Because it is called Mary Arden’s House in some of the guides, I assume we will visit just a house; the house Shakespeare’s mother used to live in. But we’re in for a nice surprise: it’s a Living Tudor Farm Museum. We arrive just before one o’clock, and the first scheduled event is a Tudor … Read More →
There is about a week between the Black Country Museum, and Stamppot Andijvie. With (once again) no time to write. Leaving the basin at the Black Country Living Museum it’s my day at the tiller. We take the motorway (i.e. Birmingham Canal Navigations Old Main Line) to the centre of Birmingham: Gas Street Basin. Although … Read More →
I should write about the Black Country Living Museum. But either I write a book about it, or tell you to go on their website and have a look yourself. This is the map of the museum, and I visited everything. Went into the mine, did rope skipping, took the trolley bus (not exiting when you … Read More →
You think we are in the UK? Well, over the last days I’ve seen rocks as in the Dordogne (complete with caves), hills and valleys as in the Black Forest and Danish seats. OK, a short summary. Reluctantly we left Stourport Basin and the extremely nice boaters and locals there. They actually were so nice, I … Read More →
From Swanley Bridge Marina to Stourport Upper Basin is 66.5 miles by car; it takes 1 hr 58 minutes. Hardly a distance to mention. It’s 68 miles by boat, and takes about 10 days. One would assume that, except for the name of the village one spends the night, nothing will change, on such a small distance. UK is … Read More →
Time again for a bit of data. From Stafford Boat Club to Stourport-on-Severn is 41 miles. With 40 locks. We managed to do all this in 10 days, of which 8 days of cruising. Statistics average cruising per cruising day: 5.125 miles average cruising per calendar day: 4.1 miles locks per cruising day: 5 cruising … Read More →
On the Wednesday we exchange the charming Black Forest for the depressing surroundings of Weavers Wharf at Kidderminster. We moor next to Tesco, but I don’t like the place. I’m afraid I will wake up in he morning and find WRT covered in graffiti. That’s not the case, but later I’m told that hire boats … Read More →
That’s what they should sell here. We’re at Kinver, on the south Staffordshire & Worcestershire canal. And it feels like being in the Black Forest. Green hills, small valleys with one or two houses. But let’s start with what happened before we came here. On Saturday we said goodbye to Ann and Mick. Although it’s … Read More →
We’re back in Coven (see https://wea-ry-tired.co.uk/on-the-not-so-straight-and-fg-narrow/). Not because we like it that much, but because it has a golf course. On the Wednesday the four of us started heading south. First back to Penkridge. It’s my day at the tiller, so it is raining. Not a lot, but still. Needless to say that once we’re … Read More →
Time for a bit of data. From Swanley Bridge Marina to Stafford Boat Club is 58 miles. With 41 locks. We managed to do all this in 19 days, of which 8 days of cruising. Statistics average cruising per cruising day: 7.25 miles average cruising per calendar day: 3.05 miles locks per cruising day: 5.125 … Read More →