Return to Birmingham

We spent a few nights at Windmill End. Paul helped Kevin with cutting back some trees around his mooring and as a thank you we now have a roof full of wood. So we will be keeping nice and

Amazing Show

warm over the coming weeks!
We returned to Birmingham on Thursday. Not many boats here so plenty of mooring. Went to see Anton and Erin's on Saturday at the Symphony Hall. Just a short walk from our mooring. The show was every bit as good as we had been expecting. They had 6 supporting dancers and Lance Ellington, one of the singers from Strictly. Only booking tickets the day before we had excellent seats with uninterrupted view.
Will be here a couple of days yet before heading back to Hawne Basin again.

Gosty, Ghosty or Gorsty

We had returned to Coombeswood Canal Trust at Hawne Basin so we could help out on their work party on Sunday.

Part of the work party returning from emptying the first load!

You can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Arriving there on Friday afternoon we got on with the important jobs of pump out and laundry, also buying some more coal. Not the time of year to be running out! Also their prices are so good. With pump out at only £8, CRT is more than twice that and we have paid more than £20 on some occasions. The bar and the kitchen are open at weekends. What more could you need!

The top of the tunnel sir shaft. It pops
 up in someone's front garden!

On Sunday morning we had to be ready to go at 9.30, bit of a shock. There were about ten of us and we all went in the work boat to clear some of the trees and undergrowth near the entrance of the Gosty Tunnel. Though I have seen it spelt as all of the above in different places! We were very glad of our lunch when we got back.

Eventually this morning we left the basin and returned to Windmill End. We plan to catch up once again with Anita and Kevin tomorrow.

Back to Windmill End

After spending a pleasant weekend in Birmingham on Monday we got the train to Leicester to catch up with friends Joan and Dave who live in Birstall. They came and picked us up at the station and we spent a lovely day with them chatting, eating and drinking. We managed to keep busy on Tuesday, so didn't start on our way back to Windmill End until Wednesday.

Frosty Friday morning at Bumble Hole Cafe at Windmill End

Busy polishing the brass

A lovely frosty Friday morning out side the Bumble Hole Cafe at Windmill End. So lovely to see blue sky after so many days of grey skys.  We are getting water and meanwhile Paul is busy in the stern polishing the tiller arm. The rain makes all sorts of marks along it. Once all was done we set off to Hawne Basin for the weekend.

It's all white now!

View from the galley window this morning

We finally left Hawne Basin on Monday, heading back to Windmill End, a favourite spot for us at the moment. We caught up with friends Anita and Kevin in Ma Pardoes on Tuesday evening. Then yesterday saw us arriving in Birmingham. As the forecast is for snow and wind we have taken shelter in the city. Will be staying here for a couple of days at least. The snow has now stopped and the little that laid is fast disappearing.
Hope all is well where you are.

Happy New Year

We had a lovely Christmas and New Year with various family and friends. We drove back on Monday, a bit of a mistake as many other people had the same idea. A trip that according to Google Maps should have taken about 3 and a half hours took us about 8! We did shop on the way, but it was a very long day! We arrive safely, so that is the main thing.

Falcon in the shed

 Whilst it is lovely to be back on board it is somewhat strange as we are out of the water. As you can probably tell from the pictures!
Whilst we have been away Falcon has been taken up the slip and been blacked.  We were very lucky getting the slip here at Hawne Basin, home of the Coombeswood Canal Trust.  http://www.hawnebasin.org.uk 

Newly blacked bottom

We hadn't booked it in advance but sorted it all out on the one day we were here before Christmas. They move the boats on and off the slip on a Friday, so tomorrow we will be back in the water. Everyone here is so friendly and helpful that we have now become members and rather than heading off tomorrow we thought we would spend a couple of nights, leaving on Sunday. The facilities are good, with a washing line to go with the laundry and as well showers there is a BATH. Such luxury. So bye for now.

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.