Trundling Back Along the Trent & Mersey

Crikey, where does the time go?  Here we are 11 days since my last entry and SOOOO much has happened, but I had so little pictures I thought I was going to have to put up one of these...

 But fear not, having dug around in my phone photos I've dug up a few.... So, what's happened since last entry?  Well, the clocks went back, November stepped forward and my dear friend Julie became a grandma to gorgeous Emily Rose - a cause for celebration - and we did.
However, I left you (and the boat) in the Festival Park Marina at Etruria last week and on Monday I took the train to Fife and Mike headed to work in Grantham.

Believe it or not, the cheapest fare I could get was a First Class Advance!!!  Which I took full advantage of.  I opened my mouth to ask for porridge and the words, "Full English Please" slipped out.....

 Back in Fife it was lovely to see my mum and my brother and nephew Alex who were up for a few days.  Sometimes Alex and I have too much time on our hands...

Mr D being made up as a military duck

I spent Thursday in Edinburgh, got my hair cut (lots of it, all gone - I was starting to feel like a middle-aged hippy....), did some shopping then met Julie to celebrate her new grand daughter.

Edinburgh Winter Skies - almost enough to make one homesick :(

 We had a great catch-up and on the way home I thought it would be a great idea to take a photo of the new road bridge across the Forth, well, one of the stantions of it...

Considering I'd drunk a bottle of wine and was on a moving bus, I actually don't think this is all that bad...

 Mike arrived on Thursday evening and we headed to Edinburgh to the dentist (we have all the fun...) then had a dander round the shops.  In the evening my friend Susan popped round with some homebaking to enjoy with our cuppa (her mum made it, not her) and it was really nice to see her and get the goss.
We had a quiet weekend trying to sort out luggage to bring back with us, as we'll not be back up to Fife before we head to the Maldives on 29 Nov, then France for three months on 30 Dec.  We managed to get everything into the new snowboard bag and one (large, extended) suitcase.
On Sunday we went to Dunfermline in the evening to see Belle & Sebastian play at the Alhambra Theatre.  Mike had only spotted they were on on Friday and we really thought they'd be sold out.  They weren't and I'm so glad - what a brilliant gig and in a great wee venue with excellent sound. 
 

Even with a lead singer with a bad throat, they were AMAZING :D :D :D

 I managed to not let Mike get a kebab on the way home and we were up and away early Monday, back to Stoke-on-Trent on the train.
We unloaded at the marina, then upped and offed for 10 minutes down the canal to the moorings at Etruria Junction.

There is a nice statue of James Brindlay at Etruria, without whom we would not be on our great canal journey - cheers James :)

 This morning, as we had gone to bed, we woke in thick mist. We set off down the Trent & Mersey and have stopped just north of Barlaston for the night, where I have done my first run since 11 September (I have a bikini to get into on 29 November.....) - 3 miles in 29 mins - not bad but my leg was hurting a bit when I got back, so I made sure to give it a good stretch.
You know, Stoke is one of those places that people (boaters!) always say, "Ooooo you don't want to be stopping at Stoke, get right through and don't stop til Westport."  Well, I quite like Stoke and we saw no trouble in our tooing and froing, give the place a break.

Note the adapted bridge to fit the lock beam.

There are hints to remind us of the industry that used to be along the Trent & Mersey

 We're off to Stone tomorrow, where I will collect a new waterproof as the one I ordered and got at my mum's is slightly tight (another reason to get running again), and Mike will return the one he ordered and picked up today and is too big......the joys of online shopping I suppose..........
Anyway, normal service will be resumed next week.
Probably.