4.7 Cannock Coal to Spaghetti Junction

The journey of the old Birmingham coal boats continues from College Road in Perry Barr to Salford Junction, otherwise known as Spaghetti Junction. Episode seven contains lots of contemporary video woven into archive photographs and a light historical commentary.
#canalhunter #birminghamcanals #spaghettijunction #witton

[@mikehaldane4061]

Excellent vlog and I really enjoyed the story of the family living in the BCN cottage. These stories of the people who lived and worked the canal really do bring the history of the canals, the effort and hard work that was involved in not only the day to day working of the canals but also the living. No running water, no flushing toilets and modernisation was the introduction of gas lamps, that would be the smelly town gas of course. I also remember that as a family in the early 60's we used to visit my Dad's aunty who had an outside stone toilet, although it had a flushing toilet. It was also fascinating to see the GEC works, I served my time as toolmaker 74 to 84 at a GEC site in Glenrothes and in that short period of time telephone exchanges and telephones changed from complicated electro-mechanical clockwork switches to fully electronic switches, funnily enough even though I very quickly bought the then new-fangled calculators I never saw the disappearance of the machine shop that made all the mechanical parts coming!

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Its frustrating that I cant pitch straight into the last two episodes Mike, because they are a walk into the lost industrial heartland of Birmingham - an area of densely packed slum housing slotted in between gasworks, railway workshops, sidings and all manner of metal manufacturing. The air quality must have been terrible. These last two episodes will have to wait till COVID is under control, but in the meantime I have several historical projects I can explore from home - so watch this space.....

[@nickcaunt1769]

Very good Andy! Thanks for finally sorting a headache of mine that's lasted since the 80's. First time I attempted to ascend the Perry Bar locks (Just my wife and I on a 30ft Brumtug No2 in the mid 80's we were thwarted by weed above Lock 12 (our 2nd lock), The canal was very clear (big surprise!) and was solid with trailing weeds similar to canadian pond weed. After about 4 or 5 prop clearances I think we turned back at the side basin briefly glimpsed in your video. The next year we were on a 6 berth and we encountered the same problem. It ended with bow hauling the boat. This caused a mutiny and my wife and I had to finish the job on our own (that friendship of several years never really recovered, but wives are FB friends now). I remember exhausted, that suddenly the canal became weed free. That must have been after the well feed of clean water. So normal service on murky BCN water resumed (in silence). Luckily, we only had about 20 hours of the holiday left. Back to Brum and a two-person Broad Street curry.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

The flight is pretty much weed free these days - probably fewer nitrates in the water!

[@dawndietz4654]

Marvelous vlog Andy! You really do paint a mental picture for the viewer with your detailed descriptions and still photos. Finding the remains of the valves along the towpath was amazing. I loved your last comment about the canals being left when the motorways have gone someday, I do believe you may be right😊. I am so glad Britain is saving her canals, I only wish we had done more to save ours in the US. Happy hunting and I enjoyed this journey very much. Till next time😊

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

I am glad you are enjoying them Dawn - the coal trade clung on till the 1960's which was just long enough for an embryonic leisure trade to emerge - and of course they are "fun sized" which makes them ideal for recreation.

[@donoconnor6435]

Well done Andy, great series and really enjoyed it. Please do keep reminiscing as the stories about the people are just as interesting as the canal infrastructure 👍

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

I will add then in where I can - finding them is the challenge.....

[@ou81aswell]

Super!

[@clivethatcher3915]

Hi Andy, I’ve watched most of your videos and this was one of the most interesting. Really interesting research and stories. Nearly 40 years ago I lived in a house backing onto the Rushall canal and had my small ‘plastic’ cruiser at the bottom of the garden. Brings back happy memories. Met Richard Chester-Browne at a BCN society boat rally in central Birmingham. He gave me a provisional photocopy copy of his book which I thought was then called ‘The Other 57 Miles’. A really interesting read. Keep ‘em coming when you can. Thanks.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

I love the idea was that the title of the book changed from whats strictly accurate to something easier to remember!

