The Great Canal Incident

The Industrial Revolution initiated a need for cheap transport of large raw materials such as iron ore and coal. Roman networks of canals were expanded and ran from coast to inland cities, and horse-drawn barges were built to be narrow and long to travel along these inland waterways.
Eventually, the canals began to be used for pottery, lumber and textile transportation, and soon the canals were busy waterways flowing between industry, cities and coastal ports. The commercial benefits to cities and commerce was evident when the opening of the Bridgewater canal soon lowered the cost of coal in Manchester by 75%.

Inevitably, technology overtook the canal system as rail, then road, transport saw cheaper and faster methods of moving goods. Ironically, the system was replaced by a revolution that it had helped intitiate. The canal network declined in use; a victim of more efficient logistics, became clogged with weeds and silt and fell into disrepair.
A few canals were persistently kept open to transport goods, but the harsh and long winter of 1962 froze the canals for 3 months and users turned to more reliable logistical methods, never to return to the water.

But, Britain has a great interest in preservation, and groups were formed to research the history of this pivotal part of its heritage. With such extensive canal networks available, there began interest in their use for leisure activities. Blocked canals began to be reopened, and today canals are pleasant places for leisurely walks or boating trips to see life at 4 miles per hour.

Which brings me to my own story – the second running story in a week.
I have felt the need to keep exercising and last week, I was invited to go on a training run with the cross-country team. Upon leaving the School, we ran across the road and through neighbouring University of Birmingham. Across to the railway station, over the bridge, we descended the stairs to run alongside the canal. The ice, mixed with floating rubbish, of recent weeks was breaking up with this week’s (relatively) warmer temperatures of 5–7 C.

Following the parallel walking path for five minutes, I was enjoying the event and the inner warmth that builds after the initial cold shock of early stages. Taking in the novel surroundings and chatting with my running companion / teaching colleague, I spotted ahead a group of people gathered on the path. The path deviated sharply where the people stood, and I looked ahead of me to look for a path to avoid running through the group. The pathway straight ahead was dark bitumen with puddles and appeared to be an alternative route.


So, I decided to take the straighter, less crowded path across the wet bitumen. I jumped off the step and launched myself into – the icy waters of Birmingham canal!
The ice broke open on impact, and I got a great shock as I hit the cold waters. I tried to return to the bank, and was assisted out by my colleague and one of the crowd members. My hands were sore and my leg was swelling from impacting the ice. I was also acutely embarrassed by own stupidity right in front of a shocked audience! A couple came over to offer me some coffee – they were well prepared retirees on their weekly group walk. One woman suggested I try hers, since it had rum in it. Upon hearing my thanks, another asked in her strong Brummie accent, ‘You’re not from arood here, are ye, luv?’
I now know that the purpose of this deviation from the canal path is a boat turn-around point. Since the temperatures were cold, I was chilling rapidly. The best thing to do was to run back and get into a hot shower to try and reheat and recover.
I did come to England to try new experiences, and certainly this day provided a most unexpected one. I must say, I have had better days, but this was the stuff of comedy that Benny Hill fans would have loved.

Bittersweet Cadbury

Today, Britain lost another iconic company to international competition, when chocolate giant Cadbury was sold to the US company Kraft. There has been much lament and concern here in Birmingham with the implications of this takeover.
Cadbury began over 130 years ago in this city and has been well respected as a company that cares for its workers. The philanthropic Cadbury's were Quakers and, many many years since the family sold its share of the company, the area remains a dry area, with no pubs. In 2007, residents mounted a campaign to prevent Tesco from selling alcohol here.

The model village of Bournville, walking distance to King Edward School, was built to house the factory workers. This large factory dominates life in the local area, just like Ford's close links to Geelong and Broadmeadows. The company still maintains its paternalistic approach to its community, with a trust offering affordable homes to families in need. By 1915, the village mortality rate was significantly lower than the rest of the city.
Cadbury was one of the first companies to introduce a pension scheme, and gave workers the opportunity to buy shares. This bred much respect and loyalty from the community. Each Christmas Eve, there is a carols by candlelight-type event, attended by about 7000 people, as the carillon plays 'O Come, All Ye Faithful'.
Driving past the gates of Cadbury brings back images of Willie Wonka.

