This morning I walked up the canal to Langley Green High Street to get a paper. Although it is part of Oldbury it still has the village feel even though a lot of the local shops are closing down. However there is still a great ironmongers called Elaine’s which seems to stock everything you could want and is just like an Aladin’s Cave. It also has the Oldbury Rep Theatre and cinema.
On the way back I came across this brood of 14 Goslings, some family what.
As the afternoon came the crowds began to pore down the towpath so it looks as though the show will be a great success. Lots of people stopped by to ask questions about the boat and boating and the trip boat was doing a roaring trade.
In the afternoon we joined two other boats to go up to Titford Pools. Several of the boats which had gone earlier had come back with tales of being aground or having monstrous things on their prop so by leaving it to the afternoon and after the large working boats had gone up we hoped to find that most of the rubbish had been removed. However as we approached the junction of the two pools there was utter chaos as a working boat had got stuck coming out of the arm, two other boats were trying to come out of the other arm and three of us were trying to get in whilst a tug had left its Butty to help tow off the working boat. We eventually sorted ourselves out and proceeded down the arm.
Once in the pools we were able to circumnavigate without trouble even going under and in between the M5 motorway supports.
On the way out the working boat Crane was still aground despite Nb. Odin trying to pull him off. I jokingly said could I help and they said give it a try so I passed a rope around their bow and pulled and it soon came off the bank and so towed it down to the junction and into the bridge hole so that they could continue back under their own steam. Never thought a holiday boat would be towing a working boat!
After returning to our mooring we went aboard Toddy II for afternoon tea and cakes and a good chat with the crews of Isander and Brimble.
Later in evening we went down to the marquee for the presentation of Titford Pools plaques and the Jazz Band and singer social evening. Dave won the funny hat competition.
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