Day 3 Monday

Awakened in the night by a bang and scream. It appears Dave stubbed his toe when entering the toilet.
Never heard such language. He swore for a good five minutes without repeating himself. We are currently having a cuppa whilst waiting for daylight and then set sail for Leek.
Just arrived at Leek. Good moorings
Dave and Trev off to town for provisions



The junction at Hazelhurst

 

The pool before Leek tunnel
I regret I accidentally changed the camera setting so lost most of the colour



from the diary

Dave and Trev pointed out the uncanny similarity between me and the ape!

 

A leisurely cruise took us along the Leek arm and extremely picturesque it was too. Magnificent pool at the western portal of the Leek tunnel - out at the other side and not too far from the last winding hole . After turning it was time to moor and explore. Dave and Trev decided to go on a reconnaissance trip into Leek and at the same time get some provisions. It's a long walk into Leek and our two musketeers managed to discover a pub they though I might like and so in they went; for test purposes of course. This proved a good move (more later) On returning in good spirits it was time for a spot of fishing before setting off into the town. A chat with a local couple ensued and their suggestion of walking along to the Leek Road bus stop seemed a good idea. Short bus ride later and the centre of Leek appeared and more importantly the pub that Dave and Trev had tried previously. What a nice place is 'The Quiet Woman' seems a strange title for a pub and there was much mirth as we shared our thoughts on the name. The pub had a really warm feel, the fire probably helped, and the beer was first class. Three pints of 'Batemans' Autumn Fall were ordered and proved very popular and so we had more. Had a lively chat about the day past and the day ahead before bidding farewell to Hazel, she certainly pulls a fine pint

A welcome sight at the 'Quiet Woman'

 

 

 

Next on the agenda, food! It had to be curry of course and once again Dave and Trev had spotted a place full of promise. The Shapla Tandoori Restaurant beckoned. It was perfect, immediately impressed by the friendly helpful staff. Three pints of Cobra whilst studying the menu then we were spoilt for choice because there was so much on offer, though the decisions were soon made and food ordered. When the food arrived it was sublime. The taste buds had a good time. Leaving this fine restaurant had us declaring we would return on our next trip. It really was that good and it was with great pleasure that we told the owner of our intention to give the establishment a mention on this Blog




Dave, Malc and Trev
In the magnificent 'Shapla Tandoori Restaurant'

 

 

 

Day 2 Sunday

From the captains log: A good start to the day until a member of the crew had to be dried off, having gone for a swim without permission. The offender (Trev) explained "The boat moved away from the bank and I fell in!" All ended well and pleased to say Trev is none the worse for wear. Sadly he refused to do it again for the video camera and so the opportunity to earn £250 from the UKTV show 'You've Been Framed' was lost. He scored 9/10 for the dive and it would have been 10/10 if he had completed the second somersault. We are now moored at Endon and preparing to have a bbq. Once again the signal is intermittent so not sure when this post will appear. Thank you for following us.



From the diary

Wonderful statue of a truly great engineer
James Brindley
At the junction of The Trent & Mersey
and Caldon Canals

An early start through Bedford Street staircase locks and we meandered along looking at the old and new as always reflecting on bygone times. What changes there must have been to the industry of this area, The canal route remains unchanged but that cannot be said of its surroundings. Where did it all go? The motorised bridge at Ivy House soon appeared and as we prepared to open it we looked for traffic, nothing in sight and so the lift began. No sooner had it started than a car appeared and another and yet another, never mind we soon had the boat through and the bridge closed

Ivy House lift bridge



The eerie looking pumping station
at Stockton brook

Onward to Milton and beyond. Didn't stop at Milton but noted the sign saying shop 150 yards (more on our return journey) Not long before Stockton Brook locks and the imposing, if a little haunted looking, structure of a pumping station came into sight at the bottom lock. Wonder if it still works



Had a laugh at the little island on the approach to the Endon arm in the centre of the canal with it's keep left sign. Wonder if anyone goes to the right to see what happens? we obeyed the sign being aware that this is the site of a former swing bridge that carried a light railway line across the canal

Passing through Stockton Brook locks took us to the summit level and we cruised along looking for a suitable spot to moor for the night and partake of a barbecue. An ideal spot was located just short of Park lane Wharf

Day 1 Saturday

Moored at Etruria. Superb weather. Signal intermittent so not sure when this post will appear. Boat first class and handles really well. Thanks Karen.

moored on the approach to Trentham

From the diary
First thoughts on setting off were how well the boat handled and the siting of the throttle control
meant it was easy to operate whilst holding the tiller, very comfortable.
 The journey towards Barlaston is both interesting and pleasant with plenty to see along the way. The row of white cottages on our right are probably much photographed and they do have that picture postcard look about them.