There is much concern as to what the long-term impact will be on the local area. Will Cadbury go the way of other British icons and be closed, in favour of overseas factories with cheaper labour and production costs? There is evidence that this has happened in the past. The Jaguar-Rover plant was only a few miles away, as well as HP Sauce and Dunlop factories. After being sold to international interest, the plants were closed, and Birmingham's people bore the brunt of the losses.
The English do make a point of telling us that local chocolate is far superior to the Aussie version. This has something to do with thickeners in the Aussie version to prevent the chocolate melting in the heat - but also preventing it melt in the mouth. On our list of things-to-do list was to visit the famous Cadbury World and test this theory. Maybe we should do it sooner rather than later - before it is too late.

Chester Jog Blog

"The walls of this town
Are full of renown,
And strangers delight to walk round 'em,
But as for the dwellers,
Both buyers and sellers,
For me, you may hang 'em or drown 'em"
- Jonathan Swift

Woke up in Chester early this morning and felt that, after a month of excessive wintry weather, I desperately needed to go for a long run.

The ancient town of Chester was founded as Castrum, or Roman fort. Indeed, all English cities with Chester in their title (Winchester, Manchester) were all similarly walled cities. Chester is famous for its almost complete Roman wall surrounding this ancient and beautiful town.

Leaving our quaint boutique hotel north of the city, I jogged along empty streets as the sun was rising. The streets were deserted as I listened to Katie Melua on my iPod. Reaching the town, I climbed the steps of Northgate and jogged along the walkway on the top of the wall.

I was feeling stronger than I had predicted, worried that my fitness would be diminished after the long break. So, I kept going and continued along the wall.

The thin mist was still in the air as I ran towards the rear of the imposing and majestic Gothic Chester Cathedral. As I neared it, the bells began to strike from the large carillon. I paused to listen to the Big Ben sequence, followed by the 8 strikes announcing the hour.

I continued on, with a feeling that I was sharing something special this misty morn. I was treading over two thousand year old history, in a land at the far northern edge of the mighty Roman Empire. The snow of the past weeks had been so quickly flushed away by rain over the last two days, and I saw tiny patches remained in protected corners. Remnants of a snowman remained in a grassy field, hinting of child play of recent days.

Under the famous and well photographed Victorian clock, I passed over the shopping street with its Tudor buildings. I then ran parallel to the River Dee, and paused again to witness where the river passes the hydro station and turned off Katie to hear the sounds of rushing water rolling over the weir.

Continuing my jog, I ran around the castle to Chester's south, and headed around to the west of the town. Up along the canal with its locks and headed back to the hotel. Feeling energetic and exhilirated by this personal event, I picked up pace and finished back where I began. A hearty English breakfast awaited.

This was a most enjoyable and memorable 5 km experience in historic Chester.

London Calling

Spot the funny hats!






Receiving wonderful news on the phone - Andrew and Meg were engaged in Paris.

Where have we been?

Here is a log of places visited so far
December
• Cambridge
• Birmingham
• Warwick Castle
• Oxford
• London
• Greenwich

January
• Nottingham
• Chester

City Statues and the Industrial Revolution

All cities have statues and memorials to famous people that have been regarded as pivotal to the development of the community. Explorers, politicians, academics are often revered in recognition of their place in history. Birmingham is the cradle of the industrial revolution and has its own heroes. In the central city are located statues of famous people:

• James Watt
• Matthew Boulton
• Joseph Priestley
• William Murdoch

Watt was a dour, hypochondriac, Scottish engineer whose methodical approach led him to make significant improvements to the earlier Newcomen steam engine. Boulton was the outgoing entrepreneur who secured copyright, political and financial backing, and pushed the project along with a sense of haste. In many ways, these two men needed one another for the invention to realise. The new design was much more efficient, and royalties were paid as one-third of the cost savings of coal for factories.

