Sunday 30 August 2015

Icons of Stoke part 2- A Short Hop



Farewell to Etruria for this year, I expect you will see us again next year. This photo shows the extent of Trev's "U" turn , the boat on the left is heading towards the lock.



Next stop - a new gas bottle- and still at last years price - we have one happy Yorkie!!!!


Festival Park Marina - one of the enduring remains of the Festival Gardens inisutive of the 1980


Then its the new....


complimenting the old.


Middleport Pottery has been re-inventing itself and looks a lot better than when we first started passing through.


Welcoming all narrowboats!!!


More new....


and Longport Wharft where we have stopped for diesel in the past.


Moored at Westport and all ship shape - there's a Poppy coming to visit you know!!!!

Thursday 27 August 2015

Icons of Stoke-on-Trent


No blog on Stoke-on-Trent would be complete without a photo of  Wedgwood, the visitor centre is a "living museum, art gallery, gift shop, cinema, displays by skilled craftsmen and a Tea room", all within walking distance to Bridge 104 where we moored last night.  We must make a point of visiting.


Trev bobbing about while I set the first lock of the day at Trentham.  The gardens are approximately one mile west of bridge 106.



Now this set me off on a rant this morning.  We have seen umpteen signs similar to this on our travels this year.  Why is the government so insistent of filling in our green spaces when it is clearly not what the country wants!!!!


Like many heavily industrialised regions, The Potteries have passed through a period of transition and from time to time you come upon examples of the area's most potent symbol, the bottle kiln.


Stoke Bottom Lock, the first in a flight of  five which take us up fifty feet.


The fascination of this lock has yet to wear off - it fills from just below the cill and every now and again the water is forced up like a fountain.


This extra sign warning the unsuspecting boater.


Hard to believe we are getting close to the town centre....


and closer to home.


The present paying homage to the past.


Plenty of moving boats lends to another easy day on the locks with plenty of 'one in one out' giving excellent water conservation.


This dragon fly had been attached to this chaps t-shit for ten minutes!!!



The small arm below lock 39 has all the ingredients of a compelling canalscape.


Trev waiting for the lock.


At Etruria Junction making a "U" turn onto the Caldon Canal...


where we moor to use the 'facilities'.


With our friend 'Brindley' to watch over us we decide this is our resting place for the night.

5 miles 6 locks 3 hours

Wednesday 26 August 2015

Stone to Trentham


Trev  'casting off '( No Prunella to do it here!!!!) while I walk on to set the first lock of the day.

Another random boat name we like and with the registration displaying the C&RT logo.  Trev had remarked he hadn't see one so this is for you Trev. 







There are four locks to take us through Stone, we are only doing 3 then plan to moor.  The Star pub overlooks the first one, a visit is recommended.


View from the pub.


We also discovered what that thud was last night!!! Oh the joys of cruising in the summer holidays!!


These locks are deeper than most on the narrow canals - their average rise is about 10 feet


By bridge 94, an enigmatic female sculpture commemorates Christina Collins, who met an untimely end on the Trent and Mersey Canal in 1839


Passing Canal Cruising Co. who very kindly helped us out two years ago when we had electrical problems.  The are the oldest family owned hirer's on the 'system'


A cheeky Mr Heron who stayed put as we cruised by.


Still quaintly sign written, the former ale stores of Joule's Brewery.


Do love bridges that come with boat horse tunnels.


That's us moored for Tuesday and Trev is much happier now he had removed the egg from the roof.



We had a late start this morning waiting out the rain but that didn't stop the gardeners!!!


Stone locks are soon followed by another flight of four, climbing up the valley to Meaford.


With plenty of boats coming down our passage up was quite easy.



Spot of by -wash cleaning going on here!!



Approaching Barlaston and these lovely canal side properties.


We are now moored before bridge 104 at Trentham and this is our view from the side hatch.

Its the assault on Stoke tomorrow.