Met some folk at Trentham lock who were heading south having been on the Caldon. They were not impressed with the start of the Caldon and described it in fairly blunt terms "bit of a dump" they called it. We realised this was probably an exaggerated claim as we had visited the Caldon briefly last year. People have a right to their opinions but it has to be said that their view was rather unkind and not really fair.

It's a pleasant journey into Stoke on Trent, despite the graffiti and mindless dumping of rubbish in the canal and along the towpath, the impact of which made little difference to us. (there wasn’t that much anyway) We were able to fully appreciate how well the old and new blend as we gently moved along this major highway of the seventeenth century

Stoke locks are easy to work with lock 37 allowing us a good view of the main railway line from Stoke to the north.

The locks eventually raised us to the summit level and the junction of the Caldon where we gently slid past the impressive statue of that great engineer James Brindley. The Wharf is well kept and maintained and the setting of the Industrial Museum here is a wonderful location for such an interesting look at the past
It was getting on as we moored and so a nights sleep was called for ready for the day ahead

Todays the day

On my way to meet up with Dave and Trev. The photo is where I was not too long ago. But where is it?
Final mobile test and It's looking good


What kind of an idiot would have the Blog time as American Pacific - that would be me! I've changed it to GMT I hope

Hours to go!

All Hands on deck

After a day of problems getting the 'Blog' up and running all is now well

Contacted Karen at the hire base earlier in the week. Really helpful and nothing is too much trouble

Please remember the 'Blog' will be made up of snippets as we go along from day to day. I'll be using a mobile phone so apart from its computing limitations there is also the question of a lack of a signal in some of the more remote places.

I'll be taking a lot of photo's and keeping a diary so that when I return home I can fill in the gaps

Thanks for following us as we search for

"The Spirit of the Caldon"

Fri test

Just a test

Test

Mobile test

Ever nearer

Days to go!

The clock's ticking and our three half wits are preparing for the off

By way of a prelude to the trip, I was down south last week and met up with Dave and his wife and we had a walk along the Caldon following the Leek arm from Hazelhurst aqueduct as far as Leek tunnel. What a great way to spend a few hours and if nothing else it certainly did whet the appetite for what is to come

The view from Hezelhurst Aqueduct - What an impressive structure this is

It was a pity we didn't have the time to walk into Leek.but the clock was against us and so we returned from whence we came and reflected on what is to be. Roll on Saturday!

One of the good things about doing a 'Blog' is the fact that it helps others to see what is on offer. Last years 'Blog' went down very well and I received a number of private messages thanking me for putting our collective thoughts on the web for others to see and, hopefully enjoy

Take a look at last years Blog and see what you think

The holiday is getting nearer

Weeks to go

First it was months, now it's weeks and soon it will be days

We have reminded ourselves that our journey will take in architecture, engineering, landscapes and magnificent scenery. Of course the ultimate aim is to find the 'Spirit of the Caldon'  What do we mean by 'Spirit of the Caldon'? This can only be revealed if we achieve our aim and we cannot know what will happen until then

The trip will also  need to meet our needs for food and refreshments, which means Indian restaurants and pubs. I'm really looking forward to this aspect, in fact we all are. Since joining CAMRA I have discovered that an average of twenty-six pubs a week are closing in the UK. This cannot be right. Perhaps the big players in this important leisure industry will get the message that the public want a choice and that means at least some real ale instead of the mass produced tasteless offerings they provide; before it's too late! This is beginning to seem like a rant and can't be good for my blood pressure


Our cards have now arrived and so as we move along the waterway our plan is to hand these out to establishments that we find to our liking and perhaps also to those that don't