Before we head 'Way out West' ***

(*** the title of a wonderful Laurel and Hardy movie.)

On Wednesday morning we fly out, heading for San Francisco and points North. We're excited to be attending the wedding of a wonderful couple: Anna Benincasa and Steve Morales ... she's making an honest man of him, at last!

The nuptials will be in Healdsburg, CA., and shortly thereafter Lyn and I will take ourselves off to visit fondly treasured folks in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. There will be only one, lonely, little gig on this trip; in Merville, on Vancouver Island. Before we head home we'll be running the gauntlet of several hundred buccaneers, at the Northern California Pirate Festival, in Vallejo, CA.

Since last I updated (I'm dreadfully unreliable, but then, you know that) this blog; we haven't been doing much cruising. Once we returned to the comforting embrace of the Saltisford Arm, we collected our car and headed - through the Channel Tunnel - to a lovely little festival in Blankenberge, Belgium.

Once the festival was over - by late of Saturday evening - we had Sunday off; so we boarded a tram for a 5-mile jaunt up the coast to Zeebrugge. I was particularly interested to learn about the British raid there; on St George's Day, 1918. In an effort - very late in the war - to prevent U-boat egress to the North Sea, a gallant attempt was made - by a British Navy and Marine expedition - to block the harbour and lock gates of the canal. British casualties were 583 men and German losses were 24 men; the raid was publicised by the British around the world as a great success and many medals were awarded. 'Twas ever thus!
"But what good came of it at last?" Quoth little Peterkin.
"Why, that I cannot tell," said he, "But 'twas a famous victory."
THE BATTLE OF BLENHEIM by: Robert Southey (1774-1843)

We'll be back, in about a month, just in time to cast our ballots in the 'United Kingdom, In or Out of the European Union' referendum. It's a question on which I might ponder more, were not the 'exit' camp being led by (the recent Mayor of London) Boris Johnson ... our version of Donald Trump ... and very likely our next Prime Minister ... God Save Us All!

My apologies that this report isn't, at all, 'watery'. We'll be cruising again in July. 'Til then ... A'dios.

Wandering along.

Not much to report, folks. After dozens of locks, and about twenty-seven miles, we arrived at the Black Country Living Museum, in Dudley ... exactly two miles from the other end of the tunnel which is too low for Moonstone.

This museum must be a favourite of ours, as this is probably (about) the fifth or sixth time we've visited ... there's always something we've not seen before. Sadly; the weather wasn't suitable (snow squalls!!!) for the fun-fair to be operating ... 

... we'll be back in the summer (excellent free moorings) so that I can have a go on that helter-skelter! The museum also has wonderful examples of the transport of ages past

... and here's the itinerant pastor!

Of course, this area has a huge canal-related history; so we were thrilled to see the steam-tug: PRESIDENT; starting out on a journey to tow its butty: Kildare; to Liverpool.

That's the Chief Tiffy leaning out of the engine-room hatch!!!

 Note the large blade of the rudder, necessary as there's no propellor.

The midlands has a long tradition of trades-union activism, so we enjoyed finding out about the chain-makers strike of 1910. Talk about: "There once was a union maid"! (I love the way Billy Bragg and the rest haul out their union membership cards at the end of the song. I do that!)



You can read about the chain-makers strike here.








Once we departed the Black Country Living Museum almost two miles of our journey South was actually UNDER the M5 motorway!

Once we left the urbanity of Birmingham a few miles behind, we pulled over at the small town of Knowle, for a post-office and groceries. Some of these lesser-known places have surprises in store. Of course this is England, so delightful churches abound ... 

... but we had never before even heard of a 'knot garden', viz:

So ... now we are moored at the Navigation Inn, near Kingswood Junction. We'll be having a visit - for lunch in the pub - from our daughter: Jane, our son-in-law: Max, and their dog: Spike. Speaking of canines; on Friday evening we were moored by 'BUNTS WOOD'!!! Sad to relate: we cannot report any sightings of a Heinz-57 Dachshund. :-((

More anon. Thanks for taking an interest. Tom.