Upton on Severn to Stourport (Last Day) Sunday 5-10-14

Last day today of this trip.
Went for a walk around Upton last night. Some interesting old shops like the old Co-Op below..

The boat was nice and warm last night despite icy winds outside. Made getting up for our planned early start difficult but despite this we were under way at 0800. Weak sunshine and mist rising from the river. Its a fair old stretch to our first lock at Worcester about 17 miles.

3 and a half hours later we were into the huge Diglis Basin lock at Worcester.

Diglis Lock

Then through the pleasing riverscape of Worcester.

Unfortunately we hadnt gone very far out the other side of Worcester when we found ourselves in the middle of a rowing race. A guy on the bank shouted in a posh voice through a loud hailer "Narrow Boat keep to Starboard" I think he meant me. And I think Starboard is "Right" but is not a term used on the nland Waterways.  Presently boats raced past in the opposite direction forcing us to a virtual stop while they passed.

Hard to Starboard while the rowers go past

So onwards through the Bevere Lock and Holt Lock until we came to the Hamstall Public House where we picked up some passengers. My sister, Jim and Pam, my Nephew, David, and his fiance Kaz and our  Matthew and Kerry and our grandaughter Mollie. Mollie was able to try my hat!

David and Kaz at the front of the boat, Jim steering while Pam and me do the lock. into the clock basin Stourport

So thats it for now; here I am writing up the blog at 1915 on Sunday evening for the last time on this trip. As always I want to keep travelling but I will have to be content now and give Stourbridge Lion a well earned rest after 197 miles at 3 mph!

Tewkesbury to Upton on Severn Saturday 4-10-14

Well we had a bit of an interruption there. A nice interruption because I got to name a train. A first for me. Craigentinny depot near Edinburgh where I had my first management job is 100 years old (well 105 but we have to give a bit of licence). I left there 23 years ago but they asked me back to name a locomotive after the depot-great honour for me. In the end I got the two longest serving guys there to pull the string. So here is me doing my Boris Johnson impression.

Thats enough of that lets get back to the waterways and the job in hand. When I do these blogs we have to have a poem on at least one entry so here is the offering for this trip:-

On Eckington Bridge

bt A.T. Quiller-Couch (Extract)

Man shall outlast his battles. They have swept

Avon from Naseby Field to Savern Ham;

And Evesham's dedicated stones have stepp'd

Down to the dust with Montfort's oriflamme.

Nor the red tear nor the reflected tower

Abides; but yet these elegant grooves remain,

Worn in the sandstone parapet hour by hour

By labouring bargemen where they shifted ropes;

E'en so shall men turn back from violent hopes

To Adam's cheer, and toil with spade again.

Hope you liked that. I did but got a bit lost around oriflame but it came back later.

Drive to Stourport, bus to Worcester, Costa Coffee, Train to Aschurch, bus to Tewkesbury marina. At 1220 we were in reverse and pulling back into the Avon.

Reversing out of Tewkesbury marina.

Through Avon lock and into the wide Severn. Not been this way up the river before. The Severn is wide and deep with lots of cross currents but we were making way against the flow despite early rain.

As you can see from this shot looking back from the boat the Severn is very wide here. But we made steady progress. The banks are quite high so you cant see a massive amount but from my usual perch sitting on Stourbridge Lions roof, legs dangling inside while steering, there were good views of the Malverns standing clear in the after rain sunshine. 

After a short while we were overhauled by another boat pulling lots of revs and creating quite a wash. It was Kinver! Now that may not mean much to many of you but before we had Stourbridge Lion we had a share in Kinver. What a surprising coincidence. (hope hey dont pull the engine off its mountings!)

Sadly commercial carrying of freight is pretty rare on the waterways these days but occasionally you come across some. On this part of the Severn there is a little barge traffic in gravel from Ryall wharf to Ripple. Only a few miles but better than nothing. All the barges are named after fish.

