B’rum advice for anti-clock Warwickshire Ring

[Captain Pegg]

3 hours ago, john6767 said:

Or busier if people are going Birmingham to GU!

 

making Garrison two way for the Challenge would seen a good idea, but then Garrison isn’t part of the BCN either!

 

I touched on this in the BCN Challenge thread. My intention is to drop the route from Aston to Salford via Bordesley for this year; because Garrison in isolation isn't part of the BCN and nor is it a place where there is any great need to promote usage. I suspect part of the reason for including it historically is that it makes a through route with the Digbeth branch but I did hint that I'd considered making the Digbeth branch and an out and back on it's own and drop Garrison. That would require boats to go into Typhoo basin.

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, john6767 said:

Yes they they would normally go the NORTH Stratford way.  When we went Ashted last week it was quite busy both ways and I don’t think it was just because of the tree down on the North Stratford (which was the reason we were there), as we saw no one on Camp Hill so people were going Garrison/Ashted I think, personally I would go Aston every time!

And when they get to the Dog in a Doublet at Curdworth they say "I didn't think much of Birmingham"

[Rob-M]

1 hour ago, john6767 said:

Yes they they would normally go the NORTH Stratford way.  When we went Ashted last week it was quite busy both ways and I don’t think it was just because of the tree down on the North Stratford (which was the reason we were there), as we saw no one on Camp Hill so people were going Garrison/Ashted I think, personally I would go Aston every time!

I like going the Garrison route instead of Aston especially if there is someone slow at locking in front of us.

[Graham and Jo]

On 09/05/2023 at 15:06, cuthound said:

 

Likewise. Mrs Hound and I once did Hatton and the Lapworth flight in a single day, but we were young and enthusiastic then... 

 

We did Hatton and Lapworth yesterday. It aged me considerably. 

 

Cheers Graham 

[starman]

Well that's the worst over with - Curdworth to Catherine de Barnes. And it wasn't bad. It wasn't good either though. The Curdworth locks were fine - an excellent stretch of canal. Minworth were okay with a couple of dodgy paddles and even the first bit of GU down to Garrison Locks was pretty decent for an urban canal. But the last couple of locks - vile with bags of rubbish and hundreds of floating kebab/burger/chip trays. Why aren't they banned? No boating problems as such bar a few bursts of reverse to clear the prop. No sign of any 'closed towpath' either despite the CRT alert.

Our only problems as such were at Camp Hill locks. One of those laughing gas cylinders got caught behind a lock gate and we managed to get wedged half in and half out of the lock. A CRT man was already on the flight sorting low water levels and between us all we got things  sorted after a bit of wrestling. And so on to the easy run to CdB. Not quite so easy; the top end didn't seem to have much evidence of dredging; it was slow going with a fair bit of reverse to clrar the prop. And so many tree branches floating around everywhere, from virtually telegraph pole length downwards. Why I just can't imagine. Plenty of rubbish too; we must have passed 20-30 gas cannisters - the local lads must be high as kites. But we are here; 8.30 start and 6.30 finish.

Would I do it again? Probably not. Not difficult or dangerous just not very pleasant and a bit dull. I'll go North Stratford way next time.

[ditchcrawler]

26 minutes ago, starman said:

 

Would I do it again? Probably not. Not difficult or dangerous just not very pleasant and a bit dull. I'll go North Stratford way next time.

Fully agree

[starman]

Knowle Locks done. Not bad at all after I scared the helmswoman Mrs B into their perils. Volokies on the flight helped a lot. Paddles certainly very heavy though.