Team "Whisky Galore" Virtual BCN Challenge 2020 Cruise Log

[Richard T]

This topic is created as the first post of Whisky Galore's virtual cruise of the BCN. The crew have requested that other alcoholic beverages such as prosecco form part of the cargo!!

The type of boat is subject to discussion by team members, pedalos, floating ducks, a floating sauna, a submarine have all been considered. All will be revealed in due course as will our planned journey round the nether regions of Birmingham and the Black Country.

The great thing about this challenge is that 60miles or so of formerly closed canals have miraculously re-opened for navigation.

[Richard T]

Introducing Whiskey Galore, a recently rediscovered full-length unconverted Harland and Wolff built butty. She is 71ft 6 inches long, has a beam of just under 7ft, draws about 3 ft and has a profile with a high point of 5ft 7inches when properly ballasted. The cratch, top planks and cloths are removable for navigating low tunnels. She is a long lost sister to Angel.

Under full length cloths the crew have fitted beds, a very large fridge which is well stocked with beverages (Prosecco mainly, we let Mrs Trackman do the shopping) and some essential food (plenty of Scones and Lemon Drizzle). An additional wine cooler has been fitted for the excess bottles. The remaining space contains plenty of horse food, some essentials tools and a few more maps than we will need thanks to @RichardT.  The kitchen area is well appointed with owl adorned mugs, tins and tea towels. There has been some daylight bulbs fitted to allow knitting and sewing to take place on the go. The back cabin has a kettle permanently on the stove to keep the team tea levels at the required high levels.

Plenty of coat hooks have been fitted to contain our large collection of brightly coloured waterproofs and hats.

She is being horse drawn for this challenge.

We are ready to go.

 

The team also considered these options but rejected them….

We thought that the complications of using Emily Anne were too great- like spending 3 hours raising steam and finding enough supplies of coal in the back end of Birmingham although to go back 100 years there would have been plenty. And finally we didn't think the forum owner would be happy letting a bunch of amateurs play with his pride and joy!!!

[TheBiscuits]

23 minutes ago, Richard T said:

 

Dashed bad form cruising with your fenders down ...

[Richard T]

Team Whisky Galore have not been sitting idle today. We have spent considerable time discussing the merits of the various whiskies on board and which one to drink to ensure a prompt start in the morning!!

Given that we think that our proposed start point has been selected by several other teams we have also been considering how to organise a Le Mans style start although given the general state of the BCN we suspect that the first boat down the locks to Ogley will spend a considerable amount of time running water down to refill pounds that the local oiks have drained overnight.

We are of course sampling the delights that the Plough has got to offer both liquid and solid and like all good boaters making use of the facilities so as to delay the time when we have to empty the bog.

@TheBiscuits please rest assured that we will not be travelling with our fenders down!! Yesterday evening on catch up we were watching film of the very first Stratocaster to be imported into the UK It was bought by Cliff Richard and played by Hank Marvin. Its currently in the hands of Bruce Welch.

[Scholar Gypsy]

I think you will find yourself going up to Ogley...

[john6767]

12 hours ago, Richard T said:

Team Whisky Galore have not been sitting idle today. We have spent considerable time discussing the merits of the various whiskies on board and which one to drink to ensure a prompt start in the morning!!

Given that we think that our proposed start point has been selected by several other teams we have also been considering how to organise a Le Mans style start although given the general state of the BCN we suspect that the first boat down the locks to Ogley will spend a considerable amount of time running water down to refill pounds that the local oiks have drained overnight.

We are of course sampling the delights that the Plough has got to offer both liquid and solid and like all good boaters making use of the facilities so as to delay the time when we have to empty the bog.

@TheBiscuits please rest assured that we will not be travelling with our fenders down!! Yesterday evening on catch up we were watching film of the very first Stratocaster to be imported into the UK It was bought by Cliff Richard and played by Hank Marvin. Its currently in the hands of Bruce Welch.

We will pass you then, we are heading UP the locks from Huddlesford to the BCN ?

[Captain Pegg]

In any case Ogley wasn’t and still isn’t a built up area so I don’t where the oiks would come from.
 