Gravel Barges. River Severn

After a couple of hours steady running we moored at Upton on Severn. Not always possible to get into this charming riverside town due to limited mooring but today we did, even if climbing up to the bank was slightly precarious.

Then the engine wouldnt shut down! Being a diesel engine  this can be a problem. I shut down the engine manually and made a call to RCR got their man out who drove over from Northampton! A 40 Amp fuse had blown but he had no spare. and although I have a good supple of fuses, or so I thought, I had no 40 Amps.  Fortunatly there was a petrol station over the road and I was able to procure a 30A fuse which he fitted and it held. Must sort that out as it will blow again.

 Walk round the town and salmon with veg for dinner.

 Lit fire as rather cold today.

Great Comberton to Tewkesbury Sunday 28-9-14

With the bells ringing out from Great Comberton's St Michaels church, views westward to the Malverns, and the Bards Avon under Stourbridge Lions keel it was a very Elgarian  setting to wake up to! Sun was out and the day set fair.

We were on the way at about 0930 with great views of Bredon Hill behind us.

Bredon Hill

Two locks to do the rural Nafford lock, Eckington's 16th Century bridge to be negotiated then Strensham Lock.

Eckington's 16th Century bridge

Near Strensham Lock

Strensham lock is fortunately a mile or so away from Strensham Services on the M5 although this morning it feels like its about a million miles away!  Then after the lock we encounter the hazard of sailing yachts! You dont really expect to encounter these unwieldy craft on the inland waterways but then why not? Managed to pass without hitting any!

Then before long we were under the M5 at Bredon and onto the home stretch to Tewkesbury. By this time, on this warm sunny Sunday, the river was alive with craft of all sizes from tiny dingy's to ocean going cruisers. The "masters" of these craft dont seem as friendly as the normal Narrow Boat crews. Maybe its because they are frightened you are going to run into them!  And so into Tewkesbury. A 3 point turn and moored up near the Avon bridge, a much better executed manouvre than what I managed when mooring in Stratford earlier in the week. Just luck really but a passer by said "I can see you have done that before"
"Its nothing really" I said trying to sound modest-but it made my day!

Craft of all sizes enjoying the late autumn sunshine in Tewkesbury

So we were moored up by 1330. Went to speak to the lock keeper to agree my mooring spot was ok then into Tewkesbury for afternoon tea.
This is the last blog until next Saturday. I am in work T,W,Th,F next week but hope to return to the boat with Joanne for the final push up the Severn next weekend. So it will be the Worcester bus in the morning followed by the Stourport bus and at Stourport we should have the car to get us back home.
Been a great few days on the Avon. A really charming waterway administered by a not for profit Trust. They are strapped for cash of course like many other similar bodies but despite that the waterway seems in reasonable repair although some of the locksides are a little unkempt. At Wyre lock yesterday a couple were strimming back the lockside grass. "Used to have a volunteer lock keeper at every lock on the Avon" He said "Just cant get the volunteers now"  He went on "but we do what we can and we look after this lock and have made it our own" As they were probably in their 70s I dont feel that, sadly, Wyre lock will be too long before it also looks a little unkempt, Oh well-none of this detracts from the general attractiveness of the waterway. Hope I can return soon.

Stourbridge Lion near the end of the Avon, sunny Sunday afternoon, Tewkesbuy

Bidford to Great Comberton Saturday 27-9-14

22 miles today along the Avon. Record for this trip by a long way. 8 locks as well.  Day started and finished dull but was quite bright in the middle. The Avon is very nice with an abundance of wildlife. We even thought we saw a turtle!

Joanne doing her stuff

 Passed through Evesham and Pershore getting our licence checked by a woman at Evesham lock. Evesham's riverscape is normally like a poor version of Worcester but today there were lots of people enjoying the river. Last time we came through the river was deserted. Perhaps its because today is Saturday. Tied up at Great Comberton at 1700. 7 Hours boating. And there isnt much more commentary for today just a few photos.

Evesham riverside.

