Chris and Mick with nb Whispering Willow. The new Cube building is on the right and the Mailbox in the background
Living in central Birmingham overlooking the BCN, I use the canal towpaths a lot to get around the city.
The sun was shining and no rain (yet, 10 minutes later it poured for 10 minutes!). I was on my way to photograph an “artwork on billboards” April event called 48Sheet in which international artists are exhibiting their works blown up to street billboard size and distributed on such around Birmingham city centre – all 100 of them! Well!
Walking along the towpath in Holiday Wharf, I came across the Love family from Penkridge, a small town between Wolverhampton and Stafford on the Staffs and Worcs canal. They’d been cruising for nearly two weeks, in their nb Whispering Willow, in a ring getting as far south as Stratford-on-Avon. Now, on the last leg they were, I imagine, looking forward to a night out in one of Birmingham’s main attractions, Brindley Place.
Chris Love, his friend Mick, and I had a brief chat whilst they took on water (into the tanks). The two senior members of the family were doing the inside ops. of the water top up.
Soon, we went our separate ways. But, while I was crossing the bridge over the canal to get to the Mailbox centre, I saw what I thought was a crafty move by Chris taking the inside line to another boat on the right angle bend leading to Gas Street Basin. So I took photographic evidence. They’ll deny it of course but with photos it’s a case of “what can’t speak can’t lie!”.
Soon after, Whispering Willow was well in the lead by a length or two.
The overtaking evidence I present below and rest may case on it.
(Apologies to the Love Family and Mick for any misconceptions above, of which there must be at least enough to invalidate the whole of my perceptions.)
Overtaking inside on a bend - a nifty move by Chris - but would he pass his driving test?
Chris is now clearly in the lead for the race for a mooring outside the NIA round the next corner
Click on all images for a larger view.
