A wander around Wolverhampton

We left The Black Country Museum moorings late on Thursday afternoon and took a short journey to Wolverhampton ready for the 21 lock flight today.

Coseley Tunnel

Not 'The War of the Worlds' but Chillington Wharf

   Approaching Wolverhampton

We arrived around 7pm Thursday evening - unfortunately we hadn't checked out supermarkets close to the previous mooring (thanks for the message Derek and Dot - we only got it today) and there was little to be found in the way of provisions in the city centre .  There were many scantily clad youths once again, rubbish everywhere and an abundance of 'fast food' places, so I just picked up some essential milk and a meal of chicken, chips and curry sauce!  We moored opposite the BW facilities as there was no towpath access there - for some reason we didn't feel terribly 'safe' overnight!

Moved a little further in the morning to have a wander around Wolverhampton

In the daylight Wolverhampton didn't seem quite so threatening and we moved a little way down so that we could take a walk into town and were pleasantly surprised by the centre with a different mix of people ...

Fountain and church in the city centre - not sure if they have a name!

Wolverhampton Wanderer's (Wolves) football stadium - even the seating colours are in the shape of a wolf!

Then it was on to the 21 locks - all in excellent condition and in the process of being painted by a group of jolly chaps who opened a couple of them up for us which increased our speed somewhat!

 

Sandra rests while the top lock empties - on a glorious sunny, summer's day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At one of the locks - the gate wouldn't shut and Barry retrieved this old gate paddle from the canal which had been blocking it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of locks with bridges crossing the canal ...

We found a great spot to moor up close to 'The Fox and Anchor ' pub at Coven - and there we discovered one of the two 'Cheese Boats' on the canals, with Helen and Dave on board. After a free tasting session, and as cheese and biscuits was on the shopping list, we couldn't resist buying 3 delicious cheeses for 10 pounds, a couple of boxes of crackers and a jar of pickle - that wasn't on the list!

 

Helen's persuasive powers at work from 'The Cheese Boat'

 

 

 

 

Our mooring for the next couple of nights

We're off on the bus and trains tomorrow to visit Lisa and Rob in Malpas, Cheshire for the day.  Then on Sunday we're having another day out with Andy and Belle on 'Wand'ring Bark'.  What an exciting weekend with family and friends we have ahead ...

A couple of days in Dudley (pronounced 'Dud-laay')

On Wednesday AND Thursday we visited The Black Country Museum, a 26 acre living history heritage site - what a fantastic place.  It's understandably won many tourism awards and is well worth a visit.  My parents visited us once again on Wednesday - we have to make the most of being fairly close to them while we can.  Mikey and Sophie left late Wednesday afternoon - their day visit turned into three days, bless them we had some fun together! 

The Canal Basin at the Black Country Museum - Dudley Tunnel and Tunnel Tour boats at end

 

 

We had a ride on the tram that was kindly donated to the museum and renovated, discovering that it was also born/made in 1920, so at 90 years old is the same age as my father - they're both still looking very grand for their ages.

 

 

 

 

 Down but not out - photogenic ally

The only original part of the museum are the Lime Kilns - the other buildings have been retrieved from surrounding areas and painstakingly re-built to mimic a 1930's Black Country town.  There's even a school where you can attend a lesson and write on a slate board, receiving a caning from the schoolmaster if you don't behave or mind you p's and q's!

The original lime kilns and the canal for transporting the quick-lime to the iron foundries

Slowly being restored to their former glory - there are two more boats unfortunately sitting on the bottom behind these ones

They certainly drew in the crowds during the school holidays

All the museum workers were dressed in authentic clothing, etc from the 1930s 

No sign of a power tool here!

Kitted out for the underground Black Country mining experience 

Always a long queue outside the Fish 'n' Chip shop 

The fairground with 1930's style rides, side-shows and Helter Skelter

 

You got the wrong guy officer!!

