Previous Year : 2006 The Bona Boater's Trips Following Year : 2008

2007 - The Trent & Mersey & Burton-on-Trent.

Crew : Pete W, Dave, John, Chris, Stan, Erine, Alan, Pete M.

Boat : Tap Dance

From : Anglowelsh, Great Haywood.

Route : Great Haywood > Penkridge > Trysull > Stourbridge [w] > Brierley Hill > Birmingham > Curdworth > Fazeley > Fradley > Burton-on-Trent > Willington [w] > Alrewas > Armitage with Handsacre > Rugeley > Little Haywood > Great Haywood.

Coverage : 121 Locks and 128 Miles.

Notes : Pete Moore and Alan Robinson joined the crew for the first time. Pete Moore made his mark both figuratively and literally by leaving a pink stripe on the stern caused by his hitting and exploding a sunken fire extinguisher under the boat. Pete W managed to catch a sari on the prop in Burton-on-Trent, though he does not think anyone was wearing it at the time..

Saturday 19th May

Lunch : Great Haywood. We arrived at Great Haywood just before noon, and were stunned to be told that the boat was ready and that we could load up and go straight away. Whilst this would mean a good quick getaway, it would also mean no lunchtime pub stop. As we never use a TV on the boat, we asked if it could be removed as it would give us a bit more space and there would be less chance of it being damaged or stolen. The engineer agreed and told us just to unplug it and leave it on the back of the boat next to ours, which we did. We loaded up and prepared to set off for Penkridge. Just as we were manoeuvring out of the berth, a short but very heavy shower appeared and drenched us all - including the TV which was still sitting on the back of the other boat. So much for leaving it here to avoid it being damaged. We never did find out what happened to it. We set off for Penkridge at about 13:00 having had no lunchtime pub stop.

We had all arrived at the boatyard by noon.

We were able to load up straight away.

Evening : Penkridge. Due to the early start from Great Haywood, we arrived in Penkridge at about 16:00 and went straight to The Star for some Banks's Mild, and to meet up with Stan. Later, we went back to The Boat Inn by Br.86 to eat. The beer & food there were both mediocre. The pub also seemed a bit more 'rowdy & noisy' than we remembered from previous visits. Big TV screens had been installed, and there was also loud music so we left as soon as we'd eaten and went back to The Star for some more Banks's Mild.

We moored up in Penkridge then went to The Star.

Sunday 20th May

Lunch : Trysull. We left Penkridge and continued along The Staffs & Worcester Canal. We moored for lunch below Awbridge Lock (Lock 49) and had rather a nice warm sunny stroll over the hill to The Bell at Trysull for some excellent Batham's & Holden's beers.

The Bell, Trysull.

Oh no.. not more beer - but I'm sure I'll manage.. somehow.

Afternoon : Bratch Locks. After leaving The Bell, we arrived at Bratch Locks. With it's side ponds and colour coded paddle gear, Bratch Locks can appear daunting to the novice boater, and incorrect use can waste lots of water. It is not a true staircase as there is a very short pound between the locks.

Bratch Locks.

The Bratch is a flight not a staircase because there is a very short pound between each of the locks. To complicate matters, these short pounds also link to side ponds. To properly save water and prevent draining the intervening short pounds, the paddles must be opened in a specific order, hence the need for colour coded red & blue paddles.

Descending The Bratch.

Evening : Stourbridge. We successfully descended The Bratch and continued to Stourton Junction, where we turned up The Stourbridge Canal and eventually on to The Stourbridge town arm. Unfortunately having arrived in Stourbridge a little late, and it being Sunday, we could not find anywhere to eat-in so we went to The Royal Exchange, where we proceeded to drink them out of Batham's Mild. We then took some Chinese take-aways back to the boat.

Winding at the end of The Stourbridge Town Arm.

This was made a little bit more tricky by some inconsiderately moored boats.

Monday 21st May

Lunch : Brierley Hill. We left Stourbridge and climbed both The Stourbridge 16 and The Delph flights, and we moored at the top of The Delph Locks overlooking the Merry Hill Centre. We looked over and wondered whatever had happened to the monorail - see 1992. We went to The Bull & Bladder for lunch. Batham's Brewery is situated behind the pub. We also took 2 gallons of Batham's Mild back to the boat as we suspected - quite rightly as it turned out - that Tuesday lunch might be a little bit thin in the pub department.

