Team Rebellion Virtual BCN Challenge 2020 Cruise Log

[RebelMike]

Log time: 17:35, VE Day

Location: Junction with Dartmouth Branch

 

We left the Halford branch, having been tempted to explore the Jesson arm but the planning team insisted that would not help us in the quest for more points.  We instead went looking for the junction with the Dartmouth branch, which served the collieries near Hateley Heath. 

 

This time the drone drone camera didn’t behave quite so well, it flew very high and we would only just have been able to make out the branch if it hadn’t put a handy red ring around it:

[RebelMike]

Log time: 18:45, VE Day

Location: Ryders Green Junction

 

After a long day’s cruise we tied our lines at the top of the flight of locks, which from a quick inspection had very little water in.  We’re hoping that they will recover overnight.

 

(Photo from canal plan)

[RebelMike]

And there was a bit of a delay to the GPS there, but it's now fully up to date

[TheBiscuits]

1 minute ago, RebelMike said:

And there was a bit of a delay to the GPS

Not again Mike!

 

[RebelMike]

8 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

Not again Mike!

I hadn't fully appreciated at the start of the week how much effort it would be keeping the GPS track up to date and making all the planned log posts at the time we were virtually passing each location.  @HuggableHamster did an excellent job while I was working!

 

Though when you're making the updates while drinking with friends (appropriately socially distanced - we were all in our own boats/homes on Discord!) it's easy to forget a detail...

 

Still, only one day to go - this is meant to be a marathon challenge after all.

[smudgepuss]

Log date: 8 May 1945

 

We decided we couldn't turn down the chance to travel in time to actual VE Day. The atmosphere was indescribable!

 

We just had to decorate William's roof for the occasion. There was already a lot on the roof already, so we only had room for bunting!

 

 

Someone's put the fire on so there's smoke coming out of the chimney. William appears to have a lovely wooden roof and shiny blue mushroom vents, along with a very unusual cardboard hatch... Other roof essentials are our bargepole, mop and duster on their support rack, and our two centre lines. We've even gained a duck!

 

 

Even my celebratory ice cream was doing a V for Victory!

[RebelMike]

We got William all decorated up for our extended VE night celebrations:

I hope you’ve all been enjoying a bevarage or two out the back of your boat, or in your land based homes this evening. Cheers!

[RebelMike]

Log time: 10:00, Saturday 4th May 1974

Location: Ryders Green Top Lock

 

We awoke late to find @Amynotontheforum had mutinied and eaten the last of the strawberries!  But she reassured us that she had at least not been playing with the Automat. 

 

We hit the big red button to take us back to 1974 and were followed by Tony Clayton and his boat crew as they descended the locks. Fake Mr Duck was kept below decks due to his Yoghurt-Pot-Phobia. He's sure they’re very nice, but they are just too similar to the plastic 6 pack rings that have trapped so many of his brethren.

 

We snapped this picture of them on their way

 

(Credit http://www.tonycanalpics.co.uk/bcn/mainline/index.html)

[RebelMike]

Log time: 11:05, Tuesday 20th March 1883

Location: Junction with Haines Branch

 

We travelled back to 1883 to watch the official opening of the Haines branch, but, not wanting to be impeded by the ceremonies, we then popped forward a few months to make our passage.  

 

The canal was (as pretty much all canals were, why am I even typing this bit) to enable the movement of goods to industry. In this case, clay pits and brickworks and collieries. Alongside what will eventually be called sheepwash nature reserve, at the moment it is full of mining activity. In the future (present) the canal line near here will become a cyclepath. 

 

Back in 2020, all that’s left are a few noticeable spoil tips, such as this one left from Horsley Heath Colliery that closed in the 1960s:

 

 

GPS is up and running!

[RebelMike]

Log time: 11:31, Thursday 5th Feb 1933 

Location: Danks Branch Junction, Walsall Canal

 

The Automat Sehnsucht dropped us in to a cold February morning, and we thought of warmer times in Mauritius, where @HuggableHamster’s Dad was born this day.

 

Having been christened the gremlin of the ship @amynotontheforum is under the watchful eye of fake mr duck. Who has set his quack alert to hard glare! Knowing the gremlin has a penchant for Dank Memes, Fake Mr Duck’s quack alert was upgraded to stun!   

 

Starting out along the Danks branch, which had notice to build listed in the gazette in 1838 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/19673/page/2533  This branch was extended throughout 1839 whereupon the canal was extended into the Earl of Dartmouths Land, north of where the Tame Valley canal now is. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/19789/page/2212

 

Resisting the urge (and Mr Fake Ducks Stun Quack) to go and wave at the earl of dartmouth in his field. The Team turned and made their way back through danks branch, giving the tow path a quick tidy after whizzing forward to present day.

[RebelMike]

Log time: 12:30, Saturday 9th May 2020

Location: Tame Valley Junction

 

Also known as Doe Bank junction. Probably not in honour of Homer Simpson.