Joseph Priestley was credited with the discovery of ‘airs’ such as oxygen. One of his famous experiments involved observing how a mouse could live much longer while breathing what Priestley called ‘dephlogisticated air’. He also went on to discover carbon dioxide, which when bubbled through water, made the first fizzy drinks that within a few years spawned an industry begun by Johann Schweppe, who sold bottles of his new product to … Matthew Boulton. Priestley’s home was burned by a mob opposed to his views of the French Revolution, and he fled to America with his family. Today, in recognition of his achievements, the American Chemical Society’s highest honour is the Priestley medal.

The invention of the steam engine spawned the industrial revolution, during which this city’s population increased five-fold in sixty years. Birmingham owes much to the contributions of these influential men, helping create this, the world’s first manufacturing town.

Progress

The last time I was in Britain:

• England had won a single World Cup
• Her Majesty the Queen was living in Buckingham Palace
• Britain had a Labour prime minister in Downing Street
• Scotland always crashed out early in its World Cup footba’ campaign.
• Popular TV shows included Coronation Street, Blue Peter and Dr. Who.
• James Bond movies were the top-rating action feature films
• Blackpool was a rather ordinary holiday destination

Now I come to think of it, things haven't changed!

"The Sun never sets on the British Empire"

During the 20th Century, Britain had two problems:
• What to do with its millions of children in poverty?
• How to grow and support its colonies?

The problem was solved with one solution – export its poor to these far-flung countries. And so, in the mid 20th Century, the Fairbridge Farm School scheme was established.

Thousands of children were shipped from Liverpool and Southhampton to far-flung places such as Canada, South Africa,and Australia. Many children were removed from single-parent families, some coercedly, and sent to farm schools where it was promised they would receive a quality education that would help them develop skills to become farmers in the fertile colonial soils. But, alas, they were used as cheap labour, left school at the minimum age, and simply worked as farm hands, without assets to establish themselves.

By the '60's, the scheme has changed to encourage poor families to migrate. And so,the Wilson family, with images of pleasant weather, expansive beaches, and ripened fruit available to be picked from trees, this family with six children left behind the few belongings they owned to search for better prospects in the Antipodes.

Known locally as £10 migrants, we travelled by ship to arrive in Melbourne late one night. The younger children boarded a bus to travel to the Lady Northcote Children's farm outside Bacchus Marsh, while Mum and Dad and the older two moved into Brooklyn Hostel.

We stayed at Northcote for two years and, although it was tough, we prospered in this new land.

And now, 40 years later, I am reversing this daring (or desperate) move of my parents by coming back to Britain. So many childhood memories are returning; symbols of my roots and where my early years were spent.

This is a year of discovery and rediscovery for me.

England Weather

It's snowing!! - and there is an excitement in the air as Britain copes with the toughest winter in living memory for many. It falls silently and caps trees and covers fields. It is deep, and crisp and even ... for a while. Then it turns to slush and is ... um ... slushy.

One learns very quickly to do as the locals do, who say that this is such a rare event over recent years. Walking in white snow is OK, but don't walk on the clear patches if you wish to avoid a fall,and take short steps. Dark patches are OK too, because they have a salty grit to give traction.

Cars slide easily in snowy sidestreets and braking, accelerating and turning are all hazardous. In fact, driving is hazardous.

The news has concentrated on three topics so far this winter:
1. Weather
2. Football
3. The effects of weather on football.

Some matches are cancelled, and the bitterly cold weather prevents players preparing for important games.

The snowfalls have had a significant effect on all of Britain. News stories vary around themes relating to snowfalls.

Engineering - 'dry' snow has stopped the Eurostar in its tunnel.
Geography - snowfalls are described in great detail, as part of a great lesson on the counties and regions of Britain.
Politics - The Tories are blaming Labour for not having sufficient stockpiles of salt to remove the snow. Some things never change!
Human interest - A woman was saved from lying under a blanket of snow by a kind passer-by.
Education - Much discussion abounds on whether or not to close schools and parents worry about students travelling long distances in foul weather, while others lament the lost days.
The Economy - there is lost productivity through workers unable to attend work.
Agriculture - farmers are hand feeding and struggling to get running water to their animals.

But, for we tourists, it is one great adventure with many picture-card photo opportunities.

By the way, the photos are of Cameron and Elise, and our new car ... a Vauxhall Vectra diesel. It will take us afar.