Wednesday 11th July 2018      t’ Worcester & Birmingham Canal hath bean a Most Wonderful o’ watery companions fore t’ suitably narrow craft nb:Bartholomew Roberts 1682-1722 & t’slightly ragtag bunch, named “t’ Crue”. Tis an early commencing o’ swimmings today. Blockhouse & Sidbury locks combined wid murky swirling shallow waters slow hour passage down, just a tittle. The distinct lack in speed o’ flow from t’ Diglis water tap slows Bart’s progress e’en moor considerablies.

Goodbye W&B !  A Fine watery companion you ‘av proved t’ bee. Two ‘ers aft departure from Lansdowne Pools, Cap’n Black Bart Aaaarrrggh !!!  ‘as commanded ‘is ‘ship’ through t’ Hugely Wide Diglis won & too very slippery aqua steps &

int’ Muchly Deeply Vastly Broad flowings o’ t’ River Severn. GLORIOUS !!!

Only just swished oat ‘ere  & t’ suitably Large Diglis River Lock bee write their. Aft a speedy lowerings Bart takes a casual approach to downstream swimmings

while udders seam t’av there “Toes to the Metal”. Many ‘ers later, Lister slowly ‘ramps up’ ta pace, creeping to a comfortable cinque miglia all’ora crewsingly strokings. T’ remain’dear o’ hour three leagues travellings guide craft & crue through wonderful green luscious meanderings, following ta Severn’s (mostly) gentile tacks to port & starboard.

Sum three ‘ers aft departing t’ W&B our Bart be safely moored in t’ shadow o’ Upton Upon Severn’s justifiably high bridge. Tis 1940s construction, t’ latest in a line dating back t’ first fixed (wooden) crossing from aroand t’ 1530s. Maybe e’en a tittle earlier, which replaced t’ medieval ferry.

Fully laden River Severn Barge “Elver” transporting summit near 350 tonnes of sand oar gravel aggregate glides in bye, downstream, likely heading fore t’ processing plant at Ryall House Farm. We passed her earlier where she weir being loaded at Ryall Court Quarry. Freeboard very low with dat heavy load.

Empty Barge “Perch” crewsing upstream on her whey t’ collect a load ov aggregate. Amazing t’ freeboard height, unloaded.  Niao we is safely ‘ear. Cap’ns Anders ‘av arrived in port & we is delving int’ barrels o’ Grog & munchlies d’salmagunchi. With Lashings o’ Fruity broan sauce two.

Thursday 12th July      There needs t’ be moor thyme, butt we ‘av two wake Lister up & Move on Down !!   Yesterday’s Severn swimming weir simply Marvellous !! Weir a Gorgeous Hot Sunny & Beautifully Calm thyme. Today, it may be cooler & a bit grey, butt t’ Severn be almost as calm & peaceful. Eyes Luvely !!  As our Welsh Pirate Cap’n Barti Ddu Aaaarrrggh !!!  duth definitely d’eclair. O’er five t’ousand tree hundred fathoms of Splendiferously Magnificent ripples & verdantly viridescence abundance surround’alls makes fore a sublime ‘sailing’ experience. Shortly aft t. almost invisible junction with t’ River Avon at Tewkesbury we swing a write & soonly swish hour whey int’

Upper Lode’s Magnificently (almost) magical stone chamber o’ aqua’ness.

A Gargantuanly colossus of a flowingly water receptacle, which widens at’ downstream end/lower gates, with unusual sloping walls. Knot shore of the reasonings fore tis, possibly ?? unique design. Any knowledge from udder parties would be smilingly acceptables. Thankee !!

As Barticus makes progress ‘steaming’ South from l’aqua’leviathan, hour navigator identifies in a worriedly loud & wavering cry “We ‘av Klingons off the starboard bow”. Luckily fore t’ peace & tranquility ov all within a fifty eight & a half mile radius, Lieutenant Worf who sailed with Cap’n Jean-Luc Picard many years int’ future is training these ‘young’ Klingons so nutting bad ‘appens. He is a Fine fellow of a Man (Klingon) if e’er their weir.

Udder strange critters lurk in t’shadows on ta river banks, so Cap’n Barti Ddu (Welsh y’no) Aaaarrrggh !!!  keeps a steadily stealthy ‘ship’. Tis o’er tree leagues beyonder, below Upper Lode Loch weir our classic enginely powered vessel d’narrow  negotiates t’ ‘Upper Parting‘ swishing down a noticeably cosier & shallower East Channel. Terns bee tighter too. We niao ‘av real flow in river’s ripples too. Bean negligible since Worcester, till niao. Tight wriggerlies swish Bart int’ openly prepared Gloucester Lock (we pigeon carried ahead) (which means t’ pie will ‘av t’av e’en moor vegs & gravy slosh innit tonight). Tis Big, unless compared to our previous aqua’step ov stoneworks.

