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Thursday 12th June
Having loaded up and got all my little last-minute jobs done, I eventually set off from Redhill at about 1130.
I arrived at Sawley Lock to find it unmanned - Thursday must be the locky's day off. I moored to the apex
of the island between the two locks (something you CAN do when you've only got 24 feet of boat to play
with) then went up onto the island, key in hand, to work the lock for the first time on my own. Normally,
of course, there's somebody there to do it for you and on the odd occasion I've been through when
there's been nobody there the crew have pressed the buttons. I noticed there's a brand new "FLOOD
2000" marker on the side of the lock cottage. Having got clear of the lock by around 1220, I paused to do
water and dunny before calling into the Marina for diesel ( a whole £6 - worth) and some essential supplies
and to see the insewerance man who'd just gone to lunch - so I had mine.
I eventually left about 1425 and was delighted to see another boat leaving Derwent Mouth Lock as I was arriving as this meant it was ready for me! I called into the Bridge Stores at Shardlow as they sell APS film
(unlike Sawley Marina) and then made my way up to Shardlow Lock, where I joined up with NB Kingfisher.
We went up all the big, heavy locks together, much to my relief. I must confess to not having looked
forward to struggling with these heavy locks on my own, so was grateful for the company. We passed a
couple of Canaltime boats, whose crews were fine - much more clued-up than ones reported last year.
Unfortunately, the weather wasn't that good - light rain with heavier showers. One of the bottom gates at
Stenson was an absolute sod - wouldn't close fully and had apparently been like it for some time, but we
eventually got up by about 2000. I moored at the marina and was eating dinner by 2015 - oh, the joys of
tinned meat (pork in cider with veg) and instant mash! I also took the opportunity to talk to Tamworth
Cruising Club to arrange a mooring for Saturday night.
Friday 13th June
Awoke at 0600 after a fitful night's sleep - breakfast, coffee and a shower made me feel much more human. A wipe down and polish session was interrupted by a heavy shower - the last of last night's rain. By the
time I'd had another coffee and a bacon sarnie it had stopped, so I set off at about 0830. The weather was
still cloudy but very warm. I paused just beyond the Dove aqueduct outside Burton for a brew-up and
break, and used a piling hook to moor up with - aren't they easy to use??
Unfortunately, the prop shaft coupling failed as I got to Bridge 29 and again about 20 yards from Jannell Cruisers (just at the engineer's lunch hour) so it was time to get THAT sorted once and for all! An
examination revealed that the coupling was oval by 0.04" - enough for it not to grip properly. Having been
offered a number of alternatives by their engineer, we ended up making the slots in each side rather larger
so it would grip better. (In actual fact, this worked perfectly) We ordered a new coupling from
Crowther's with the intention of fitting it on the return journey. I eventually got away at about 1615 and
pottered up the locks steadily, stopping in Bridge 36 to make soup. I rather fancied eating in the Barton
Turn, remembering their sandwiches last year, but on enquiring found they didn't do meals in the evening,
so I decided to moor in Barton Turns Marina, as it would be marginally quieter. As I set off on this very
short trip, the heavens opened and I got ratursated!
Saturday 14th June
I awoke at 0600 to the sound of rain on the cabin roof - NOT an inducement to rise & shine!
Nevertheless I did, and by 0715 was packed away, fed and watered and set off under an unpromising
leaden sky. The rain did ease off and eventually stopped, but I nearly got soaked by a lorry on the A38
when it ploughed through the extensive puddles on the stretch next to the canal.
Doing uphill locks single-handed has now fallen into a well-rehearsed routine - nudge Rumpus up to the gates and leave her in forward tickover whilst I get out and set the lock. Once the lock is empty, open the
bottom gates and the old girl finds her way into the lock all on her own (well, she should know the way by
now). Shut the gates, wait till she fetches up against the cill or top gates, then open the paddles. Close the
paddle on the far (non-balance beam) side just before the water makes a level, open the gate (Rumpus
hasn't got the "omph" to do that, even going full chat) and let her find her own way out as you wind the
paddles down: step onto the counter as it leaves the lock and drop her into reverse: by the time you've
got the gate shut she's backed into it, ready for you to step on and carry on!
