Return to Birmingham

We spent a lovely weekend with Lorraine and family last weekend. On Saturday we got the train to London to visit the
Winter Wonderland

Saturday 2nd Covent Garden

in Hyde Park. It was great to watch the children enjoying themselves.  We were back on board by Sundry evening,
staying at Windmill End until Tuesday before starting our journey

Floating market in central Birmingham

back to Birmingham. We managed to moor back in the same spot we left last week. The signs saying the area was reserved for the floating market were gone, and much to our surprise there was plenty of mooring.  On Saturday we caught up with friends Miggie and Dave who got the train from Rugby so we could have lunch 😀
As well as the German Market, Birmingham also has a floating Market for a week. There are about a dozen or more boats there.

Santa on a paddle board! 
Wasn't quick enough to catch him from the front.

Amongst other things you can buy hand made wooden pens, leather goods, fashion wear for your dog, sweets, homebrew kit and drink many cups of coffee.
Tomorrow or Tuesday we will be heading back towards Windmill End once more in readiness for continuing on to Hawne Basin near Halesowen where Falcon will be staying whilst we head off towards Plymouth for Christmas.

Birmingham

Managed to get quite a bit of Christmas shopping done whilst we were at Merryhill. After 5 nights there we decided it really was

One of the many stalls in the German Market in Birmingham

time to move on. So Tuesday morning (22 nd) saw us moving on. Just one lock then a stop at Blowers Green to get water and leave our rubbish we then moved on to Dudley No 2 Canal to continue our journey to Windmill End Junction. Our intention to spend a few nights there catching up with some friends we made in May at the Droitwich Festival, Anita and Kevin.

Looking along the Canal by Gas Street in May at the Droitwich Festival.

They have a permanent mooring near the junction, and catch up with them we certainly did. Much of the time spent in The Olde Swan, also known locally as Ma Pardoes.

Our mooring on The New Main Line in Birmingham.

The tower in the background is just behind the Sealife Centre

This is after the lady who ran the pub for many years. It is also home to the Olde Swan Brewery. It is in Netherton, just a short walk from the Canal. Being in the Black Country the prices are very reasonable and the food is excellent.
So we met Anita and Kevin in there several times.
Finally we did drag ourselves away and made the last couple of miles into Birmingham. Arriving there on Monday. On Tuesday we had a look around the German Market, lots of stalls, but we didn't buy anything!  Then in the evening we went to The Crescent Theatre to watch Relatively Speaking. It was very funny.

The Olde Swan, on the ceiling of The Olde Swan

Wednesday morning we decided it was time to head back towards Windmill End. We are going to visit Lorraine and family for the weekend, and we thought this would be a good place to leave Falcon. It was an interesting trip back as the Canal had frozen overnight, but luckily we weren't the first boat through.

A frosty morning at Windmill End

We did manage to fit in another trip to The Olde Swan last night with Kevin and Anita. Last one for a while as they have now gone away on their boat for a couple of weeks.
As you can see from the picture it was frosty again this morning but thankfully this Canal is not frozen.