One o’ there Fine old Gloucester docks Warehouses casts a shadow o’er nb:Bartholomew Roberts 1682-1722 during hour arisings. Deep this chamber shirtenly is know doubt.

Ascended, we serenely slip through t’open upper gates, with those Glorious Gloucester Docks opening up in front ov us, their two behold….. And Mr./Mrs. Sun hath decided too putt dat Big olde’ floppy hat on two greet hour arrival. Splendid all roand……….

Lightship “Sula” bee foresail. Darn’d Good price two. We’s bee-keeping nb:Bartholomew Roberts 1682-1722, so any ov ya oat their can takee advantage o’ tis opportunity !!   Good Luck !!!   Aaaarrrggh !!!

Friday 13th July      Fun these Friday the thirteenth’s ain’t they !!  All OK ‘ear. Skippet be off, trainingly travellings  all t’whey to & thru olde’ London Town & beyonder….  Grand kiddies to sea. Skip & 1st Mate “Woof !! Wiggle !! Wiggle !!!”  is bee resting wid our Barticus, enjoying these Fabulous surroundings.

Dry docks ‘ere be operated by respected

T Nielsen & Co specialists in rigging workings & renovating craft d”istoricals.

Saturday 14th July      So Bart & part crue

still be chilling & admiring t’ sites of such a Great waterscape…..

Sunday 15th July      We luv these harbour/dock-scapes. So many

Warehouses ‘av bean saved. Only the main line o’ West dock Warehouses ‘av bean lost, unfortunately. T’ rest seam t’av mostly survived, & in use. Britannia Warehouse to stern of these three ‘ere,  bye Victoria Dock weir destroyed aboat thirty years ago bye a fire. So they saved all the bricks & rebuilt it. Fantastic !!

Monday 16th July      My, we ‘av a Full Compliment. Well. Eventually. Tis aft’noon & Skippet be back. Aft, to Bart. Preparations be niao in full flow d’efforts t’ readinesses fore less ov dis staticnesses…..

Tuesday 17th July      Thyme fore a crewsings.

Cap’n Black Bart Aaaarrrggh !!!  command ‘is ship, sailing oat o’ Port. We Aaaarrrggh !!!  leaving Gloucester Docks behind. To aft. To stern. Heading Due South. Aft a longer than brief l’aqua faucet, if ya no wot we mean !!

Must make an effort to visit the museum on hour return.

Llanthony Bascule Bridge bee up & ready allowing Bart swift passage. T’ ‘darling’ seagulls  o’er Llanthony Warehouse remind us of the delightful critters than swarm aroand t’ docks. Blooming noisy, splattingly pooping every’wear. Knot t’ most favourable aspects ov a Gloucester Docks visitation. Be prepared to get your scrubbing brush oat everyday. Get a’drift !!    Anyhows, we is drifting niao, we shirtenly Aaaarrrggh !!!    Bart hath to moor just aft t’bascule & skip ‘runs’ back roand via ta Barge Arm, t’ faucet to collect 1st mate’s rinsed & freshly filled water bowl. Silly Girl. Tried to blame our Cabin Buoy, Roger, fore leaving it behind !!   So un’fare. We know who really t’ ‘blame’ don’t we hour four legged friend !!!

Moor warehouses & Sula await new owners & a smitely tlc as the suitably named High Orchard Bridge waives us through int’ Deep & wide ripples of the Gloucester & (originally Berkeley) Sharpness Ship Canal. Initial efforts commenced in 1793 t’ create this wonder ov hour waterways, but considerable noteworthy problems accounting fore many delays & on occasion, constructional stoppages impeded the eventual canal’s opening until April 1827. When opened t’ canal weir 86½ feet (F’Aaaarrrggh !!!  two many toes to e’en try & count) wide, 18 feet (knot quite as men’ee toes) deep and could pander t’ craft ov up ta 600 tons. The longer of the two locks onto the canal proper was 115 feet (35 m) long. All Pretty Darn’d Impressive stuff indeed. Made transporting raw materials/goods to/from Gloucester Docks a much safer experience compared to the treacherous River Severn swishing aboat just West of this manmaid watery path.

We cannee agree moor !!!