When we came this way last year the succession of towpath bridges above Wychnor Lock were being de-
rusted prior to painting: guess what they were using?? Yup, angle grinders with wire brushes - VERY
familiar. They certainly look a whole lot better now... I arrived at Keeper's Lock just before Fradley
Junction almost exactly 3 hours after setting off so a short break for water, rubbish disposal, coffee and
report writing was called for. I was about to set off "round the corner" at Fradley when I looked out of
the porthole and saw a name I recognised - Tony and Carol Lowe were out on Summer Dim, so we
paused for a chat before I set off at around 1055. Having done the swing bridge on my own, NOT the
easiest thing to do, I was pottering along when I saw a single loaded motor approaching. Being well-bred,
Rumpus knows her place so we slowed down and moved over. It was John and Briony with Stokie.
I called in at Streethay for some Diesel at about 1245 - cost me a whole £4-23! I had lunch whilst I was
stopped and set off again about 1310. At about 1415, I realised I was passing the Home of Canal Planner - I
saw the signs at the bottom of Sid's garden! So, I turned round (you can do that with Rumpus, you know),
rang Sid and got him to take my mooring lines! Rumpus is just about the only boat you could moor at the
bottom of Sid's garden, but he ain't having her!
After a pleasant chat, I set off again and things started to go downhill. Just outside Fazeley, the gearbox
linkage started to play up. I went in the engine 'ole to fix it, noticed a wire off the alternator and stopped
the engine to fix it. BIG MISTAKE!!! The wire was the main charging lead to the battery, the battery was
comprehensively flat (which accounted for the lack of horn and bilge pump) and I was stuck! I started to
bowhaul her towards Fazeley but happened upon a cruiser just arriving on the moorings. He had a set of
jump leads and was persuaded to let me get one of his batteries out to get Rumpus going again, once I'd
done a temporary repair on the lead to get me charging again. A very late arrival at Tamworth Cruising
Club saw me changed and off the boat in short order, followed by a rapid walk (well, where would YOU
get a taxi at 2000 on a Saturday night?) to the station to get a train for Derby, to get home for a party.
The only redeeming factor was that the ticket office was un-manned and I never saw the Guard stir out of
the back cab of the train!!
Sunday June 15th
........ started well: I found a tool stall on Ripley Market Place (Sundays only) selling crimping tools and
boxes of assorted connectors for a quid! Having loaded the car (much too much stuff to take on the train,
as we had originally intended) we drove back to Tamworth, unloaded, made a proper job of the alternator
lead and had a drink in their newly-redecorated lounge and sorted out collecting the car before setting off.
We sanitised and watered at the facilities at BW's offices at Peel's Wharf in Fazeley (soaking Susan in the
process) before setting off again.
As we passed the entrance to Fazeley Mill Marina, we were hailed form the footbridge over the entrance.
"You don't know us, but we know you...... We're on the newsgroup!" I suppose making Rumpus "public
property" as I have will mean we'll get a fair amount of this as we travel around. It was obvious we were
now on the BCN - the towpath side suddenly started to acquire brick edging and brick walls instead of
piling. Once we'd decided "who does what" - me on the boat, Susan on the windlass, the Curdworth
flight went smoothly enough, though the "all ground paddles" meant that nuzzling up to the bottom gate if
the lock was full was not a good idea! The paddle gear was noticeably stiffer than on the T&M so I hopped
off the boat once the lock was half-full and lent a hand.
Curdworth Tunnel provided the first chance to test the headlight - it appears to do exactly what it was
intended to! We moored up just beyond the tunnel and a good dinner was had by all!
Monday June 16th
We started off today at the relatively civilised time of 0850. I noticed lots of what looked like plastic
miniature mortars planted in the towpath edge - to protect plants? Vegetation seemed to be studiously
avoiding them! We moored below Curdworth Bottom Lock at 0920 for breakfast and ablutions and having
abluted set off again but stopped very quickly when Susan "found" some wet white paint on the lock -
good job she didn't REALLY push the balance beam in the approved manner and I'd still got some thinners
on board! We worked up the flight and did rubbish at the top lock - one of the nicest we've seen so far.