Do points get deducted for negative BCN stereotypes?

[cheshire~rose]

@john6767 and @Scholar Gypsy

 

It's good to know the heritage police are awake this morning

[john6767]

Good to see you are making good progress DOWN the locks ???

 

As we are passing you as we go UP the locks, here is the virtual inflatable giraffe on a stick, please pass it on to the next boat that you pass, in keeping with BCN Challenge tradition.

 

 

[cheshire~rose]

33 minutes ago, john6767 said:

Good to see you are making good progress DOWN the locks ???

 

As we are passing you as we go UP the locks, here is the virtual inflatable giraffe on a stick, please pass it on to the next boat that you pass, in keeping with BCN Challenge tradition.

 

 

It would be interesting to see if the giraffe gets passed around the boats as they cross, we can see who is taking notice of what the other boats are doing. So long as nobody drops it in the cut or worse, bursts it on a briar bush

[Richard T]

A consignment of new (well actually 50years old) maps have just arrived at the wharf at Gallows Wharf for delivery to Bradley yard by a convoluted route. There is however a major problem I can't find Ballater and Forfar on the BCN maps can anyone help out? There is a Birmingham sheet but that doesn't seem to help that much.

 

[Richard T]

4 hours ago, john6767 said:

Good to see you are making good progress DOWN the locks ???

 

As we are passing you as we go UP the locks, here is the virtual inflatable giraffe on a stick, please pass it on to the next boat that you pass, in keeping with BCN Challenge tradition.

 

 

I think we got our ups and downs wrong last night we are definetly going up the locks although you may have overtaken us at Gallows wharf when we stopped to load a consignment of maps11

 

Edited May 4, 2020 by Richard T

[Richard T]

This is our consignment of maps. Funny one says Anglesey on it but I can't find a basin on it!!

[Richard T]

Team Whisky Galore cruise diary day 1

 

 

CMT1375 at the helm - with apologies to Peter Scott!!

 

Well after a fine night in the Plough where the food was good and the beer even better.

 

We got up only to find that our ostler had done a runner during the night – I don’t suppose that we’ll find another very easily. So we first had to find Shergar our horse on this cold and frosty morning. Here’s a picture of our horse:

 Shergar doesn’t he look lovely?

 We are all wrapped up for the cold and the good news is that we have lock keepers on duty today so we will be quicker up the Ogley locks. From our photos it looks like we might have a couple of stowaways on board. Suggestions required on what to do with them??

Mrs Trackman all wrapped up

Trackman

CMT1375 and the stowaways!

Richard T and Mrs T

 

The first hazard to overcome was getting the tow rope over all the boats moored in the first half mile or so belonging to the Lichfield Cruising Club.

It might say no access but we are going that way!!

 

Huddlesford Junction 1954

Aerial phot of Huddlesford JUnction.

We then started on the climb up the 30 locks to Ogley Junction. Its only when you start boating do you realise that Birmingham sits on top of a hill. Whichever way you approach it by boat its always through a lot of locks. On a positive note we could have been starting from Worcester. Lock 30 is on its own and warms you up for the rest of the flight. There were a few problems with lock 27 as it seems to be buried under the A38! We continued up to Gallows Wharf where we had an enforced wait as a consignment of out of date OS maps was due to be delivered for onward carriage to Bradley workshops. Why are delivery drivers always late? Couldn’t see any sign of the gallows either.

Our cargo from Gallows Wharf!!

The next bridge is where Shortbutts Lane crosses the canal; I do love these old street names. I can think of a couple of friends who shortbutts is a good description of their physique!!

Onwards and upwards. Any idea why there is a Fosseway Lane at Lichfield? I know that Lichfield is a roman town but we are miles from the Fosseway. If and when the canal gets rebuilt I can see confusion between Fosseway locks on the L&H and Fosse locks on the GU. Anyway there are 5 locks in this short flight to negotiate.

We then drop down 4 more locks to pass near to the lovely named Muckley Corner and on to the Boat Inn where we stopped for a pint or two. But not food - the menu was not boater friendly – very pretentious and not to our taste; we would rather have had a bacon butty or two.

