Weather was odd yesterday, started off as just fine spitting and worked it’s way up to a really heavy shower. Typically it stopped and the sun came out just before we stopped for the night.
We are aiming for the Shroppie Fly today (/me waves at tje) apparently there is a hint of blue sky outside so might get a days cruising in without getting wet.
Anyway I can smell bacon and black pudding cooking, mmmmm breakfast.
Moored at Jack Mytton last night, it’s a bar / restaurant and very good food. So nice that we are considering stopping here again tonight after we have turned at Trefor.
Today we have 2 tunnels and 2 aqueducts, there are only 2 locks on this last bit of the Llangollen canal.
As expected the rain has stopped and the sky is getting lighter by the minute. Ducks fed already….
Nice long days cruising, now moored on Llangolen canal, rain for only about an hour today something tells me that tomorrow will be a little more wet.
We spent the last hour giving locking and handling instruction to several Alvechurch hire boats, seems they all were sent out with zero instruction.
Elianne and Mia on the fore deck of Shadowfax
Well boat is now booked for this years holiday. Shadowfax from Chas Hardern Boats on the Shropshire Union canal at Beeston. We are going to do the 4 counties ring again this year posibly anticlockwise (not decided yet) and include the Llangolen canal as I want to go over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. We went to see the boat at the yard last night, almost the same layout as Beeston Castle from last year but this boat feels much less cramped, little things like the galley has shallower worktops and cupboards making the walkway just a few inches wider. The bog also looks to be in a better position but will have to report back on that after use 
. Most importantly this boat is a semi-trad so I will have somewhere to put my tea^wbeer.
I posted this from the iPhone app originally as I will probably have better coverage on the phone than on wifi. Only issues with the app were not being able to adjust the position of the pictures and no way to add the links. Still its better than no connectivity and pictures taken with the phone will have GPS location on them to help with iPhoto places.
I really don’t like canals in cities (is Stoke on Trent a city?) after a few days cruising in the Staffordshire countryside the noise is almost deafening, the good news there is we were soon out of the city and back to the peace and quiet. We found a nice pub “Plume of Feathers” food was good especially the deep fried brie.
Leeky top gates on the trent and mersey
Anyway I’m giving up on trying to catch up on postings as yet again the connectivity is dire Google cant even post me a full set of results (hope this post makes it up) we will be at Norbury Junction for lunch on Sunday and I know the wifi there is good.
Went for a ride on an old Steam train from the USA, quite a nice whistle.
Tried a pub “The Foxleys” on the way back towards the Trent & Mersey but it was a bit rough lots of signs mentioning drug searches oh and despite the huge sign they seem to think crisps and nuts are “food”, so we decided not to stay and eat on the boat.
Moored just past the lift bridge, apparently this is Hanley and not the nicest part of Stoke.
We expected to be in the queue at Harecastle for most of the morning so set off early. Two locks later and the tunnel keeper waved us straight through 
from the tunnel it is all flat until the start of the Caldon canal where there is a staircaise lock.
Middle gate of the Staircase at the start of the Caldon Canal
Caldon starts out in a very industrial way and eventualy breaks out into some very nice scenery. We got to stop the traffic at a powered lift bridge once we worked out how to use it, further on up and there is a five lock flight. Some muppet had left paddles open at both ends of one of the locks so the water was very shallow above it, the boat in front of us let water down from the next lock and all was sorted.
We ended up at the Holly Bush Inn for food (and beer) huge portions here, the mixed grill was too much even for me. We may well stop here again on the way back to the ring.
Today we are off to the Churnet Valley Railway at Cheddleton as its right next to the canal.
Also looks like I’m not going to be posting any pics as I seem to not have a USB cable with me 
Well the connectivity has been useless so no pictures or maps until we get some 3G. We stopped for lunch at the Kings Lock (mmm roast lamb) and ended up in Wheelock for the night great food at the Old Mill restaurant, it says Mediterranean but it is almost all Italian.
Moorings at Wheelock
Day 3 has been locks after locks 23 of them, this part of the Trent and Mersey Canal is called Heartbreak Hill. We tried the Romping Donkey at Hassall Green but apparently the chef quit last week so was only doing sandwiches still the beer “Abbot Ale” hit the spot. We decided to go to the lock 57 brasserie for lunch, not bad if a bit on the expensive side. We are now moored just north of Kidsgrove next to the Red Bull Inn, the menu seems a bit on the fancy side for a pub (roast duck with cherries)
Tomorrow morning brings us to Harecastle Tunnel…
We left Preston Brook at about 4pm it rained for about an hour after we exited the Preston Brook tunnel, got nice and wet. We are moored next to the old Lion Salt Works in Marston, the pub “The Salt Barge” was not doing food so we are eating on the boat tonight. Connectivity is a bit dire here GPRS only. No photos today as we just have not had the chance.
Well its only 2 weeks until we set off on our 2 week Canal cruising holiday, we are starting out at Preston Brook on the Trent and Mersey Canal and off round the 4 counties ring with a little detour along the Caldon Canal.
We are hiring a boat called “Beeston Castle” from Claymoore Navigation, followed this boat up the Shropshire Union Canal towards Chester last year so we are reasonably sure what we are getting, here is the layout.
Beeston Castle
It’s much better than the layout of last years boat “Summer Wine” as you don’t have to squeeze past the bed to get to the kitchen.
I’m currently planning the overnight stops, all near to pubs of course and I think we might have a few things to say about the ones we visit. One place thats a definate stop is the Shropie Fly at Audlem.
