A long day and a bit of a mishap !

This damp and breezy morning sees us moored at the visitor moorings, Church Lawton on the T & M. Yesterday saw us travelling for much longer than has become usual, but also making the most of the reasonable weather.

After the Fox incident, we pulled the pins at 0900 ish and chugged down the Caldon without incident. Reaching the junction, we stopped at the services in order to water up and empty the cassette. Bit of a rant. A boat had pulled up in front of us, beyond the B.W. pump out station, opened the elsan point, then began assembling his self pump out kit, for disposal via the elsan point. I asked if we could empty before he started as our process takes minutes. He was somewhat miffed, but with reluctance agreed. Glad he did as when he started, the pong was rather strong!

Anyway, we set off again through the rest of Stoke. Memory is fickle. The last time we did this route my memory was not that favourable. Well, I now find it rather pleasant. The canal is wide and deep and a lot of the old industrial land has either been redeveloped or cleared. It did not take long before we were mooring at the south portal of Harecastle tunnel.

We had just missed the north bound convoy, and were second in line for the next passage. A pleasant wait chatting to other boaters and the tunnel keeper ensued. It would appear that the BBC had been that morning for a feature on the tunnel starring it's keepers, Ant + Dec. Yep, that's the names of the chaps on duty today. We waited just over an hour I think before setting off. By this time we were third through, as we let the chap sat on the water point go in front of us to avoid congestion. He was somewhat shall we say, "steady", but an easy passage was made. Being one way makes this a doddle compared with say Blisworth.

Getting to Kidsgrove, we moored at the visitor moorings in order to do a Tesco shop. Ali walked off, the plan to ring me when the shopping was completed in order that I could help carrying the load back. While she was gone, the rain came. I fiddled around removing debris from the roof. As I walked to the bank edge near the stern, my left leg disappeared down a hole between the armco which was covered in grass. Result, I have "skinned" my left shin.! It could easily have resulted in a broken leg !

Once Ali was back, and yes, the wounded soldier did walk to Tesco to help, she dressed the wound and we then dropped down the next five locks before mooring up. By this time it was 1900 !

It has been rather a wild,  wet  and windy night. The clouds appear to be breaking this morning, but the wind is strong. Just a short hop methinks today.

I am incapable of adding photo's, so will ask Ali to do this later today.

12 miles 9 locks 2 manual lift bridges and 1 electric lift bridge, Harecastle Tunnel 2926 yards