[@katherinekinnaird4408]

I live in Southern California USA . So I know about freeways and auto bridges that require maintenance even a year after they are completed. None of that 150 year stuff is going to happen here. And we have nice weather. Love your canal videos. Safe travels to you

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Glad you are enjoying them Katherine. I have been following the progress of two wooden boat rebuilds a bit to the north of you (relatively speaking) - the Western Flyer with its Steinbeck connection and the Tally Ho on the Sampson Boatbuilders KZbin channel. Both projects marry my interest in old boats with one of my other passions - carpentry. Keep watching!

[@ruthlawson53]

Fascinating as always, thankyou. I had no idea that horses were still pulling the boats so late, I’ve been on that stretch under spaghetti junction on a narrow boat holiday. I love hearing the history behind canals in general, particularly in the midlands as I was born in Walsall and raised in Great Wryrley.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Glad you have enjoyed the series Ruth.

[@ruthlawson53]

@@lifeat2.3milesanhour57 I most certainly have, I thank you again it’s been really interesting! I’ve learned a great deal!

[@morturn]

Super video Andy, you have really bought back a lot of memories of the place I grew up in. I can remember the coal barges all lined up alongside the GEC and the crane lifting the coal in for the boilers.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Glad you enjoyed it David.

[@peterfisher6348]

The Elan valley aqueduct reaches Birmingham at Bartley Green reservoir (where I dinghy sail), it is filtered into Frankley reservoir next door then 2 of 4 (some redundancy here) 42" pipes bring it to under Selly Oak Park and Harborne Wharf (of the Lapal canal aka Dudley #2 being restored) and the allotments by the Selly Oak relief road (A38) and can be seen crossing the Bournbrook at the bottom of the hill as it makes its way into Birmingham. Bartley Green Reservoir only contains 3.5 days of water as Severn Trent discovered when they stopped the inlet for maintenance and invited newspapers to photograph the very empty reservoir in a call for people to conserve water. It took them a disproportionate number of weeks to fill it back up! While sailing I judge the temperature of the surface water by the last 3 days weather, anything before then is of no consequence! In the last 18 moths S.T. have installed an additional (plastic) pipe over the hills along the route of the Elan valley aqueduct feeding Bartley, so that longer repair stoppages can be performed without interrupting the flow. At one point sailors could see a blue line across the hills to the south/south east, but it is now buried. I understood the original aqueduct to me made of brick rather than iron, and have not seen rusty taints. The aqueduct downstream of Frankley is iron, as we can see where it crosses the Bournbrook (alongside a Gas main).

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Thats fascinating Peter - when we lived in Birmingham the shower walls kept turning rusty - hence my observation.

[@peterfisher6348]

Might have been your local pipes more than the main pipes further upstream (more contact time). I know shower curtains tend to turn pink in general but that is just bacteria!

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

@@peterfisher6348 - you may well be right.

[@ThisOldManOfTheSea]

Excellent video, especially as I used to play on the Perry Barr flight as a child. I will look forward to consuming all of your series. One minor correction ... it was Nechells Power Station rather than Saltley Power Station which briefly popped up over a photograph. My Brother-in-Law used to ride to work from Great Barr to Nechells along the canal and from what I remember it was always a challenge for a 10-6 night shift in the middle of dark winter nights.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Thanks for the name clarification - I have the same issue in Walsall where i read accounts of Birchills and Reedswood Power Station.

[@leetarver3862]

Excellent video Andy. I used to collect goods from a factory off Electric Avenue and i was always curious as to how it got its name. I have been watching your videos religiously since the start of lockdown one and thanks to you, my interest in canal history has not only been rekindled but become an obsession! Many thanks and happy hunting

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Glad to hear you have enjoyed them so much. To be honest there was a clip of my cycling along singing Eddie Grants Electric Avenue - but I felt the world just wasn't ready for it!

[@leetarver3862]

@@lifeat2.3milesanhour57 ha ha, nice. I used to collect from the new minor,weir and Willis factory, next to the M6 on deakin Avenue, so I used to cross over the canal by the w h Smith depot. Seeing the old images on that vlog really brought home just how much the area has changed in the last 60 years.

