Who told the Cuckoo that Spring is here?

Sitting on the boat on 5 day moorings just before the first Stourport Lock into the basins --- sitting indoors cos - oh yes - it’s raining.   Water level from the canal onto the River Severn was in the green yesterday but wonder what it will be tomorrow??!!    We (or rather the Captain of the Ship) decided not to go out onto the river with all this rain about,  but take the long way round to the Droitwich Canal.    I don’t much like rivers though cos the levels come up in no time and then it can be pretty scary.   Plus the fact that you can’t just moor where you fancy.


Had a good day last Saturday when Glyn and Linda came to tea and then up to one of the pubs in Kinver - The Plough and Harrow, a Bathams own pub where two pints was less than £5 ---- usually we have to pay at least £6+ for two pints !     Glyn and Linda also bought us some of their homegrown rhubarb so guess what was for pudding with Sunday dinner??    You got it - rhubarb crumble, to go with a superb leg of lamb I picked up in the Bullring meat market on my travels back from Nottingham late last week.


Heard the first cuckoo on Monday - mmmm, who told him that Spring was here?    


Foxxie went swimming in the canal just as I was about to open the sluices at Kidderminster Lock - thank goodness she fell in before I started on the paddles and not afterwards as she was right by the gate ---- and thank goodness she fell before the gate and not down into the lock!    Silly moo.


Since last blog we have done … 10 miles and  7 locks
Total since Setting Off ….. 1738 miles and  1350 locks  

going into Cookley Tunnel
Hope they not banging about too much
in the houses above!

At Debdale Lock.  
There is a "shelter" dug out of the sandstone by
this lock.    Some say it was a stable for the canal
horses (but how do they get down those steps and
over the balance beam?).   Others say it was a
shelter for the navvies when they were building
the canal.   I say its a den for magic making

Don't care much for the new footpath bridge
built over Debdale Lock

Filling the lock.   It has been rather noticeable
that all the locks since about The Bratch on the
Staffs and Worcs Canal going south are
leaking like crazy - they empty minutes
after you leave the lock going up

Another Sandstone Cutting on the Staffs and Worcs Canal.
I think it's a really pretty canal going down into Strouport
(if you forget about Kidderminster!)

Who's Supervising??

just love this name as you go into Stourport !

Lovely new canalside apartments in the Stourport Basins

But they obviously don't want to clutter it with boats
Just put the jetties in to complete the waterside setting

Turning off the River Severn onto the Staffs and Worcs
Canal at Stourport.    There are 2 sets of 2-staircase locks, then
one more single lock onto the canal from the Basins

One of the Stourport Basins.
There is only overnight mooring for 2 boats visiting
(well, we couldn't see anymore)

How many canal basins have a helter-skelter
and other funfair rides??