Canal Boat Diaries (2019–2022): Season 2, Episode 4 - Stratford upon Avon to Birmingham - full transcript
I'm Robbie Cumming,
and this is my boat.
I can only push it so far.
I gave up a busy life on land
for a supposedly
quieter existence afloat.
That did not want to open.
Over spring and summer,
I'm making my way to the heart
of our canal network,
soaking up the scenery...
..and enjoying our industrial
heritage along the way.
While filming, I'm aware life
is on hold
and difficult for many people.
And I'm lucky to have this chance
to escape through some
quintessential English landscapes.
Starting in Cheshire, I'm heading
south to the River Severn
and Worcester.
I'll take a detour
to Stratford-Upon-Avon
and then up into central Birmingham,
around 200 miles in all.
I can't wait...
..and I'm glad I can share
the experience
in my Canal Boat Diaries.
Bancroft Basin in Stratford
connects the River Avon
with the canal network.
It's in the heart of the historic
market town
and it's a top spot for boaters.
Here's my boat, the Naughty Lass.
Before I take her out
of this basin,
I need to first fix something
that's gone horribly wrong.
Had a bit of an accident with this.
Both the hatch doors on the side
were open
and my centreline got
snagged behind it.
And as I pulled my boat in towards
the side,
the full force of that managed to
take off this door.
But if I'm on the towpath
side, security-wise,
I need these to be solid.
So let me get this fixed
so I can get going.
Should hold.
This is the final leg of my journey.
I'll cross the impressive
Edstone Aqueduct
and pass through
several lock flights,
including Knowle on the Grand Union.
It's 35 miles by water
and 74 locks,
a couple of weeks of slow boating.
I'll take the long route
into Birmingham.
Journey's end is the city's
famous Gas Street Basin.
Before all that, I've got to contend
with some challenges
on this stretch.
The locks in this beautiful
canal
are actually notorious
for having the by-wash come out
just before you go
into the lock, pushing the boat.
So it's really difficult to get
the angle right.
The lock chambers are also
really narrow on this section.
Some of the lock gates on
the Stratford are so tight,
they need a bit of persuasion.
A gentle nudge usually
does the trick.
That might have been a bit much.
It's got stuck.
I've made another error, and that
is that I left the...
..fender at the front down.
So that adds extra width to the
boat.
Fenders are like bumpers for boats.
In certain situations, they need
to be moved out of the way,
especially in narrow locks
where they could get caught.
When you speak to canal boaters,
some say it's a contact sport,
and while I don't quite
see it that way...
..I can't help bumping into things.
Oh, dear!
Just leaving Stratford-upon-Avon
and I've been through a few
locks already,
but I've got a flight coming up
of 11 all bunched together.
It's called
the Wilmcote Lock Flight.
Unbelievable.
Why is it such a squeeze to get
in these locks?
They've moved in over time.
I mean, that that one in particular
is very bad.
So if you've got your fenders down,
I mean, we collect fenders all the
time,
people forget or they drop off.
Do you see any boaters actually
getting stuck and...
Oh, all the time. All the time.
We've run into double figures...
this year.
The curtains that I've got on board
the Naughty Lass have been here
for about 40 years, so I think
they've done quite well,
although the lining has
perished slightly.
So I'm going to have to get
out my needle and thread
and see if I can put them
back together.
It's not in my nature to throw
things out that are OK.
And that's principally because,
one, a set of curtains
is really, really expensive.
Two, I can't afford the blinds.
Three, there aren't any shops around
that I can call in
to get them fixed.
So I'm just going to have to make do
with what I've got and mend them,
so that at least they don't fall
apart any more.
Textiles was not my favourite
subject at school.
These wrought iron bridges, which
are constructed in two parts
to allow ropes to pass
down the middle,
are one of my favourite features
of this canal.
Back in the day, the tow rope
was passed along the slot,
eliminating the need to unhitch
the horse pulling the boat.
