Narrowboat Just Heaven

As we needed to be back home for lunch we set off early for Kidderminster. As we were coming under Limekiln Bridge (one of the ugliest bridges on the whole sysyem!) I was trying to avoid a Sainsbury’s shopping trolley, and istead knocked the chimney off into the cut. We reversed back and fished around for a while, but couldn’t find it. A pity as it was almost new!

Our usual plan was to wind near Tesco and reverse back the 200yds to the mooring, but as it was a nice morning we decided to go down Caldwall lock and wind just above Falling Sands lock - bad decision. Going down Caldwall lock the bottom gates jammed on something, but I managed to free it. Coming back up they jammed again. After nearly half an hour prodding around with the pole to try to clear the obstruction I was just about to call BW when something moved and it was free. This lock has been closed all winter for replacement of the top gate. It seems strange that whilst it was empty the workmen didnt notice something under the bottom gates!

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This is the first opportunty since mid November to go any further than a couple of miles as the BW maintenance stoppages have now finished. We needed a pumpout so it was a choice between Kinver & Stourport. We decided last night that if the weather looked good this morning then it would be Kinver and if not then Stourtport. We awaoke to a sunny morning so it was off to Kinver.

I obviously got my lefts & rights muddled up (yet again) becuase we winded above Hyde Lock and then came back down to the pumpout machine. That meant that the pumpout outlet was now on the water side, not the bank side. It would have been so much easier if we had done it on the way up!

As we needed to be back home tomorrow for Mother’s Day lunch, we carried on back to just below Wolverley lock for the night.

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Arrived just in time to light the fire, down to the Watermill for a meal, then to bed.

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