Yesterday we stayed put in Barleston. It was a mainly sunny and dry day but we decided to visit the Wedgwood Outlet and have a generally leisurely day off from cruising. Spoilt ourselves and purchased a Stuart Crystal decanter and some matching wine glasses and goblets (all at discounted prices of course). The bottle of wine we opened last night tasted much better out of a decanter!
Today we made an early start in bright sunshine. Too much TV last night watching the new Downton Abbey series had drained our batteries and the flashing fridge light showed we needed to recharge quickly! We made steady progress up Trentham Lock following and assisting a single hander. Then along the four mile pound through Hem Heath and passed the Britannia stadium into Stoke where we climbed the five deep locks up to Etruria Junction. Here we executed a right hand hairpin turn onto the Caldon Canal and stopped at the services by the BW yard. Moved onto moorings outside the Industrial Museum for lunch before tackling the staircase and on through Hanley Park. At Planet Lock Bridie went to the local shop (an Asian Halal supermarket) for milk and sundries.
As the afternoon wore on it got depressingly grey although we were still dry and there was no wind. Onwards through new housing developments where the old pottery factories once had canal wharves to Ivy House Lift Bridge. No problem here today, we have only passed one boat moving and two moored up. Once we were thirteenth in the queue for this bridge when it failed and required attention from BW. Moored just below Engine lock about 5:30 after 9 locks and ten miles ready for dinner.
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