Buzzing Birmingham (again!)

[nicknorman]

Yes it was true that the Oozels st loop had reserved moorings which seemed a bit daft because they are not anywhere that the public normally walk - it is not a through route to anywhere.

 

What would be better would be if, rather than spend lots of money resurfacing the towpath beyond St Vincent's street, instead (or as well) some rings were put in there. But yes, I know, the money for that probably came from somewhere else...

[berth]

The CRT handed over signs "be welcome to moor abreast" or such. There were several slots free. Friday night, 21:00, there were 2 slots free in Gas Street Basin.

But I agree: having it in the stoppages would be the solution.

[nicknorman]

The CRT handed over signs "be welcome to moor abreast" or such. There were several slots free. Friday night, 21:00, there were 2 slots free in Gas Street Basin.

But I agree: having it in the stoppages would be the solution.

It was in the stoppages system.

[pearley]

I am sorry you had to move but when I arrived on the Friday there was loafs of empty mooring in the area the market was purely on the stretch by the NIA

Yes it was true that the Oozels st loop had reserved moorings which seemed a bit daft because they are not anywhere that the public normally walk - it is not a through route to anywhere.

What would be better would be if, rather than spend lots of money resurfacing the towpath beyond St Vincent's street, instead (or as well) some rings were put in there. But yes, I know, the money for that probably came from somewhere else...

We arrived just before lunch on the Friday. Several boats were moored on line before St Vincents Street bridge so fearing the worst we moored as well and walked into town. The moorings on Oozells Loop all had notices attached but no trading boats were moored there, just 2 leisure cruisers. A lot of the length along gas Street was occupied, not least by two boats trading outside the restricted area and 3 boats were moored on the VMs in the basin itself. No one was moored at Holliday Wharf so we moved around there. I don't know about Cambrian Wharf as we didn't walk round there.

[cotswoldsman]

We arrived just before lunch on the Friday. Several boats were moored on line before St Vincents Street bridge so fearing the worst we moored as well and walked into town. The moorings on Oozells Loop all had notices attached but no trading boats were moored there, just 2 leisure cruisers. A lot of the length along gas Street was occupied, not least by two boats trading outside the restricted area and 3 boats were moored on the VMs in the basin itself. No one was moored at Holliday Wharf so we moved around there. I don't know about Cambrian Wharf as we didn't walk round there.

Are you talking this year or last year?

[pearley]

This year.

 

You talking about last?

[cotswoldsman]

This year.

 

You talking about last?

Yup I was when replying about available moorings

[Philip]

Once again Birmingham demonstrates that it is the epicentre of the canal world and trounces other cities such as London and Manchester without breaking into a sweat.

I'd say that's a bit unfair. I can't speak for London but Manchester is certainly a great place to visit by boat nowadays with plenty of interest and good moorings both in the centre and the approach from both directions. A lot of hard work has gone into improving Manchester over the last 30 years. I have travelled through quite a lot of the Birmingham network including the centre and agree that it's better than Manchester but I guess so it should be given it's a much bigger place with a much bigger canal network.

Edited July 9, 2014 by Philip

[nicknorman]

I'd say that's a bit unfair. I can't speak for London but Manchester is certainly a great place to visit by boat nowadays with plenty of interest and good moorings both in the centre and the approach from both directions. A lot of hard work has gone into improving Manchester over the last 30 years. I have travelled through quite a lot of the Birmingham network including the centre and agree that it's better than Manchester but I guess so it should be given it's a much bigger place with a much bigger canal network.

Well I made that comment having just been through Manchester by canal. Manchester may well be much better than it was, but it is not a patch on Birmingham. I am not just thinking of the canal in isolation, but the way it is integrated into the rest of the city. Superbly done in Birmingham, not really done at all in Manchester, although the bit around Castlefields is quite pleasant I suppose. Manchester suffers from not really having a city centre in the same way that Brum does - or if it does, I have yet to find it!

[David Mack]

Manchester suffers from not really having a city centre in the same way that Brum does - or if it does, I have yet to find it!

Well you can't have tried very hard!! The Rochdale 9 skirts the edge of the City Centre, which is all within a few minutes walk of any of the bridges on this section.

[nicknorman]

Well you can't have tried very hard!! The Rochdale 9 skirts the edge of the City Centre, which is all within a few minutes walk of any of the bridges on this section.

I confess to not having spent much time in Manchester away from the canal, but browsing on satellite and street view I just see a lot of roads, some shops, but no substantial civic spaces such as there are in Brum. In Brum they are all linked together from say Brindley Place through to the new Bullring, where as a pedestrian you can pass the NIA, Sealife centre, the ICC / symphony hall, the theatre, the fantastic new library, (through a slightly grotty mall to) chamberlain square with its fantastic civic buildings, along the pedestrianised New st area to the Bullring, all without having to do battle with the traffic. Brum's system of tunnels helps to keep traffic away from pedestrians in much of the city centre.

 

By contrast manchester just looks like your average town that has grown a bit big. It certainly turns its back on the canal. Anyway, they talk funny up there.

Edited July 10, 2014 by nicknorman