The Boat at Muckley Corner

And so to the final flight of locks and Ogley Junction. But first we have to negotiate the M6 Toll road – it’s not easy to go over an aqueduct that has no approach canal or indeed any water in it!! But the hire of a very large crane soon solved this problem. What  could have been a difficult day was made much easier thanks to the volunteer lockies helping us down the flight.

Our crane courtesy of Instagram

At the junction we turned right and headed for Anglesey – no not the one off the Welsh coast but the basin. Here we halted our journey for a while. We had made arrangements to have a free ride on the Chasewater Light Railway but there is always a pay back for a free lunch. Mr Trackman had to put his professional skills to work and do a full inspection of the permanent way – it was found to be in good condition.

Anglesey Basin

Chasewater Light Railway

We then back tracked to Ogley Junction after a short distance we turned left and explored the Sandhill arm. This is about half a mile long and ends in a wharf. There was no winding hole at the end so we had half a mile to do in reverse – there are some advantages to a horse drawn boat – they are much easier to reverse.

Sandhills wharf

At the junction we then carried on to Catshill Junction and from there the 2.5mls to Pelsall junction our destination for the day.

Catshill Junction

Pelsall Junction

A good days boating was had by all – we are still undecided about what to do with our stowaways. We could just tie bricks round their ankles and throw them in the cut but I doubt if its deep enough to drown them and secondly the parents might object. As they both have bikes we could use them for lock wheeling on future flights.

Music of the Day – Cliff Richard singing Summer Holiday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbNP5yqg7hc

Whisky of the Day -  Johnny Walker Red label – would have been better to have been Black label but Red is what we have

Cake of the Day – Cheese scones baked by CMT1375 and her younger son. Apparently they are best washed down with prosecco!!

Owl of the day – Tyto Alba – Barn Owl

[TheBiscuits]

5 minutes ago, Richard T said:

Music of the Day – Cliff Richard singing Summer Holiday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbNP5yqg7hc

 

Whisky of the Day -  Johnny Walker Red label – would have been better to have been Black label but Red is what we have

 

 

 

 Go for the double :

 

 

 

[cheshire~rose]

Back in the 1970's I lived in a tied cottage at Bear's Hay Farm in Streethay. The cottage is visible across the field from the canal close to Brook Hay canal bridge (near the level crossing) 

 

We had a Rayburn room heater in our cottage, it was the only heating available to us and provided hot water too.  In the bitterly cold winter of 1977 the glass broke in the door. and the cottage was freezing when we came home from work each day. The bath was in the bedroom and the tap dripped. Because the waste had frozen the bath was slowly filling up with ice! 

We were really broke so we would come home from work each day to eat a meal of something like beans on toast then go to The Plough at Huddlesford where the tiny single bar always had a roaring fire in the grate. We would buy one drink and make it last as long as possible so we could sit in the warm before going home to fill our hot water bottles and go to bed. 

 

I wish I had taken more notice of the canal back in those days now! 

[trackman]

 

A very Happy Birthday to Jan, with our best wishes for a special day.

Mr & Mrs Trackman have been eagerly anticipating this section of our Challenge route, as it will take us past the very first house we ever owned, after we married in the early 1970s. We have “fond” memories of the sound of trucks crossing a Bailey bridge which crossed the Wyrley & Essington Canal about 100 yards from our front door. A “temporary” bridge that must have been in place for 30 years by then, and it showed.

Mr T used to begin a morning commute to Birmingham by walking the towpath for some way en route to Walsall station. The canal then was not a pretty sight, and he recalls that one bridge he passed was a favourite spot for the local joyriders to dispose of the cars they were done with by dumping them into the cut. However, back to the future (isn’t there a film? That’s it, our musical theme for today is the film’s theme music).

The Ts were so excited that they woke before dawn. Having heard that Barn Owls had been spotted nearby, they went for a brief walk, as the sun rose, but came back without any result except cold feet.

The first of today’s jobs was to fetch the horse, but it wasn’t where we expected it to be! 

