Froghall community day.

After a sunny start to the day the showers finally arrived Wednesday evening. By this time we were moored for the night at the start of the Leek Branch of the Caldon. Before the showers hit us we had walked down the locks on the main line of the Caldon which drop the canal
25ft 10ins from Hazelhurst Junction to take it under the Leek Branch on it's way to Froghall. Passing under the aqueduct which carries the Leek Branch we came to the Holly Bush pub where we were to meet Pamela , Nathan and Archie on Friday evening. Carrying on passed the pub we walked as far as the Deep Hayes Country Park before turning back to retrace our steps to the aqueduct only this time we climbed the steps and returned to the boat along the Leek Branch. The morning of Thursday saw us complete the two and a half mile down this very picturesque branch of the canal to moor at it's terminus just outside Leek. We didn't actually find the town centre but did some shopping at the local Morrisons. While there I spent a short time talking to one of the men that crew the narrow boat Beatrice which gives needy and disabled children a chance to experience the canals.
Heavy showers greeted us on Friday morning, however we had to travel back to Hazelhurst Junction then down the locks to the Holly Bush pub. The wettest part of the trip was while we were descending the locks. In the evening our quests arrived leaving their car in the pub car park for the weekend, this was by arrangement with the landlord and included booking a table for our return on Monday afternoon. Cruising down to Froghall on Saturday was a damp affair due to short sharp showers, but we finally moored for the night just before the Froghall tunnel. This tunnel is only about five foot high and at the last lock before the tunnel you go under a gage to see if you can pass through it. We failed mainly because of the boxes on top of the boat, although the cratch and the solar panels my have been a little wide.
Sunday was the day of the Froghall Community Day a fund raising event for the Caldon and Uttoxeter Canal Trust and the Beatrice Charity. It was a small but interesting event. Afterwards we walked down to the Churnet Valley Railway where Nathan and Archie went for a ride on the steam train. Around three o clock we started back up the canal on the return leg of our journey. At Consall Forge I took some photo's of doublefracture passing the Black Lion pub, this is the pub on one of our place mats. Unfortunately we missed getting the train in the photo like the place mat. We stopped at Cheddleton to look round the Flint Mill on Monday morning having moored for the night at Wood's Lock. Alas the mill wasn't open that day. Once again it was a showery day when we arrived back at the Holly bush where we moored than had a pleasant meal before Pamela, Nathan and Archie went home.
After a pleasant but showery bank holiday Marlene and I left the Holly Bush one Tuesday morning we climbed the Hazelhurst locks in rain before mooring at Park Lane for lunch, then down the Stockton Brook flight and mooring for the night just below Engine lock.
Today was washing day so we are still at the same mooring for tonight. Tomorrow we will arrive back at Etruria, after that, well that will be the subject of my next posting.