High Bridge & Saltwell Woods-tech dept found the photos

In 1858 the 75yd Brewin's Tunnel was opened out to form this steep-sided cutting and this single span bridge was built to carry the existing road across. The walkers on the towing path give you some idea of the scale.

 The Black Country is the butt of many jokes and is much maligned - yet another lovely woodland area, behind Lodge Farm Reservoir, is Saltwell Woods. Birmingham is not only central to our history and canal network but it really is a very special area; yes it has it's dumps; but doesn't everywhere? A little bit of effort finds some very special places.

G's lovely daughter Karen doesn't follow our blog 'cause it's too country for her - she's right, here is a load more 'country'

and one very happy, exhausted, dog

It's a hard life!

Bum, piddle, wee wee.....!

 Monday we had a phone call from Lyons Boatyard to say that they agreed they needed to fit the Vetus engine mounts, so yesterday am, with the weather forecast in the 'plus' we decided to head back to B'ham and the North Stratford.

 We winded, with some difficulty due to ice, and headed off towards Netherton tunnel.

 Rupert and Dylan were in the tunnel taking photos (Rupert that is, not the dog) as we left - hopefully he'll forward them to us; being a photographer they'll be loads better than any of mine (look at Northern Prides photos - what a difference a professional makes).

 Passing under the double arches of the old main line and along the tunnel branch towards the junction with the new main line

 I love these old lock cottages, now totally modernised but still looking timeless in this strange light

 All went fairly well, albeit slowly, until we tried the 90 degree turn onto the main line- he thrusted, I bashed, cyclists shouted encouragement and the dogs hid under the table

 After a 108 point turn (I never exaggerate) and an hour and a half we had travelled some 150 yards and the propeller was fouled

 with this lot, so we called it a day hoping for an overnight thaw as we are stuck in the middle of nowhere in the nether regions of Dudley Port - oh; and I lost all my photos of High Bridge/ex Brewin Tunnel and Saltwell Woods when I had that storage overload problem.

so, as I said at the beginning, bum, piddle, wee wee........!!!!!!!!!!!

20 GB purchased so can now continue (pictorially).

Evidently 1 GB has lasted us for 3 years of loading pictures to the web for this blog. Last night, it seems, and without warning, we filled up our allowance. Retiring to bed and leaving the technical department to 'sort it'. It seems he was able to purchase another 20GB for the princely sum of £3.50 - that should see out my lifetime and leave a bit of storage over for the kids to inherit! It's not a lot of money for all the fiddling, inconvenience and bad temper (mine).
So, where was I? Sunday I continued down the Dudley No. 2 Canal  on foot with the boys as we're well and truly iced in again.

Darby End nestling in amongst new des res'

This cat scuttled away from the boys (who were on leads and didn't even see it) across the ice - exactly why I won't let Daisy out when we're iced in.

Lodge farm reservoir

Looking pretty in the sun, but marred by general rubbish lying everywhere.

St Andrew's Church on top of Netherton Hill - the site of mass graves for the victims of a cholera epedemic.