Evesham riverside

Glorious countryside near Craycombe

Fladbury Lock

Pershore Bridge

London Interlude

 

The alarm went off at 0510 and at 0550 I exchanged the warmth of Stourbridge Lion for the dark, cold, fine drizzle on Bidford on Avon's hard paved streets. The little town was deserted but the church clock reliably chimed out six chimes and at 0615 the Evesham bus duly appeared. I was the only passenger at this hour. Don't give much for the chances of this service surviving. We flashed through dark unlit country lanes with just the occasional glimpse of half timbered houses until I was deposited by Evesham railway station. A cup of coffee from the delightful buffet there and just in time to step on board the 0649 London. Bacon sandwich from the Travelling Chef on the train. Pity Great Western are stopping this service in  few weeks. It now just remains for me to get my head from waterways mode to business mode-for a few hours at least.

Evesham station 0640 in the morning

So I swapped being the solitary passenger on the Evesham bus to strap hanging on the Hammersmith and City line underground. I counted 10 people in my bit of the train 7 of which were fiddling with mobile phones despite no reception. Not wanting to be left out I checked my phone for non existing emails.
Got the 1552 back from Paddington to Evesham and just missed the half hourly bus back to Bidford so had half to wait.
Boat was where I left it and Joanne was on board.

25-9-14 Stratford to Bidford

Quick walk into Stratford at about 0730 for coffee and croisant. Passed a 16th Centuary minstral going to work. (Where else but Stratford can you do that!) Then Andy and I were off about 0830 through the double lock onto the Avon. Like a bird set free from a cage Stourbridge Lion fairly skipped along now the water was wide and deep. May even have touched 6 mph!
Although the day had started grey the weather began to brighten. The Avon is a very different proposition to the canals with an abundance of birds. Andy, who is a bit of a "twitcher" spotted several bird species. He spotted a Raven,Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Cormorant, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, A Jay, Yellow Tit, Heron and a Buzzard. I spotted a pidgeon!
A few photos to give a flavour of the Avon.

The locks are quite heavy and very fierce but nevertheless some are in delightful settings.

 There are some very posh house on the way as well. Dread to think how much they are worth.

After about 4 hours our destination for today, Bidford on Avon hove into view.

Andy leaves us here via the number 28 bus to Stratford. Thanks Andy for he help wth all those locks! Good conversations too from being human, quantum physics, mortality, alternative reality and the quality of Midlands beer. And some of it to a backdrop of the music of Arve Henriksen-very atmosheric and another first for me!
Tomorrow there will not be to much to report on the blog as I am heading to London for a days work. Well it has to be done. 0611 bus from Bidford to Evesham Rrailway station for the 0649 to Paddington. Joanne is also coming back to the boat tomorrow afternoon so it will be the regular team of Joanne, me and the Stourbridge Lion from tomorrow evening.

Preston Baggott to Stratford on Avon 24-9-14 Wed

Today we are completing the journey down to Stratford. A shower of rain first thing but then it brightened. Highlight of this section has to be the Edstone Aquaduct near Wooton Wawen. It doesnt look much from canal level but from below it can be seen purposefully striding across the fields, a road and a railway.

After a short while the Wilmcote lock flight starts. A tough flight of 16 locks. We were delighted to see some volunteer  lock keepers at the top and thought, wrongly, that they would help us through. In the end they just watched the boats and chatted to the crews. Not a massive help really!!

But Andy did well and did a lot of walking. We got to Stratford at 1530. Ariving by boat is really the only way to arrive in Stratford as you duck under the last bridge and emerge into Bancroft Gardens with its tourists and atractions. Unfortunately as I was showing off my maneuvering skills in Bancroft basin in front of the assembled tourists,

A gust of wind caught us and the Stourbridge Lion completly missed the berth I was aiming for. Pride comes before a fall!

The Avon is a seperate navigation authority so another licence is required. Bought the licence for the Avon from the Avon Trust boat in Bancroft basin. Off out now for a bight to eat (Steak and Chips) Bidford on Avon is the destination tomorrow.