A neat trick, saving the working
boatman time and effort.
And just around the corner
is a remarkable bit
of canal engineering.
This is Edstone Aqueduct,
over 200 years old.
It's a prefabricated structure.
It's 35 separate sections
and they're all dropped
into place here.
And it's sort of like a long
cast-iron bath, really.
There was once a pipe from
the aqueduct
that went
down to the railway below...
..so that water could
be drawn to fill
the tanks of steam engines.
I was hoping a train would zip
across whilst I was going over it.
Unfortunately not.
It's been so lonely on
the boat this year
that I'd rather not be away from
my loved ones
for an extended period of time.
Does that mean I'll have
to give up the boat?
I'm not sure.
I'm at a bit of a junction
in my life,
and it looks like I may have
to spend some time on land.
Luckily, my girlfriend is the most
supportive person ever
and she is happy for me
to travel around
on my narrow boat, but I want
to be closer to her.
Well, I've posted off toys to
my girlfriend and her daughter,
and hopefully they'll...
They'll enjoy them.
Barrel-roof cottages are a rare
feature on Britain's canals.
They were cheap to construct
and built for the lengthsmen
who maintain the lock
and a stretch of the waterway.
Whoo! Although it's just come
to the end of summer,
it is getting cold now.
I need to go and collect some wood.
I don't have any coal.
That's what I normally use.
So I'm just going to have to see
what I can find in the local area.
Well, I think I've found enough wood
to take the chill off tonight.
So we'll stick these in the stove
and enjoy a nice,
quiet evening on the boat.
Not all the waterways
are breathtaking.
Some can be quite gritty, some are
too busy and some are just...
..just very hard work.
But it's always exciting to see
what's around the next corner.
So that's what keeps me going.
Very few boaters have completed
the entire canal network,
and I'd love to be one of them.
I've got an incredibly sharp
turning now.
This allows me to join
the Lapworth Link,
which creates a short, almost
like a slip road,
because I'm heading from
Stratford-on-Avon canal,
the narrow canal, onto
the Grand Union.
Lots of wide locks, but thankfully
I only have to do a few
to get to Birmingham.
The Grand Union actually has quite
a special place in my heart,
because it's where it all started
for me in terms of my filmmaking.
I just decided to film
my surroundings
and especially the view from
the back of the boat
looking right down at what
was coming ahead.
I've been cruising now for the best
part of five years,
and there are some stretches of
the waterway, don't get me wrong,
it's all such a privilege
to travel on,
but some of them do get
a bit repetitive
if I'm cruising down a really long,
straight stretch of the canal
that offers no sights in particular.
At least I can still be...
..I don't know, coming up with songs
as I go along or...
..reading up on the history
of the canal
before I get to the next place.
Passing through peaceful villages
and busy towns,
the Grand Union main line starts
in London and ends in Birmingham,
and stretches for around 137 miles.
As I'm approaching Knowle Locks,
I'm roughly halfway
into this leg of the journey.
I want to explore the area,
so I'll take the long route
into Birmingham
but before I get there,
I've got my work cut out.
The Grand Union Canal went through
a lot of changes in the '30s
to try and compete with rail
and road,
and Knowle Locks is a good example
of changing what was
a narrow set of locks,
six narrow locks, and transform them
into the five wide locks
you've got here.
The decision was made to widen
the stretch
to accommodate industrial barges
carrying cargoes
of coal, sugar, tea and spices.
But after the Second World War,
there was a decline in trade
on the country's canals.
By the 1960s, only a token amount
of traffic remained.
The only problem with big locks like
this
is that you do end up doing
a lot more walking.
For example, my boat's in there.
I've got to walk all the way
back to the other lock
around these quite large
lock pounds.
And it can be a bit of a chore.
But it's all good exercise,
isn't it?
When I'm on the boat and it's
raining and cold outside,
I just want to get the oven going.
