Toffee had us up before 6 am, we never know if it's because she was desperate to go out or if she wanted company. It certainly wasn't the former because Ian was out for ages with her, a good 15 minutes and on his return, said she only had a wee!

Because we were awake so early it was decided that after finishing our first cup of tea of the day we would pull FS back toward the junction and wind. Yesterday the wind had become strong and the thought of trying to turn against it was not something to look forward too. I'm not sure if other folk have noticed but the wind seems to drop in the evening and then pick up later the next morning. I was lucky that the conditions were still calm when I attempted to wind. 

While Stoke top lock filled Ian set off with the loo cassette to empty at the facilities. And just in time he arrived back because from the same moorings another early riser had set off too. I would have waved them through first had Ian not returned.  

I think the boating life suits her.

Stoke top lock is a very deep lock.

 

Holding out at the locks became a battle with the wind so my strategy was to go really slowly between locks. Passing a moored boat, a chap popped his head out of the side hatch and said he had never had a boat go so slow before. My reply was what was the point of charging between the locks when I knew they would have to be filled and how I would prefer to hold out rather than pull onto the lock landing.  He nodded his head in agreement said I had a wise head (Ian would dispute that!) and then wished me good morning.

It hadn't registered on the way up that the bank had collapsed. More cost involved for CRT.

 

Marilyn happened to ask me days ago if I had noticed the wood beam in the lock wall at Cockshutts lock. My reply was no, my mind must have been on other things at the time or it just didn't register. Anyway I did notice today and would love to know why it has been placed there, could it have been to stabilise the brickwork?

One hour later and we cleared the Stoke bottom lock and from there on we had 4 miles of lock free cruising until we reached Trentham lock. Good opportunity to prepare dinner. It may only have been 8.45 am but I like to know I can put my feet up when we stop. With it being Sunday, a roast dinner was in order. Unfortunately the only meat I had in the freezer was mince or sausages and as Ian has always raved about my Sausage and Cabbage bake that would do nicely. Add a few roast potatoes, broccoli and cauli and ta da.. dinner fit for his Lordship. It was while I was below that Ian suddenly pulled over to the side and stopped FS. Oh dear, what had gone wrong? Turned out nothing, it was a lady walker who asked if we could possibly fill up her water bottle as she had forgotten to do so at the Hotel she had stayed in last night. This we did. She explained why the need for water, she was doing the Two Saints Way

Starting at Chester she would eventually finish at Lichfield. This taken from LDWA (click on the above link)

A pilgrimage route of approximately 92 miles has been created between the cathedral cities of Chester and Lichfield, named the Two Saints Way after the Saxon saints who brought Christianity from Northumbria to the ancient kingdom of Mercia in the seventh century.

I should have asked her her name, most remiss of me, she was a lovely lady and full of praise of FS. In two weeks time she and her husband (who is in Spain at the moment) are taking a narrow boat holiday on the Mon and Brec canal. She was full of admiration of Ian's steering! 

We are by no means slow and our pace was such that we achieved about 3.5mph. Lovely when there is enough depth of water not to create a wash. Not a boat had been seen since leaving Etruria so we were slightly dismayed to have caught two Black Prince hirers up. 

 

We met them at Meaford Locks, a flight of 5, blast, we now had two boats in front. They were not newbies, in fact they locked through very quickly. By the third lock boats started coming up so no longer could Ian whip open the top paddles to fill the lock quickly. It probably only added about 10 minutes to the journey time and to be fair, we were going to stop in Stone anyway. By 12.30pm we had found a mooring near to Lime Kiln lock, 5 hours was enough cruising for today and anyway, tomorrow I hope to see the doctor about my infected toenail

And seen on route

That tiny narrow boat 'Spirit of Phoebe'  seen at Meaford Locks on the 19th was on the move today. I'm still amazed that this tiny boat can be home to two people. (You can just make out the ladies hair)

 What is wrong with Trentham Lock?

No Leakage!!!! Yea!!!!

And a surprise canal visitor

Dippers are usually seen at rivers.