Canal Tour '98 The "Grey Wagtail Experience"

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Mutiny!

Worcester to Kinver

Mon 24th

A lie-in for everyone this morning. In my wisdom I had planned that we should start away from Worcester first thing in the morning having spent Sunday afternoon looking around but the slower than anticipated progress so far made that impossible. Last night's pub had been the scene of the first mutiny of the trip. Instead our usual early start I was forced to concede that we should stay in Worcester until 11am. That gave a chance for the sightseers to see sights and for the Monday and Tuesday catering teams to go to Sainsbury's (yippee). 11am arrived, a quick check of the weed hatch (which I had forgotten to do the previous evening) revealed little more that a few weeds and brambles and then we were off.

Although the morning had still been dull and showery the weather cleared soon after lunch and we thoroughly enjoyed the cruise up the river and the sense of isolation that can be felt from being in a wide stream. We were very fortunate with our timings at the locks - arriving at Bevere Lock just before the keeper went for lunch and arriving at Holt Lock just after its keeper had returned. When we left Bevere Lock we looked carefully (or at least, we thought we were looking carefully) for Hawford Lock and the entrance to the Droitwich Canal but we were unsuccessful - there must have been too many trees around it to make it visible.

Reaching Stourport at around 3pm we turned into the entrance of the narrow lock. We had originally planned to continue up the Severn to the limit of navigation but, as we were behind schedule, decided that there wouldn't be time. Although we didn't have time to get off and look around I really liked what I saw of Stourport. I know there's a lot of controversy about the new pontoon moorings but, as I'd never seen the basins without them, they looked OK to me.

A couple of sharp turns through the basins and we were into York Street lock and then onto the Staffs & Worcs Canal proper. I'll say now that I was really taken with the S&W. Most of the canal was very pretty with plenty of interest and the locks are amongst the most scenic I've seen. Some of the crew had been before but it was my first time - it certainly won't be my last (I hope!!) - particularly as I didn't see all of it to its best advantage due to being half of that evening's catering staff.

We passed through Kidderminster at around 5pm and continued all the way to Kinver before mooring at about 8.45. We liked the look of The Vine at Kinver from the guides and had intended to pay it a visit after dinner. In the event, though, we were all so tired that we went straight to bed after eating. A couple of us, however, did go for an evening constitutional and torch-light look around Kinver Lock - attracting the attention of a passing police patrol. They must have decided that we were harmless though as they just turned the car around and drove off once they had had a good look at us.

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