Delph Locks.

The Bull & Bladder... yet again !

Mild in The Bull & Bladder - Ernie on the Token.

More Mild, and now Pete W is on the Token

Even more Mild and the Token is back with Ernie again !

Evening : Birmingham. We left Brierley Hill and continued on towards Birmingham. After passing through Netherton Tunnel we arrived on The New Main Line. Somewhere along this section, Pete M managed to hit a submerged fire extinguisher. As the prop tore into it, it exploded underneath the boat. There was a very loud bang, a strong shudder ran through the entire boat, and the back of the boat was shrouded in steam and smoke. Initially, we thought the engine may have exploded. We moored up to check for damage to the prop and stern gear, but luckily we found that there was no damage at all - except for a pink stripe caused by the contents of the fire extinguisher hitting the stern. With the excitement over, we pushed on and eventually arrived in Birmingham. Unusually, we were not able to secure our normal spot by the NIA, so we moored a little way back down the main line. We went to The Prince of Wales for a few beers before we decided to take taxis to The Bartons Arms at Aston Cross. See 2006 for some photos of the superb interior of The Bartons Arms. We arrived at The Bartons Arms a little bit late, as the kitchen had just closed, but being enterprising, they opened it up specially for us. [..well with eight people eating & drinking, who wouldn't - well actually, you might be surprised to learn how many pubs wouldn't..] We had an excellent Thai meal and a superb range of Oakham Ales and guest beers.

Tap Dance moored at Fradley later in the week.

The stern still shows the pink stripe from the exploding fire extinguisher.

Tuesday 22nd May

Morning : Still in Birmingham. After leaving our mooring on The Main Line, we turned toward The Birmingham & Fazeley Canal, where the crew took on tea and the boat took on water at the services just above Farmer's Bridge Top Lock. After taking on water (and tea), we set off down Farmer's Bridge Locks and on to The Birmingham & Fazeley Canal towards Minworth and Curdworth.

The Boat takes water at Farmer's Bridge services...

...while The Bona Boater's synchronised tea drinking team take on tea.

The BT Tower

A wider view of The BT Tower

Gasholders - painted in the Blue and Maroon of Ebor Morris

Lunch : Curdworth. After descending the Farmers Bridge flight we continued on to The Birmingham & Fazely Canal. At Minworth, we stopped without actually mooring just to check out The Boat Inn. This pub had been OK on some previous visits, but last year we found it had no real ale. We decided to send a 'runner' ahead to investigate it again while the boat waited without actually mooring. After a quick look the runner returned and confirmed that it still had no real ale. Dry and unrefreshed, we pushed on toward Curdworth. In the meantime we drank the Batham's Mild which we'd bought yesterday lunchtime at The Bull & Bladder. We stopped at Curdworth and tried The White Horse which also appeared to have no real ale. We then walked into the centre of the village and eventually we found The Beehive which had Ansell's Mild & Bombardier, so we had a few pints here. Later in the afternoon, Pete W & Stan managed to get an IBS* (*Intermediate Black Spot) quickie in The Dog & Doublet at Bodymoor Heath while waiting for the boat locking between Locks 8 & 9.

Evening : Fazeley. Refreshed, we left Curdworth and we pushed on to Fazeley Junction for water. Then, in a quite remarkable reversing manoeuvre, Alan reversed the boat round the corner at the junction, and reversed it back along the B&F over 100yds to a vacant mooring spot. It was definitely an 9/10 job, and not bad at all for a first-timer. We then went to The Three Horseshoes for some remarkably nice Draught Bass, The Ivory Tusk next door for a curry, then back to The Three Horseshoes for some more nice Bass.

Taking on water again at Fazeley Junction.

That's twice in one day - has someone been having a secret wash ?

Wednesday 23rd May

Lunch : Fradley Junction. We left Fazeley and headed for Fradley Junction where we went to The Swan. Here, Stan revealed yet another form of crankery - namely, spotting the production numbers on those little sachets of sauce that you get in pubs.