After some searching, Mr T found some ‘osses but not Shergar. Who knew horses snore? We didn’t, but these definitely were snoring! We have a video clip to prove it, but time & space are at a premium, so it’s not for here. 

Shergar was eventually found though, and while some of us hitched him up and prepared the boat to move on, others got hot mugs of tea ready and sausage baps. Very necessary, as though not icy like yesterday, the weather was distinctly chilly early on.

Setting off, the going was good, but we were very glad to be horse drawn, avoiding the need for attention to the prop to remove rubbish. All our crew were well aware of the risk on this canal, having been along here in motored boats previously. Clearly things have improved little in more recent times, as it was obvious that others were discovering.

 

 

Fishley Junction (Lord Hay's Branch) Photo courtesy of Andy Tidy

Sausage cobs were a more welcome sight, though nobody spent too long looking at them!

  Shortly after leaving Pelsall Junction we passed under Pelsall Works Bridge north of Pelsall Wood, at the end of the common. Before the next bridge, we arrived at the junction with the Lord Heys Branch. This was a dead-end canal of 1.25 miles, opened in 1800, closed in 1954 like many of the former branches of the BCN. To travel up & back required some time travel, making use of our Automat Sehnsucht. The canal branch had 4 bridges over, and no locks, 3 bridges being named prosaically as Fishley Bridge No. 1, 2 & 3 respectively. The fourth, at the Newtown end just before the two colliery basins, carried the Stafford Road (A34). This road has been widened and the bridge obliterated, and little remains of the second & third Fishley bridges. The only one fully extant is No 1, which still carries Fishley Lane over the defunct canal near to the junction. The latter is still visible as shown in the photo, courtesy of Andy Tidy, aka Captain Ahab. The remains of the canal are apparently still visible as it skirts around the top of the Bloxwich Golf Club to the A34, and again beyond that road. The present-day debris and destruction did not inhibit our virtual return journey to its end and back, made well in the past at a time when the colliery was still active.

  Back on the main canal we came next to Little Bloxwich, passing under several road bridges, including that of the Lichfield Road. The canal course is twisty and between here and Bloxwich, it also goes through a complete “U” turn through Goscote, Hardern and Birchills Junction, before heading a little west of north through Leamore and Bloxwich to Sneyd Junction.

Birchills Jn. Is where the canal and the Walsall Canal meet, above the top of the Walsall flight of 8 locks. Some years back, Mr & Mrs T were cruising on their then new boat with RichardT & Mrs RichardT, who were on their then boat. A small gearbox leak on the T’s boat needed attention under warranty & arrangements had been made to meet Sam Matts of Foxton, who was to do the repair. We moored both boats on the W&E near the junction and waited. We had some unexpected excitement as we did so, because some youths appeared on the offside of the cut west of the A34, and as we watched, set a number of grass fires in the undergrowth and ran off. It had been very hot and dry for some time, and the vegetation burned quite well, with a breeze spreading the fires towards properties nearby. A 999 call was appropriate, we thought, and call made, we were soon gratified to hear the sound of a fire engine approaching. MrsT & MrsRT were pleased to observe some fit young firemen rush from the appliance, and dash about with hoses, to extinguish the blaze. The arrival of Sam, to fix the gearbox, was a bit of an anti-climax after all this!

S  Sneyd Jn Is where the Wyrely Branch once joined the W&E. It was a northward line opened in 1785, and with the Wyrley Bank Branch, extended between 4 and 5 miles up the 5 Sneyd Locks to a long pound at a height of 503 feet. It closed in 1954. It used to be the main line of the “Curly Whirly” but was superceded as such when the canal was extended eastwards from Ogley to Huddlesford, relegating the original section to branch status, and it finally closed in 1954. The Essington Branch, opened in 1798, once went off this one above Sneyd Locks to reach a colliery at what was then the BCN’s highest point at 533 feet, but it was abandoned in 1830.

Sneyd Junction (image courtesy of Andy Tidy).

