Yes Brum has changed a lot in that area - my youngest brother used to keep his narrowboat in Gas Street Basin until
he moved it rural down to Crick. Though the area has improved I think I prefer the peace and quiet of Crick. Spent
half the afternoon watching the kingfishers on the Grand Union Canal.
Geoff
remember tying up in a basin in brum, 1982, after we'd knocked the rudder off it's pintol,...........strode off to find the nearest hostelry and a bag of chips.....take this turn and that turn, you'll come across a big brick wall and a pub called the Acorn said a local walking his dog!.....oh said we...the Acorn.........sounds like a nice country pub.says one of the crew.......
the big brick wall was Winson Green high security prison, and the "country pub" the Acorn was the first port of call for long termers who had just been released, lol.
the pub was a perfect cocophany of noise and competition between the juke box, numerous gaming machines [ no doubt all illegal as they were giving cash prizes] and the TV blaring away the news of the Falklands war live as it happened.
when the asian brummy/irish accented landlord asked us what we were doing in the area, and we told him that we'd left our narrow boat at the canal he tutted through hissing teath.we knew we were in trouble..........we asked if the boat would be stolen......nah lad, they'll just sink it.
as one of the female crew commented.......the bog's not up to standard....there's only the sun for toilet paper.....not even folded telegraph...............you know, it was one of the best and freindliest nights that we ever had on the boat......and it was still there when we got back, lol