Date - 18 08 09 Day - Tuesday Start - 9 30 Titford Pump House End -1700 Stourbridge Canal
Both their crew of Harnser and Jannock were up in good time and by 7 15 am we were helping the some of the others down the flight who were getting away before us. We moved the boats down from where we moored last night to the top of the flight and after a couple of boats had gone down we followed on with John and Albert assisting us again. Down at the junction we turned left on the Wolverhampton Level to Brades Hall Junction where we turned right and made our way down the Brades Flight along the Gower Branch, at the end we turned left along the New Main Line to Dudley Port Junction and then left again on the Netherton Tunnel Branch and through Netherton Tunnel. This was the last canal tunnel to be built during the canal working days in 1858, it has a towing path both sides and is wide enough for two way working. It was originally fitted with gas lighting but this was later changed to electric lighting fed from a water turbo generator driven by the flow from the Old Main Line to the New Main line. Unfortunately now there is no lighting at all. Once clear of the tunnel we made our way to Blowers Green Junction, now the headquarters of the Dudley Canal Trust. At this point I cleared the prop of all the rubbish I had picked up this morning, but I was still better off than the chap moored at the service point who had smashed his prop shaft joint and was waiting for a new one to arrive. Once the prop was clear we made our way down the Dudley Number One, through Blowers Green lock and down towards the Delph flight of 8 locks. We stopped at Merry Hill Shopping centre to replenish supplies and Diana bought her self a Slow Cooker to use on the boat. At the Delph Flight I was speaking to a chap walking up the flight and he told me that the Police had closed the flight this morning, as a woman's body was found at the bottom of the flight. I then got talking to a fisherman and it tuned out he actually found the body. Below the Delph Locks the canal changes to the Stourbridge Canal. We carried on for about a mile before mooring in what we hope is a quiet spot for the night. Tonight we have been invited to eat on Jannock. To see more information about this trip please go to Grahams Blog at http://jannock.blogspot.com/ You will find our latest position at http://tinyurl.com/Harnser-s-route -- Brian