 

We’d gone the long way round, winding at the end of Danks Branch and returning to the Walsall Canal instead of cutting the corner using the Tame Valley.  It’s all about squeezing those last few points in before the finish!

 

While we were considering food options for the challenge, William was reminiscing of spaghetti from a previous trip on the other side of Birmingham. 

 

[RebelMike]

Log time: 12:45, Thursday 14th November 1850

Location: Junction with the Gospel Oak Branch

 

We travelled back to 1850 and turned left on to the Gospel Oak branch.  We were considering mooring up for lunch when we heard an explosion in the distance.

 

Checking the map, it came from the direction of Willingsworth Colliery.  We thought it was best to moor up in case there was any impact on the canal, and it was time for a lunch break anyway.

(OS map from 1889, after the colliery had been closed)

 

[Scholar Gypsy]

17 minutes ago, RebelMike said:

Log time: 12:30, Saturday 9th May 2020

Location: Tame Valley Junction

 

Also known as Doe Bank junction. Probably not in honour of Homer Simpson.

 

We’d gone the long way round, winding at the end of Danks Branch and returning to the Walsall Canal instead of cutting the corner using the Tame Valley.  It’s all about squeezing those last few points in before the finish!

 

While we were considering food options for the challenge, William was reminiscing of spaghetti from a previous trip on the other side of Birmingham. 

 

We had a long debate in our crew on whether the Danks arm connected to the Tame Valley, and decided probably not.

Dial back to 1973 and you can shout at Cliff Richard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNR5_GZzRU0&t=4s

[smudgepuss]

Minion's Log (supplemental)

 

We're coming to the end of the trip now, so I have an Important Job, called Eating The Leftovers. Leftovers are the name for the small random bits of food the rest of the crew don't want to eat that minions are left to eat while they eat the good stuff.

 

For example, there wasn't enough coffee for me to have a whole mug this morning, so I got the tiny Left Over bit. Barely a mouthful...

 

 

At least William's galley turns out to have tiny Mickey Mouse cups to cheer me up.

 

The others had lots of bacon for breakfast, and there wasn't enough for me apparently so I had to see what Leftovers I could find in the galley. One banana and an egg.

 

Luckily I found someone on Twitter who had made some nice banana pancakes: https://twitter.com/smudgepuss/status/1249326933562871809?s=19

 

I thought I'd have pancake for breakfast. It looked a bit gloopy to start with though.

 

But it turned out nicely in the end.

 

 

I did get told off (again) for using the last of the flour. Apparently that wasn't a Leftover, but food we needed for a panda called Mick...  Something like that.  I'm a bit confused as I don't think pandas are native to the BCN.

 

For lunch, I have to eat the leftover vegetables: cabbage and potatoes.  I found this interesting-sounding recipe on the internet, so I thought I'd give it a go.  Very handily William turns out to have a well-stocked spice rack.

https://twosleevers.com/ethiopian-cabbage-and-potatoes/

 

 

It's not a looker, particularly if you overcook it a bit and the potatoes go a bit mushy (Bad Minion), but it's very tasty.

 

The crew are sick of me trying to feed them baked oatmeal.  It's very sweet, they say that baked oatmeal won't change how much they love me!  So I will be having some for an afternoon snack to keep me going for the final push down and up the Bradley Marr branch.

 

 

They said that after we've finished we're going to the chip shop for dinner.  Apparently we're going to have battered orange chips.  I think they're pulling my leg, who would batter chips and make them orange?!

 

 

 

 

[HuggableHamster]

18 minutes ago, smudgepuss said:

Minion's Log (supplemental)

 

We're coming to the end of the trip now, so I have an Important Job, called Eating The Leftovers. Leftovers are the name for the small random bits of food the rest of the crew don't want to eat that minions are left to eat while they eat the good stuff.

 

For example, there wasn't enough coffee for me to have a whole mug this morning, so I got the tiny Left Over bit. Barely a mouthful...

 

 

At least William's galley turns out to have tiny Mickey Mouse cups to cheer me up.

 

The others had lots of bacon for breakfast, and there wasn't enough for me apparently so I had to see what Leftovers I could find in the galley. One banana and an egg.

 

Luckily I found someone on Twitter who had made some nice banana pancakes: https://twitter.com/smudgepuss/status/1249326933562871809?s=19

 

I thought I'd have pancake for breakfast. It looked a bit gloopy to start with though.

 

But it turned out nicely in the end.

 

 

I did get told off (again) for using the last of the flour. Apparently that wasn't a Leftover, but food we needed for a panda called Mick...  Something like that.  I'm a bit confused as I don't think pandas are native to the BCN.

