Tuesday 21st November Day 122
((before Peachy starts this will be a long blog so I suggest you make yourself a Bailey with ice and settle down)) Today we are ready to cruise. It’s funny how we are getting the ‘feeling’ to move. We absolutely loved mooring up in Stone, it’s a really lovely market town and we will be back on the return journey and possibly even some little cruises over winter from the marina to here and then maybe down the Staffs and Worcester canal to Penkridge. Another place we like. Being central at Great Haywood Marina gives us lots of options and lots of different canals to explore, weather permitting.
Anyway, off we go and it’s a little move of the boat as we moor up opposite M&S which is more or less on the canal side, so we can fill with water before the first lock of the day; Star Lock, next to the Star Inn (pub) which is in the Guinness book of records for having the most amount of different levels. There is another water point further along at the boat facilities we need to stop at but you know the golden rule! ((Never let Peachy run out of coffee?)) No, not that one but it’s a good one. If you see a water point then fill up. All very well waiting for the next one further up but what if that’s broken or someone else is on the waterpoint – which does happen!
It’s generally a busy day for boats and I’m not surprised since it’s a lovely day, not windy and about 11 degrees in the sun. It was a very pleasant temperature, especially when warming up doing the locks.
Water filled, I make a coffee as today I’ve already said is only 3 miles but 8 locks in quick order so no time to make one in-between. I wander up to set the lock at the pub and Chris cruises the boat into the lock. First lock done. I walk ahead again and let him finish closing the lock gate as I go and set Yard Lock. This is where the statue is for Christina who I suppose is famous on the canals for being the first recorded murder on the cut by working boatmen in 1839! ((not really something you want to be famous for!)) She’d been on her way from Liverpool to London to join her husband and for some reason got a lift on a working boat and the rest is history! There is also mention of Hoo Mill Lock which we have been through a few times! Very sad. I naturally get chatting as another boater comes along so I hop back and board and he gets the lock set ready for his boat.
We quickly arrive at the services and there is a boat already there so we sort of pull into the side and wait until they are finished before doing ours and then as the lock is straight ahead I go and set that one. There really is no rest on this little stretch as they as so close together. One of the paddles is broken on this lock; Newcastle Road Lock so it takes a little longer to empty, ready for us to go in. There has been a few boats coming and going so it wasn’t set in our favour. Another boat came along so again, we had the standard natter about living aboard etc. Most of the people we have met today have their boats in a marina but don’t live on them full time like us. They have a luxury of a bath to go back to. ((Make no wonder you take so long to get anywhere you never stop talking. I thought it was quite funny when the woman told you to open the paddle – amateur!)) Hey, rude, I forgot as I was talking, I’d open the ground paddle but not the lock one as was too busy nattering!
Next lock is Lime Kiln Lock. I don’t think anything eventful happened but at this point I cannot really remember. Maybe I should edit my vlogs before I fill this in so I remember what happened! Through the lock and it’s about 11.15am so we decide to find a spot to moor up for an early lunch. We’ve been on the go since about 8.30am and with another 4 locks ahead I need some food.
Noodles and bread consumed we arrive at Meaford Bottom Lock, which is the first of this flight of four and as I wander to get the lock ready I see it almost full and another boat is just going down in the next lock so rather than empty it I fill it a little bit more and open the gate so they can cruise straight in. It adds a bit more time to our journey but we are not in a rush and the lock was in their favour and those are the rules. They are very grateful and ((Don’t tell me, you stop and natter!)) well of course. Turns out their boat home is Great Haywood Marina and she tells me all about the Wedgwood estate area we are aiming to visit and a few other walks which I know we will enjoy. I think we will know plenty of people when we get into the Marina, although like I said most of the people we have met don’t have them as their full time home. Once their boat is out and ours is in, I walk up to the next lock and with great teamwork we are soon out the second lock; Meaford House Lock and then I walk the short distance to Meaford Road Lock which is simply beautiful. We have been treated to blazing sunshine and bright blue skies since we set off from lunch and it’s glorious.
Again, the next lock is straight ahead so I go and set that whilst Chris closes the lock gate. These ones are tricky to open as were some on another lock but honestly the mechanisms have been so easy, even one-handed windlassing for me! ((It’s all that pie you eat!)) Meaford Top Lock done and just like that the eight locks are done.
We then cruise under approximately 6 bridges where we spot a kingfisher chilling on a branch on the canal. Wonderful to see and then we moor up just past Neil Morrissey pub. We put the cratch covers back up before wandering to the postoffice nearby to send the item I needed to send in Stone. Then it back to the boat. We are both quite tired as it was nearly 2ish when we stop. Lunch was only a 20 min pit stop so we have been cruising and locking for maybe 5 hours ((Oh poor you. Such a hard life you have)) well who needs a gym membership on days like this. We get the fire lit and I relax watching a bit of tele and set a vlog I’d created to upload to YouTube whilst I’m doing that as I can never only do one thing.
It’s 6.15pm now and I’ve just finished updating this as we all know I will forget if I don’t. We are about to watch a film. Tomorrow, I need to create a 2 min video for my publisher whose advertising Power of Nature to some corporate companies. It’s a good job I’ve got used to the camera although creating a promo is a whole different level. Tomorrow will probably cruise a bit more and go and look at the Wedgewood pottery factory and I have washing to do which is always better when cruising.
Once again, it’s lovely to be on a new stretch of new canal, meeting new people and having adventures!
Until tomorrow… x ps. Time for a Baileys!! ((we’ve all had a litre bottle reading that lot! Hiccup!)) Wordcount: 1,665 Total: 25,210 miles: 3 locks: 8 ((Three miles and it took you all that time?? You need to crank it more and stop talking. You might have a chance of cruising the network before you have to turn into the undead to finish it!))
C.L. Peache 