I went off for a newspaper before breakfast but came back empty handed. I had found two newsagents thanks to Google Maps but neither of them had a Guardian. After breakfast Pip sent me out for the paper on the fold up bicycle and I ended up at Stoke on Trent railway station. There was a woman in front of me in the queue at the station buffet / paper shop who asked for three coffees and could the chap be quick because her train was at the platform outside. I heard a whistle blowing and thought to myself that she should hurry up. However she didn't seem bothered that much. That was until the train started moving then she ran off without paying for the three coffees. I hope she got reunited with her two fellow travellers.
I cycled back to the boat, we then filled up with water and set off southbound down the Trent & Mersey. The top lock of the Stoke flight requires a handcuff key. We didn't know this so Pip had to wait for me to do the sharp left hand turn before she could get a key from our cupboard and fill the lock.
We found that we were following a single hander down the Stoke locks so Pip found herself helping him finish off locks before she could fill them. But it didn't hold us up too much. Then the long drag under the main roads of Stoke and out the other side into the wastelands to the south. We passed a boatyard that advertised "Bait, Tackle, Air Guns, Boats & Engines, Country & Western and Line Dancing". We didn't partake of any of these offerings.
There is a HUGE Sainsbury's distribution depot on the right.
Stoke City were playing at home so there were plenty of jovial supporters walking along the towpath on their way to the ground.
Then on down through Barlaston where there is a Wedgewood factory and visitors centre but we elected to carry on. We continued to come across the single hander as we dropped down the Meaford flight of 4 locks so Pip helped him out here too. He promised us beers at the Star Inn in Stone that night. It was raining quite heavily by now and we got wet doing the locks through Stone. At lock 28, Yard Lock, a hire boat out of the Stone boatyard came out between us and the single hander. The yard staff were showing them the ropes so this held things up a bit. There was a boat coming up too and this was towing an old butty. So we helped them too. Here they are on their way with WD waiting patiently on the left:
Then on down the last lock of the day and we start looking for a mooring for the night. There are good moorings here and there were plenty of boats already there. But we find a place and moor up at about ten to six. At six o'clock the local fair gets going up the bank directly next to our mooring. We'd sort of noticed it as we moored but thought it looked like a fair in winter storage. Never mind, we are off to the pub for something to eat and surely it will stop by eleven?
We had a very nice meal with a nice pint (or three) of Banks's Bitter in The Star, there was no sign of the single hander who had promised us beer earlier in the day although he was moored up nearby.
When we got back to the boat at about 9.30 the fair was all finished and silent. Result!
9 miles 14 locks
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