Canal Closure

We left Stourport after bidding farewell to dear friends, Bridget and Dave to return up the Staffs and Worcs Canal to Wolverley to meet more 'old' friends, Ruth and David. We were making good progress on a bright morning when we spied a fellow boater waving to us as we approached Kidderminster. We  slowed to hear what he had to say. We were told that the police had closed to canal due to an incident!  Both the towpath had been closed since mid morning and speculation was rife. We moored up behind the last boat in a queue of 5. This was immediately outside Tesco!

It was interesting how fellow boaters were reacting to this news.  Some just decided to have lunch and enjoy a good book, others went and did a bit of shopping, others walked up and down chatting to fellow boaters and others just complained!

The news soon spread that a body had been found in the canal. We didn't know any details but obviously the canal and towpath were a crime scene and would not be open until forensics had finished their investigations.  However,  the complainers were not happy, "couldn't they just let us through", "what difference would it make if they just let us through", "I don't want to spend the night here," ( it was not the most salubrious of areas and the natives were troubled souls on the whole and the pub on the opposite bank looked a bit rough), however the police had to do their job and no amount of asking the young bobby at the cordon was going to make things happen any sooner.

Two more boats joined the queue and time ticked on. Sid and the chap in the boat behind us did a bit of fishing whilst waiting! They had both encountered  an obstacle or two beneath the water on mooring. They retrieved a bicycle and a supermarket trolley! A good catch! How many more live in the depths of the canal near a supermarket and beside a busy towpath in the middle of a town, I wonder?

We had made contact with Ruth and David to explain our predicament and they changed their plans to come and meet us in Kidderminster.  Not long after they arrived the call went up that we were on the move. It was about 4.15 and after a quick pow wow Ruth and David decided to travel with us to our original meeting point, Wolverley, and then get a cab back to theiri car after having a bite to eat at The Lock. It was a  very pleasant little late afternoon  cruise through a couple of locks and some pleasant countryside.

The end of a strange day!