Date: Mon, 02 Jul 2001 22:24:12 +0100 From: nbrumpus@lineone.net Reply-To: Canals To: Canals Newsgroups: uk.rec.waterways Subject: Trip Report - Rumpus Goes to Brum - Part the Fourth............. 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. Brian L Dominic NB Rumpus Web Sites: NB Rumpus: http://www.nb-rumpus.com Golden Valley Light Railway: http://website.lineone.net/~gvlr/index.htm Coming to GIG2001?? Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GiG-2001 to subscribe to the mailing list! ---