Not long after Sneyd, we passed under the M6, a modern nightmare which was overcrowded and unpleasant to drive even in the 1970s. Living up to its nickname the canal winds its way on, through Short Heath and Wednesfield, a former hive of heavy industry. We pass the end of the Bentley Canal at Wednesfield Junction, where boats used to come from or go to the Anson Branch of the Walsall Canal near Darlaston. Sadly this 3.5 mile canal, with 6 locks, was closed in 1960, having opened in 1843. The half mile long Neachells Branch used to extend south from its west end.

Continuing we crossed the Grand Junction Railway by “The Jolly Collier” public house. This section of the railway, between Bescot and Wolverhampton, is still an important freight route with occasional passenger diversions, but regular passenger services from Birmingham turn north at Pleck Junction to our east, to go on to Walsall or even Rugeley. The pub is still there & was thriving at least until the lockdown. Go to @JollyCollierPub for more info.

 

 

 

Time pressure, the lockdown and the quantity of Scotch etc we needed to get through, deterred us from stopping, and we reluctantly proceeded to Horseley Fields Junction to join the Birmingham Main Line, turning left and south towards Brum. We had originally planned to stop here for the night, but thanks to the vlockies great efforts yesterday we now had time to continue as far as Deepfields Junction instead. Who knows how important that extra distance may be later in the Challenge? As we moored up, Mr Trackman recalled another memory of the 70s. One of his bosses in his very early days with BR in Birmingham was a bridge engineer who had a reputation for penny pinching.

Photo taken from Facebook.

His favourite material for repairing or strengthening bridges was what is known as bullhead (BH) rail. This rail was originally symmetrical, with the intention that when the top, or head, got worn by rail traffic, the rail could be flipped over so that the bottom (foot) could be run on by the train wheels and the worn part would become the rail foot. This great theory never worked well in practice for several reasons. Later BH was rolled with a heavier head, allowing it to last longer without turning it over. The great advantage of BH for a bridge engineer was that it was not very stiff laterally & could be relatively easily bent sideways. This made it possible to fabricate quite complex shapes (not swans though, I imagine!!) or curved to fit under arches to strengthen them  Enough reminiscences. We moored, untied the ‘oss and hobbled him nearby with a nosebag of feed and a bucket of water handy. Boat and ‘oss safely distanced from other boats of course. The team were by now quite keen to get more food & drink, despite having eaten snacks and drunk non-alcoholic beverages on the hoof. Whisky was available, of course, and Mr Trackman produced a fearsome alternative from the hoard of his late father. This was a half-bottle of real London Gin, actually distilled in London and 70⁰ proof. Fortunately limes & tonic water were available for those who wished to have a G&T and dared to try the real stuff.

Those not wishing to go for this, but preferring to stick to the Scotch (out of loyalty to our boat’s name perhaps) had a new whisky choice available tonight, Ben Bracken Speyside single malt. Of course, there may be some who will try out both alternatives during the course of the evening. Tomorrow may tell us who these were!

 

  Snacks on the hoof, naturally included a cake, this one a fantastic creation in chocolate, from Mrs Trackman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My apologies that the formatting is rubbish, but I'm struggling with my limited comprehension of the forum software, not normally posting anything as complex as this!

 

Trackman

 

 

[Richard T]

Swan photos - our stowaways made the paper ones and CMT1375s younger son Robin made the Lego swan and Robin

Apologies we now have two threads could the admin merge them please

[cmt1375]

Excuse me .. I made the swan myself.. did you not see me in the hold?

[Richard T]

Well here we are at Deepfields junction on a glorious morning. Shergar was hobbled overnight so has not disappeared into the ether. We were all set for a good day boating when the towpath telegraph alerted us to a major fire on the old main line which is closed  from Tipton Green junction to Tividale aqueduct. So that scuppers our plan to go through the Dudley tunnel and explore the Pensnett canal. At least it save us the job of dismantling the cratch, taking off the cloths and top planks and taking down the mast in order to meet the height gauge on Dudley tunnel.

So after putting the harness on Shergar we set off towards Factory junction.

Factory top lock

When we got close wwe heard that we could get closer to the fire by going down the Tipton Green Locks. So being nosy we went that way.

