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WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WORCESTER YOU MAY THINK OF THE FAMOUS Lea and Perrin's sauce, but for us, a band of hardy landlubbers, it would mean a weekend finding our feet aboard one of Viking Afloat narrowboats - if it was good enough for Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart, it would be good enough for us.
We would undertake the challenge of a three-night short break negotiating our craft from Lowesmoor Wharf in the centre of beautiful Worcester, travelling along the historic waterway of the 200-year-old Worcester-Birmingham Canal.
Filled with anticipation of escaping the rat-race, and ladened down with shopping bags from the nearby supermarket we were early collecting our narrowboat from the Viking Afloat HG1. We were introduced to the inspirationally-named Valkyrie - a Tyne class narrowboat. A tour of onboard facilities revealed a home from home in all its 48ft glory. Centrall3 heated, tastefully decorated and extremely clean and tidy, it was a welcoming, comfortable surprise.
Exploration of our home for the next few days also revealed a full-sized fridge, cooker, hot and cold water from the taps, a working shower and flushing toilet, a fully-stocked cutlery and crockery cupboard, double bed, and dining area which converted into another bedroom. There was also a starter pack consisting of some washing-up liquid, bin liners, cleaning cloths, matches and loo roll. Some tea and coffee was also a nice touch.
We were given a detailed boat manual which would help answer any questions that may arise over the weekend. While the boats gave as much storage as possible, space is still confined so I would recommend you pack things in soft bags that can be easily stored away.
Most of the boats, including ours, have a radio-cassette player and a small 12-volt TV, although there were many instances where the aerial for the TV just wasn't good enough so cater for nights without the interference of television.
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The boats themselves run on 12-volt batteries so normal domestic appliances don't work. They do however supply a hairdryer and there are special 12v charging points.
One of the main attractions of this type of holiday is the complete freedom it offers, while deciding on a route and after consulting a handy weekend route map supplied by Viking Afloat. We decided to stop at several of the pubs en route for evening meals and make our own lunches. There are so many places along the canals that the choices for eating or drinking are endless and most of them are child-friendly. The routes suggested are deliberately easy involving a few locks and assuming that there is a small crew, in our case, two adults, one child and a dog, whose main concern was swimming.
After a reassuring demonstration we were accompanied by one of the trained instructors who work at the wharf to the first lock. It turns out to be a gentle afternoon, and while the thought of our first lock is a daunting experience we are taken through it step-by-step before being waved off into the wilds of Worcestershire. If you have never been on a canal boat and gone through a lock, a bit of teamwork and practice does make it easier, watching as the boat rises and falls, and marvelling at the engineering involved in the working of these locks is fascinating. With all hands on deck the locks become less daunting.
The suggested route takes us as far as the Digilis Basin were they suggest a stop, but we decide to carry on through plenty more locks and beautiful countryside to Tibberton where we moor near Speed the Plough pub. We walk down to another pub called The Bridge Inn where we enjoy a lovely meal in a warm cosy pub to digest the day's activities and nurse some sore hands from opening and closing the locks.
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While the evenings can be cooler on the water, the narrow boat was cosy and warm when we returned from our delicious dinner. We settled six-year-old Cameron into our bed so we could continue the rest of the evening in the dining area before transforming the table and sofa into another bed for him to sleep in for the rest of the night.
Waking up to other early-bird boaters chugging their way along the canal is a novel experience especially with the gentle rocking from their wake as they pass.
After a hearty breakfast we planned the route for the day. I would also have my first go at trying to steer the narrowboat along the canal. Despite feeling fairly confident, trying to manoeuvre a 48ft narrowboat into a small lock without bashing it against the side isn't easy, but once I'd got the hang of steering left and turning right or steering right to turn left, it became an enjoyable chug along a beautiful canal. We encountered Dunhampstead Tunnel before heading to Hanbury Wharf and the entrance to the Droitwich Canal where it was recommended by the route map to turn around. Moored up once again for the evening, we headed for the popular Eagle and Sun pub where we enjoyed a carvery before heading back to the narrowboat for a game of Monopoly. The next day was spent retracing our steps back to Worcester and Lowesmoor Wharf .The
only downside to the trip is you have to have your narrowboat returned before 9.3Oam on the day of departure and, due to the central town location of the wharf, we were looking for somewhere safe and secure to moor for the night. I was disappointed to find there was no room for us back at base when we returned early that evening as it offers free mooring to other passing sailors and all spaces had gone.
That aside, we certainly found out how to work as a team over the weekend, and while a couple of days is not long enough to explore the beauty of these particular canals, it was a fascinating trip along a beautiful and historical waterway.
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