Kim Coxon
Moderator
Hi All,
Sorry for the delay but I have been trying to work out the logistics. Moving an 18 ton boat around isn't quite as easy as jumping on the tube in London. Much as I love Birmingham, there are strecths on the canal where I don't wish to stop for the night. Parts of the canal are also likely to be full of the "wrong sort of leaves" 😱 I am limited to a max of 8 on the boat at any time to to insurance/legal limits which give space for up to 6 cruising.
A provisional plan. It will depend partly on what time the boat is ready on the Sat at Alvechurch (Jcn 2 M42) and whether I can get into Gas Street that afternoon. I will be getting to Alvechurch at about 12 and I am almost certain that I will be to get away by 2. In the meantime there is a pleasant pub on site to wait at. It's then about 3 hours into the middle of Birmingham to moor around the NIA/ICC just off Broad street. If anyone wants to join for this, the station at Alvechurch is 5 mins walk from the marina and on the line from Birm to Redditch to get back. There may also be a possibility of a couple of spare berths on the boat.
On Sunday, I need to leave by 10am. The NIA is about 20 mins walk from New Street. The idea would be to go down the Farmers Bridge Flight of locks which will take about an hour to 1 1/2 hours so any late comers could catch up. Many of the offices around here are built on top of the lock pounds on stilts. At the bottom by Aston, take the Digbeth branch to the Grand Union This will take us through Tysley, Sparkbrook and then Solihull. I would suggest anyone who wants to can jump off there and can easily get public transport back into the centre of Brum. The canal then gets into the countryside and I aim to stop outside the pub in Catherine de Barnes. Anyone is welcome to come the whole way but getting back might be more difficult. If others want to arrange a curry in Brum for the evening, I will leave it up to them. As we will be going through Francesco's neck of the woods, he might be able to Help/suggest with transport and ideas for the evening.
Kim
Sorry for the delay but I have been trying to work out the logistics. Moving an 18 ton boat around isn't quite as easy as jumping on the tube in London. Much as I love Birmingham, there are strecths on the canal where I don't wish to stop for the night. Parts of the canal are also likely to be full of the "wrong sort of leaves" 😱 I am limited to a max of 8 on the boat at any time to to insurance/legal limits which give space for up to 6 cruising.
A provisional plan. It will depend partly on what time the boat is ready on the Sat at Alvechurch (Jcn 2 M42) and whether I can get into Gas Street that afternoon. I will be getting to Alvechurch at about 12 and I am almost certain that I will be to get away by 2. In the meantime there is a pleasant pub on site to wait at. It's then about 3 hours into the middle of Birmingham to moor around the NIA/ICC just off Broad street. If anyone wants to join for this, the station at Alvechurch is 5 mins walk from the marina and on the line from Birm to Redditch to get back. There may also be a possibility of a couple of spare berths on the boat.
On Sunday, I need to leave by 10am. The NIA is about 20 mins walk from New Street. The idea would be to go down the Farmers Bridge Flight of locks which will take about an hour to 1 1/2 hours so any late comers could catch up. Many of the offices around here are built on top of the lock pounds on stilts. At the bottom by Aston, take the Digbeth branch to the Grand Union This will take us through Tysley, Sparkbrook and then Solihull. I would suggest anyone who wants to can jump off there and can easily get public transport back into the centre of Brum. The canal then gets into the countryside and I aim to stop outside the pub in Catherine de Barnes. Anyone is welcome to come the whole way but getting back might be more difficult. If others want to arrange a curry in Brum for the evening, I will leave it up to them. As we will be going through Francesco's neck of the woods, he might be able to Help/suggest with transport and ideas for the evening.
Kim