The Fire courtesy of the Birmingham Post

Tipton Green top lock during infilling

Recent image of Tipton Green lock 2

 

Our stowaways being useful

 

 

When we reached Watery lane junction we turned right and headed along to Dudley Port junction. What a hive of industry it is along this stretch of canal. We passed an a day boat being towed by a horse.

At Dudley Port junction we turned right again and headed under Tividale aqueduct and into Netherton Tunnel. Shergar took some persuasion to enter the stygian gloom of the tunnel but with a bribe of a bag of carrots he went in and then proceeded to go through at breakneck speed!!

Inside Netherrton tunnel

On emerging from the tunnel we would like to have had time to explore the Bumble Hole and Boshboil arms – they looked interesting but the organisers of the cruise have chosen not to include them!!

Again we turned right and decided to explore the canal up to Parkhead Junction where another small consignment of maps awaited collection. Initially Parkhead as a destination confused us as there is a more famous Parkhead in Glasgow (the home of Celtic) but a quick look at the map showed that this was nowhere near the canal in the great city.

When we got to Blackbrook Junction we said what the hell and diverted down the two locks line to Woodside Junction.

Blackbrook junction

Two locks line

Woodside junction

There we again turned right and went back up two locks to Parkhead junction.

Parkhead locks and colliery

The start of the Pensnett canal which we should have been exploring today.

 

At Parkhead we picked up the maps and walked up the locks to look at the start of the Pensnett canal.and turned right again to head for Blackbrook junction. We then retraced our journey to Windmill End stopping to use the services at Withymoor Island.

A short distance further on we noted the entrance to the derelict Withmoor arm.

Withymoor arm

At Windmill End we again turned right at took the canal towards Selly Oak with our overnight destination at Hawne Basin. Along this stretch we came across a large amount of rubbish which had we had a prop would have found its way round it. There was a builders back full of garden rubbish including log lengths of ivy and Russian vine, a child’s car seat, a broken kettle, several plastic boxes of varying size and a 20m length of decent rope which we had coiled up for future use before we took the photo. This rubbish was like the large pile that had been round a prop that we found yesterday.

The next obstacle to be negotiated was Gosty Hill tunnel. We have bad memories of this tunnel – on one notable occasion just as it was getting dark we were going through it when we came to a halt. We had become jammed in the tunnel with a railway sleeper between the boat and the tunnel wall. No amount of reversing would free the boat – by now the crew were panicking thinking that they were going to be stuck all night in the tunnel. In the end we freed the boat by using the gangplank to push the sleeper deeper into the water where the hull side tapered in. Once free we put the sleeper on our boat roof and then into a skip at Hawne Basin. We were towed through the tunnel by a tug while Shergar was walked over the top.

West end of Gosty Hill tunnel with the tug house

Inside Gosty Hill tunnel

Having negotiated the tunnel we came out into the chaos of Stewarts and Lloyds tube works – there were boats everywhere that had to be pushed out of the way!

Combswood tube works

Recent view of the same area.

We the arrived at Hawne Basin where there were stables for Shergar and we could get a beer in the club house.

Hawne Basin with the stern of Tyto Alba in the picture.

Whisky of the day Bells note a litre bottle!!

Music of the day – Thin Lizzy Whisky in the jar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyQ-tScuzwM

 

Cake of the day – This beautiful one made as part of a Bake Off competition at work.

 

Owl of the day – Little owl

 

 

Happy boating - thats us done for the day!!

Edited May 6, 2020 by Richard T
Extra photo added

[Richard T]

Apologies for duplicate photos in tha log for today. Not a bad idea to have two bottles scotch.

[cheshire~rose]

We need to get the two threads combined because the judging panel don't have a llink to this one so you could be losing points!

 

 

[trackman]

Team “Whisky Galore” Virtual BCN Challenge 2020 Cruise Log Day 4

 

It was an early start from Hawne Basin, a shame as we’d been made to feel very welcome by members of the Coombeswood Canal Trust (at appropriate safe distance, of course). The crew wished to take advantage of cultural opportunities available along our route, and even with the use of time travel we needed to get underway. We were exceedingly glad of breakfast as we travelled, egg butties this time.

