The lost ball of Smethwick Locks

Smethwick Top Lock, 3:30pm Jan 13th 2007.

So there I was, taking a picture of the top lock at dusk, and a couple of kids were throwing stones at the chimney of the old toll house.  The chimney cowl looked damaged, although it probably wasn't them, but I seethed inside at their vandalism.   

Being the interfering type, I went over and gently chided them.  It's stood there 100 years or more, doing you no harm.  Don't damage it, there's good boys.   

Please mister, our ball's up there, we're trying to get it down. 

I moved around the building, and sure enough, their football had got lodged in the armpit of the chimney and they were simply trying to dislodge it and get it back.

I went back down to Granny (nestling in the old toll narrows on the main line, 20 feet below), and fetched my shaft, and managed to punt the ball out from behind the chimney.  They picked it up with a barely muttered 'thanks', and were gone.  But I was glad to have helped, and perhaps they'll remember a kind boater the next time they see a boat. They seemed nice kids really.

No, the kids shouldn't have thrown the stones, but I can understand their frustration, and in this case their vandalism was directed, not mindless.  They just wanted their ball back.  Who can blame them?  A hundred years ago, the lock-keeper would have had a keb nearby to help them.   Where's a keb now, when you need one?  Let alone a lock-keeper. 

What's a keb, you ask?  I'll define that when I can get one to photograph pulling kids' balls off.  Either off the roof if the ball's stuck, or off the kids themselves if there's no football and the vandalism is mindless.  But then again, the vandalism's probably mindless because there's no football.

Comments

[Paul (from Waterway Routes)]

No balls on the roof now, unfortunately.

http://ccgi.balmeradsl.plus.com/blog/2009/06/smethwick-toll-house/

[Andrew Denny]

Good point, a keb could puncture a ball. But I think the point is that it's got a very long handle and is something that a lockkeeper alway has to hand. And one could always use it with the tines pointing upwards instead of downwards.

[Andrew]

I think using a shaft is a better idea. Surely with a keb there's a risk of one or more the tines puncturing the ball?