So one of my favourite dishes
to make
is chicken, leek, tomato, a few
herbs and olive oil and seasoning.
And I just put it all in a big bowl,
mix it around
so that all
the ingredients mix together.
And then I slap it on a tray
and stick it in the oven.
After about half an hour, I get
it out,
I check to see if the juices run
clear
and there we go, I've got my meal.
Actually, that's two meals.
So I can separate that
down the middle.
I can have one meal now, hot.
And then just stick the rest
in the fridge and have it cold,
because it's one of those handy
meals that you can eat hot or cold.
Oh, I'm so hungry, I'm just
going to have to dive into this.
Even with a small galley, I can cook
great grub on board my boat.
Catherine-de-Barnes, known
locally as Catney,
is the last village
before the canal
enters the suburbs of Birmingham.
KETTLE WHISTLES
I'm now entering Birmingham,
and the canal is already
throwing up some challenges.
Both of these lock paddles
are actually broken.
I can't raise the mechanism
any further than that.
But there's a plus side, I've just
found a spare fender, so...
..gifted to me by another boat
and I will do the same,
I'm sure, on my journey, as one rips
off in a lock or something.
Around the corner, there's
another problem.
One of the winding gears that
releases the water is slipping.
Luckily, locks like this
have two, and this one works.
I've got a little bit
of a dilemma here...
..do I go straight ahead
and follow a linear path
to the centre of Birmingham, where
I want to moor up eventually?
Or do we explore...
..A little bit more of the
Birmingham canal navigations?
That's... I think that's what
we're going to do.
The boat's chosen the path already.
This stretch was known to the old
boatmen as Bottom Road.
It was considered bottom by name
and bottom by nature.
Unlike other sections
of the Grand Union,
it was never modernised
and the narrow locks remain.
It's not the prettiest of waterways
and I've been told some boaters
prefer to avoid it.
But there's still plenty to see.
Birmingham's got tonnes
of canal history.
Just by exploring these navigations
and looking more closely,
such as with this cast-iron plate
that's next to this paddle,
you can just imagine all
the centuries of working boats
that used to come through here
and the feet of the boatmen
wearing into the metal itself,
it's just incredible.
The biggest problem I have living
aboard this narrow boat
is washing clothes.
I don't have a washing machine
or dryer on board.
It would just cost me too much
in terms of
battery power and water.
So that does mean that I end up
doing a lot of handwashing,
just the small things like socks
and occasionally my hat as well,
but not in the same water.
Well, I'm coming towards the end
of my journey here,
and at this point, I feel like
anything could still happen.
I've got 24 locks to cover
and I want to go under
Spaghetti Junction
and explore new
parts of Birmingham's canals
that I've never been on.
So I'm just fingers crossed
that I can actually make
it to Gas Street Basin,
my final destination,
before anything else happens.
This is amazing.
I'm coming up to Salford Junction,
and this is where Junction 6
of the M6
meets the A38 Aston Expressway.
And as commuters up there are
probably getting quite confused,
I'm also a little bit confused down
here
because I'm not really sure
what canal I'm going on.
Thankfully, I've got a guide,
and that guide says
it's round this way.
In terms of the real side
of boating,
it doesn't get much more real
than cruising round Birmingham.
It's a magical mess of...
..canals going in every direction...
..graffiti, not to everyone's taste.
On the face of it, it might look
rough and ready,
but behind it all is hundreds
of years of canal history
that I just can't get enough
of, it's brilliant.
One of my favourite bands is
also Birmingham-born and bred.
This part of the canal has got quite
a lot of significance for me
because this is Aston,
and it's the home...
..of Black Sabbath...
..including Ozzy Osborne...
..all hail from this part
of Birmingham.
It seems unusually quiet here.
I'm entering the inner city,
but there's hardly anyone around.
I've been travelling all day.
I've not seen any other boats,
but I've just come across a couple
here
just waiting
to get into this lock.
I'm not far from Gas Street Basin,
but things aren't
getting any easier.