We arrived at the KFC on the Chester Road at about 1125, so had an early lunch as they opened at 1130.
They haven't quite grasped the concept of the "boat-thru" yet but it was only a short step off the towpath,
there were benches and tables to eat at and we left all their rubbish behind us!
We set off again at 1220 and paused for a Weedhatch Moment near Bromford Bridge No 2 after a very
weedy stretch and a labouring engine. It must have thrown it off as the prop was clear! You can tell we're
on an urban canal: in the last mile or so I've seen a colour TV, a car's plastic bumper and a car wheel and
tire all floating in the cut........... We arrived at Salford Junction at about 1330 - undoubtedly the best view if
Spaghetti Junction is to be had from the canal junction and I'd never realised there was a railway in there
too! We set off up the Perry Barr flight - the pound between the bottom two locks was well over a foot
down, Lock 6 was faulty and had to be left empty and two of the paddles on the top lock were locked out
of use, but we arrived at the top by 1730 to take water and tea, before continuing to Rushall Bottom
Lock, where we stopped for the night at about 1920. Susan's hay fever kicked in bigtime - the's a golf
course next to the canal and they were cutting the grass........... a good session was spent in The Bell,
stereotype observing.
Tuesday June 17th
After last night's session we didn't wake up until the disgustingly late time of 0900! Set the first three locks
of the flight and reported a missing balance beam end (neatly chain-sawn off) before setting off - weather
grey and drizzly. The pounds near the bottom of the flight were quite weedy but we made steady
progress, reaching the top at 1230 where we encountered the BCN version of the vandal lock - a much
more superior affair than the wind-like-buggery screw affairs we get locally. There was also a new (old)
bridge going in across the bottom of the top lock - better tell Kevin Maslin!
There were masses of weed around Hopley's Bridge, requiring numerous WHM's and complicated by the
fact that we'd now not got a decent, quick-acting reverse. Aldridge Marina (!) wasn't where it said on the
map and was closed anyway - there were two newish boats in primer there but no sheds and no signs of
boatbuilding activity.
We came to Brownhills with the High Street a couple of hundred yards away, a market - packing up - but
more interesting was a canalside Tesco's which enabled us to do some stocking up! There's a new housing
estate going up at Pelsall Junction with plots backing onto the canal - buy yours NOW! We made steady
progress through Bloxwich and got stoned by the locals at Hildick's Bridge - I was warned that this was to
be expected. There are a fair number of pigeon fanciers in Bloxwich, with massive lofts built out of
flooring ply - how do they get planning permission? (Or do they??) Why do they have the little "fences" on
top of the roofs? There were also many near-derelict houses - a symptom of the problems of the area.
We eventually fetched up at Walsall Top Lock at about 2015 and had a session in the New Navigation (ask
about the clock if you're in there) with Kevin Maslin.
Wednesday June 18th
We spent a good deal of today at Walsall Top, whilst we got a new temporary weld-it-on-top-of-the-
gearbox gear lever made up, We both visited the Canal Museum at the Top Lock, where it was Schools
Week so one "ATLAS", of BW's Heritage Boats, was moored outside the Museum for the children to
look at. A good job really, as the alleged "boatman's cabin" replica inside the Museum is nothing like the
real thing - the staff would like to see it go but it was built by a Training Scheme...........
We eventually set of down the flight in the afternoon, seeing the rush-hour traffic stationary on the roads
as we moved steadily on. The run into the Town Basin was simple, the moorings excellent, the Victorian-
style pub not half bad and the music in the Wharf Bar was hot salsa, with the local club practising their
dancing - quite a pleasant end to a gentle day.
Thursday June 19th
Kevin Maslin came down to collect Susan and whisk her off to Tamworth, whilst after visiting the local
Wilkos to stock up on essentials (a spud peeler and razor blades) I set off single-handed towards Ryder's
Green. By this time, we'd already come to the conclusion that Rumpus wasn't mechanically reliable enough
to undertake the BCN Challenge Cruise, so we had called it off. Progress was slow, with frequent WHM's
being compounded by the wind which on one occasion span me round completely on the offside - only
the fortunate arrival of a rubbish clearing boat who turned me round saved me on that occasion, as I was
becoming increasingly knackered and frustrated. I was interested to see that the copper works by the M6
is still standing, largely untouched but not used for (I would imagine) a good number of years - anyone
know why?