Coal in abundance - what The Black Country's all about

Producing steel chains

There's a Federation of Women Worker's building in the museum telling the story of the women chainmakers of Cradley Heath, who in 1910, led by Mary Macarthur, won a battle to establish the right to a fair wage following a 10 week strike. This landmark victory changed the lives of thousands of workers who were earning little more than 'starvation wages', while their male employers lived an affluent lifestyle.  Macarthur suggested that "women are unorganised because they are badly paid, and poorly paid because they are unorganised."

Manufacturing displays all sorts of products

Canal boat builders ...

and their tools ...

and working canal boats - are all part of The Black Country Museum - interesting stuff!

As we were in Dudley, here's five fascinating facts about the town:

1. Dudley is often referred to as the "heart" of the Black Country, with the broadest accent of the Black Country coming from there and surrounding areas - see the The Alphabet song for more explanations of this.  With a population of 194,91919 it is the 19th largest settlement in England
2. The present castle dates from the 13th century and is mentioned in the Doomsday Book.
3. Lenny Henry, British comedian, was born there.
4. The front and inner photographs for the 1971 Led Zeppelin IV album were taken in the Eve Hill area of town.
5. In an episode of the television comedy series Men Behaving Badly, Dudley is noted as the strangest place where Gary and Dorothy have had sex!

I found it quite amusing to also read that people from The Black Country, just like Suttonians, are offended to be labelled 'Brummies'.  People around the world tend to relate the Black Country dialect with Birmingham, when really it shouldn't be.  However, the exact boundaries of The Black Country have been hotly disputed for many years so it's probably all irrelevant really.

This morning's Dudley Canal Tunnel trip included 'Popeye the sailor man'!

There's a BW facilities block at the museum's moorings, so we managed to pump in and pump out and do a couple of loads of washing and drying on Thursday afternoon - bliss!  Now we just need to find a supermarket to stock up ...

Into the Black Country

Barry arose early once again and had another walk around the basin, though this time he got caught in the rain ...

  The 'Away Group' of narrowboats - 'Away 2 Dine', 'Away 2 Cruise' and the 'Away Service Boat'

Plenty of colour around and opportunities to experience life afloat

An impressive statue opposite 'The Cube'

A shot from our mooring - very grey but strangely tranquil

 

 Our mooring in Gas Street Basin - alongside the now closed-down 'James Brindley' pub, such a shame

Continuing our rendezvousing with friends, we had lunch with Karen, who I went to school with from the age of five to sixteen - we were in a group of girls always getting into some sort of mischief!  I can hear those who know me thinking how that somehow doesn't surprise them ...

Karen and Sandra at the Brasshouse

We left Birmingham shortly after lunch, travelling through a sea of derelict industrial sites, the canal becoming darker as we approached The Black Country, so named as it was the most industrialised county in the nation, lying over the thickest coal seam in Britain with clouds of black smoke emitting from the burning coal.

Fortunately, prior to starting our journey, Barry checked the weed hatch and found this mangled mess

Passing through the stylish canalside apartments at Ladywood Junction

This shot is for John and Diane of the inside of 'The Roundhouse Building' - sadly the best I could get

Two of many abandoned working boats along the Icknield Loop

The imposing Winson Green Prison - not a place to stay around for long

Goslings in abundance - along with their very attentive parents

Beautiful old aqueduct straddling the Birmingham 'New Main Line Canal' at Sandwell

Up the three Smethwick locks and past the aqueduct turnoff to the Galton Valley Centre ...

...  then through the short 'Summit Tunnel'...

... and under the mighty M5 motorway ...

... which wants to completely dominate the poor canal 

We then traversed the 'New Main Line' canal on another aqueduct ...

... but still couldn't quite escape the motorway

At last - peace and quiet - the water became so clear on this stretch we could see shoals of fish swimming about

Sophie and Mikey take control

The entrance to the Netherton Tunnel seen from the aqueduct

Our mooring for the night at Dudley Port - it looked as though we were the only boat to have moored here for some time, judging by the seemingly undisturbed waterlillies

On Wednesday we're planning a visit to The Black Country Museum which I last visited when my youngest daughter was just a toddler.