Ever upwards through Stoke on Trent

There was time to pop along to the filling station and Londis store to get a paper before we set off just after half seven this morning. It being my turn to steer, Sheila worked Trentham Lock and we set out on the longish plod to and through Stoke. The weather was grey but not actually raining and reasonably calm.

By the time we’d had a coffee the batteries were well on their way to being recharged and there was a sufficiency of hot water in the calorifier. Accordingly, Sheila started a washload which was rinsing when we reached the first of the Stoke Locks. A boat was just emerging and we had the rest of them mostly with us.

It’s two hours from Barlaston to Stoke Bottom and another 45 minutes or so to the top. I had to hang about on the towpath above the top lock whilst a hire boat came past and went off along the Caldon, then I backed Sanity Again into the wide area by the junction and winded her, reversing again to finish up on the towpath once more only now facing the way we want to go in the morning.

For those who don’t know this part of the system, the junction between the Trent and Mersey and the Caldon is just above Etruria Top and very acute in such a way as to favour boats heading south.

It’ll make Sheila’s task much easier in the morning to be facing back the way we’ve come.

We’ve had a quietish afternoon, watching boats come up the locks or head down them. We’re the only narrowboat here tonight, though you often see boats tied around here; there’s a GRP cruiser tied a bit further back towards the marina.

Tomorrow, we’ll go a bit of the way up the Caldon, shop at Milton and tie above Engine Lock, probably. The Campbells on Waimaru are heading this way from Middlewich and we’ll wait for them to catch up so as to share some cruising.