Eventually, the gearbox would have no more and we expired by Midland Road Bridge - just as the kids
were due to come out of school! Once again, Kevin (and his invaluable BCN leaflet) were on hand, and in
due course a knight in shining armour (aka a Range Rover) appeared: Ken Field came out and after a trip
back to Tipton got me going again an hour or two later. Whilst I was waiting, I attracted the inevitable
audience of local kids who were on the whole quire well behaved. Of course, I got "Where's Rosie and
Jim?" in a broad Walsall accent, but nobody spit on me off the bridge, nobody stoned me and one lad
actually got an apple for retrieving the boathook from the offside when I knocked it in whilst scrubbing the
cabin roof to kill time. We got going just after the pubescent pre-teen female tobacco experimenters
appeared - any later and it might have got slightly more bothersome. As it was, I eventually crawled into
Ocker Hill moorings absolutely knackered, to be whisked off by Kevin for a pub meal, as no way was I up
to cooking.
Friday June 20th
I forgot to mention - as we were coming down Walsall Locks on Wednesday, the mobile rang. I answered
it, to find Ken Kroeker on the line from Canada. His first question? "How's the gearbox?" The Towpath
Telegraph really has got world-wide!
The problem with the gearbox is easy to explain - the little lever on the side has not been staying put on
the shaft which sticks out of the side of said gearbox, which means that finding a gear of any sort has been
akin to winning the lottery!
Having succeeded in getting to the bottom of Ryders Green under power eventually this morning, things
were so difficult that I was resigned to bow-hauling all the way up the flight, when who should happen
along but a pair of Mormon missionaries. They were pressed into service as a scratch bow-hauling crew,
and hauled Rumpus all the way up the flight - a true example of practical Christianity by Elders Genet and
Barnes which was very greatly appreciated, as was the timely attendance of two BW men (Mick Oakley
and Tim Cartwright) who helped re-fill the flight after I'd found a totally dry pound.
When I got to the top, I engaged forward gear (worked better if I did that) and started the engine - the
gear stopped in so it was only a matter of (a fairly long) time before I reached Tipton and Ken's yard, the
old Caggy Stevens one, where Rumpus lies now. All should be sorted by next weekend.
I must once again pay a public and very heartfelt thanks to our BCN Correspondent, Kevin Maslin, who
has been kindness itself and made a potentially fraught situation much easier than it could have been - very
many thanks, Mate!
(The next weekend, we went to the NIA Inland Waterways Exhibition)
Rumpus gets to Brum!
Rumpus likes Brum.................. I arrived on Thursday night to find the box rebuilt and back in. The main
problem was that a bush which is only an interference fit in one of the gears tends to move as you engage
gear. This bashes a ball-bearing in the ball cage and eventually destroys it. Coupled with a set of rounded-
off dogs for forward gear, this resulted in a well-nigh useless gearbox, now modified and with an extra
thrust washer to prevent a re-occurrence, rebuilt and back in. I spent a fair amount of time in the evening
removing the redundant gearchange mechanism and that blessed cable and making a new engine 'ole floor
out of a part sheet of superior "dimply ply" that posh boatbuilders use which just happened along.
Friday saw the new vertical pull-for-forward push-for-reverse gearchange linkage built out of the bits I'd
removed last night, allowing me to depart in mid-afternoon and immediately get trapped by some weed!
However, we eventually arrived in Brum and I started to look out for my mooring. Sure enough, there
was a 28' space in the BCNS moorings...... Their Harbourmaster said "Are you mooring up yet?" "Not yet"
was my reply, as I had a rendezvous with my cousin, wife and family for an evening's pottering. The
youngsters wanted to "do a lock" so we went round to Cambrian Wharf, went down the top lock of
Farmer's Bridge (with the kind assistance of Sean Neil) and promptly turned around and came back up
again! You can do that with Rumpus.........
