Back to Birmingham

We had planned to move to the secure moorings at the Dudley Canal Museum and hire a car this weekend to visit Jaq & Les but those plans became obsolete (well more delayed).  Instead we turned in the opposite direction at Dudley Port Junction and promptly came upon ice.  Fortunately there was a coal boat approaching from the direction we were heading  so we cruised very slowly until it passed leaving us with a clear channel.

The ice had gone by the time we reached Pudding Green Junction (just love the names).

We had the canal to ourselves and the trip into Birmingham was uneventful.  Winter cruising means there are far fewer boats on the move.  The New Main Line took us under the busy M5 Motorway bridge with the Old Main Line aqueduct beyond.  Jan thinks the design of the M5 bridge is quite artistic.

As we got closer to Birmingham Jan started to express concerns that we may not find a vacant mooring.  It turned out she was right.

OK, I jest!  This is the emptiest we’ve seen the moorings in Birmingham.  We cruised around to the water tap at Cambrian Wharf topping up the water tank before moving onto one of the many vacant mooring at the wharf.  Whilst doing this we noticed nb Jennifer Eccles we met the owners In Sheffield last year and we last saw them on the Chesterfield Canal.

We’ll be here for the weekend waiting out the cold snap coming.