The day started greyer than yesterday, but with plenty of sunny interludes. As a result there were fewer really cold blasts than yesterday and the afternoon turned really pleasant. Before setting off we managed to make contact with Martyn at Travelsat and it turned out that he had a job in Stourport this morning so would contact us again when he was finished there.
Not long after we set off we passed under the motorway . . .
. . . and immediately arrived at the top of the six lock Offerton flight. Blue patches in the sky. We made good progress down the locks - apart from one that had an auto closing bottom gate. Mike had opened both gates and then walked back to descend the lock ladder in order to drive the boat out. Just as he put the engine into gear he spotted that one gate was now closed so had to return up the ladder and walk around to shut it. Again, by the time he had walk part way back it was closed! Fortunately this time one of the crew from a boat coming down behind us arrived and was able to hold it open.
At the bottom lock there is a footbridge across the tail. From a distance it looks as if it should carry a public footpath but it ends at a locked and keypad protected security gate that leads into the adjacent rugby football ground.
At the next bridge there is a boundary stone marking the start of the city.
There are also three quite distinctive milestones on the way into the centre.
We had still not heard from Martyn when we arrived at the two Bilford locks and, as there was a helpful lock keeper to assist boats through, we continued. However, just as Mike was bringing the boat out of the upper lock the phone rang and it was agreed that we would wait here.
We started on lunch whilst keeping a beady eye to see if anyone arrived. Before long the phone rang again to say that the place on the bridge where he normally stops to meet up with boats was occupied by roadworks so he was parked 50 m away. Could we bring the dish to him? Of course.
He quickly sorted out a replacement base and fitted it to the main dish for us. As always we are very happy to give a plug for Travelsat - his reputation for helpful customer service is well justified and in the end he only charged us an incredibly modest amount which include him bringing the part to us! He delivers all over the canal network - the job he had just been to, a reported problem with kit which he had installed some while back, turned out to be a simple user error and did not require any new items to be sold!
With that we could finish lunch - whilst making himself to cheese on toast, the oven door came adrift and was unwilling go be refitted. Oh dear! Best to finish lunch first before looking more closely. The installation manual was of no help but later, fortified by sandwiches as well as the toast, Mike made a more careful and detailed examination and, after trying various manipulations, eventually found one that persuaded the hinge to pop back into place.Let's hope that it is not a more serious problem.
As we continued into the city the weather remained pleasant.
This is the bridge that carries the railway line into Worcester Foregate to and from Droitwich. It is surprising how sometimes the views from each direction look very different - on the train the view is dominated by the remains of the industrial past of the city, much now taken over by large sheds - light industry and out and out of town retail units.
We passed the end of the short arm that is now a hire boat base and then under several bridges close together. Just after Bridge 5 we spotted a space on a short official visitor mooring that said that it was only three minutes to the city centre. Rather than risk not finding a suitable space further on we pulled in, in the end next to the same boat as last night! Hence the title of today's blog -we are not quite at the terminal basin for the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.
In the past we have been to an 'all you can eat' style buffet eatery on Cathedral Square so it seems likely that we will try that this evening, only 12 minutes walk away, the far side of the main shopping area.
4.9 Miles - 12 Locks
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