Forgetting myself at Bratch Locks
“Saint Peter in satin he’s like Buddha with Mace”.
I first ventured to “Bratch Locks” during my infamous canal walking Summer of 2022 and have now returned many times since. It’s small, quaint, brilliantly British, a stunning feat of engineering and has been a perfect start and end point to many of my ambles along the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. Quoting from the official website below:
“The Bratch is the perfect spot for a family afternoon of exploring the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal’s history and local wildlife. Take a walk along the towpath and admire the historic bridge and Bratch pumping station, or spot the locks, originally built as a staircase”.
A staircase!
"Bratch Locks" from the official Canal River Trust website
Quoting from the same website (now above)
“Bratch Locks were planned by James Brindley, the famous canal engineer, and opened in 1772. The two bridges, toll house and lock keeper’s cottage, all built in mellow brick, make it a favourite spot for artists, as well as walkers, anglers and bird spotters”.
Originally opened as a staircase set of three locks, Bratch Locks were later engineered into three separate locks and whether it’s the white ornate railings that beautifully protect and separate the lock from the bridge or the Georgian era Toll House at the top, this is yet another tiny piece of beautiful on the English canals. I have ambled through here on a baking heatwave afternoon, seen a procession of boats awaiting their fate and the navigation of the three locks, admired the horses in the field behind the top lock and even watched a game of cricket at a local club on the other side of the canal.
I’ve walked a good chunk of the 46 miles that constitute this stretch of the canal network and Bratch Locks is a beauty.
As I listened to “Leaders of the Free World” by Elbow as I travelled to the canal, it’s track 3 to which we turn and their wonderful song “Forget Myself”. As is customary here, the lyrics will accompany the pictures taken today. I was first introduced to the band from Bury near Manchester in the mid 2000’s and indeed this very album by a beautiful lady who single handed is largely responsible for a distinct rise in my appreciation of music outside of the boundaries of my one true love, Radiohead. My son is incredibly lucky to call that beautiful lady his Mum. So I naturally bought the albums missed to date (“Asleep in the Back” and “Cast of Thousands”) and was ready for the explosion and impact their album “The Seldom Seen Kid” would have in 2008 with prominent songs An audience with the Pope, Grounds for Divorce and especially the sing-along crowd pleaser One Day Like This. I love their 2011 album “Build A Rocket Boys!”, ADORE 2019’s “Giants of All Sizes” and I have two albums (“The Take Off and Landing of Everything” and “Little Fictions”) absent from my collection.
I’ve seen Elbow only once live and on a magical night at Liverpool Arena when they were promoting their “The Seldom Seen Kid” album. Incredible night. Incredible joint energy between fan and band.
So here’s Bratch Locks and Elbow’s “Forget Myself” to accompany you on this pictorial stroll.
I hope you enjoy.
“They’re pacing Piccadilly in packs again
And moaning for the mercy of a never come rain
The sun’s had enough and the simmering sky
Has the heave and the hue of a woman on fire
Shop shutters rattle down and I’m cutting the crowd
All scented and descending from the satellite towns
The neon is graffiti singing make a new start
So I look for a plot where I can bury my broken heart
No I know I wont forget you but I’ll forget myself if the city will forgive me”
“The man on the door has a head like Mars
Like a baby born to the doors of the bars
And surrounded by steam with his folded arms
He’s got that urban genie thing going on
He’s so mercifully free of the pressures of grace
Saint Peter in satin he’s like Buddha with mace
No I know I wont forget you but I’ll forget myself if the city will forgive me”
“Do you move through the room with a glass in your hand?
Thinking too hard about the way you stand
Are you watching them pair off and drinking them long?
Are you falling in love every second song?
No I know I wont forget you but I’ll forget myself and the city will forgive me”
Thanks for reading.
It's even nicer close up.
That makes the Rideau Canal in Ottawa seem small by comparison.