Fradley Junction.

Stan making the turn with The Swan in the background.

Stan, raising crankery to an art-form and playing 'production number snap'.

Evening : Burton-on-Trent. In the afternoon, after leaving The Swan at Fradley, we pushed on towards Burton-on-Trent. On the way, we had a short stop at The Barton Turns for an afternoon snifter or two, then continued on to Burton-on-Trent. This was where Pete W caught a sari on the prop. He hoped that there was no-one wearing it at the time. We went to The Devonshire Arms for an excellent meal. Pete W had an absolutely superb steak and we had a range of Burton Bridge Brewery Beers. We later decamped to Cooper's Tavern for another great range of beers plus some rather nice perry.

A mid-afternoon quickie in The Barton Turns

Burton-on-Trent - The home of Marston's Beers ...

... and of discarded saris.

Thursday 24th May

Lunch : Willington. We left Burton-on-Trent and pushed on further up the T&M, before winding at Willington. At Willington we went into The Royal Oak for some Draught Bass & Gales HSB, and then into The Green Man. We then set off back towards Burton-on-Trent, but despite protestations from some members of the crew, we passed straight through Burton-on-Trent without stopping.

Dredging on The Trent & Mersey Canal

Evening : Alrewas. In the afternoon, we had a short delay while some dredging work was being carried out. After passing straight through Burton-on-Trent without stopping, we eventually arrived at Alrewas. We tried one pub on the main road. We can't remember the name, but it had no food, so we left. Eventually we found The Crown. It had been holding a special fish night, but it had just stopped serving food shortly before we arrived. Being an enterprising sort of chap, he told us that he would re-open the kitchen, but that he had run out of some of the things on the special fish menu. Not keen on fish, Pete W chose the Tuna Steak, mainly because he said it sounded like meat. Apparently, it tasted a bit like meat too. We also managed to negotiate a 'free' egg for breakfast as we were one short. The chap said "..after seven meals and three gallons of ale, I think I can afford to give you an egg..". After a bit of a lock-in, Chris succeeded in getting the egg back to the boat intact in her handbag.

Friday 25th May

Lunch : Armitage with Handsacre. We stopped at The Crown in Armitage. It was once a regular haunt of Ebor Morris on their annual pilgrimage to Lichfield for The Lichfield Ale - which was an evening of dance, beer and curry hosted by the now disbanded Lichfield Morrismen. We arrived quite early, in fact about 10:30 - well before any of the pubs would open. After a bit of a wander about, and while Stan went off to get some bread, we sat and waited patiently outside The Crown for it to open. Once it opened, we had several pints of Draught Bass before continuing on towards Rugeley.

A raggy-arsed group wander about Armitage.

The Crown, Armitage.

While Stan went to get some bread...

...the three wise monkeys sat waiting for the pub to open...

... whilst being heckled by Statler & Waldorf !

Afternoon : Rugeley. After several pints of Draught Bass, we left Armitage, we pushed on to Rugeley for an afternoon stop, as we realised that we had plenty of time. We went to The Albion. This used to be a nice homely sort of pub, but it's now a must-see for all pub designers on how NOT to redesign a pub. It used to have several small cosy rooms, but they had been ripped into one, and has had a pool table and loud music installed for added effect. At least the Banks's Mild was OK though rather cold. Disappointed, we left here and had a quick look round the town for somewhere else to drink, but we failed dismally to find anywhere even vaguely suitable. We decided to give Rugeley a miss next time - well, indeed any time we're in the area.

Evening : Little Haywood. Inadequately refreshed, we set off for Little Haywood and The Red Lion , where we proceeded to drink them out of Mild. This seems to be becoming a habit of ours.

Saturday 26th May

Morning : From Little Haywood, we made the short hop to the boatyard. Pete W, BTS1 & Ernie then made their usual pilgrimage to The Karachi Restaurant , Bradford for a curry, a trip to The Al-Halal supermarket for provisions, then set off back to reality for another year

Previous Year : 2006 The Bona Boater's Trips Following Year : 2008