Sommar Brewery

On Tuesday afternoon (08/06/2021) Steve and Vera went to investigate the Sommar Brewery Tap which is based in Birmingham Arena.

Vera got a bowl of water and adoration from the staff while Steve sampled 2/3 pint of Gravedigger's Biscuits from Turning Point Brew Co. for £5.90, It is billed as a 9% ABV sophisticated cocktail of coffee and vanilla, wrapped up in a big boozy stout. Notes of coffee liqueur, burnt sugar, molasses. Serve in a martini glass for maximum pomposity.

We walked back in the shadow of impressive buildings.

It was nice to be on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal on a sunny day.

Vera found plenty to investigate. Can you spot her in this picture? Tasty discarded junk food, no doubt.

The canal basin looks fine on a summer’s day.

On Tuesday evening Steve walked along the tow path to Five Ways railway station to meet Hilary’s cousin Catherine, who brought her bicycle for the return journey. We had wine and nibbles on the stern.

On Wednesday (09/06/2021) we left Birmingham and made our way towards our next destination which was Worcester.

We picked up Catherine’s husband Richard by Sainsbury’s in Selly Oak and chatted as we chugged passed the impressive Birmingham University buildings and student accommodation and moored at Bourneville Railway Station by Cadbury’s Factory Village for coffee.

It would appear that the decrepit Junction House at King’s Norton Junction was finally being renovated. We stayed on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal and Steve took the tiller for the half-hour 2,726 yard journey through Wast Hill Tunnel.

We moored up at Hopwood by bridge 67 and went for a drink in Hopwood House pub garden. The barmaids seemed to have been selected for their looks, rather than their ability and instructed to wear tight jeans. It was quite a soulless Marston’s pub. There was an unsavoury smell of sewage or muck spreading in the air, which didn’t improve our experience.

Steve nipped across to the Londis convenience shop in the Esso garage across the road, but it had very limited stock. Hilary got a newspaper and some samosas from there on Thursday morning, risking life and limb crossing the busy A441 Birmingham to Redditch road.

We watched “Time”, episode 2 on iPlayer. This is Jimmy McGovern's harrowing new BBC One prison drama which sees two of the UK's finest actors, Sean Bean and Stephen Graham, join forces, together leading the star-studded cast of “Time”.

We watched Coronation Street (we know how to live!) and settled for an early night. It was nice to have the sun shining into the boat.

And into our little galley (kitchen).