A day in port - Festival Park

Mick had a phone call during breakfast from his old mate Clive in New Zealand today.  It was a bit of a morale booster to talk to a friend.  Mick's mum isn't doing so well.  While they were chatting Clive wanted to look on Google maps exactly where we are.

Here's our previous mooring at Westport Lake (black star)

And our mooring at Festival Park

We walked in to Hanley this morning and had a browse.  It's a good walk uphill all the way.  We thought maybe Barry and Carol wouldn't be so keen on pushing their little grand-daughter up that hill in her stroller. 

I came back and did some work so I could go to watch a movie at 3pm.  It was called Philomena and was rather a sad story.

I'd had a message earlier from Dot on nb Ewn ha Cul saying they were heading up to Festival Park.  I had a brief chat with Carol... and little Connie... on my way back from the movie and she'd seen them pass by earlier.  Mick had seen them too and sent me off around the corner to find them.  We've cooked up coffee for the morning before we head off.

Festival Park

Longport to Festival Park : 2 miles, 0 locks
To date : 947 miles, 659 locks

Today's forecast was for a rainy morning but clearer after lunch.... and so it was.  We had a boater's meeting this morning and decided that we'd head off about 1pm by which time the rain should have stopped.   I did some work... we had a tidy up... Mick took some stuff to a charity shop... then after a bit of lunch we were ready to go.

A fellow from a boat further back strolled past as I was putting the pram cover down and was asking me where we were stopping today.  Something made me feel I should be less than forthright so I said we weren't sure where we'd stop... we'd see what happened with the weather.

We enjoyed the cruise from Westport Lake and were hoping to find moorings by Festival Park.  There was one space before the footbridge so we pulled in and I walked ahead to see there was another space after the bridge where Barry and Carol could moor.  It was just starting to drizzle again so I quickly put the pram hood up and a fellow on the boat behind came over and was saying something about someone who had been moored here was coming back.  I didn't take a lot of notice and left Mick out there listening to his chatter.

Not all that long afterwards, the boat with the fellow who had asked questions earlier at Westport Lake cruised by but had to continue on.  Mick was still out chatting with the boater behind us and then it all became clear.  They knew each other and were spending the winter lurking around the area.  Any wonder I'd been asked where we were planning to moor... he had been planning on racing off ahead of us if he'd known we were coming here.  Lucky I said nothing... we like mooring here.

We passed a pleasant couple of hours playing cards and tonight we're having dinner at the Toby Carvery.

Westport Lake

Last time we moored here by Westport Lake we walked all over the place.  There's so many interesting places to check out.  But... we didn't walk back towards the Harecastle Tunnel direction and this morning while browsing around on Google Maps I noticed there appeared to be some shops in that direction.  Further investigation showed and Aldi and an Asda supermarket.  We decided to go and have a look. 

Mick was mortified to discover a tile warehouse just up from the canal.  He'd walked miles carrying tiles for the installation of the sold fuel stove last year.  Now we find one just around the corner.  Never mind.  We bought a few bits and pieces at Asda and Aldi and had a good browse.

After lunch we went for a walk around the lake.  Being a lovely sunny day there were people everywhere.  We felt like we were joining the throngs.  There's a lot of bird life on the lake and we saw some unusual behaviour from a pair of swans.  The rushed out of the water and marched off looking very aggressive.  Not sure what all that was about.  We also saw elderly twins dressed in identical outfits.  You don't see that very often.

We had a lovely day and we just couldn't ask for better weather.

 

Burslem

Kidsgrove to Longport : 3 miles, 1 lock, 1 scary tunnel
To date : 945 miles, 659 locks

Mick and Barry spent an enjoyable afternoon at the pub yesterday... celebrating Barry's birthday, so they said.  Barry was the winner of their little pool competition and they both came back just in the nick of time for Carol's dinner.  It was a lovely dinner too. 