This gate seems to be stuck.
I can only push it so far.
I'm going to have to give it
a forceful nudge with the boat.
When you're in situations
like this...
..you have to think on your feet.
Sometimes the only way of opening
a lock is with brute force.
Come on. Argh!
I've got the engine running.
And I'm opening the gate,
but it's still stuck.
Come on! Argh!
That did not want to open.
Ah!
I've had loads of cuts
and scrapes.
I've slipped, fallen in.
I've snapped ropes,
I've got oil on my clothes.
It's just... It is a really
physical activity.
This is the last leg of my journey
from the north west
down into the Midlands,
and it has been a challenge,
but it's also shown some
incredible sights along the way.
I've seen the most amount
of weed that I ever want to see
out of my propeller.
There were some huge locks
on Britain's longest river,
the River Severn.
Ow! How did you manage that?
I just slipped.
I was tying that
and I just slipped down.
And of course, falling in the canal
at the top of the Tardebigge Flight.
You all right, mate?
Well, you're not a boater
until you've actually fallen in.
Oh, soaked!
I've also had peaceful moments,
and time to reflect on my life.
I've missed family and friends.
I need to make a big decision...
..on whether to continue with
this boating life.
This is it, the last lock.
And I've even got the sun
coming out to say hello.
Yes! Almost there.
The bridge right here...
Broad Street Tunnel is what
it's known as on the canal,
but just above it, it's called
Black Sabbath Bridge.
Brilliant, that has made
my trip, that has.
Got pubs, got bars, restaurants.
Can see Brindleyplace, the Mailbox.
This is it, we're right in
the centre of Birmingham now.
There's always an element of sadness
when you realise you're coming
to the end of a journey.
For me, this ends
Gas Street Basin.
But of course,
that's connected to...
..thousands of other miles
of canals,
so I've got lots more to explore.
On a personal note, my life
is changing,
so who knows which way I'll head
off after this.
But one thing I know for sure:
This canal water,
it's in my blood...
..almost literally after falling in.
and this is my boat.
I can only push it so far.
I gave up a busy life on land
for a supposedly
quieter existence afloat.
That did not want to open.
Over spring and summer,
I'm making my way to the heart
of our canal network,
soaking up the scenery...
..and enjoying our industrial
heritage along the way.
While filming, I'm aware life
is on hold
and difficult for many people.
And I'm lucky to have this chance
to escape through some
quintessential English landscapes.
Starting in Cheshire, I'm heading
south to the River Severn
and Worcester.
I'll take a detour
to Stratford-Upon-Avon
and then up into central Birmingham,
around 200 miles in all.
I can't wait...
..and I'm glad I can share
the experience
in my Canal Boat Diaries.
Bancroft Basin in Stratford
connects the River Avon
with the canal network.
It's in the heart of the historic
market town
and it's a top spot for boaters.
Here's my boat, the Naughty Lass.
Before I take her out
of this basin,
I need to first fix something
that's gone horribly wrong.
Had a bit of an accident with this.
Both the hatch doors on the side
were open
and my centreline got
snagged behind it.
And as I pulled my boat in towards
the side,
the full force of that managed to
take off this door.
But if I'm on the towpath
side, security-wise,
I need these to be solid.
So let me get this fixed
so I can get going.
Should hold.
This is the final leg of my journey.
I'll cross the impressive
Edstone Aqueduct
and pass through
several lock flights,
including Knowle on the Grand Union.
It's 35 miles by water
and 74 locks,
a couple of weeks of slow boating.
I'll take the long route
into Birmingham.
Journey's end is the city's
famous Gas Street Basin.
Before all that, I've got to contend
with some challenges
on this stretch.
The locks in this beautiful
canal
are actually notorious
for having the by-wash come out
just before you go
into the lock, pushing the boat.
So it's really difficult to get
the angle right.
The lock chambers are also
really narrow on this section.
