Hello Kathryn. Quite an adventure! I'm envious of your experience in Birmingham, but not so much in the canal. I wonder if you're a fan of the series 'Peaky Blinders' - set in Birmingham in the early 1900s. It is a must see - Cillian Murphy is superb. Judging by that show, there have been much more interesting things than garbage bags and bicycles in those canals! Have fun...