Friday 15th March

Friday 15th March 2013

Well when we went to bed last night it had been raining for some time and with the help of a torch to see, all the ice had gone. So this morning it was a quick breakfast and off. We couldn't really have sausages two mornings in a row!

But first there was a job that needed to be done. WD got a red nose for the day! We had thought that should anyone notice and smile that we should ask them for a pound, but during the day we saw very few people as it was so wet. As ever on a canal holiday if it's going to rain it will do at locks, lift bridges or anywhere else that you have to spend time waiting or doing things! Today was no exception.

Through the Leek tunnel, there was no ice on the other side as we'd noticed last night. This was a relief it meant that we should be ice free for the rest of the day and we were. Turning left back off the Leek branch we headed for water. Not knowing how long we'd be iced in at Leek we'd started being very frugal with showers etc. At Bridge 28 we stopped and went in hunt of the Spar shop in Endon. Here they sell BW pumpout cards and we thought it might be handy to have one so that we would have more options to empty the pooh tank.A short walk into the village and we found a shop, but not an obvious spar sign in sight. so we carried on, no more shops. Mick got quite frustrated with his phone trying to find where we should be as the rain kept moving everything on the screen. Eventually we wondered back to the shop we'd seen before noticing behind it's security gate a very small Spar sign. Card bought we headed back for some beetroot soup. Then back on with the soggy waterproofs and gloves, approaching the next bridge on a corner what should happen? Yep the first boat we've seen for two days coming the other way! They said the same!On to Stockton Brook locks. The dalek outpost was in action again setting the lock the wrong way for us, all the others were with us!

 At the two lift bridges I got repetitive strain winding the hydraulic gears and only stopping one bike! At Engine lock Mick removed the chimney as we'd had a very very close shave at bridge 9 on the way out. When we reached Bridge 11 it was going home time for everyone, so I managed to stop 11 cars and 1 cat! After seeing next to no one on the tow path all day, we were asked by one of a group of lads if we had any spare toilet roll! Sorry! came our answer, thinking is this just a rouse to get on the boat. When we were going through the staircase lock back into Etruria we had people watching including a group of middle aged men. Whilst deciding where we could moor, they came up for a chat. I explained that it was a shareboat and how much we enjoyed it. Then we were told that if we had any problems that the main chap lived just around the corner. "Well Thank you!" This was then followed by " My friend here is just over from Pakistan could he have a look through your boat?" This was most probably genuine interest but we felt a bit uneasy about it and really wanted to get moored and dry so said sorry.
We've moored up outside Etruria Industrial Museum which seems to be having some sort of a do tonight. There are at least ten cars parked next to the tow path and as I'm writing this they are leaving, blasting their headlights in through our front window, a little unnerving.
Since dark there have been at least two boats up the locks just around the corner  on the Trent and Mersey, here's hoping our mooring quietens down soon. At least the geese have moved on!
Tuna Lasagna put in the oven before a very nice shower.

11.5 miles 9 locks 3 lift bridges