An Exciting Trip to Sainsburys

Friday 5th October We got up quite late today - 9.15am. We thought it was going to rain all day as it had during the night but actually the weather looked ok. The first port of call was the 3 Bratch locks through which we were helped by the lockkeeper. I couldn't comprehend how they worked so it was a good job he was there. We told him we were going to Worcester which didn't impress him as he said the Severn is in flood and unnavigable at the moment. After the Bratch locks there was the rudely named Bumblehole lock.

Just before Wombourne Bridge we saw a man walking his dog along the towpath who pointed at a heron and shouted 'Look at that stork!' We talked to him as we drove along and he told us there was a big Sainsburys by the next bridge, it's very new that's why it's not on our map. We were so excited – we haven't been to Sainsburys for months and it was a huge one! Trouble is we had hardly any money so couldn't buy much! Next we travelled on to the Botterham Staircase locks which were similar to the Bratch locks but there were only 2. An elderly man with his 2 granddaughters was behind us - he was a member of the Staffs and Worcs Canal Society and had been through these locks many times. I said I can't get my head around these locks and he tried to explain it to me but I still didn't get it. It took me years to get the hang of normal locks! He was going to a Staffs and Worcs club do near Stewponey. He was very helpful and eventually we managed to get through, but it took a long time. After that we went through 2 locks at Swindon then the last one at Hinksford where we met a boat coming the other way. The lady said they had come from Kinver and I said we're goint to Kinver tomorrow. She said it's very pretty there. Then we carried on to Greensforge which is heavily populated with boats and I'm not sure why. There's a pub called the Navigation there but it looks a bit grotty.