Having spent a quiet Tuesday night moored near the Wedgewood Factory, we set off at our usual 'not too early' time the next morning, aiming to reach Stone where we could do a food shop, return Mike's 'too big' waterproof he'd picked up further back and I could collect the other size of the one I'd ordered. It was uneventful, a bit foggy, cool and no other boats until we hit Stone itself, where it felt like we'd come onto the M25 of the Inland Waterways, with queues at the locks and boats going in both directions!
 |
| Looking back to the wharf at Stone. |
We moored right in the town centre, just a few minutes walk from an excellent butcher and the Coop, also visiting Morrisons to replenish our pie stock. We then had a quiet night in, watching some tv. Yes, that's right. I said, "Watching some tv." You may recall (if you've had the stamina to read previous posts) that we've been having a serious lack of tv signal for the last few months. Well, on our last evening on the Caldon, we were moored up where we'd been moored before and had got a signal, but we couldn't get one :( In a fit of frustration tantrum, I flicked at the tv with my foot, and a picture appeared!!! I swear, I did only flick it, it's not stable enough to be kicked - I mean physically stable, not mentally - tho' maybe mentally as well....... "I knew it!!" I said between gritted teeth, "It's the bloody connection, not the f@ckin' signal!!". Mike responded with his usual, "Yes darling." and left me tampering with the connection. I removed the connector and stuck the copper wire straight in, and lo!!!! Suddenly we had 61 bloody stations to choose from! And yet.... there was still nothing to watch..... Anyway, a new connector later and we've had tv everynight since :) Such is my delight at this novelty, that while Mike's been at work today, I've watched, Homes Under the Hammer, Escape to the Country (two episodes), oh, and two episodes of Frasier. Don't tell Mike.
Anyway, back to the travel story; we left Stone on Thursday heading for Great
Haywood, with plans to visit Shugborough Hall, which we hadn't had time to do
(more 'no time' Neil ;) ) when we came up this way in the summer.
 |
| Had the strangest feeling of being watched going down the lock at The Star in Stone. |
 |
| Coming through Bridge 82 which signalled our 2000th mile since we started!!! |
En route we clocked up our 2000th mile on the cut :) since setting off from Weedon on 24 June 2014. We moored up just above Haywood Lock and settled down for the evening to plan our visit to Shugborough Hall the next day. Not only did we find it is now shut for the season, but because the National Trust lease it out to Staffordshire County Council, we'd have had to pay to get in even though we are NT members!!! We were really disappointed as it looks great, but our spirits were lifted when we made arrangements to go out on Friday with Chyrelle and Sam from NB Calon Lan, who we met and travelled with for a few days on the Weaver this summer. We had a great night with them eating, drinking and talking boats and anything else that came to mind. We'd also got the news of a new baby on Friday, our friends Viv and Neil welcomed their first-born son Edward into the world - soooo happy for them, he's a wee cutie!!! :)
The next morning was absolutely chucking it down, so we sat tight until just after 12 or so when the rain lightened up then stopped.
 |
| Coming out of Haywood lock and the rain into the sunshine |
 |
| Leaves hanging in there to look pretty for another day or so |
 |
| Another of Brindley's feats of engineering taking us over the River Mersey |
We arrived at Rugeley late afternoon, after filling up with diesel at the fuel boat Dexta, which is a moored fuel boat on a farm, and very cheap - 60p a litre! The following morning saw us top up at the local Morrisons again with the stuff we'd forgotten to buy at Stone, and late morning headed for Fradley Junction. Although the Trent & Mersey isn't the prettiest of canals, there are some really pretty bits, but also lots of interest along the way. This next section took us past one of my favourites....... The Armitage Shanks factory :) My obsession with toilets/toilet talk was rendered silent in reverence as we passed the yards full of toilets. Hundreds of toilets. All stacked up, pallet after pallet...
 |
| Pretty autumn scene, with Armitage Shanks in the distance |
 |
| Stacks of toilets..... |
 |
| Stacks and stacks of toilets..... |
 |
| Some lucky toilets are going on a trip!!! |
I'm sure it had nothing to do with all the toilets on view, but shortly after, our black tank began to exude it's usual "I'm getting quite full" odour, so we stopped in at Kings Bromley marina for a pump out. Our gauge for the sh!t tank has never worked properly, so we just have to go by length between pump-outs and smell, which is really crap..... ;) The wind had really got up by the time we were leaving the marina pump-out station, making it tricky to wind Quaintrelle round and of course, we just had to meet another boat trying to turn into the 'one boat-width' entrance as we were coming out, but Mike steered her well and we left with no drama. I think the other boat got stuck by the wind onto the side, but I was too scared to look back.... :(
We arrived at Fradley Junction and turned onto the Coventry canal - our last new section for this year. We've done the southern part of the Coventry, but not this wee northern section.
Mike left me home alone this morning to go to work for a couple of days, and the boat is in my favourite state; full of diesel, full of water and empty of sh!t ;)
 |
| Quaintrelle remembering with her poppy at Fradley Junction |
Oh, if you were wondering (I know, it's a big 'if', you're probably not in the least bit interested even if you remembered it from the start of the blog!), the other size of waterproof I'd ordered; they sent the wrong bloody size!!! The label said Medium but the jacket was a teenytiny XtraSmall!!! So it got sent back in the package with Mike's giant one and I've kept the Small I ordered originally as they have none left now :( Anyway, it fits fine and kept me lovely and dry in the heavy rain on Thursday. I just can't bulk up underneath as much as I think I might need to on very cold days - we'll see.
And with that, I'm off, Pointless will be coming on........Next Week, we're having a bath in Bath and scrubbing up for someone's nuptials (Ali & Rich!) - wooohoooooooo!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment