A veeerrry cold day in May

We arrived at Jannock and were off, heading North, by 9:45. By eck it's cold at tiller. There was a very strong northerly wind that cut right through and within the hour insult was added to injury by the first downpour. The weather forecasters obviously got it wrong when they stated Monday would be the best day for weather during the bank holiday weekend. We cruised up through Bugbrooke, Heyford and Weedon with very little to comment on until we reached Buckby locks. The boat that had been following us since Heyford decided to wind between Diamond bridge (19) and Muscot Mill Bridge (18) and so it looked as though we would be doing another flight solo. Every lock had lots of foamy bubbles floating in it which multiplied when the paddles were opened. Brenda discovered that if she squashed the foam between the boat and the offside lock wall she could shoot it about using the exhaust as she left the lock. We met three southbound boats but also had two downpours during the flight and my waterproofs were wet inside as well as out because I was so warm working the flight. Finally cleared the top lock by just after 3pm and moored up for the next four days. Did a Di Blasi run back to Gayton (17 miles) to collect the car and then had dinner aboard Jannock before setting off homeward.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

A good workout at Stoke Bruerne

We arrived at Cosgrove just after 10am and I prepared Jannock and moved her up to the lock whilst Brenda chatted to the couple bringing their hire-boat down. Once traversed we then pulled Jannock over above the lock to load the Di Blasi and the Polycarbonate sheets for the secondary double glazing we are installing. The suppliers originally supplied 3mm Makrolon panels but they had been stored badly before cutting and were so bent that the magnetic strip designed to hold them in place over the window frames could not keep them there due to the warp in the sheets. They have since supplied a replacement batch of totally flat 4mm panels which should do fine.

We travelled on past Thrupp and Yardley wharves (and marinas) to the bottom of Stoke Bruerne flight of locks. The first set of five (16 - 20) were traversed alone with me having to close the top gates and empty every lock so that it was ready for us. As I arrived by bike at No 15 another boat was just entering and so we shared the last two with them. I'm not sure whether it was them that were ahead of us during the first five as they were moored around the corner when I checked for southbound traffic before turning No 16. All in all the flight was a good work-out and I actually feel tired tonight. On through a very wet tunnel to emerge the other end into a very wet grey landscape so Brenda, having steered her first long tunnel since she 'came over all peculiar' in Wasts Hill several years ago, went inside to keep dry. The rain stopped and the sun came out just before we decided to call it a day and moor up.

I returned to Cosgrove on the Di Blasi and collected the car. We then fitted all the Makrolon panels onto their magnetic strip fasteners and then fitted them to the window frames. We immediately noticed a big reduction in noise from outside so look forward to seeing how well they work in colder or warmer weather. Home this evening due to other things to do this weekend that do not involve getting wet on a boat ;^)

 

Graham

Well, one out of two aint bad!

Sat 24th April

We arrived at Jannock and immediately moved up onto Slapton waterpoint to fill the tank whilst unloading the car at the same time. We then set off through Slapton lock and arrived at Church lock just after a single handing lady had left ahead of us. We then shared Grove and Leighton lock with her but did Soulbury three solo as she had paired up with a Wyvern hireboat ahead. Between Leighton lock and Soulbury Brenda managed to disturb a very well camouflaged tabby cat who was enjoying a snooze in the sun by casually tossing her pear core into the hedge where it landed on the mog's head. Did it jump!

As we passed the layby on the Bletchley to Stoke Hammond road we picked up a fisherman's tackle on the prop. His reel was squealing and as he was a novice he didn't know what to do. We stopped and untangled his line from the propeller without breaking it. All of the fishermen there were very apologetic about ruining our afternoon. It was funny because it was his first catch - all 62' and 15 tons of it! We moored for the night just past the proposed MK to Bedford waterway junction and so we went for an evening walk along the signposted route and back past Willen lake. A wonderful day with warm sunshine and nice fishermen.

 

Sun. 25th April

Rain in the early hours modified my plans for a pre-breakfast car shuffle on the Di Blasi whilst Brenda slept in.  She'd promised the weather gods that she'd not be cruel to neither man nor beast, cat nor fisherman today. Did they listen? No they just did cold and wet until we finally moored up for the day - then the sun came out.

We were pleased to finally say Hello to Mike Askin as he passed on a resplendent Victoria en-route for Canalway Cavalcade. Hot on his heels ( in canal terms obviously ) were President and Kildare, bound I am sure, for the same destination. Then Bletchley and Argus went past Northbound before another working pair, Kestrel and Vienna, passed by heading South. It was definitely 'Working Boat Day' today. With car fetched from Slapton, we closed up and headed home. Roll on next weekend cos it's a long un!

Graham

It must be weird living near Heathrow at the moment!

Saturday morning we moved our stuff onto Jannock, said farewell to Julian and Caro and set off North for the summer. We travelled solo up to Berko where I admired the new signs that adorn the bridge adjacent to Raven's Lane lock. We then followed two boats working up ahead of us through Northchurch, and Dudswell locks but they were kind and backset for us when no-one was coming South. The trip up to the summit was made much more pleasant due to the amount of work that BW has done to the overhanging vegetation and also the lock gates. Onto the summit and a well earned rest for the lock wheeler. The new gel-cover for the bike saddle is excellent. We turned into the Wendover arm at Bulbourne Junction and made our way down to the winding point where we moored for the night. The last couple of times we have stopped here the noise from the aircraft using Luton has been quite intrusive, this weekend it was wonderfully quiet with only sheep and frogs making any noise.

 

Whilst moored for the evening I fitted my new large Cutweb stickers to the bows of Jannock, and I am very pleased with the result. Not quite as good as Harnser's painted ones but maybe we'll do that next time.

 

 

Sunday morning started bright and sunny so we set off for the Marsworth flight. The wind decided to hinder Brenda's attempts to get Jannock round into the top lock from the arm and so I had to assist with the long pole. We shared the next eleven locks with a Wyvern hireboat until they decided to stop for lunch. Aviation is still grounded and so the skies are owned by the skylarks. After we had moored, I did the car shuffle on the Di Blasi and returned in the car for Sunday dinner. We then returned home via Aylesbury. A wonderful weekend in great weather.

 

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Spring has sprung ..

.. and so it's time to turn Jannock round. We arrived at the mooring just in time to find Julian and Caro setting off North in Parglena for a weekend trip to Berko. I then washed the winter off of Jannock's roof, also did the port side, rear deck and front well before we cast off for our regular trip down to Winkwell winding point to turn her around. Nothing much to report, we did all the locks solo and Brenda performed her best turn-around so far. It does help when you haven't got some jerk moored on the winding point like last year. Back up through locks 61 and 60 without issue. Took great delight in holding up a youth in his souped up Peugeot at Winkwell swing bridge, he just kept revving the engine making a lot of noise while he waited. As I was walking up the towpath from 60 towards lock 59 I noticed that the canal is leaking water quite badly through the bank into the river below about a third of the way up. I have notified BW of my observations so hopefully they'll send someone along to have a look before we get a full scale breach. Back to the mooring to wash the starboard side so she's all clean ready to start the 2010 cruise. Back home tonight as we have a birthday related event tomorrow. If we're lucky we might set off North next weekend.

Graham

A Happy New Year from Jannock

Here's wishing for another good years cruising in 2010.

Let's hope that the current economic/BW issues do not force us into travelling the canals like this!

 

Although final plans for this years cruising have not been finalised I suspect we'll be heading for the Midlands again as we didn't get round to completing the Stourport ring last year even though it had been planned - the BCN Explorer cruise and a re-located GiG (Great Internet Gathering) at Stafford boat club got in the way.

 

Best wishes

 

Graham & Brenda

www.jannock.org.uk

Learning in Stourbridge

This weekend I left Brenda at home and attended Phil Speight's boat painting course held in the bonded warehouse at Stourbridge. Over the course of two days, Phil took us through all of the steps needed to turn a bare sheet of steel into a decorated and signwritten boat panel whilst regailing us with numerous stories of historical interest and a couple of bad 'shaggy dog' style jokes. My interest in being there was to try and learn better ways of keeping Jannock's paintwork looking good whereas a lot of my fellow students were really into the idea of giving their boats complete DIY paint jobs. Phil is such a master craftsman that he made every stage look so easy - adding insult to injury by continually stressing that he had not done anything difficult yet. On Saturday evening, instead of driving back to Thame, I had booked a cut-price room in the local Travelodge and so I met up with Terry Streeter and we went for a curry preceded and followed by a few pint of Bathams bitter partaken at the Vine. On Sunday the course moved on to panel decoration and sign writing and Phil stopped trying to convince us it was easy. All in all a great weekend during which I have gathered lots of interesting tips to achieve my goal of preserving the paint finish on my boat. All I've got to do now is find time to practice it.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Back to Bourne End

Sunday 18th October

Having returned home on Saturday night, the weather forecast for Sunday was now good so we returned to Jannock first thing in the morning and completed the run back to Bourne End. It proved to be a journey slowed right down by locks set against us and fishermen. We started up the Marsworth flight and soon caught up the single boat ahead and so we shared the last two locks in the flight with them. They were stopping at Cowroast marina so we set off down the other side of the summit solo again. Cowroast lock had the bottom gates and both paddles all left open when I arrived and so I had to turn it as no-one was ascending. Dudswell top lock was in the same state and between the two locks was a broken down narrowboat. They asked for assistance with their gear selection and I asked them if they had been leaving all of the bottom paddles up. They firmly denied this but admitted to leaving the gates open as this was normal on the Grand Union. Obviously there must be a Gremlin following them and raising the paddles again after they had passed through the lock. They found the fault in their gear cable and fixed it but decided to remain tied up for lunch so we continued on solo. Brenda decided that the big fishing match that was going on along this stretch of the G.U. should be available as an advice notice through the BW stoppage notification system. At least we could then choose not to boat and then not have to suffer the miserable looks and muttering that accompanied our passing every rod. A Northbound boater told us about how they had an altercation with a fisherman who had positioned himself on Winkwell winding hole. This fisherman decided that the boat owner had no right to turn his boat during the match and it almost came to fisticuffs with the boater getting off and squaring up to him on the towpath. Some match pitches were adjacent to the public car park at Berkhamstead. As Brenda moved Jannock past one fisherman slid his rob back across the grass and gave a parked car a heavy clout with the end of his pole. He didn't even bother to look round so we wondered how many times he'd done that during the day. Brenda had to wait for a northbound boat to ascend topside lock where one bloke was fishing off of the lock landing so she slowed right down and waited with the engine out of gear in order to not ruin their swim. Was it appreciated? Not likely, she was moaned at for taking too long to pass his rod. We arrived back and tied up to our mooring before I got the Di Blasi out and fetched the car from Marsworth.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

A lot of catching up to do.

I have been very busy with lots of things and so updating the blog has been ignored and Sue from No Problem commented about it when I told her she'd missed Jannock at Braunston.

So here goes:-

Friday 25th September.  

We arrived at Jannock about 11 am and took her down the Stockton flight to Blue Lias where we winded at the end of the arm and moored alongside Harnser for the Cutweb rally weekend. Friday evening was spent in the pub having a meal and social evening with fellow club members, some of which we had not seen for a while so a lot of catching up was in order.

Saturday 26th September. 

I appeared to spend most of Saturday morning rushing around getting things sorted for the weekend and taking everybody's money, the joys of being a treasurer! After lunch Bob from Sambuka arrived and so some of the rally attendees spent the afternoon learning how to do Samba drumming etc. In the evening we have a very entertaining solo performance by Kate Saffin about a boat of ill repute based on the Oxford canal, followed by a ploughman's meal and an especially speedy version of the Cutweb raffle all culminating in a performance by the Cutweb samba band (thanks to Andrew D for recording this video).

Sunday 27th September.

The morning started with the charity auction followed by Sunday lunch in the function room. In the evening we rounded of the rally with a Bingo quiz read by Glen assisted by Brenda. 

Monday 28th September.

We left Blue Lias and shared the Stockton flight with Harnser, but we got split up at Calcutt locks by a boat out doing a training course. Brenda was of the opinion that the trainer could do with some training, let alone the student. We met up again and did a communal self-pumpout at Braunston before we left Harnser at the water point and made our way to U.C.C. where Jannock was booked in the dry dock for a blacking. As we passed under the bridge in Braunston we met the Irons' coming the other way on Quidditch, they had left the rally on Sunday morning with firm plans for a route back via the G.U Leicester section and the Soar but had decided they were short of time so had turned about to retrace their trip along the North Oxford, Coventry and T&M.

Sunday 4th October.

We are a lock missing. We left Jannock below the bottom lock last weekend and appeared out of the dry-dock above it sporting a shiny black bottom and gleaming tunnel bands. We joined a hire crew in an ABC boat. they were apologising to all cut users for some of their less than professional cruising over the weekend. They'd even had one moored boater throw a mooring stake at them as they passed. The problem was that no one at the boat yard had told them about the 4mph limit or even slowing down past moored boats. They had figured it all out for themselves from the angry shouting they attracted. They complained that all the boatyard told them was how to do a lock. They were totally un-aware of boating rules and etiquette and even had to work out how all the on-board appliances worked for themselves. I am amazed that there wasn't even a manual on board. Once up the flight we passed through a surprisingly dry tunnel and then down the Wilton flight and on to Weedon where we stopped on 14 day moorings until next weekend.

Saturday 10th October.

I got up and cast off at 7am whilst Brenda spent some time catching up with consciousness. After Blisworth boatwash tunnel we teamed up with a day-boat crew and descended the locks with them. Oh that all day-boat crews were as skilled and sober.! They had met up for a family re-union, coming from all over the country, and got the weather to suit. It was a glorious day and Brenda took photos to prove it, so why did she not have her camera handy when I spotted a large kingfisher sunbathing on a bush? The sunshine made the best of his magnificent colours - and he knew it, sat there showing off as we passed. As we approached Cosgrove lock there were boats in all directions, 2 of them widebeam and one winding. On the lock landing there has been an outbreak of bollard-rash, the worst we've seen and one boater said she'd hurt herself getting off her boat as she'd crunched into one. They are taller than standard rope bollards and each has a red band around the top. A local residential boater said the only reason for them being there was " that BW had too much money and not enough to waste spend it on. A cynic then, any thoughts anyone? As we approached the Grafton Street aqueduct there were 2 women and a child in a pushchair on the offside looking very perplexed. I realised they were trying to work out how to get to the towpath side. I suggested they board our back deck and we ferried them across with a little push from the bank. Not only did this solve the problem but it seemed to be the most exciting thing they'd done in years. Brenda pointed out that they must have very boring lives; the response was "oh yes! we are from South Africa!" Now, I might be wrong but I believe that recent events in South Africa can not be described as boring. We moored up at 4pm and I went to do a car shuffle on the Di Blasi calling at Ikea on the way back to exchange so items that we'd bought last Thursday. The mooring out in the wilds of Stantonbury Park farm were very peaceful.

Sunday 11th October.

A later start today at 8:30 but still Brenda remained a-kip. The run down through Milton Keynes is very slow, working out at below 3mph, due to the number of bankside moorers about. We passed Thorn and Persephone moored near Black Horse bridge resplendent in their new grey livery. When we arrived at Fenny lock there was a short Wyvern boat tying up to get the lock ready, as I had walked ahead from the bridge I had the gates open and Brenda put Jannock in before he'd even got his boat untied. Another short Wyvern boat was approaching from the North and so we managed to squeeze them in as well. Three boats in one go - I wouldn't try this with these craft on a lock with a deep fall, but Fenny was OK. We stopped at Willowbridge Marina for diesel and two 13kG gas bottles. They allow you to select your tax rate here and then charge the extra duty as a separate item. It obviously helps them keep track of what they owe the taxman. Base price was 60ppl for domestic use. At Stoke Hammond I hopped off armed with my windlass and moved the car to Soulbury where I had the bottom lock empty and open when Jannock and another boat arrived. We shared with them up the three locks following a single Wyvern boat with no-one coming down.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

A weekend for rescuing!

Soddit Autumn 2009 Cruise

Friday 18th September

After a delayed start the crew set off from Thame in two vehicles for the drive to Stockton. After leaving one car there we travelled via Coventry, and a fish and chip shop found using Google, to Ansty where Jannock had been left 12 days ago. Un-packing followed by 4 games of Soddit found us well into Saturday morning before retiring to bed.

Saturday 19th September

We left Ansty after breakfast and headed South, under the M6, to Stretton Stop where the boys were robbed of the task of opening the swingbridge by a kind boatyard member of staff who did it for us as we approached. Just beyond the road bridge we came across a "Mary Celeste"  boat floating across the canal with both front and back ropes hanging down into the water. The trusty crew sprung into action getting the boat back against the bank and re-pegging the mooring ropes. We did notice a third line, still firmly attached to it's stake in the ground, that had a T stud and four screws attached to the other end. This had obviously been the last remaining mooring point when the pressure became too much. Feeling very proud we continued down the North Oxford where a stop was made for lunch just before Newbold tunnel. After lunch (and No fish caught) we passed through the tunnel with 'Jerusalem' playing on Jannock's stereo much to the amusement of the crew of the boat moored immediately South of the tunnel entrance. They even complained about Brian turning the volume down as we left the tunnel because they were enjoying it so much. A brief stop was made at Rugby Tescos to allow Pete to fetch a newspaper as his pre-breakfast papershop hunt had been as fruitfull as the fishing has been.

Approaching Hillmorton we happened across a day-boat with novice crew firmly aground on the off-side of the canal. A few wise words of advice from Cap'n G soon had them off the mud and on their way again. Up through the three locks in a left-left-left formation found us on the Braunston summit heading for a peaceful overnight mooring near Wise's Bridge (80)

The lower ranks have adopted a large spider who is sat in Jannock's bath as a pet and named him Boris. After an evening meal of Steak and Kidney straight from the slow cooker, three more games of Soddit were played before it was deemed time for sleep.

Sunday 20th September

A bad start to the morning as during the fishing, the Cap'n evicted Boris from the bath into the cut. Ian then caught him on his fishing rod as he passed the front of the boat (the only thing he  caught all weekend I might add) but then flicked him back into the canal for some unknown reason. Down into a very busy Braunston we went meeting more than a dozen Northbound boats en-route. We wanted to use the rubbish point as well as a water fill but another boat had just pulled onto the waterpoint so we just dumped the rubbish in the skip and made for the junction to turn right towards Napton. Still more craft coming in the opposite direction specialising in meeting at bridgeholes and sharp bends. The sun finally appeared just as we decided to stop for lunch near Flecknoe.

After a good lunch and more fruitless fishing we set off and almost immediately found a sheep stuck in the canal unable to get out. The Cap'n put Jannock into the bank in front of the frightened sheep to corner it and Ian and Peter then hauled it out of the canal whilst Brian held the bow rope to stop the boat moving. Once out onto the bank the sheep ran as fast as it could away from the canal and the rest of the flock started following it in a sort of mini-stampede. At this point I must praise camera phones as I never would have got this shot if I'd had to find a camera first.

There were delays at Calcutt locks due to boats leaving the service wharf, below the first lock, and interfering with the smooth passage of boats up and down the flight. We finally moored Jannock, packed up and tidied and then drove back to Ansty to fetch Ian's car before heading home. A great weekend with good company, good weather, good food, good beer a few rescues and not many fish.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

A post-operative trip for Brenda

Having had Saturday to recover from Friday's face surgery to remove a Carcinoma, I had to take Brenda and Margaret (our neighbour) with me to move Jannock on Sunday as we are away in Manchester next weekend and she wouldn't let me do the move on my own. We arrived at HartsHill Yard just after 10 am and were soon on our way south. I spent most of the trip steering and Brenda stayed inside, out of the cold wind, chatting with Margaret. The Coventry canal is still nice and open around the quarries near Nuneaton since BW performed the major vedge-pledge work two years ago. We did seem to meet several other boats in obscured bridge holes even though there were two other boats travelling South in front of us. As I commented to a Northbound boater that there was no one following me he added "It's a pity they never said about you" indicating to the boat in front. Oh well, no damage done due to effective avoidance. At Sutton's we were 4th in the queue for the lock with another boat behind us. I hung around on the Coventry until there was room to turn into the basin outside the pub. Once through the lock and I managed to get my lunch, the crew had eaten theirs just before we arrived at the stop lock. We finally tied up on a 14 day mooring, had a flypast from a Mk 14 Spitfire and then the crew picked Blackberries whilst I went back to Hartshill on the Di Blasi for the car. All secured and on the way home by 4:30.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Funny name or not?

It was not bank holiday weather today, neither was it summer. Mediocre but dry is the best description. Graham was up and at-em at eight o'clock whilst I laid abed until my brain functioned. A full english breakfast was taken on the move so we were fed ready for the Atherstone flight. We whistled through the first two but then slowed right down due to all the slowcoaches and lock-hoppers that were about. Hey-ho!  At lock 4 we met a fellow blogger who introduced himself once he saw the boat name rising up in the lock. Alas G. got his boat name but then left it on Jannock. He also had to pose for a photo sat astride the trusty lock-wheeling bike. Sorry for not mentioning your blog but I can't until I get the boat name ;^(  On the subject of boat names this weekend:- I can see how a boat comes to be called 'Kazi Minghi', some just are, but 'R Swipe'?

Brenda

www.jannock.org.uk

Yet another queue of eight plus more.

The day started out promising but traditional bank holiday weather prevailed after all, cold wind, then drizzle into wet drizzle and then real rain for the last hour of cruising. When we arrived at the first lock (Wood End) we were eighth in line to descend and at Fradley top lock we were ninth. That soon put paid to a couple of hours spent chatting to some interesting folk, boaters since the 1940s. Mid morning we snacked on Simon's blackberry muffins and we shared with the boat in front in the queue cos we were brought up proper. Our reward was a big bag of plums from the same boaters garden. They made a lovely crumble. Simon decided his new found baking skills so satisfying that Jannock was yet again found in a tree on the offside while we gathered more berries. They are to be holiday gifts to his friends and neighbours in Salford, again in muffin form. We arrived at Glascote locks in the rain and once through, Graham stayed out to complete the journey to Alvecote while Simon and I retreated indoors to avoid the downpour. There were so many boats 'out' but moored bankside that progress was well below 2 MPH for most of the day. After dinner Simon took Graham back to Stafford to collect the car and then continued home to Salford.

Brenda

www.jannock.org.uk

Bank Holiday Queues

We collected Jannock from Stafford Boat Club in fairly good August Bank Holiday weather – a little sun and a cold wind, but dry. We experienced no problems up to Great Haywood and turned right onto the Trent & Mersey. At Heywood lock we were 6th in the queue to go through and so were dreading Colwich next. We were 8th in line, the longest queue I have ever been in, there. Simon put the waiting time to good use and picked blackberries from the towpath hedge as we shuffled towards our goal.

We stopped at Bridge 58 (Handsacre) and moored for the night and he knocked up an excellent batch of blackberry muffins. We planned to have them for desert, however our plan was foiled by getting three portions of haddock and chips from Michael’s Fish Bar – just over the bridge from the towpath. The portions were so big that we didn’t have plates large enough. Some of the chips had to be eaten before mushy peas or beans could be added to the meal. The batter was tasty and crisp and the fish was fresh and delicious, chips were cooked until brown and not the anaemic beige that we are used to. If you are ‘Hungry of Handsacre’ then we recommend you go and see Michael and his lovely missus.

Brenda

www.jannock.org.uk

My sincere apologies .....

... to all my regular blog readers.  Due to an error made by me when trying to delete all of the spam out of my Blog inbox, I deleted the whole Blog content - Doh!

I have re-entered all of 2009 so I am sorry if feed takers have received them all again.

Any fellow blogger who has linked to any of my pages (e.g. Waterways Routes) may need to check that their link is still valid. Sorry yet again

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Graham goes swimming.

Friday 21st August 2009

An early start under an undecided sky. By 09:00 the heavens had decided and it became monsoon season. Each drenching was interspersed with glorious sunshine . Graham decided to take his shower between Shutt Hill lock and Deptmoor lock so that he's arrive at the GiG all fragrant. Instead he took a bath! He saw a fat and fruity scone floating in the canal by the lock gate and to show his devotion to me thought to fish it out of the water as he knows I enjoy a nice scone. That was fine until he slid on rain soaked green goo and ended up in the canal. I had just untied Jannock and so ran away from him - rubbish wife I turned out to be! I retied the boat and went to his aid. Luckily Diana was already there and was wise - she dropped the paddle to stop G. being sucked in. She and I then helped haul G. out just as Brian arrived to assist. He was hauled out safe and well . Thank you so much to the crew of Harnser. That whole episode was bad enough but he was absolutely gutted to find that he'd lost his 'goggle-eye' glasses off of his hat. We looked in and beyond the lock to no avail. All that could be found floating in the vicinity was the scone that started the whole episode. We arrived at Stafford Boat Club mid afternoon and moored bankside ready for nb Justice to come alongside when it arrives.

Brenda

R.I.P. Googly Glasses 2006-2009

During my accidental immersion yesterday the only real casualty were my beloved Googly Eye glasses that normally adorn my hat. I found them floating in a lock on the Deepcut flight (Basingstoke Canal) on 17th April 2006.

They always caused a bystander to smile and generally started a conversation by people who admired them. I was once accused of being blind by a group of women who I met on the Northchurch locks who then had to retract the statement when I found and returned their BW key they had left in an anti-vandal lock.

They have even been worn by esteemed visitors to these shores (aka George Pearson of Canals List fame) as well as appearing in the photographs of many bystanders who took pictures of Jannock working through locks.

Alas they were lost in Shutt Hill lock on Friday 21st August 2009 when I took my sudden and un-expected submersion above the top gate.

What puzzles me is that I found them 'floating' in a lock but they was no evidence at all of them floating at Shutt Hill.

The end of an Era.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

The Jannocks do the Bratch

Thursday 20th August

A long day today. I got up and refilled Harnsers water tank from ours using our water hose and the galley tap. We set off at 9 am and it started raining before we reached the first (Hinksford) lock. As we approached Swindon lock I asked a passing dog walker for directions to the Post Office and then went and posted my dads birthday present which Brenda had pre-wrapped and stamped but would not fit through the common-or-garden post box slot. As we approached Wombourne we met the "Blue Moonies" (fellow BCN explorers) heading South after a night out with Gerry and Murial (nb Moonstone) at Compton.

At the Bratch, Harnser got through but we had to wait for three southbound boats to pass before we were allowed to ascend. I have looked at a painting of these locks, on our chimney breast at home, for more than 10 years but this is the first time I have been here. We caught up Harnser, taking tea and cake aboard Moonstone, at Compton. We continued on to Cross Green where we moored alongside a golf driving range and had another curry evening on Jannock. It would seem that some of their golfers need more lessons. You'd need a good physics degree to work out the parabola and angles achieved such that golf balls bounced off our roof.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

More new territory covered.

Wednesday 19th August

We left our peaceful overnight mooring (with useful built in 7 o'clock alarm from the scaffold yard opposite) at Brettel Lane Bridge by 9am and made our way to the top of the Stourbridge locks. I used the trusty lock wheeling bike to set locks in front as well as behind for Brian and Diana on Harnser. At lock 3 I met the first set of bottom gates that would not stay shut for re-filling. After running back and forth a couple of times I opened a top paddle before returning again to close the offending bottom gate. Although I did manage this lock on my own I had to enlist the help of a woman walking her dog to get the bottom gates of lock 16 to close even with all the top paddles up.

Above lock 9 there was a BW work boat (reg. no. 4000001 - what a cool number) that was blocking the canal. I climbed on and managed to pull it back across to the offside where I found that the padlock tethering it to a tree had been bolt-cropped. I re-secured it using ropes I found laying around and then had to be rescued from the off-side by Brenda on Jannock who had been worked through lock 8 by Diana. I phoned BW to advise them that it required urgent attention to it's mooring security. Down through the clear waters from Wordsley Junction to lock 17, there were a group of kids jumping and swimming in the canal. As we slowly passed I enquired of them if they were aware of Weil's disease (Leptospiral Jaundice) and then explained to them what it was, how you got it and then wished them good luck. As we left they were busy re-dressing themselves. At lock 17 the local trip boat "the Blackcountry Man" was tied to the lock landing whilst all the customers were partaking of their lunch. Very useful!

Down to Stourton junction where we turned right onto a section of canal that neither Brenda or myself have ever travelled on before. We moored for the night at Hinksford bridge, only after I had reversed across the canal to harvest ripe plums from an overhanging tree before tying up. We are dining aboard Harnser tonight before going to try out the Old Bush up the road.

Graham

 

www.jannock.org.uk

Fond farewells

Tuesday 18th August 2009

Our explorer cruise is over - shame. We met new friends and had a great time travelling along this route:-

We bade farewell to our fellow explorers as we/they/both went on their ways. Our first weedhatch visit was in the last lock of the Oldbury flight - and so the day went on.

All proceeded in a normal fashion until Merryhill. Brenda had convinced Diana ( nb Harnser ) that a slow cooker was a good galley aid. In Sainsburys they got several models out of their packaging mid aisle. A choice was made so they can't moan. As we returned to the boats a group of people were admiring them and photographing each other with one as if they were the proud owners. They walked to the Delph flight alongside us and were genuinely interested in the whole process. After one lock Brenda asked if they'd like a ride down a lock. They piled aboard, all 6, and stayed for 2 locks. One of their party got more and more involved and crewed for us for 6 out of the 8 locks. He weilds a mean windless now! Thanks to our Irish tourists we worked two boats down the 8 locks in just over 1 hour.

After we'd moored for the night a hire boat steamed past us with crew on the roof. They were swigging red plonk straight from the bottles. That probably led to the near miss we witnessed. The steerer didn't account for the very low raod bridge, the roof toppers didn't bother to get out of the way. Only some very rude words suggesting the steerer engage reverse gave the roof passengers time and space to avoid losing skin at the very least.

Brian and Diana came around for an evening meal before we all decided to call it a night early as we were all suffering from an early start this morning.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

BCN Explorer Cruise - Day 7

Monday 17th August 2009

Today is the last day of the cruise organised by the Birmingham Canal Navigation Society and most boats set off eager to reach their HQ building in Oldbury Pumphouse. We moved across the canal and into the basin at Wolverhampton so that Brenda and I could take a shower in the BW Sani-station. This objective successfully achieved we then reversed out again and set off down the Wolverhampton level with Harnser towards Oldbury junction and the 6 locks up to the pumphouse. Not long after starting I had to make a visit to the weedhatch to clear some plastic and rope off the prop. As we passed Factory Junction a permanent moorer congratulated us for slowing down nicely "unlike those others in our group"- Ooops. The water in the old BCN mainline was not as clear as the last time we passed down it, must be something to do with the number of passing boats. When we arrived at the bottom of Oldbury locks we were 6th in the queue and so Brenda occupied herself picking blackberries while we waited our turn. Out of the top and we continued up to Titford Polls where Harnser attempted to go up the Causeway Green Branch whilst we winded at the junction. We then retraced our route back down the branch and moored opposite the old maltings.

Our final evening of the trip involved a communal BBQ in the clubhouse with presentation of certificates and awards followed by some in-house entertainment from members of the cruise. Brenda received an award for her Perry Bar shower episode on day 3 whilst Jannock and Harnser both achieved certificates for reversing along the Tame Valley canal to the M5 aquaduct.

Many thanks to Brenda and Brian Ward for organising this great week exploring new canals for us, they will be doing the same next year but it will be in June and not August.

Graham

 

www.jannock.org.uk