Some of the lock gates on
the Stratford are so tight,
they need a bit of persuasion.
A gentle nudge usually
does the trick.
That might have been a bit much.
It's got stuck.
I've made another error, and that
is that I left the...
..fender at the front down.
So that adds extra width to the
boat.
Fenders are like bumpers for boats.
In certain situations, they need
to be moved out of the way,
especially in narrow locks
where they could get caught.
When you speak to canal boaters,
some say it's a contact sport,
and while I don't quite
see it that way...
..I can't help bumping into things.
Oh, dear!
Just leaving Stratford-upon-Avon
and I've been through a few
locks already,
but I've got a flight coming up
of 11 all bunched together.
It's called
the Wilmcote Lock Flight.
Unbelievable.
Why is it such a squeeze to get
in these locks?
They've moved in over time.
I mean, that that one in particular
is very bad.
So if you've got your fenders down,
I mean, we collect fenders all the
time,
people forget or they drop off.
Do you see any boaters actually
getting stuck and...
Oh, all the time. All the time.
We've run into double figures...
this year.
The curtains that I've got on board
the Naughty Lass have been here
for about 40 years, so I think
they've done quite well,
although the lining has
perished slightly.
So I'm going to have to get
out my needle and thread
and see if I can put them
back together.
It's not in my nature to throw
things out that are OK.
And that's principally because,
one, a set of curtains
is really, really expensive.
Two, I can't afford the blinds.
Three, there aren't any shops around
that I can call in
to get them fixed.
So I'm just going to have to make do
with what I've got and mend them,
so that at least they don't fall
apart any more.
Textiles was not my favourite
subject at school.
These wrought iron bridges, which
are constructed in two parts
to allow ropes to pass
down the middle,
are one of my favourite features
of this canal.
Back in the day, the tow rope
was passed along the slot,
eliminating the need to unhitch
the horse pulling the boat.
A neat trick, saving the working
boatman time and effort.
And just around the corner
is a remarkable bit
of canal engineering.
This is Edstone Aqueduct,
over 200 years old.
It's a prefabricated structure.
It's 35 separate sections
and they're all dropped
into place here.
And it's sort of like a long
cast-iron bath, really.
There was once a pipe from
the aqueduct
that went
down to the railway below...
..so that water could
be drawn to fill
the tanks of steam engines.
I was hoping a train would zip
across whilst I was going over it.
Unfortunately not.
It's been so lonely on
the boat this year
that I'd rather not be away from
my loved ones
for an extended period of time.
Does that mean I'll have
to give up the boat?
I'm not sure.
I'm at a bit of a junction
in my life,
and it looks like I may have
to spend some time on land.
Luckily, my girlfriend is the most
supportive person ever
and she is happy for me
to travel around
on my narrow boat, but I want
to be closer to her.
Well, I've posted off toys to
my girlfriend and her daughter,
and hopefully they'll...
They'll enjoy them.
Barrel-roof cottages are a rare
feature on Britain's canals.
They were cheap to construct
and built for the lengthsmen
who maintain the lock
and a stretch of the waterway.
Whoo! Although it's just come
to the end of summer,
it is getting cold now.
I need to go and collect some wood.
I don't have any coal.
That's what I normally use.
So I'm just going to have to see
what I can find in the local area.
Well, I think I've found enough wood
to take the chill off tonight.
So we'll stick these in the stove
and enjoy a nice,
quiet evening on the boat.
Not all the waterways
are breathtaking.
Some can be quite gritty, some are
too busy and some are just...
..just very hard work.
But it's always exciting to see
what's around the next corner.
So that's what keeps me going.
Very few boaters have completed
the entire canal network,
and I'd love to be one of them.
I've got an incredibly sharp
turning now.
This allows me to join
the Lapworth Link,
which creates a short, almost
like a slip road,
because I'm heading from
Stratford-on-Avon canal,
the narrow canal, onto
the Grand Union.
