Beyond Stoke on Trent.

Our first major city since Leicester, however Stoke on Trent is more open and modern. There are still a few old bottle kilns in evidence.There are five locks in the Stoke flight and when we arrived at the first there was a queue of three boats. We were informed that they had been there for an hour and a half. We arrived just as British waterways staff had just freed the bottom paddles on the bottom gates.Apparently a piece of wood had jammed them. So we took our turn and worked our way up the flight then stopped for lunch.
After lunch we pushed on toward the Harecastle Tunnel. On the way we past a boat yard with a lift bridge at the entrance. When we arrived at the tunnel we had a wait of about forty minutes while boats came in the opposite direction(this tunnel is only one boat wide). Harecastle Tunnel is 2926yds in lengh and it takes around forty minutes to go through it.
The water is a strange orange colour in this area due to a local ironstone strata.
Back in the sun shine we went up to Hardings Wood junction, where we turned left onto the Macclesfield Canal, although the canal then goes right Over the Trent and Mersey which has dropped down two locks. Just after this aqueduct we moored for the night. This has been our longest day for a week.

An eight lock day.

Today has seen us leave Stone and move to a mooring near the Wedgwood Pottery at Barlaston. There were four locks leaving Stone. The weather was warm but showery. At the third lock we met up with some people from Fox Narrowboats our old boat yard in March Cambridgeshire.
We had four more locks before stopping for lunch at Barlaston village. A small village but with a good selection of shops. It was a short trip after lunch to our over night mooring. Once moored we walked to the Wedgwood visitors centre which was just a short walk from the canal. As it was late afternoon we only had time to look round the shop. There was some lovely pottery but very expensive.
On the way back to the boat it started to rain, by the time we got back it was a full blown thunder storm. Looks like a night in with the tele. No pub to-night.
Sorry no pictures to-night a slow Internet connection.

Stone-A Canal Town.

After a pleasant weekend we left Weston-upon-Trent headed for Stone.We had two locks that morning, at the second it got quite busy. While waiting our turn I got talking to a man on the boat that was going up the lock. He told me that the Leeds and Liverpool canal had restricted movement because of water shortages. We had already heard that the Rochdale canal were having water problems(normal for the Rochdale). That leaves the Huddersfield Narrow, choices were getting smaller. In Stone we found a mooring just below Star lock and the adjacent Star Inn. Stone has had a canal since 1771 largely due to Josiah Wedgwood who wanted it to bring in raw materials and ship out his finished pottery. The Star Inn was fully licenced in 1819 although the building was there 200years prior to that. As a town it had most things we needed, a Laundrette, a large supermarket and a barber and hairdresser for Marlene. We took full advantage of them all.It was a quiet and peaceful Monday night.
Tuesday,we decided to stay in Stone for another day and night. In the morning we took a leisurely stroll round town, it was market day, not a large market but adequate. After lunch I prepared dinner then relaxed until we went to the Star to try the local brew, Well it wouldn't be polite not to,would it?
Just back from the Star, a quaint old fashioned pub, plenty of atmosphere.

Weekend Visitors.

Two and a half mile saw us moored with a great view of Shugborough Hall on Friday.It was Aarons last day with us,so we took a picnic into the grounds of the hall. The weather was kind to us and we played with a bat and ball. Just as we were getting back to the boat it started to rain.
We got up to more rain on Saturday morning. Around Lunch time Richard, Gill and the four Grandchildren arrived. It was too wet to go anywhere so the kids played games after lunch. At four o clock it was time for them to go but before they left we took the boat up through the next lock at Great Hayward. On entering the lock I discovered that my reverse was not working. This is a problem as it is my only way of stopping,I hit the top gate quite hard(well that stopped me). While the lock was filling I did some running repairs, it was a screw on the throttle lever that had come loose. From the top of the lock we went the short distance to Hayward Junction where we could top up our water and get rid of our rubbish.Before we had filled the water Richard, Gill and the kids walked back to their car and went home. We finished filling the water then set of for Weston upon Trent where my sister Jennifer and husband Malcolm were meeting us on Sunday morning. We hadn't traveled far when the engine over heated. Letting it cool we topped up with water and anti-freeze then continued on to Weston without further problem. I don't understand how we lost the engine water as I always check the level before starting the engine.
Waking Sunday morning we were surprised to see it was not raining, however before I'd cooked breakfast it was raining very heavy. At 11-15 Jennifer and Malcolm arrived. We had tea and coffee then at 0ne o clock we braved the rain and dashed to the Saracen's Head for lunch. It was a lovely meal and while we were there the rain finally stopped. Leaving the pub we took a walk round the village and later down the canal.It was nice having a weekend with visitors even if the weather let us down.

Follow the leader.

Tonight we are moored at Wolseley Bridge. We left Rugeley after having a look round the town, it was market day. As we headed out into the countryside we had boats in front and behind, quite a procession. The canal got quite shallow as we approached bridge 70 and we scraped the bottom a few times and slowed down even though the engine was racing. Thought I'd picked up some rubbish on the propeller. When we stopped I went into the weed hatch stuck my hand in the water until I touched the propeller but it was clear.
Lunch was had on the canal side in the sun. We then walked to the Wolseley Centre, this is a nature area with tracks to follow. As we rounded a corner in the track we came across a giant(see picture). It was a lovely afternoon Aaron found two small lizards under a rock. Over looking a tranquil pond there was this poem on a plaque. Very appropriate I thought.

Traffic Jam.

There is a nice nature reserve at Fradley Junction, so this morning we took a walk round the Lake. We all took binoculars including Aaron. He seemed to have a great time collecting feathers and looking at rabbits and birds. When he found a duck on a nest he went very close but still used the binoculars.
After doing the chores(filling up with water, getting rid of rubbish we approached the first lock of the day. At the top of this lock we encounted a queue for the next two. It it took about an hour and a half to do all three locks leaving the junction.
One off the problems is they allow boats to moor between the locks at the junction so you have to hold the boat mid river instead of at the rivers edge.
Finally we cleared Fradley an made our way to a mooring at Rugeley,For the first time since we left David and Viviene near Market Harborough we found a large supermarket A Morrison's to be precise, The rest of the time we have been shopping in village Co-ops. Good but limited choice. We have taken no photo,s today so I've used one of our roof garden and one of some duck we saw along the way, from our picture library.

Strange Boats, Strange Place names.

Five minutes after leaving our mooring we came to Barton Marina. It looked very modern, so we moored at their stop and shop mooring and went for a look. There were a selection of shops and a pub/restaurant. We were so impressed we went to the office to see if we could book a winter mooring. To our surprise we were told we could book one there and then, so we did.
On we went, at Wynchnor Bridges we finally got rid of the A38.We moored at Alrewas(pronounced Olrewus). While having our afternoon tea and coffee a strange shaped boat passed(see picture), it was so quiet it must have been electric powered. On top were two solar panels which supported this theory. We stayed at this mooring over night,anicequiet village mooring.
That was Monday,which I have written three times now but thanks to a bad signal it has taken three attempts to publish it.
Tuesday; Today Richard Gill Megan,Aaron and Duncan came to see us. We stayed at Alrewas for the day. had a walk round the village after lunch. Later we took them along the canal to the next lock so they could see how the lock works. Then Richard Gill, Megan and Duncan went home leaving Aaron with us until Saturday.
This evening we have moved up to Fradley Junction, where we went for a drink at the Swan Inn right on the junction. On the way there Aaron was helping with the lock gates, hes stronger than you'd think.