Surprised to sea hour first (Hempstead) swing bridge hand windingly operationals. Lucky fore all boaters, all the bridges (which duth swing aboat) along this amazing channel be in t’ control of an experienced “Bridge Keeper”. Makes hour cruising very easy. Aye !  Aye !!  Cap’n Black Bart  Aaaarrrggh !!!   Sum ov these pirates shirtenly seam a tittle Mad like. Butt dat’s OK wid us. Particularly as we IS those very Madly Pirates. Aaaarrrggh !!!   Netheridge Swing Bridge is very high, so hour vessel swimming straight on through.

Sims, Rea & Sellars Bridges don’t need to be swinging fore Bart, as they is a good thirty five toes oar moor above the wetnesses, so we steam on through…..

nb:Bartholomew Roberts 1682-1722 finally comes to rest in middle ov know’weir. Eyes Luvely !!  as welsh pirates all o’er t’ world would indeed agree wid & say two.

Wednesday 18th July      Tis knot cruising ‘appening today. Just a tittle. We chuggens fore knot very F’Aaaarrrggh !!!   just to improve hour situations e’en father. Stifficult we no, butt weir amazingly possible on dis occasion.

Mr/Mrs S. Cygninae is teaching

their youngsters the true art ov enjoying greenly lusciousnesses.

Thursday 19th July      Staticnesses we do enjoy these daylight ov ‘ers. While Skip (1st mate two) slumbers & slobs, Skippet works proper like. Skills a’plenty. Agin proven !!  t’ inner wood o’ sternly doors have niao bean Scumbled. Look It Up !!

 

Sundialed in Worcester. Now Scumbled. They Look A’May’Zing !!!

Friday 20th July      Fretherne weir only aboat a league o’ Lister’s chuggens,

delayed bye (Fortunately) Friendly Pirately Chums Off t’ Port Bow Aaaarrrggh !!!

Aft a quart o’swung bridge holes Crue manage to hide (from any unpleasantly marauding buccaneers) int’ o’ergrowth. Aaaarrrggh !!!

Slater, We t’ crue of many toes & n’ear’lee as many paws, wanders off alonglies many fathoms o’ sticky hot tarmacadam, to the Most Marvellous “St. Mary the Virgin”, Fretherne. Aft F’Aaaarrrggh !!!  two muchly thymes, we finally spie wot we bee loo’king four. The burial grounds o’ Skippets Fine ancestors. Write ‘ere they weir. Wonderful to find them aft all dis thyme !!

Saturday 21st July      Sum swimmingly travellings be called fore. istorical Fretherne  (two bee revisited) slowly becomes a speck in Bart’s rear view mirror as we slippingly slide through Splatt, halt fore an’ail at t’ Cambridge Arms, sew t’ Patch & dive o’er then knot quite under Purton’s swung bridges also.

Pirate O’erboard !!  Avast !!   Aye !  Aye !!  Cap’n !!!   Aaaarrrggh !!!  !!!

That weir almost quite nastily unpleasantness. Showing ‘is Bum like dat !!

Tis only butt a few short ripples passed Timber Ponds & stoneworking remnants

o’ t’ River Severn Railway which joined Lydney n’ Sharpness together.

The bridge weir constructed int’ 1870s to allow coal from t’ Forest o’ Dean to be flown across t’river two Sharpness t’ provide an export cargo and fuel for steamers. It had 21 spans supported on piers across t’ river and a

swinging section across the canal that opened to allow vessels to pass.

Aft two tankers collided with won ov t’ piers in t’ river in 1960, a BIG Explosion destroyed two spans, most o’ t’ bridge weir demolished.                                    Just ta stoneworkings                             we sea today be left

nb:Bartholomew Roberts 1682-1722 gently bobbing aroand ont’ Gloucester & Sharpness Ship Canal, to Port. Delightfully calm River Severn Estuary ripplings to Starboard. Fantastic Position !!  Aaaarrrggh !!!

Sunday 22nd July      Staticnesses & Barty Chores bee Commanded bye Cap’n Black Bart Aaaarrrggh !!!   Starboard cabin paintwork (towpath side) go’en a muchly needed splot o’ spit & polish.

 

Wood linings ov engine room doors, starboard side bee sumwot porely. TLC thyme. Scraped, rubbed down & cleaned. Awaiting next stages. Port side fore, seat box metalworks scraped & cold chiseled to within almost an inch of it’s life. One of the few areas of annoying rust needing attention.

Splendid late aft’noon scene helps ty’red crue relax there tittle achey wakey muscles.