Lots of wide locks, but thankfully
I only have to do a few
to get to Birmingham.
The Grand Union actually has quite
a special place in my heart,
because it's where it all started
for me in terms of my filmmaking.
I just decided to film
my surroundings
and especially the view from
the back of the boat
looking right down at what
was coming ahead.
I've been cruising now for the best
part of five years,
and there are some stretches of
the waterway, don't get me wrong,
it's all such a privilege
to travel on,
but some of them do get
a bit repetitive
if I'm cruising down a really long,
straight stretch of the canal
that offers no sights in particular.
At least I can still be...
..I don't know, coming up with songs
as I go along or...
..reading up on the history
of the canal
before I get to the next place.
Passing through peaceful villages
and busy towns,
the Grand Union main line starts
in London and ends in Birmingham,
and stretches for around 137 miles.
As I'm approaching Knowle Locks,
I'm roughly halfway
into this leg of the journey.
I want to explore the area,
so I'll take the long route
into Birmingham
but before I get there,
I've got my work cut out.
The Grand Union Canal went through
a lot of changes in the '30s
to try and compete with rail
and road,
and Knowle Locks is a good example
of changing what was
a narrow set of locks,
six narrow locks, and transform them
into the five wide locks
you've got here.
The decision was made to widen
the stretch
to accommodate industrial barges
carrying cargoes
of coal, sugar, tea and spices.
But after the Second World War,
there was a decline in trade
on the country's canals.
By the 1960s, only a token amount
of traffic remained.
The only problem with big locks like
this
is that you do end up doing
a lot more walking.
For example, my boat's in there.
I've got to walk all the way
back to the other lock
around these quite large
lock pounds.
And it can be a bit of a chore.
But it's all good exercise,
isn't it?
When I'm on the boat and it's
raining and cold outside,
I just want to get the oven going.
So one of my favourite dishes
to make
is chicken, leek, tomato, a few
herbs and olive oil and seasoning.
And I just put it all in a big bowl,
mix it around
so that all
the ingredients mix together.
And then I slap it on a tray
and stick it in the oven.
After about half an hour, I get
it out,
I check to see if the juices run
clear
and there we go, I've got my meal.
Actually, that's two meals.
So I can separate that
down the middle.
I can have one meal now, hot.
And then just stick the rest
in the fridge and have it cold,
because it's one of those handy
meals that you can eat hot or cold.
Oh, I'm so hungry, I'm just
going to have to dive into this.
Even with a small galley, I can cook
great grub on board my boat.
Catherine-de-Barnes, known
locally as Catney,
is the last village
before the canal
enters the suburbs of Birmingham.
KETTLE WHISTLES
I'm now entering Birmingham,
and the canal is already
throwing up some challenges.
Both of these lock paddles
are actually broken.
I can't raise the mechanism
any further than that.
But there's a plus side, I've just
found a spare fender, so...
..gifted to me by another boat
and I will do the same,
I'm sure, on my journey, as one rips
off in a lock or something.
Around the corner, there's
another problem.
One of the winding gears that
releases the water is slipping.
Luckily, locks like this
have two, and this one works.
I've got a little bit
of a dilemma here...
..do I go straight ahead
and follow a linear path
to the centre of Birmingham, where
I want to moor up eventually?
Or do we explore...
..A little bit more of the
Birmingham canal navigations?
That's... I think that's what
we're going to do.
The boat's chosen the path already.
This stretch was known to the old
boatmen as Bottom Road.
It was considered bottom by name
and bottom by nature.
Unlike other sections
of the Grand Union,
it was never modernised
and the narrow locks remain.
It's not the prettiest of waterways
and I've been told some boaters
prefer to avoid it.
But there's still plenty to see.
Birmingham's got tonnes
of canal history.
Just by exploring these navigations
and looking more closely,
such as with this cast-iron plate
that's next to this paddle,
you can just imagine all
the centuries of working boats
that used to come through here
and the feet of the boatmen
wearing into the metal itself,
it's just incredible.