 

For lunch, I have to eat the leftover vegetables: cabbage and potatoes.  I found this interesting-sounding recipe on the internet, so I thought I'd give it a go.  Very handily William turns out to have a well-stocked spice rack.

https://twosleevers.com/ethiopian-cabbage-and-potatoes/

 

 

It's not a looker, particularly if you overcook it a bit and the potatoes go a bit mushy (Bad Minion), but it's very tasty.

 

The crew are sick of me trying to feed them baked oatmeal.  It's very sweet, they say that baked oatmeal won't change how much they love me!  So I will be having some for an afternoon snack to keep me going for the final push down and up the Bradley Marr branch.

 

 

They said that after we've finished we're going to the chip shop for dinner.  Apparently we're going to have battered orange chips.  I think they're pulling my leg, who would batter chips and make them orange?!

 

 

 

 

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

[smudgepuss]

7 minutes ago, HuggableHamster said:

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

Ahhh.  Either way, it's all gone now.  Bad Minion, no biscuit.

[TheBiscuits]

2 minutes ago, smudgepuss said:

 Bad Minion, no biscuit.

 

You need to up your game if you want to be a biscuit ...

[RebelMike]

39 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

We had a long debate in our crew on whether the Danks arm connected to the Tame Valley, and decided probably not.

Dial back to 1973 and you can shout at Cliff Richard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNR5_GZzRU0&t=4s

It does seem unclear - in the 1889 OS map it looks like it might not be linked, but that might just be a bridge.  Bradshaw's lists a junction with the Danks branch on the Tame Valley though so we thought it probably did.  Luckily in the final iteration of our route we had time to go both ways so it didn't matter!

[smudgepuss]

Minion's log (supplemental)

 

Apparently I need to up my game if I want a biscuit.  Luckily I've been keeping myself amused with a bit of a project to do a map of the canals of the BCN, including the old bits.  Hopefully this will get me a biscuit.  Possibly even one without squashed flies.

 

I've had a lesson from the rest of the crew about posting the GPS route, so hopefully I've been a Good Minion and this link will work:

My map of the BCN

[RebelMike]

Log time: 13:50, Thursday 14th November 1850

Location: Gospel Oak Branch

 

A passing boater informed us of what had happened - the workmen at the pit had been warned of gas in one of the pits, but Master Bayley, son of the proprietor James had forgot the warning and took a lit candle down.  Five had been killed.

 

Sobered by how tough life could be back in the 19th century we headed on to the end of the branch.

[RebelMike]

19 minutes ago, smudgepuss said:

Minion's log (supplemental)

 

Apparently I need to up my game if I want a biscuit.  Luckily I've been keeping myself amused with a bit of a project to do a map of the canals of the BCN, including the old bits.  Hopefully this will get me a biscuit.  Possibly even one without squashed flies.

 

I've had a lesson from the rest of the crew about posting the GPS route, so hopefully I've been a Good Minion and this link will work:

My map of the BCN

 

I wouldn't want @smudgepuss to be called a bad minion when she's made such an amazing map!  Here's a version of the link that works for me.

 

She put it together last week while we were all still figuring out where these historic canals had been and it's allowed us to plot the GPS track through the week.  It's a wonderful piece of work!

[TheBiscuits]

2 minutes ago, RebelMike said:

 

I wouldn't want @smudgepuss to be called a bad minion when she's made such an amazing map!  Here's a version of the link that works for me.

 

She put it together last week while we were all still figuring out where these historic canals had been and it's allowed us to plot the GPS track through the week.  It's a wonderful piece of work!

 

Good minion! Have a biscuit for now and a beer when you get to the finish.

 

Mike: it's Chrome that can't do the links -  Firefox is fine with them.  Chrome helpfully URL-encodes the JSON string so it isn't a JSON string anymore when rendering the link.

 

Other browsers may vary ...

[Rob-M]

9 minutes ago, RebelMike said:

 

I wouldn't want @smudgepuss to be called a bad minion when she's made such an amazing map!  Here's a version of the link that works for me.

 

She put it together last week while we were all still figuring out where these historic canals had been and it's allowed us to plot the GPS track through the week.  It's a wonderful piece of work!

The link from smudgepuss works on Chrome on my android tablet.

[RebelMike]

5 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

Mike: it's Chrome that can't do the links -  Firefox is fine with them.  Chrome helpfully URL-encodes the JSON string so it isn't a JSON string anymore when rendering the link.

 

Other browsers may vary ...

 

Just now, Rob-M said:

The link from smudgepuss works on Chrome on my android tablet.

It's all very confusing - @smudgepuss posted the link to our private chat and it worked then (I even checked it in another browser so I wasn't logged in to an account with edit rights to the map). But clicking the link in the forum post (using Firefox) gives a 400 error for me, and copying it into Chrome doesn't help either.  I think the forum is turning some of the escaped characters back into braces and brackets and then some browsers don't like it.

[TheBiscuits]

Deleted.  It's a bit far off-topic on your challenge entry thread before the judges have read it!
 

Edited May 9, 2020 by TheBiscuits