Baldrik Stourbridge Branch off the Stourbridge Canal Main Line

Wednesday 5.00 pm 30 th April 1997

Running repairs - Whimwams on the propeller many times. You, of course, now need no explanation of the term since you lost your virginity on the canals last September with Adrian and Hilary.

Today was a very relaxed one with huge breakfast at the bottom of the Delph lock flight, then down the Stourbridge Sixteen and into Stourbridge itself. The plan was to get to a pub mentioned in "the book" and spend 2 -3 hours there. 2 -3 hours later we had some milk and apple pies and returned to the boat, no drinks having passed our lips. It has been hot and very sunny today, quite a contrast to some of the other days.

The Brierley Hill development is a huge retail complex complete with mono-rail, on the former site of a steelworks. Also a business park has been centered round the canal and this complex doubles as THE place to go at night with all types of exotic restaurants and clubs etc. The canal at this point is enlarged into a marina type area complete with a duck island, all in engineering bricks, including the towpaths which are wide walkways and strolling areas like you would find in Greece say.

Sadly the canal either side of this refurbished section was not so good - much industrial rubbish along with the usual domestic crap that we have come to expect from the "northern" canals. Everywhere there is evidence of projects by the local councils and schools, with of course the twelve star flags of the European Community and strategically placed very smart notice boards proudly announcing part funding from our new friends on the continent. In many cases it seems to me that the bull shit stuff often seems to cost more than the actual projects. Nothing changes, presentation is all.

Steve's curry tonight, the smells from the galley are terrific. Except for fish and chips Saturday lunchtime we have eaten on the boat, the standard of catering, I have to say, is very high , no ready meals here - all produced to order.

The radio experiment failed, nothing new there then, the rig will not transmit so there will be no contact with Dr Mike A in Cambridge. Typical radio hams - Dmk to Steve - "did you test this before we came away?" SVP - "no haven't used it for years but it worked last time I tried it"