The biggest problem I have living
aboard this narrow boat
is washing clothes.
I don't have a washing machine
or dryer on board.
It would just cost me too much
in terms of
battery power and water.
So that does mean that I end up
doing a lot of handwashing,
just the small things like socks
and occasionally my hat as well,
but not in the same water.
Well, I'm coming towards the end
of my journey here,
and at this point, I feel like
anything could still happen.
I've got 24 locks to cover
and I want to go under
Spaghetti Junction
and explore new
parts of Birmingham's canals
that I've never been on.
So I'm just fingers crossed
that I can actually make
it to Gas Street Basin,
my final destination,
before anything else happens.
This is amazing.
I'm coming up to Salford Junction,
and this is where Junction 6
of the M6
meets the A38 Aston Expressway.
And as commuters up there are
probably getting quite confused,
I'm also a little bit confused down
here
because I'm not really sure
what canal I'm going on.
Thankfully, I've got a guide,
and that guide says
it's round this way.
In terms of the real side
of boating,
it doesn't get much more real
than cruising round Birmingham.
It's a magical mess of...
..canals going in every direction...
..graffiti, not to everyone's taste.
On the face of it, it might look
rough and ready,
but behind it all is hundreds
of years of canal history
that I just can't get enough
of, it's brilliant.
One of my favourite bands is
also Birmingham-born and bred.
This part of the canal has got quite
a lot of significance for me
because this is Aston,
and it's the home...
..of Black Sabbath...
..including Ozzy Osborne...
..all hail from this part
of Birmingham.
It seems unusually quiet here.
I'm entering the inner city,
but there's hardly anyone around.
I've been travelling all day.
I've not seen any other boats,
but I've just come across a couple
here
just waiting
to get into this lock.
I'm not far from Gas Street Basin,
but things aren't
getting any easier.
This gate seems to be stuck.
I can only push it so far.
I'm going to have to give it
a forceful nudge with the boat.
When you're in situations
like this...
..you have to think on your feet.
Sometimes the only way of opening
a lock is with brute force.
Come on. Argh!
I've got the engine running.
And I'm opening the gate,
but it's still stuck.
Come on! Argh!
That did not want to open.
Ah!
I've had loads of cuts
and scrapes.
I've slipped, fallen in.
I've snapped ropes,
I've got oil on my clothes.
It's just... It is a really
physical activity.
This is the last leg of my journey
from the north west
down into the Midlands,
and it has been a challenge,
but it's also shown some
incredible sights along the way.
I've seen the most amount
of weed that I ever want to see
out of my propeller.
There were some huge locks
on Britain's longest river,
the River Severn.
Ow! How did you manage that?
I just slipped.
I was tying that
and I just slipped down.
And of course, falling in the canal
at the top of the Tardebigge Flight.
You all right, mate?
Well, you're not a boater
until you've actually fallen in.
Oh, soaked!
I've also had peaceful moments,
and time to reflect on my life.
I've missed family and friends.
I need to make a big decision...
..on whether to continue with
this boating life.
This is it, the last lock.
And I've even got the sun
coming out to say hello.
Yes! Almost there.
The bridge right here...
Broad Street Tunnel is what
it's known as on the canal,
but just above it, it's called
Black Sabbath Bridge.
Brilliant, that has made
my trip, that has.
Got pubs, got bars, restaurants.
Can see Brindleyplace, the Mailbox.
This is it, we're right in
the centre of Birmingham now.
There's always an element of sadness
when you realise you're coming
to the end of a journey.
For me, this ends
Gas Street Basin.
But of course,
that's connected to...
..thousands of other miles
of canals,
so I've got lots more to explore.
On a personal note, my life
is changing,
so who knows which way I'll head
off after this.
But one thing I know for sure:
This canal water,
it's in my blood...
..almost literally after falling in.