Not Quite to Plan - Friday 3rd May 2019

Wedgwood to Westport Lake
7.75 miles, 6 locks

Jane, Chris and Kiera were due around 11am having deposited one car at Westport Lake and popped to M&S for supplies - we had hoped to eat out this evening, but it is a fairly barren area, so we decided to try the M&S pizza meal deal.  Their timing was really bad - as they left the car the heavens opened.  We put the kettle on and had a coffee whilst we waited for the rain to stop.  The plan had always been to just do Trentham Lock and find somewhere to moor for an early lunch.

Jane getting back into the swing of things at Trentham.

A bit of green

and some nice properties and gardens

Before we stopped on some convenient rings just after B108.  En route I had made sandwiches....

had we known who was going to be on those moorings I may not have bothered!  This boat makes and sells Staffordshire Oatcakes and as we were in Staffordshire that might have been appropriate.  However, the sandwiches were good and enjoyed by us all.

Some of you may remember that on the penultimate day of our 2018 cruise our daughter in law and I had pre-positioned a car at each end of the Tardebigge flight.  It was when we arrived at the bottom that she realised she had left her car keys in my car at the top of the flight!  There was nothing else for it, but for me to walk back up to retrieve our car. Now surely that is only something that happens once?  Sadly no - it was whilst we were having lunch that Chris could not find his car keys.  He had either left them in Jane's car at Wedgwood or lost them.  Thankfully Chris is a very fit 73 year old (despite calling himself senile Sam!)- he had had to gain entry to their house recently via a ladder and by wriggling in to the upstairs bathroom transom window when he found himself locked out!  I hasten to add it was much to Jane's horror when she found out! He headed off with Kiera to walk the 2 miles back with Jane's car keys firmly tucked into his pocket.

We set off again to make our way into Stoke and to the 5 Stoke locks.  Apart from Jane and Chris always being great company one of the best reasons for travelling round here with them is for the amount of local knowledge they impart.  Chris was born around here and they must have moved here together over 20 years ago, so they know a lot!

This is not just a huge incinerator - it is also a very large recycling centre.  Stoke is very keen on recycling - I think Jane and Chris have about 5 different bins.

Of course you cannot go through Stoke without a couple of pictures of bottle kilns

It was not long before we reached the first lock - they are all very deep.  The drop for all five locks is 50 foot, so I guess they are around 10 foot each.

There is not much that is attractive around this area

although the walk between the locks is pleasant enough.

By this time Chris had made it back to Jane's car where he was relieved to find his keys.  He drove to Festival Park and walked back to join us at the locks.

At Twyford Lock you get a reasonable view of the rather elegant Twyford Building of Twyford toilet fame.  Chris seems to think it is now (or was at one time) student accommodation for the University.

Not the most common sight at a lock, but this is very much inner city.  He was not looking for us I promise!

We made a brief stop at Etruria by the Statue of James Brindley to top up with water and empty rubbish and yellow water.

Sadly there is no recycling here - the first place without it for a long time.  I must, however, have a really big whinge.  To date I have not seen a single recycling bin that has not been abused.  Places that have glass bins I have had to retrieve glass (that I can reach safely) from the general waste and dry mixed recycling bins.  Glass bins have had cardboard and plastic dumped in them and I have lost count of the number of black bags I have found in the mixed recycling bins.  We are all quick enough to moan if there is no recycling, but if this abuse continues I would not be surprised if public (CRT)  recycling bins stop being provided and licence fees rise as a consequence.  Right, moan over.

As we proceeded we went past these two cheeky chappies with their little friend

and next door is Billy Goat Gruff

We dropped Chris off at Festival Park to retrieve Jane's car and head for Westport Lake.  I had popped inside to make a cuppa when Jane, Monty and Kiera suddenly appeared in a great hurry.  We had driven into a massive hail storm.  Poor Chris got very wet on the back deck.  There are no photos of the Potteries (Middleport, Longport and Emma Bridgewater due to the inclement conditions.

Thankfully it did not last long, nor did it take us long to get to Westport Lake where we were greeted by this family.

Safely moored and reunited with Chris we settled down to enjoy the warmth of the fire over a cup of tea before we set too to enjoy the M&S pizza feast which was very tasty.

So not quite the day that Chris had planned, but thankfully he is very used to walking as he goes out with a group of ramblers each week.  The day before he had done 9 miles in the wet uphill and down dale.  At least today he stayed dry and it was flat.

Once again a brilliant day with great friends.