BCN 250

[Heartland 120]

There are now banners up at Farmer's Bridge  Junction advertising BCN 250, which commemorates the completion of the first part of the BCN from the original terminus on the Newhall Branch to the mines on the border of West Bromwich and Wednesbury parishes, which involved a simple journey of traversing 12 locks.  6 up to the short Smethwick Summit and 6 down again at Spon Lane. With a limited water supply feeding this summit from the Smethwick Reservoir. The BCN society are planning a few events to mark this landmark event, but CRT appear not to have fully grasped, apart from the banner that is,  the importance of this 250 years commemoration. It is perhaps fortunate that the original BCN took another three years to finish and thus there is time to plan plan other things through to 2022.

 

The BCN Website has the following. The Explorer cruise is also planned to end at the Oozells Loop, this weekend.

     

Saturday 02 November 2019 - Sunday 03 November 2019

Birmingham Canal 250th anniversary

November 2019 will see the 250th anniversary of the canal reaching Birmingham. This was an important event in the making of the city as an industrial centre.

To commemorate this landmark event the BCN Society is organising a cruise into Birmingham on Saturday 2nd November starting from Windmill End at 8am with the intention of arriving in the centre of Birmingham at midday.

Boats can join in at intermediate points or if they are coming from other directions such as the Birmingham and Fazeley or Worcester and Birmingham Canal pass through the city centre then wait on the Wolverhampton side of St Vincent Street bridge for the main convoy of boats.

After the midday celebration at Old Turn boats can parade around to Cambrian Wharf or through Gas St Basin winding by the Mailbox.

C&RT have promised to reserve moorings along the Oozells Street loop and on the main line. However it would help if boats breast up to allow everyone to moor together.

In the evening entertainment has been organised in the Crescent Theatre, tickets for this are needed and the boat entry will include this providing access to the studio theatre and bar. As numbers are limited to the capticity of the theatre early entry is recommend.

On the Sunday we will disperse with boats cruising along the Icknield Port and Winson Green loops, the original line of the canal.

• Venue:Old Turn, Birmingham
• Time:12:00
• Contact:Martin O'Keeffe
• Email:[email protected]

Edited May 24 by Heartland

[john6767 263]

It is the BCN Challenge that ends in the centre of Birmingham this weekend, or are you saying there is an explorer cruise as well?

 

the BCN 250 banners are all over the centre of Birmingham, and we will have similar on the boat inline with the decoration theme for the Challenge this year.

 

 

[Heartland 120]

No sorry, it is the Challenge, which I was thinking of. 

[john6767 263]

4 minutes ago, Heartland said:

No sorry, it is the Challenge, which I was thinking of. 

Phew!  Mooring is going to be bad enough without an explorer cruise as well!

[Heartland 120]

Oh Yes,

 

But the original terminus was just beyond the Flapper, so another challenge, might be to find a spot as close as possible to that.

 

The first terminus was the "old wharf" east of the aqueduct that crossed the original turnpike.

 

 

Edited May 24 by Heartland

[Rob-M 397]

The BCNS 250th anniversary cruise is taking place this weekend. Around 45 boats will be travelling from St Vincent Street bridge to either the Mailbox or Cambrian Wharf so there should be general chaos from 12:50 on Saturday.

 

[ditchcrawler 1141]

20 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

The BCNS 250th anniversary cruise is taking place this weekend. Around 45 boats will be travelling from St Vincent Street bridge to either the Mailbox or Cambrian Wharf so there should be general chaos from 12:50 on Saturday.

 

And we should be adding to it.

[Rob-M 397]

17 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

And we should be adding to it.

We will be there with Scorpio and Leo.

[Captain Pegg 669]

21 hours ago, Rob-M said:

We will be there with Scorpio and Leo.

I might be there too. There’s a couple of forum members boats in Brum at the moment so you might see someone you know - or equally someone you’d rather avoid. 😂😂

[ditchcrawler 1141]

Just now, Captain Pegg said:

I might be there too. There’s a couple of forum members boats in Brum at the moment so you might see someone you know - or equally someone you’d rather avoid. 😂😂

I always forget who they are until after they have gone.

 

[Captain Pegg 669]

Just now, ditchcrawler said:

I always forget who they are until after they have gone.

 

This is true.

 

Don’t worry about Saturday though. I’ll make sure @Rob-M buys you a beer.

 

JP

[Laurie.Booth 334]

4 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

I might be there too. There’s a couple of forum members boats in Brum at the moment so you might see someone you know - or equally someone you’d rather avoid. 😂😂

You are quite safe as I won't be there.