 

 

Mrs Trackman was pleased that we didn’t need to go back through the very tight Gosty Hill Tunnel, until she realised the much greater challenge of the alternative, Lapal (or in older spelling, Lappal) Tunnel. This is significantly longer at 3,795 yards than Gosty Hill’s mere 557. It was of similar tight bore, until subsidence closed it in 1917, and so presents a significantly greater challenge, even though we were able to nip back in time to a period when it was navigable. Fortunately, in 1841, 43 years after the tunnel was opened after construction by William Underhill, an unusual means of mechanical boat propulsion was installed. This obviated the effort of legging all that way. Judicious selection of our cruising date through the remainder of the Dudley No 2 Canal from Hawne Basin to Selly Oak ensured that not only was the whole canal navigable but also, we were propelled through the tunnel relatively effortlessly.

The propulsion was thanks to a steam engine and the paddle wheel it drove. These surcharged the tunnel with water, stop gates at each end being closed to retain the extra liquid. When it was the turn of boats at the Halesowen end to go through, including “Whisky Galore”, the opening of gate paddles at the far end of the structure caused the water to flow in that direction. The boats had been manhandled into the tunnel one behind another, and were drawn through surprisingly effectively, to the far end.

In the real world of 2020, the Lapal Canal Trust (www.lapalcanal.co.uk) is working to restore parts of the canal to water and maintain access for the public. Lapal Tunnel is unlikely to ever be reopened, but an outline scheme has been assembled for a canal over the top with lock flights at each end. One can only hope!

Reunited with Shergar and Mrs Trackman, who had walked him over the tunnel top with other boat horses, we were soon underway once again under normal, equine, power. After the tunnel there is a section of the canal that remains in water today, in a public park & golf course. We saw this in its original state, running through “The Leasowes”, a private estate owned at one time by a poet called William Shenstone.

Below is a picture of the Selly Oak end of the tunnel taken in the 1950s. Courtesy of Andy Tidy.

 

 

The two photos above contrast the tunnelling machines of yesteryear and of today. The top one is of an ancient tunnelling shield, (courtesy of Tunnel Business Magazine) showing the lucky guys who, facing the soil behind them rather than the camera as depicted, would have hand dug the ground to clear the way for the apparatus to be pushed forward for them to dig again. All the while worrying that they might hit water or running sand, and disaster. This kind of thing is likely to be the best that might have been used to drive a tunnel like Lapal, and possibly far better.

 

The lower shot is one taken by Trackman, showing what a modern equivalent looks like as it goes into the ground. This one was driving one of the Crossrail tunnels under the River Thames from Woolwich, with the other tunnel already complete alongside. These multi £million machines do everything mechanically, and are steered by an operator at a PC in an office, using a joystick like a games machine. They compete to see which driver can keep closest to the designed path over a shift. with a disc the size of a 50p piece being enough to encompass the error! Humans do ride in these machines to carry out certain tasks, but their safety is assured by all kinds of systems that can protect against almost anything.

 

We soon emerged onto the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, at Selly Oak, turning left towards the big city. It was time to change our time travel settings in order to shift to the modern era, but prior to the lockdown for Cv-19. We wished to make our first cultural stop, and moored up in order to visit the Barber Institute of Fine Arts at the University of Birmingham. This is a free to visit gallery with works by world famous artists from Auerbach to Van Gogh, including Monet, Degas, Gainsborough, Gauguin, Rubens, Rodin and more. This is the building, seen from inside and out:

 

 

After a most enjoyable time at the Barber, we returned to the boat and persuaded Shergar to be harnessed up once again. He towed us further, up to and around Refuse Turn and right into the city centre, where the Trackman duo had an appointment with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. This was for a matinee concert in Symphony Hall. They are great fans and patrons of the CBSO, and have been known to bring their own boat into the city in order to go to their concerts. This time they were to use the Automat Sehnsucht to go back to a favourite event, a concert featuring the Orchestra’s Osborne Music Director & Principal Conductor, Mirga Grazinitye-Tyla, conducting her “band” performing Mahler’s 8^th Symphony in E flat major. This is an 85-minute symphony, completed by the composer in 1907, and known as “The Symphony of a Thousand” because of the large orchestra and massive number of choral singers and solo singers required. This performance involved the CBSO with 5 international choirs, so many that some of the public seating in the Hall’s galleries were required to accommodate singers.

