Our last day.

I moved TQ to another mooring this morning with intent on polishing the port side and I'd picked my spot but there was an underwater obstruction preventing me from getting close to the quayside. So I did a "180" and moored in the same place, and got to grips with the polish and elbow grease. I'd been at it for a while when David from NB Mr. David came by and said hello. We had to laugh, a chap from the narrowboat moored some ways back strolled up and said "Excuse me, I wonder if you'd mind doing up my zipper for me." I looked, (not wanting to) at his zipper and seeing it was already done up (phew!), and then looked at David to see he was looking at me, and then this fellow showed us his plaster cast around his wrist and thumb, and clearly he was unable to grip the zip on his jacket. David zipped up his jacket for him and we all laughed when the guy saw the funny side of what he was asking. (All in broad daylight as well).

While I finished off the polishing, Lin disposed of the rubbish, went shopping, and filled the drinking water supply, and when she came back we strolled over to see David and Brenda aboard Mr. David for a chat.

Then it was Alvechurch bound, I fired up TQs engine and we headed off up around Oozells Loop and up to the former transhipment yard where we winded and cruised back to Old Turn Junction where we turned right, through Broad street Tunnel and the Worcester Bar and down the Worcester and Birmingham Canal to our mooring at Alvechurch. There is a temporary diversion in place at Selly Oak where there is a new road being built under the canal. Great care should be taken here as there are a couple of dog leg turns to negotiate through the diversion. The lifting bridge is still in place.

Approaching the first dog leg, Birmingham side.

View down into what will be road

The narrow bit before the next dog leg.

So now we're back on our mooring at Alvechurch, cleaned TQ through inside and out and partially vacated. Lin went over to The Weighbridge and brought back a couple of pints. There was a beer festival going on there and all the festival ales were sold out by 2o:oohrs (they'd been open since noon) and the queue for the pub ales was outside the door. What a way to finish our holiday. Tomorrow its finish off the cleaning odds and ends and packing the car and then a sprint down the M5 back to home, picking up the cat on the way.

Thanks to you all for reading this drivel, until the next time...