We pottered out to do a loop or three.......... As we passed my mooring, the Harbourmaster said "Are you
mooring up yet?" "Not yet" was my reply............ Eventually we pottered back again - "Are you mooring up
yet?" "Not yet"....... and having dropped them off I DID moor up!
Saturday was sheer joy - unlike most of the visiting boats I could go and play (except when The Parade was
taking place) and play I did! Rumpus was an absolute dream and we went round Ouzells Street regularly
('cause there's a sign at the Old Turn end that says "Sound Horn When Entering Main Line - so I did!) It
echoed beautifully off the NIA!! Every time!!! I went round the Old Turn island every time I passed - You
can do that with Rumpus......... I even went and moored outside the James Brindley at Worcester Bar to
listen to some jazz - sorry about the railing post that's now leaning a bit but you can do that with
Rumpus......... The evening was spent with Dave Hearmon and Leslie Pirana Fish (he actually calls her that to
her face!) pottering gently round some of the loops with red wine and olives on the slide, most civilised!
Sunday saw Susan arrive and a trip down to Holliday Wharf for water - easy with Rumpus............ We went
round he exhibition but weren't too impressed - what was nice was returning to the James Brindley to
hear Dicky Hart & the Pacemakers (I kid you not!) but this time mooring to two railing posts ......... You
can do that with Rumpus.........
Eventually we had to set off for Tipton, into a glorious sunset. I decided to try a little timing experiment as
the boat was behaving so well, and discovered that Rumpus is a 3-miles-an-hour boat if you push her and
two-and-a-half if you don't. We arrived at Tipton, unloaded everything that needed to come home and left
the keys for Ken to fit the flexible mountings for the engine and the diddy prop shaft she's going to get,
then set off home. It was only as we were driving the RIGHT way up the M6 (ie the side where the traffic
was moving) that Susan remarked that it was he first time she'd been on Rumpus and I hadn't had to get
the tools out for some reason or another. The shape of things to come? I certainly hope so!
(Rumpus remained at Tipton for the next week - the engine and gearbox got installed on its flexible mounts, a short prop shaft was built to connect the back of the gearbox to the (new) coupling on the shaft itself and the exhaust got "improved")
The trip back (over two-and-a-bit weekends) was without incident - on her new flexible mounts and with
the diddy prop shaft, Rumpus is much quieter, well-behaved and more civilised than she has ever been in
my ownership. The descent of Farmer's Bridge locks was enlivened by fishermen who were actually
catching sizeable fish in the short pounds between the locks - something that would have been unheard of
in the Bad Old Days. There was a minor problem with the exhaust shortly before we reached Tamworth,
but Ken came out, made a bracket up and "improved" matters the following Saturday. My companion for
this weekend was Alan, who owns his own (rather larger) narrowboat, which he fitted out himself over a
couple of years. Unfortunately, he's well over 6' tall, and Rumpus's bed is under that critical dimension, so
he had to have the bit of the bed in the centre of the boat, so his feet (and to a lesser extent) his head
could overhang at either end. Unfortunately, this allowed his head to hang down a little, and THE SNORE
kicked in! What with that, and the railway overhead, sleep was a little fitful!
The next morning, we were scoffing breakfast when a steam whistle was heard. I immediately thought
"train" and stuck my head out of the slide, but then it sounded again from the direction of Glascote Locks.
Sure enough, a few minute's wait revealed the ex-FMC steamer Monarch gliding out of the bottom lock,
so a brief conversation (not shouted, as you don't have to with steam) arranged a meet for that evening.
Once the exhaust repairs were complete, we set off towards Fradley, picking up and transporting a
newsgroup member and his family from a towpath walk back to their car. We actually got up to the
maximum number of passengers allowed by law - the saloon looked like the interior of a 43 trolleybus in the
rush hour! We eventually arrived at Fradley, took the last spot of space next to Monarch and spent a most
convivial evening in the pub! The next day was a straightforward (but longish) day to Stenson, where I left
Rumpus for the week.
The final stage was a one day jaunt back to Redhill, with Susan and Martin (a work colleague) as crew. This
was taken very gently, with proper lunch and snack breaks - much more civilised than the sh*t-or-bust
style boating I did in hire boats, as the schedule was very gentle and there was no deadline.
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