 

 

We moored in Cambrian Wharf opposite “The Slapper & Pumpkin” aka “The Flapper & Firkin”, but no Brummie would use its proper name, would they? They also refer to the James Brindley by a rhyming name, but I’ll not repeat that as some might find it offensive! The other members of our crew made Shergar comfortable & safe, then paid a visit to the Ikon Gallery and its café.

 

The CBSO, conducted by Mirga Grazinitye-Tyla

 

The Trackpeople had a great time at Symphony Hall, returning singing the music they’d heard, to find that the others were on board and raring to go. Winding “Whisky Galore” with a horse was an interesting experience in the confines of the Basin and with a crew more used to diesel power. We followed the Old Main Line route, including such twists and turns as what are now known as Oozells Street Loop, Icknield Port Loop, and Soho Loop, as far as Cape Arm Junction in Smethwick, former constituency of Enoch Powell MP. The map shows the arm's location.

 

 

An excursion up the Cape Arm was the next challenge, and as often happens, we found the return easier than the trip up. Learning by experience, I think it’s called. The arm was originally a loop, and before that a part of the original Main Line, being severed like the other loops when Telford built the New Main Line in 1827. Part of it was later infilled, turning the loop into a dead end.

 

On the Main Line once more, we went on to Smethwick Junction to bear right onto the Old Main Line, climbing up the 3 Smethwick locks, to take the sharp left turn above the top lock, into the Engine Arm. The arm was named after the Smethwick pumping engine, installed in 1779 to pump water back to the top level, from the bottom of the lock flight. Originally, the Old Line ran at a higher level, and the Smethwick flight and the flight at the other end of this section, Spon Lane Locks, both had 6 locks, but in the 1780s John Smeaton dug a cutting at lower level, and 3 locks of each flight were made redundant. Telford constructed the New Main Line in the 1820s, close to the original line, and the Engine Arm was built to feed water to the canal from Rotten Park Reservoir (now known as Edgbaston Reservoir) and to connect the Smethwick Engine. The feeder was enlarged in 1830, to make it navigable for boats to bring coal for the Engine.

 

 

The return trip up the Arm, over Telford’s eponymous cast iron aqueduct to the basin and back was easy enough, with good winding at the end. We turned left at the junction with the Old Main Line and finished our day’s journey by carrying on to Spon Lane Junction, above the 3-lock flight of the same name. On the way to our mooring there, we passed the present-day Galton Valley Heritage Centre and transited the Summit Tunnel before passing under the gloom of the M5 motorway viaduct. Time for tea and whisky cake after we had seen to Shergar’s security, food and drink.

 

 

Interesting natural history seen during the trip today included a Grey Wagtail nest in a lock gate, and some purple orchids growing canalside.

 

 

Cake of the day was a home made whisky cake, appropriately enough

 

The whisky of the day:

and finally, of course, I must show the day's owl:

 

 

[Richard T]

 

Our time machine or to giv it a fancy title Automat Sehnsucht. This model has been tried and tested over many years by the BBC. However this model has slight modication in  order for it to work a coin of the realm has to be inserted in a slot in its roof. The greater the value of the coin the more effective it becomes so to go back to when the canals were built a gold sovereign is required. Other coins that work well are crowns, half crowns and florins!!

Edited May 7, 2020 by Richard T
picture reinserted

[cheshire~rose]

15 hours ago, Richard T said:

 

Our time machine or to giv it a fancy title Automat Sehnsucht. This model has been tried and tested over many years by the BBC. However this model has slight modication in  order for it to work a coin of the realm has to be inserted in a slot in its roof. The greater the value of the coin the more effective it becomes so to go back to when the canals were built a gold sovereign is required. Other coins that work well are crowns, half crowns and florins!!

We clearly have some problems with copyright issues with this supplier because everyone knows this is a tardis and NOT a Automat Sensucht.

 

That is one supplier we won't be using again ?