arbutus

I’ve just walked, in both directions, from Woodside bridge on the Pedmore road, to Blower Green Lock, passing Peartree Lane Bridge and the what-three-words location named on the stoppage notice. I couldn’t see any blockage or fallen tree. I couldn’t see any sawdust where a tree may have been cutup either. From the towpath the canal looked clear.

An update on this story from 2021, in todays Guardian 5 March 2025 Paddleboard instructor admits manslaughter of four people she took out in floods Nerys Lloyd, 39, pleads guilty to gross negligence manslaughter after deaths in Pembrokeshire in 2021 https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/05/paddleboard-instructor-admits-manslaughter-of-four-people-she-took-out-in-floods

I agree with everything agg221 has said. The Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal is one of the early contour canals (like the south Oxford canal) so it drops gently from its summit to its lowest point. It winds around hills and the locks come at intervals, rather than in long flights (like on the Shropshire Union canal) so there is always activity on the journey. The Staffs & Worcs is my favourite canal, I had a boat moored on the southern section fore some years. Wightwick manor is a very close to the canal if you want to visit https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/birmingham-west-midlands/wightwick-manor-and-gardens There is another thread on here https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/123456-black-country-ring/ where Napton Narrowboats is recommended. These run from Autherley junction mid-way along the Staffs and Worcs canal. This in Near Wolverhampton. Napton Narrowboats web site gives details about getting there for overseas visitors. The page gives details for both their Napton and Autherley Bases https://www.naptonnarrowboats.co.uk/information/travel_information.php#autherley-base

Midland Chandlers have these: £16.06 each including VAT https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/products/ag-stainless-square-fender-hook-with-eye-as-056# AG Stainless Square Fender Hook with Eye Product code: AS-056 Dimensions: Front face: 3" Top: 2.1/2" Back: 1.1/2"

Well that will be £5.90 for the one way train fare. I have an OAP bus pass and as I live in the West Midlands, I can use it on Trains and Trams in the area after 09:30. So getting home is no cost. I've sent a PM Hopefully you can receive it, I don't know how many posts you need before it is active. Whitebeard, if you didn't receive the private message, email me at knockoffthearris - at - gmail - dot - com

What date are you planning to be in Brum?. I could get an early train into Birmingham, meet at the top of farmers bridge and leave you at Aston bottom lock as there is a train station by the canal. No charges involved, I'll even bring my own sandwiches and windlass. My dates are flexible.

I always find it difficult to get the timings right to arrive at a pub for lunch time. The Staffs & Worcs canal is quite a slow canal and the locks are all individual, not in flights so you may not have time to visit the rock houses. You may not be able to stop for lunch at a pub some days so make sure you have food onboard incase it has to be a quick sandwich while continuing to travel. I’d also load up the boat with a weeks supplies of heavy stuff like beer, wine and bottled water (if you use it). On Day four you may also want to do grocery shopping at Kidderminster as there are two supermarkets right by the canal, which also takes time. Also, don’t forget that you may have to stop for an hour every day to fill the water tank, especially if the crew like long showers. In Stourbridge there are two Indian restaurants in lower high street with are easily reached from the canal by walking through the underpass, under the ring road https://bombaypickles.co.uk http://www.cellarsindiancuisine.co.uk

Just checked the boatyards website https://www.hippersons.co.uk/dayboats They only hire dayboats 9:15am - 4:30pm so not a big deal for a lot of people.

A quick Google brings up this site https://trid.trb.org/view/384852 THE ESSING TIMBER BRIDGE, GERMANY A brief description is given of the design and construction of the Essing timber pedestrian bridge opened in September 1992 across the Rhein-Main-Donau Canal. With a maximum free span of 73m it is the first tension bridge of such a size which transforms 90% of the vertical loads into tension forces with only 10% acting as bending moments. A slim timber bridge was specified to fit in with the surroundings. Details are given of the materials used which include spruce, larch and a tropical hardwood. The bridge has the appearance of a sagging rope due to its geometry designed to transform vertical loads into tension forces. The extensive laboratory testing of the design including the use of the NASA programme NASTRAN is outlined. Prefabricated sections were joined on site without interruption using moveable glueing and pressing equipment in a tent.

If it's a Venus Combi-Gamma Inverter-Battery charger, then the installation and operations manual can be downloaded by going to https://vetus.com/service-support/search-by-product/?_categories=technical-documentation&_productgroups=power-on-board and then clicking on the box "Operation manual and installation instructions Combi-Gamma" It has some good diagrams of operation modes and also functions of the front panel. It seems that it can be changed to "Inverter priority support". Worth a read if this is the unit on the boat

So 1.25" converts to 31.75mm I found a site that has pipes of 31.7mm internal diameter with 3.2mm wall They supply mild steel, aluminium and stainless steel cut to length https://www.rapidmetals.co.uk/product/mild-steel-erw-tube-38-1mm-x-3-2mm-wall/ https://www.rapidmetals.co.uk/product/aluminium-tube-1-1-2-x-3-2mm-wall/ https://www.rapidmetals.co.uk/product/stainless-304-tube-38-1mm-x-3-2mm-wall/ Hope this helps