Tag: work boat

December 17th – Riding up over Anchor Bridge towards Shire Oak I spotted the boat that had broken the ice back by Silver Street: a contractor’s work boat, which appears to have been cutting back overgrown trees from the canalside.

That must be hard work at anytime, but more so in the cold. I was also interested that the boat appeared to be tethered on a side of the canal not reachable by pedestrians, so the work crew must have a dinghy or something.

If anyone knows how they moored that and got out dry, I’d love to know…

February 2nd – I had to leave work and pop to Walsall mid morning, so I hopped on the canal. Passing through James Bridge, I noticed a works compound had been set up, and butties and a utility boat were blocking the canal under the old IMI bridge. From the contents of the compound, it seems a particularly daft folly is about to commence: the tearing up and resurfacing of one of the best canal towpaths in Walsall.

The stretch from here to Walsall is being relaid by the Canal & River Trust, apparently as a cycle route, for reasons I’ve been unable to discern; but one thing I’ll guarantee is the person who decided it was needed was not a cyclist.

The towpaths here are wide, smooth and well made, in contrast to those from Aldridge to Rushall Junction, which are unusable in winter, or those through Pelsall to Goscote. The money spend here will be an unneeded waste.

Breathtaking folly.