To Stone

Above, new armco and repaired bank between lock 34 and lock 33

We made our way down from Barlaston to Stone this morning and are now moored up on the Town moorings.  Lunch in The Star, two meals for £8, a result.  We had called into Stone Boat Building to buy a couple of bags of coal and another vacuum cassette for the loo.  We are now have three cassettes aboard so that safely takes us to twelve days before we need a sanitation point. Well that's enough of that.. Moving quickly on. 
Streethay are coming out to see Caxton again on Wednesday to discuss dinette options and costs?  We have had the costing for the bow stretch and have tentatively agreed to that but we need to bottom the remaining costs and then pin them down to a timeslot. Maybe Wednesday's meeting will provide some clarity. There again, maybe not.

Caxton moored on the Town moorings in Stone

A small but nevertheless significant question - Why has it taken me 14 months to realise that a longer cracked windlass is much easier to use?  Answers on a postcard...

A day of rest at Barlaston

Caxton moored at Barlaston

We were greeted this morning by a very hard frost and a crystal blue sky again - lovely.  By the time I had emerged from bed and boat the sun had cleared the ice and it was time to walk the dogs.  I left himself doing some computer housekeeping and headed off through Barlaston village to the Down, a tract of wooded land now owned by the NT.  A couple of hours rambling about up there was just the ticket and by the time I arrived back at Caxton the boaty chores had also been completed and I could reach for a book and just chill.

This naked beech tree just looked fantastic in the bright sunshine.

Oh what a beautiful morning.. Oh what a beautiful day

'I have a wonderful feeling everything is going my way..'  OK, it's  NOT Oklahoma but there was not much wrong with Stoke-on-Trent this morning.  We moved off at 09.30 after I had wandered up through Victorian back2backs to the nearest corner shop selling newspapers and milk.  The first chap I met to ask directions  to a newspaper shop from was from London though he had lived in the Potteries for nine years.

We winded and watered again at the Etruria services before starting to descend the five Stoke locks. Watery sunshine and the remnants of an early morning frost kept us company as we journeyed.  No boats about and surprisingly, no fishermen either.

 As it  got towards late morning on the towpath I encountered hoards of the Stoke City fans making their way to the Brittania stadium - today's game was against Wigan apparently and it seemed that the whole of Trentham was on the move towards the stadium!

Caxton steams off into the distance.

We are now moored at Barlasten close to the Wedgewood works with the following views from our side hatch -- can't be bad.

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A real winter's morning

We left our mooring on Poole Aqueduct, at the start/end of the Macclesfield canal this morning at 9am and gently made our way through the early morning fog towards the moorings at the Harecastle Tunnel.  It was a very cold start but the bonus of a cold snap is much less mud on boot and dog!

Here we are awaiting the arrival of the BW tunnel keeper.  As soon as Caxton and Matilda Rose dissappeared into the tunnel Jill and I and the four dogs started our journey, up and over the top.  There were only our two boats booked to go through and they were through and out the other side - some 37mins - before we had completed our hike over.  We watered both boats at the south end of the tunnel and then set off to Etruria and our overnight mooring.  I walked with Fletcher and Floyd all the way so I am feeling quite pleased with myself and the dogs are both comatose in their beds.

Here Caxton is moored just past the museum at Etruria, the museum that I wanted to see and the museum that closed on the 6th December for the winter - bugger. 

Above, one of our neighbours here at Etruria.

And in the left corner..

On Wednesday evening we were invited to David and Linda's home in Scholar Green for dinner, gin tasting and a game of Who wants to be a Millionaire?  The dinner was excellent the gin was superb and the game had the womens team winning a million and thrashing the men - what more could you want? 
What's that?
Me, competitive, surely not...

Wait and see

I have spoken to Streethay and we will have their estimates for work on Caxton tomorrow.   And tomorrow, we move off from our mooring here at Scholar Green to Kidsgrove; we are booked to go through the Harecastle Tunnel Friday morning.  We plan to moor at Etruria over the weekend and hopefully I will get the chance to visit the museum and grinding mill - if they are open that is.

Porkers

We left Dane Aqueduct yesterday morning and headed for Congleton where we moored for a couple of hours to allow Jill and I to do some Christmas shopping. That done we pulled pins again and headed down towards the outskirts of Scholar Green where we are now.    This morning while Joe was changing the gearbox oil I washed the side of Caxton, and made some soup and cleared out some cupboards.  

Chores done it was time to take the dogs out for a walk.  We headed up the hill towards Mow Cop and then off towards Great Moreton Hall where we came across these pigs. 

Are they Lincolnshire Curly Coats or Kune Kune perhaps?  Does anyone recognise the breed?