Moored just below B104 at Trentham last night. Only the second boat to arrive but were later joined by another 6 or 7. Incredibly peaceful mooring, no night sounds or light pollution.
We awoke to the sound of rain on the roof of TM, but within an hour the rain stopped and we made progress through Stoke on Trent. It turned out we had moored just around the corner from the Wedgwood Estate.
Lock 35 posed a problem: mum swan with 8 cygnets - mum came onto the bank ensuring Jan and Spot in fast retreat until I alighted with boat hook to threaten mum back onto the water. We passed through gates non-attacked!
The approach to Stoke from Trentham was much more rural than expected, even the incinerator at the A50 junction looked good. I include a photo of the incinerator because I passed it everyday on my way to work at the lab in Stoke.
The photo below records a very special moment. For five years I commuted to Stoke. Every day I would look across as I went down the A500 slip road and see a brief view of the T&M canal before mixing with the traffic. I remember thinking every day, "I wonder what it would be like to have a boat on that canal?" Today I looked back from the stern of Tilly May on the T&M canal to the same slip road. My God it feels good!
Neither of us were looking forward to the journey through Stoke on Trent. We expected it to be like Nuneaton only bigger. How wrong we were. The passage was fascinating and quite pretty most of the trip. History of the industrialised area is so evident, most of which would be missed by car but appears to be being improved on the canal-side of the city.
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| Jan sat overlooking Westport Lake |
We were told today that the Caldon Canal was closed for a few days because the police were having a pound drained to look for a video camera that was evidence in a death.
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