Monday 17 October 2016

Monday 17/10. Milton, Caldon Canal to Wedgewood Pottery, Barlaston, Trent & Mersey Canal

Did a bit better this morning and we cast off at 8.45. We had 4 miles of cruising to reach Etruria Junction.  Passed these old bottle kilns, all that remains of the Hanley potteries and with modern housing encroaching on three sides.


Cast iron footbridge at Hanley Park


Bedford Staircase Locks,mat the top lock looking down into the bottom lock


Aqua Life coming out of the top lock and into the bottom lock


And coming in to moor at the Etruria services block.



Where Lawrence showered in the services block while I hogged the shower on board while filling with water.  After which we turned left at the junction, back onto the Trent and Mersey Canal and, after a bit of hovering straight into another lock. A very deep one, once the water had been let out. 


With the gates opened by the volunteer lockies, we were ready to exit


We encountered loads of boats today, which made the lock work easy


The old Etruscan Bone and Flint Mill at Twyford Lock, Stoke on Trent


And on the other side of Twford Lock (no.38) it was nice to see that 'Patch' was still there.


We pulled over for lunch after going through the five locks after the junction.mthemmooring was entirely unsalubrious, but the lunch prepared by our resident Masterchef, Tim, was hot, fresh and delicious and much appreciated. While we dined the sun won the weather battle and the clouds and occasional showers disappeared.

We'd had overcast, we'd had drizzle, we'd had rain and now we had sunshine







Good oh, our last lock for the day will be ready for us


We stopped for the day about 10mins after going through the lock. We are moored up opposite the Wedgewood Factory which moved here from its former site at Etruria in 1940. A visit is on the agenda for tomorrow morning.

Our dinner last night at the Spice Exchange proved a great success. Mike was very brave and discovered that foreign food doesn't kill you. He tried everything we ordered and discovered two dishes he really enjoyed; the same two dishes the four of us voted the best.

Tonight L is cooking chicken surprise, he has been cooking for 20 mins and I just asked him what he was making and he said her didn t know yet, So it will be a surprise to him as well!


















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