Up the 'ampton 21

Yesterday morning at five o'clock? Wasn't that the first line of The Beatles song "She's leaving home"? That's as maybe but I was up and doing at that ungodly hour and by 06:40, sorry, that was a typo, should read 06:10, we were heading south.

First stop was the 6" stop lock at Cut End. Originally put in to prevent the Shropshire Union stealing the water of the Staffs & Worcs. Now it provides great amusement during busy times with boats coming at the junction from three different directions. It gets even more exciting when the nearby boatyard is sending out it's hire boats.

The monkeys on the railway viaduct are getting overgrown with ivy. When does graffiti become art?

At Addersley Junction it's a quick left onto the B.C.N. and the first of the twenty-one Wolverhampton  locks.

Why the Wolverhampton Round Table donated twenty-one locks as this sign claims is a complete mystery.

At the second lock, number twenty as the locks are numbered from the top down, we were met by a C&RT chap who gloomily informed us that the pounds were down due to vandalism but his mates would soon be at the top letting down more water. We had noticed a sad lack of the wet stuff by this time but by taking it slowly we managed to make progress.

Lock seventeen is overlooked by an impressive railway viaduct that still carries major traffic. I just liked the way the shapes played off of each other.

As we approached lock fifteen things were getting decidedly sticky and then at

we ground to a halt.

Well and truly stemmed up. Fortunately the next pound had a little surplus water which Jill let down and I scraped over the cill and into the lock.

But then, below lock fourteen, a sight to gladden the heart of any boater, water was coming down the by-wash, our C&RT heroes were letting water down from the summit and it had finally reached us. the rest of the flight was a doddle.

The municipal incinerator still wafts it's delectable perfumes over the local area.

We were not sorry to see this. After all one can have too much of a good thing.
Having arrived at the Wolverhampton level we set off for the Black Country Museum.

Always glad to arrive here. So having pinched the last but one mooring spot we nipped in through the back gate of the museum and into the Bottle and Glass for a couple of reviving beers and then up to the fish and chip shop for cod and chips, cooked correctly in beef dripping.
I shall tell of today's journey tomorrow. Well I like to keep my readers on tenterhooks.

Watch this space...