Sunny intervals with showers, some heavy

An early (for us) start today as we didn't want to be making the sharp left turn out of the Caldon  when it was busy.  We needn't have worried - we saw only one boat moving in the first 2 hours and when we finally reached the junction it was deserted.


From then on, lady luck smiled on us and at each of the 5 locks leading down out of Stoke another boat was waiting to come up, so progress was smooth.  Wish we could have said the same about the weather.  If "getting an anorak on and off at speed" were an Olympic sport, we'd both be gold medallists.


I'm not sorry to have left Stoke behind - yes, there's a lot of "regeneration" going on - a lot of it desirable residences for people who no doubt mainly work in service industries because, as the remaining dereliction shows, the manufacturing industries that made the city are all but gone. But the general air (to me at least) is one of despondency.

It's not all bad though -

The statue is of James Brindley (1716-1772), one of the great engineers of Britain's canals.



After more dodging of showers, some pretty heavy, we finally decided to moor early at a pleasant spot just north of Barlaston.  The railway is close, but we can barely hear it, and Wimbledon is on the telly.


11 miles, 10 locks, 2 lift bridges

Wildlife:  mostly ducks, 1 moorhen which had cleverly incorporated a plastic carrier bag into its nest

PS We now have 7 tomatoes