The Harecastle Tunnel was only open until just before midday so as long as we were there before then we could have a sleep in.  As we arrived at the tunnel entrance the fellow came out and waved us straight through.  He called out questions... and we called out answers... as we made our way and then we were off.  Carol sang her "tunnel opera" all the way through and I hid out inside.  About the time we would be reaching the end I heard Mick slow right down.  The doors weren't open!  He asked me to go to the bow and have a look out... we were almost there.  They opened just in time. 

We stopped for water just outside the tunnel and nb Winton's Folly went on past us to moor up at Westport Lake.  When we joined them soon after we had a lovely mooring in the sun.  It had turned out to be a really nice afternoon.  After lunch we decided to walk into Burslem.  We really enjoy mooring here and being able to walk the area looking at the old pottery buildings.  It's so interesting to get a peek of a huge old derelict warehouse beyond a modern day carpark.

I know the derelict buildings aren't everyone's cup of tea but we just love them.  It's a bit sad to see rows of empty houses.  The one we saw today had lovely ornate lintels over the doors and windows. 

Our first stop was the Royal Stafford pottery factory outlet.  As we wandered on we passed a little shop we'd been in last time we were here - the Naan Bread Bakery.  We couldn't resist and went in for a garlic naan.  Delicious.  We took the long way around to get back to the canal and then walked the towpath back to the boat, stopping at Longport Brokerage along the way.   More stunning canalside buildings.

Not so heartbreaking

Rode Heath to Kidsgrove : 3 miles, 12 locks
To date : 942 miles, 658 locks

I surfaced not too badly this morning after my slip yesterday.  Getting up or down form a chair is the worst of it.  Bit of a bummer though.... I feel like I'm getting a cold.  Just what I need!

Today is Barry's birthday so we joined he and Carol for a cup of tea and boaters meeting before heading off for the day.  Carol rang Harecastle Tunnel and the latest we could go through today would be 2.15pm.  We could make that if we really wanted to but with plans of grocery shopping at Tesco in Kidsgrove we decided to go through the tunnel tomorrow morning instead.  We're in no rush.

There was a bit of activity down by the pub.  A huge crane was lifting a barge into the canal.  I'd received an SMS advising of proposed dredging works on the Trent and Mersey Canal so we figured that's what the fuss was about.  After we set off and were passing the pub carpark we saw another two barges being driven in on a low-loader.  Around the corner a pair of them were already moored up.

We took turns working locks and steering today.  Even Carol got behind the tiller.  She bailed out when we got to a lock that wasn't duplicated and as I had the boat tied to the lock landing Mick waved her in.  No way was she going to steer that boat past ours.  There was some reversing and arm waving and she swapped jobs with Barry.  Admittedly the lock landing was rather close to the lock and there was a bit of an awkward angle.

We enjoyed our cruise today.  The lock work was pleasant and it was a dry day although a little chilly.  We all chatted at the locks and even had an acorn throwing match at one lock.  Carol started it!  I think "Heartbreak Hill" is a misleading name.  I've enjoyed working these locks both times we've done them now. 

All the way along we encountered workmen mowing or strimming (English call a whipper-snipper a "strimmer") around the locks.  Most of them were very considerate and moved away from the lockside while we were in the lock so they wouldn't spray us with grass.  We must have seen them at about 4 locks.  Just when we thought we were safe, we moored up at Kidsgrove and came inside.  I heard a mower and looked out to see a fellow merrily mowing right alongside the boat.  By the time Mick went out he was well on his way and we had a nice "cut grass" decorative feature on that side of the boat. 

We did our Tesco chores and Mick and Barry have gone to the pub for a beer. Carol's cooking a birthday dinner and I get to relax.  Now that's a change!  It's usually the rest of them having a whale of a time while I'm stuck inside working.  I do have work I could... or should... be doing but I'm not behind now and with dinner being a seated affair I thought perhaps it might be a good idea to lie down and read a book for an hour.  Bliss!