Kinver to Stourbridge 16-9-14

 Beautiful morning with Kinver church keeping watch over proceedings from its lofty perch on the edge of Kinver edge.

Steady pootle down to Stewpony then sharp right up the Stourbridge branch. One of the most underated scenic canals in the country surely.
met guy on a bike who we meet on every trip. Not sure of his name think it may be Colin-I will call him Colin for the purpose of this blog. "Pleased to see you" he shouted. "havnt seen you much this year" Colin is someone who lives in Kidderminster and rides up and down the canal between Stourbridge and Kidderminster helping boats through the lock. He does it to keep fit and he is, I must say, very fit. The Waterways Trust have tried to make him an "official" volunteer but he will have none of it preferring to be his own master. He really delights in helping  boats and is out on his bike every day. "When you going up to Merry Hill" he shouted "Thursday"
"my mate Johns working the flight on Thursday"
So they have an unofficial roster between them working different sections of the canal between them.

 The canals bucolic scenes give way to remnants of its more industrial past as we pass older glass factories on the approach to Stourbridge. Tudor Crystal still advertises its wares on a factory wall here.

Until finally at the end of the arm we moor up under the iconic warehouse canopy. A hire boater came over and asked if you could manage to turn a boat in such a tight space. He said he had not been on a boat before. He tied one of our ropes off. That was far too professional knot for someone who hadnt done this before.Think he was just testing me!
Walk up the hill to see mother, cup of tea, then back to chicken pie from Waitrose!