[@bobwhite3793]

Nice one Andy. Love the history.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Thanks Bob - in some ways it gets more interesting as we approach the city.

[@grahamhall8249]

Very, very good Andy. I could see that the canal was really clear by the feeder at Perry Barr. Nice to see the old GEC as well. This whole series of Cannock coal has been excellent, well done Andy!

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

I am glad you have been enjoying it Graham. The water coming in at Perry Barr is crystal clear, as is the inflow at Witton as well.

[@hughrpotter]

Another great episode. But the river Rea is definitely pronounced 'Ray'!

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

I didnt know that Hugh - Too much Chris Rea!

[@peterfisher6348]

I was going to comment about the rea ("ray") too. spending 20 years or so in south Birmingham you get to know the local rivers, especially when they burst their banks!

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

@@peterfisher6348 You and a bunch of others! You live and learn - its what comes from too much book learning. At least I dont confuse my Doe with my Daw - that would be a local crime punishable by lynching.

[@aajules]

I'm loving your insight and history of the canals, i was brought up around the tame valley canal close to balls hill bridge, often wondering why it was called that and you've since answered so many of my queries regarding the ridgacre and balls hill branches, I now currently reside at the base or rushall bottom lock and looking for my first boat, i think its just a sense of belonging.... Having worked on Spaghetti's Junction on various occasions i was often curious why the pillars were in the water and some of the surrounding structures and now you've answered that too, keep up your amazing work... Thankyou

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Glad you are enjoying the series. There are good moorings at Longwood if you want to keep it near home.

[@aajules]

@@lifeat2.3milesanhour57 yeah appreciate the heads up, at present I'm looking to possibly retire early and cc for the best part of the year but that's always good to know as plans could possibly change. I've often looked at the club as a great local base when out riding the path, always looks so peaceful and friendly.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

@@aajules A winter mooring is a good idea as its not a lot of fun out in times like this.

[@1961Jezza]

Another interesting bit of canal history there Andy looking forward to the next instalment.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

That may be a few weeks away for this series given the restrictions on travel. But, I have a few ideas up my sleeve for other videos in the meantime.

[@1961Jezza]

Andy; I hope you intend looking at the other part of the Tame Valley Canal from the junction with the Rushall Canal, my mother informed me that coal was moved along that section and unloaded not far from what was then the old A41 road bridge, there was also a basin behind what is now Griffiths Road, I can recall seeing part of its remain in my lifetime but I think it has since been filled in? I have no idea what was loaded or unloaded at that basin?

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

@@1961Jezza At some point I will include that section. The basins near Griffiths Road served Hateley Heath collieries to the north of the canal now covered by a school on Hydes Road. Hall Green Wharf road was a basin serving the old Hall and the Gravel pits to the south.

[@lukesdad5218]

The Electrical works were the GEC works. My grandfather worked there for many years after WW2. He also worked at GKN in his later years.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

I kept getting the sites back to front - the script was right!

[@keithhaynes9462]

Boston mi mon

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Cheers keith

[@a3xloser]

Hi Andy as a Wolverhampton new youtuber and ex narrowboat owner can i say your films are very good and your doing well, can i give you one tip and its not about film making as mine are awful lol, but if you type Willenhall or heath town or Wednesfield or Bilston into a KZbin search you should my first test videos i made rank number 1 or in top 3 videos offered, even though there rubbish, so how, well my first was Willenhall and was ranked at 384th on a sech for Willenhall, then i found out about #tags, not the tags you can add in the box when you upload, you use them in your description, the first 3 show as blue under your film, but you can use up to 15 maybe, 10 or 12 to be safe, they have to be #alloneword #Wolverhamptoncanals #narrowboats #lostcanals I have another channel that i stated 10 months ago as this travel Vanlife one is hard to do right now, the new channel has a Million views now. just trust me on this one, #hastages make Huge difference, Stay Safe.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Thats interesting - so I see how they are added into the title but how do you make them lower case and make the title still show underneath?

[@brynvjones6679]

Just smashing

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Thanks Bryn.