Monday 23rd July      Moor jobs !!  Madness !!!  While engine room doors woods receive too coats ov dat Marvellous Sundial, continuances of rust bashing at the fore finally lead to washings & rinsing. Finally, the rust busting liquid application commences. Fingers crossed this one actually works. Under the floor boards at’ stern, bee tuther area requiring attention. Need two take the scrapers & cold chisels to dat area sum thyme soonlies to.

Them engine room starboard woodies looking soo muchest better alreadies !!   Lovely Blooming Flowers Too Eh !!    Woods linings of stern door receive e’en moor attention two. Scumbled works is niao protected bye too coats ov varnishings. And then, red trimmings surrounding rose paintings & door edgings all refreshed with fine brush in hand. Wonderful Work. Fab-You-Lass !!!  hour skippet !!!!    Aaaarrrggh !!!  !!!

Tuesday 24th July      Thee will be crewsings a’whey from Sharpness on tis yet an’udder Gorgeous Summer Day. Aft an aboat turn at t’ junction wid ta ‘Old Arm’ our vessel be chuggens agin, retracing hour strokes of days passed.

Aft a brief stop too witness sum ov t’ Barge Graveyard at Purton

where their be summit in the region ov’ thirty, mostly wooden barges beached on/in the South-East Banks of the River Severn between the 1930s & the 1960s. Many now hardly visible, swallowed up with bye t’ mud banks created bye t’ river’s enthusiastic flowings.

Bart & cru proceed through deep wide waters, enjoying such a Wonderfully wet & this gem ova canal. If ya ‘av knot, then ya should !!  Quite a fare wee whiles later Lister quietly settles down fore a nightlies well earn’t restfulness prior to an’udder swimmings ahead.

Cadbury’s 1916 factory on t’ bank ov t’ G&S Canal used too grind cocoa beans and sugar, blended with milk from local farms, and then baked to form chocolate crumb. This weir taken by boat t’ Bournville. Unfortunately, Cadbury’s be knot ‘ear know moor.

Wednesday 25th July      We Aaaarrrggh !!!  indeed travelling yet moor ov’dis Splendid watery path. Aft a walk to Saul Church “St. James The Great” t’ check oat moor istoricals ov them pirate families whey back…..

Tis late morn & wid Lister awakened we crews int’ Saul Junction Marina

Lovely spot ear. Could stay four longer, but we knead t’ keep on trogging dis canal…..

Onwards we must chuggens. Many Many fathoms, miles, leagues & muchly er’s & lightenings later…….  aft creeping bye swungly bridges, waving bridge keepers, sulking under unswung bridges & finally leaping through t’ BIG Llanthony Bascule Bridge, Crue & vessel ‘av swam int’ Gloucester Docks Agin. nb:Bartholomew Roberts 1682-1722 & her Famous Pirate Cap’n Black Bart Aaaarrrggh !!!  !!!   Commands his trusty steed to stand firm & hold up four two night.

Biddle Warehouse, just roand t’corner from Barge Arm provides safe refuge.

Thursday 26th July      ‘ear we Aaaarrrggh !!!   

Won & All Pirates  Aaaarrrggh !!!

Great ta witness ‘istoricals in brick, stone, steel & iron And much moor besides !

during footly traversings roand the Fabulous Gloucester Docks !!!

Bart & crue readies won’self four the inevitable poohingly onslaughtings !!

Just fore a’tuther darkness ov’ers. Bee’four we is due hour nightly sleeping, we partake of Fine Salmagundi, Lashings of Grog followed bye a Good old fashioned Swedish dish o’ Greeko d’ Singa Songalong. And how Blooming Marvellous is shirtenly weir two !!!      Eh !  Fernando !!    Aaaarrrggh !!!   !!!

We ty’red Pirates is niao Very Sleepy.

Good Night !

Buona Notte !!

!! Sleep Tight !!

ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz………….

 

Mayhaps, if ya tittle bunch o’ bloggets manage t’ ketchup (yuck !  Yuck !!  YUCK !!!)  wiv Craft & crue of Fearsome Pirate Cap’n Black Bart  Aaaarrrggh !!!   agin sum thyme, if ya lucky, We might knot blow ya oat t’ water wid our cannons o’ broadside !!!

Boom !!!

Boom !!!  !!!

BOOM !!!  !!!  !!!

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Splash !

Gurgle !!

Glug !!  Glug !!  Glug !!!

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oar, if ya is really unlucky, we might let ya tagg’along………

Ciao four Niao

Arrivederci !!!

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Aaaarrrggh !!!  !!!

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