Sunday 27th July – Saturday 2nd August
The first day of week 5 dawned cloudy, threatening rain. Never mind it’s boat chores day before we head off tomorrow. The main chore of the day, oh joy of joys – laundry!! We had located a launderette just a half mile from our mooring and set off loaded down with 15 days worth of kit needing washing. Pablos Launderette was staffed by a very chatty and pleasant wife of Pablos who worked Monday to Friday as a Podiatrist then Saturday and Sunday running her husbands launderette.
Very soon our laundry was clean and fresh and we walked back to the boat to shower and change ready for our late late lunch at Bank, Dave’s favourite restaurant, where we all enjoyed three courses and as Dave and I had cheese and biscuits as our final course we had a very nice tawny port to accompany it.
We had enjoyed our stay in Birmingham City Centre so much we were sad to wave goodbye and move on Monday morning but upward and onward. We were intent on reaching Tipton Junction where we planned to visit the Black Country Living Museum on Tuesday.
The Black Country Living Museum is a very special place that describes itself thus : –
“ . . . an award-winning open air museum that tells the story of one of the very first industrialised landscapes in Britain.
Set across 29 acres, you’ll explore carefully reconstructed shops, houses and industrial areas that represent the Black Country’s story. You’ll learn how steam power, human ingenuity and an increasingly interconnected world transformed this region into a manufacturing powerhouse.
You’ll meet our historic characters who’ll tell you stories of what it was really like to live and work during this revolutionary period of history.
As you walk around, you’ll discover our collections, which were ‘Designated’ by Arts Council England in 2012, recognising their quality and national significance.
Most importantly, you’ll see history brought to life before your eyes – hear the clang of hammers, smell the smoke billowing from red brick chimneys and maybe even taste the best fish and chips in the Black Country! . . .”
It is everything it says and more, one day is not enough, there is so much to see and do. we have carefully kept our tickets as they are valid for unlimited returns over a one year period – great value.
This was one of if not the best museum I have ever visited and sadly I was having such a great time I forgot to take any photos I have filched a couple from the internet (The photographers were not identified or I would have credited them) to give you a flavour but would suggest a visit to The Black Country Living Museum
We had intended to have fish and chips at the shop in the museum but by the time we got round to going it was closed so after we had finished our visit to the museum we caught a bus to Mad o Rourkes Pie Factory for dinner. A real treat.
Again I forgot to take photos, the one above are taken from the Mad o Rourkes Web Site.
We moved on again Wednesday 5.5 miles to a super mooring at Bumble Hole a small nature reserve, uber quiet and peaceful. We all slept well.
Another day another move this time just under four miles and one lock to Merry Hill Visitor Moorings where is one of the Black Countries biggest retail shopping malls. The canal here is way above the shopping mall with 50+ steps to get down to it, that’s fine but it means 50+ steps getting back up and when coming back up is when you are loaded down with shopping.
After two days of intense retail therapy we moved on again planning to go down the Delph Nine Locks where there are actually only eight. It was not an easy flight there are virtually no lock landings between each lock but there was a chap walking his dog who is a Wednesday Volly Lockie who elected to help us all the way down the flight. Despite not being in the first flush of youth he ran around like a demon making the passage of the locks quick and easy for us. Bev and Dave also had help, a full time CRT employee helped them all the way down but with less erm! enthusiasm.
We moored just beyond Farmers Bridge where we were told we could get good fish and chips, Sue and I wandered to the chippy and bought haddock each with a single medium sized chips. The fish portions were huge with a light crispy batter and the medium chip portion enough to feed four. A tasty end to a tasty week.
