CRT dredger on Titford Pools

Dredging begins at Titford Pools

Photo by Phil Barlow. New from Canal & River Trust, published Nov 6, 2019: Working in partnership with the European Regional Development Fund, Highways England, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and volunteers from the Birmingham Canal Navigations Society, the dredging will see a long reach excavator hauling out mud and silt from the bottom of the Pools. As well as improving …

Cover of the 3rd (2019) edition of "The BCN in Pictures"

The BCN in Pictures – 250th anniversary edition

Published 2 November 2019 “The BCN in Pictures”, our book of historical photographs of the Birmingham Canal Navigations, was first published in 1973. At the time the canals, not just in and around Birmingham, were in a rather sorry state. For the 250th anniversary we have published this new and completely revised edition. A lot has happened since the opening …

A wet October day at the toll island on the New Main Line beneath the Engine Arm aqueduct near Smethwick

Toll Island Work Party

BCNS received a request from Steve Lambert at CRT to undertake a clean up to clear the toll island on the New Main Line beneath the Engine Arm aqueduct near Smethwick. Emails were sent out, a date agreed and 11 hardly volunteers turned up at 9.30am on Saturday 26th October at Brasshouse Lane to meet Steve and unload the CRT tools into the BCNS …

The BCNS website - old and new

The new BCNS website

The BCN is now 250 years old, the BCN Society 52 years, and the BCNS website is a few years old. We do our best to make the BCN a better place, so it was about time to do the same for our website. “Black satanic mills” does not describe the BCN of today. The BCN of today is, in …

BCNS Explorer Cruise 2019

Some said it was madness. Others warned of spending a week in the weed hatch – or worse. But my recent experience of a Birmingham Canals Society Explorer Cruise actually resulted in one of the most enjoyable weeks I have had for some time.  Yes, time was spent in the weed hatch for everyone – in my case picking up …

The BCNS is now on Twitter!

You may be aware of our Facebook page, now we are on Twitter as well! As you might have guessed, the address is Twitter/bcnsociety, so you can reach us via @bcnsociety, or mention us via #bcnsociety on Twitter. We would like to keep the many Twitter users updated about our events, about what’s going on, about anything BCN really, including new …

Volunteers pulling a tyre out of the canal during Exec Volunteer Day 2019

Executive Cleanup at Factory Locks

On September 20, when staff and executives of SMT Volvo GB spent a (paid) day away from their normal work, for the Exec Volunteer Day 2019, to do something for the community, this time cleaning up a part of the BCN above and below Factory Locks. The event was organised by Cllr Chris Morgan, the organiser of the annual Big …

Ropes for tigers

Received quite an unusual email last week. Click on the photo to zoom an, and open the link – very unusual! Maybe you can help? Do you think some of the BCNS members would be interested in donating any unusable boat rope to a good cause?We have recently approached by Shepreth Wildlife Park looking for old used rope for their …

NCS workgroup on the Titford Canal during the July 2019 BCNS and National Citizen Service weekend

Report: BCNS and National Citizen Service weekends

BCNS hosted an induction and a work party for eleven 16 year olds from the National Citizen Service over the last 2 weekends. They were all from the Smethwick area but had little or no knowledge of the canals around them. The induction takes place at the Pump House and is an introduction for the teenagers about the canals and …

Brownshill Canalside Festival 2019

The BCN society has its first rally in Brownhills over the weekend of the 18/19th May 2019. The event was based along the extensive canal frontage to Silver Street with stalls and trading boats plus historic craft and over 40 visiting narrowboats. The location was not without its challenges with double yellow lines and a new fence making access to the …