Tea and Rain

Ken arrived this morning at 10.30 and we set off down Farmers Bridge Locks behind a hire boat, the crew of which helpfully raised top paddles for us all the way down. We followed the same route out of Brum as I had on Collingwood on Saturday, but I prefer the two separate flights at Ashted and Garrison to the relentless slog down the eleven at Aston. I had another reason for coming this way. With my recently acquired reputation as a connoisseur of tea how could I avoid doing the Typhoo Arm?
This short arm that once led to the tea warehouses of the Typhoo company is actually the "straight ahead" at Proof House Junction where the main through route takes a sharp left turn towards Warwick Bar. Two locals shouted out to remind us to turn left and were somewhat nonplussed when I replied we were going straight on.  "But it doesn't go anywhere....."  (Actually that's the point!)  

Starting down the Typhoo arm

There's not much to it - the bridge marks the half-way point, but you can wind at the end, which we did, and after taking the obligatory "I was there" photo we turned and got back on course.

Typhoo Basin: I was there!

Coming this way, the turn onto the Birmingham and Fazeley at Salford Junction is very tight and judging from the sign not everyone makes it!

I had a metre to spare!

At Minworth the rain began in earnest. At one point it was so torrential we took refuge under a road bridge and refused to come out until it eased off.

I'm not going out there!

The rain continued all the way down Curdworth locks, stopping only as we tied up at the Dog and Doublet at Bodymoor Heath.