Worcester to Hanbury Wharf

A sculpture adorning Sidbury bridge - or at least the bridge by Sidbury lock.  The Sidbury lock is the first you come to as you leave Worcester for Birmingham, adjacent to the Kings Head, where we enjoyed a meal with Stuart and Anita on Wednesday evening and on the other side of the lock, The Commandery, a museum dedicated to the story of the English Civil War - hence the pikes and roundhead helmets of the sculpture.  We have promised ourselves that we are going to return to Worcester and spend time poking about this lovely canal and historic City, for now we are pushing on towards Birmingham and our rendesvouz with NB Matilda Rose.

I shuffled the two dogs back onboard Caxton as we came across these contractors cutting vegetation, of which there is ann abundance - vegetation, not contractors...

I could understand why the contractors were failing to cut the vegetation right up to the canal side so at the next lock I had the chance to ask them. And the answer, "Don't know, but this is what BW specify."  The team were all ex BW who had been 'TUPE'd' a few months before and were now happily doing the same work though for a  different employer.  So BW, why do you cut the vegetation for walkers and cyclists but not for boaters?

No easy mooring along here and the veg cutters following us now are not going to improve things.

Having stopped for lunch we are now moving off towards Hanbury wharf and the sun is shining on us again.

I am just so impressed by the Worcester and Birmingham Canal - again, we are new to its charms and it is CHARMING..

Approaching the busy Hanbury Wharf.  It is here that the soon to be reopened Droitwich canal joins the Worcs. and Birm.

Caxton moored up for the night at Hanbury.