Darby End is about four miles from where we live in Halesowen.....our son lan often takes his three boys for walks along the canals , there is always something going on , and lots to see along the banks of the canals........
The following piece was written by my Nephew Paul at the tender age of sixteen......
The Dudley Council opened the Dudley - Kidderminster tunnel , linking a canal which used to transport coal to Dudley and Tipton iron works......
The two mile tunnel was opened to the public early in 1974 , and there was an old barge in which people could experience Legging.....and life on the canal in general......
l was to experience this along with several others , we began our journey one Saturday morning at the Kidderminster entrance , the two mile journey began......we left the bird song behind and entered the tunnel , the only sound we heard was that of water dripping from the roof of the tunnel.......
The silence was shattered , by a deep voice asking who would like to experience Legging , l raised my hand , helped by one of the guides , l lay on my back on the plank of wood , held hands with the other volunteers , placed my feet on the slippery surface of the wall of the tunnel and began walking sideways , keeping in time with the other voluteers legging on the other side of the barge.........
After fifteen minutes my back began to tingle from lying on the hard boards and my legs began to weaken and l soon quit......l now realised the hard work involved in legging, but l enjoyed the experience of it......
l have lived in the Black Country area for most of my life , not caring or knowing about its history , until these past years... l now realise there is a lot more to the Black Country apart from the iron works , mines ,chimmney stacks spewing forth smoke , and the rows of terraced houses all surviving under a great smog.....because just around the corner from all of this is the countryside , not only beautiful , but displaying even more history than the deeply industralised AREAS .........Paul Crew.....16 years......
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