Over 21? Then a treat in store.

So it was an early start today to get the flight done, I don't know exactly how early as it was almost night time for me.   Bentley Bridge is about an hour away from Horsley Fields Junction that is to say where the Wyrley and Essington canal meets the Old Main Line of the BCN, the flight is just a smidge on from there.  Today's post is a bit of a photo diary.

I arrived on deck just in time to get that shot of the junction, does not look a great part of town.

A local still inebriated from last night.

But the next moment a lovely looking redevelopment and saving of these old buildings.

Not sure what they've done here.

Broad Street Basin service points

Then after being a bit grotty it opened out into this pleasant mooring space with modern sculpture and grass.

We struck absolute gold this morning.  We got to the top lock at a little before 8am to find this lovely lockie, who had arrived a little earlier and found one pound, either the second or third one down drained and another near to the bottom drained.  He was going to walk ahead of us and fill the locks to flush water all down

Result!!!!!! 

And that's what happened, with each lock we completed, there was the next lock filled with the top gate open.

A free flight I thought.  He had walked down to lock 10 and walked back towards us, then later driven down in his truck to the bottom and walked up.  All in all and nearer to the bottom we met three boats in total coming up so it was the easiest flight ever.

Marvellous.

Lovely Lockie

Lovely old Lock Cottages too.

Great arty shot there.  My favourite Ox-Eye Daisies.

I did the first five or so locks as my back was grumbling and it needed to move about a bit.

Welcomed sight, filled lock gate opened.

Unexpected sight to see a big plant in the centre of town.

Me now driving and taking wonky pictures.  But see how far down the pound is?

I got grounded here.

Now I did get a bit twitchy here, see how close my back button is to the cill marker?   But David was right, I was about a foot clear.

Then suddenly, as if by magic, was the last lock.

Out onto the Staffs to Worcester again, in the last two odd weeks we have done a large circular ring. 

Lookey Lookey.  I told him as he walked away to start blogging again, but it was his friend.

We were headed for Covern, from there David was going to fetch the car.  Then later this afternoon we went on an expedition to Wolverhampton's Waitrose.  A favourite haunt of ours at this time of year, that is to say when they do their promotion of 25% off all wines.... 

Gin was on offer too!

Supper was a whizz in the car to Penkridge to The Littleton Arms   HERE    another must go to place, actually this was a reward for all my slogging down the flight this morning  ahem

Supper was for both of us, boringly we must be married, scallops, the chick pea, sweet potato and coconut curry that we both though exceedingly mild.  Maybe the trainee forgot to add the curry powder, but it was very tasty all the same followed by homemade cherry bakewell which was lovely.

Eating nothing tomorrow.