colliery shut in 1919). Boats everywhere were filled with coal for the industries, and we had to be careful not to block anyone’s path. Handily everyone seemed in a good mood, the talk was of the new clock and drinking fountain unveiled in the centre of Willenhall yesterday. I’m not sure they were particularly excited about the clock itself but about Dr Joseph Tonks, who’s tragically short life it commemorated. He was a local man who became known as “the poor man’s doctor”, due to his efforts to help and treat deprived locals. The clock itself... http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/articles/Willenhall/20thcentury.htm And today's GPS https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=14DTZ6L-V-Dc2k2KlIsBdrtdTW5R36awN&ll=52.59592856378425%2C-2.08653918396476&z=15

Log time: 10:00, Thursday January 24th, 1918 Location: Wednesfield Junction, Bentley Canal Dialing ourselves back a little over 100 years we headed down the canal and met this boat coming the other way, how handy they’ve left the lock set for us! Though as Neachell Hall Colliery is still open, no doubt we will meet plenty of other traffic. (Credit http://blackcountryhistory.org/collections/getrecord/GB149_P_7323/) They were grateful for the baked oatmeal we offered them as thanks, it was a cold morning and the war was still dragging on. They mentioned the news that had been the talk of the pub the previous evening, not that they could read it, but the Birmingham Daily Gazette (https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000669/19180123/067/0003) had published an article about the roll out of a joint rationing scheme, which sadly would be needed again a little over 20 years later.

Today’s challenge “Uh-oh! Forward propulsion has ceased! Time to go down the weed hatch! Using only items you have available in your home, shed, garage and garden create a spectacular “bladeful” We need you to share the “recipe” of what went into creating that bladeful and share a photo of it and the "recipe" with us on your Virtual BCN cruising log.” Ah the weed hatch, what “delights” have we found down there... a duvet at 5am on the BCNS Marathon was a definite highlight... miles of fishing line, washing line, saris and well, when the prop fouls you get to play...

Happy Giraffe travels!

Log time: 18:30, After mooring up, 6 May 2019 After a good day’s boating, some w*rk, and with the GPS uploaded ... https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=14DTZ6L-V-Dc2k2KlIsBdrtdTW5R36awN&ll=52.597300344177235%2C-2.0898543943071672&z=17 ...we decided to try to bag some geocaches after mooring up so we’ve gone back (or is it forwards?) to 2019 for a bit of a wander. There are a few caches near here, but none particularly related to the canal. We’d love it if there had been geocaches at the junction of all these abandoned arms we’re exploring. If only we could travel in space as well as time in order to set some up and maintain them. Any local explorers up for the challenge? We did manage to find some great little sculptures outside the library: From https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5144649 A lovely queue of Little Folk, presumably waiting for their little bus. A bit further back towards the junction, near the supermarket where we stocked up on more essentials (where is all that beer going?!), we found some friends of these Little Folk going shopping.

Log time: 18:00, Wednesday 5th May 2020 Location: Wednesfield Junction Time to tie our lines for the day - I think we might time travel back to before lockdown and head into town this evening. We moored up here: I think that we may have a couple of yards head start on tomorrow’s journey! (picture from Canal plan).