Friday 22nd March

We awoke to a covering of snow. So we had a bit of a lie in. We decided that seeing as how we were moored actually outside the Cadbury factory we really ought to at least go and take a look at the shop there and stock up on Easter eggs. So we braved the snow. Here are Pip's boots.

The walk through the factory grounds was longer than expected but there are some spectacular old factory buildings. Lots of things were painted Cadbury's purple including the street lights on the main road and the fixtures and fittings in the nearby railway station. 

In the shop there was quite a lot of purple chocolate around. Not a Kit Kat in sight! The site did smell quite a lot like York frequently does. We stocked up on essentials then headed back to the boat.

We set the washing machine going then headed off southwards King's Norton Junction. Here we took a sharp left off the Worcester & Birmingham Canal onto the Stratford-on-Avon Canal. There is a remnant here of a bygone age when different canal companies were very protective of their water supplies. The Stratford canal was built later so the W & B insisted on a stop lock so that the new canal wouldn't nick all their water. This stop lock is unusual in that it has guillotine gates at each end. Nowadays the canals are all run by The Canals & Rivers Trust so a stop lock is not required. So the gates at both ends of the lock are left permanently open.

So, onto our 6th different canal of our trip so far. We are still travelling trough the outskirts of Birmingham but gradually the houses thin out (although they get bigger too) and then we are out into countryside again for the first time since Tuesday. We stop for a top up of water then head on in worsening weather. The snow is falling now although it is still quite a wet sort of snow. Pip goes inside to do the important job of baking some biscuits (we may have visitors turning up tomorrow, weather permitting). The snow worsens during the afternoon although it is still quite wet snow and not settling much. 

At one village there is what looks like a new canalside development  that rather surprisingly includes a waterfall cascading down a staircase into the canal. A bit over the top. Sorry there's no photo of this, Pip was inside and so was my phone.

We pass under the M42 during heavy snow and there is queueing traffic on the motorway. Although the weather is foul it's sort of nicer to be out in it on the back of a narrowboat than stuck in traffic on a snowy motorway in a warm car.

We moor up just past a little village called Hockley Heath. We haven't done a lock since Wednesday afternoon 24 miles ago. Locks in abundance tomorrow though.

It's nice to get inside next to the stove and have a cup of tea. Then Pip cooks some meatballs, very yummy. 

The weather forecast for tomorrow is pretty dire. More snow and cold. We've plenty of coal for the fire and plenty of diesel for the central heating. But our main worry is getting iced in again. It's not looking good weather for our visitors.

11.5 miles, zero locks again, 2 lift bridges. 2 inches of snow outside this evening.