 

[Tim Lewis 228]

[Rob-M 397]

If you go to the Roundhouse you may miss half the boats as the starting point is before St Vincent's bridge and then his the Oozel Loop to Cambrian Wharf or the main line to the mailbox.

[David Mack 831]

10 hours ago, Tim Lewis said:

I think life by water was better when the stretch between Broad Street Tunnel and Old Turn looked like that.

[Mike55 19]

On ‎29‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 23:20, Tim Lewis said:

What are "bell boating activities"? Diving bells?

[Rob-M 397]

5 minutes ago, Mike55 said:

What are "bell boating activities"? Diving bells?

From a quick Google, Bell boating refers to a paddlesport which uses a stable craft constructed of two hulls connected with a platform in the middle, known as a bell boat.

[ditchcrawler 1141]

1 minute ago, Rob-M said:

From a quick Google, Bell boating refers to a paddlesport which uses a stable craft constructed of two hulls connected with a platform in the middle, known as a bell boat.

Like two canadian canoes lashed together but smarter. Lot of groupes use them now to take kids out

[Heartland 120]

It is nice to see CRT have found an image for the event. The photo is a good view of the Deep Cutting north of Broad Street. However that image is as useful as a chocolate fireguard if the intention was to represent accurate history. The branch to Paradise Street was completed later.

 

Making historical mistakes seems to be a habit with CRT recently, they cannot get the report details for Todd Brook reservoir construction site correct and that picture for the Black Sabbath bridge is another poor choice

 

If they troubled to look at their own waterways archive they might get pictures of the route between Wednesbury and the original wharf in Birmingham.

 

This one is from July 1969 with boats moored at Cambrian Wharf. That place IS on the original route.

 

[ditchcrawler 1141]

14 minutes ago, Heartland said:

 

 

This one is from July 1969 with boats moored at Cambrian Wharf. That place IS on the original route.

 

Right where we are at the moment

[ditchcrawler 1141]

Well I did my bit to add to the Chaos today. The rain did stop for the parade .

[max's son 28]

On 31/10/2019 at 18:39, Rob-M said:

From a quick Google, Bell boating refers to a paddlesport which uses a stable craft constructed of two hulls connected with a platform in the middle, known as a bell boat.

Bell boats were designed by David Train (Fladbury canoe and kayak club)  dad of Olympic canoeists Steve and Andy to get as many people on the water as possible

 

 

Edited November 2 by max's son

[ditchcrawler 1141]

I didn't see any

 

[Heartland 120]

Well the chaos went well, I suppose 

 

Most importantly there were some 50 boats attending with Scorpio and Leo in the calvalcade. It was perhaps one of the shortest calvalcades, which I attended, though, passing under Broad Street Bridge and "winding" at Salvage Turn. The ribbon cutting was between the Pit Stop and the ICC with an actor "James Brindley" cutting the ribbon. There were two other actors one from Aris's Gazette to report to spectacle and an early vet to report on the "osses" (even if he was some 100 years too previous). CRT did well to organise a band and a group of children who sang "Happy Birthday" to the passing calvacade. It was an event that CRT considered important and the CEO was there to witness the proceedings.

 

For all those who came, they did credit to the moment and it is just the start, there may be an event at Bradley next year to celebrate the construction towards Wolverhampton which reached Tipton and Bilston during 1770. Such an event would also assist the Bradley Locks restoration, for which funding is now being sought

[ditchcrawler 1141]

1 hour ago, Heartland said:

Well the chaos went well, I suppose 

 

Most importantly there were some 50 boats attending with Scorpio and Leo in the calvalcade. It was perhaps one of the shortest calvalcades, which I attended, though, passing under Broad Street Bridge and "winding" at Salvage Turn. The ribbon cutting was between the Pit Stop and the ICC with an actor "James Brindley" cutting the ribbon. There were two other actors one from Aris's Gazette to report to spectacle and an early vet to report on the "osses" (even if he was some 100 years too previous). CRT did well to organise a band and a group of children who sang "Happy Birthday" to the passing calvacade. It was an event that CRT considered important and the CEO was there to witness the proceedings.

 

For all those who came, they did credit to the moment and it is just the start, there may be an event at Bradley next year to celebrate the construction towards Wolverhampton which reached Tipton and Bilston during 1770. Such an event would also assist the Bradley Locks restoration, for which funding is now being sought

For some reason CRT decided to move the location of the ribbon but failed to tell and of the boaters. They didnt sing for long I didnt see the kids of band when I came through and I wasn't the last.