Endon to Milton (Caldon Canal)

Approaching the island

 Another warm day again today, so we set off up the canal, past the island in the middle of the canal and up to the locks, there are five of them but they are close together so not too bad to get through, most of them were set for us, so didn’t take too long to get through, although when we got to the last lock, there was a boat coming up and the lady nearly emptied it, but thought better of it, her husband who was steering the boat had come right up to the lock gates thinking the locks was theirs, then had to reverse back, but got stuck so we had to start emptying the lock, then he floated off and got to the side, he said he had misread his wife’s signals, but perhaps if they weren’t so impatient and eager to get through, then he would have gone to the side in the beginning and looked properly to see if someone (us) was coming down!!

Going through the lift bridge

On up the canal and through the two lift bridges that I had to work, then through the last lock and we moored below the lock in a nice sunny spot opposite some fields, a lovely spot.

Back into Stoke on Trent

Walked up to the village of Milton to the few shops, there is a butcher/pie shop on the way to the shops, they cut the bacon off a large piece, its really good bacon, we got chatting to the lady in the shop and she said her husband does all the meat, it is from just down the road and also they sell pies, and they make the pies there in the shop, she said I have just made meat and potato pies this afternoon and have got 90lb of steak on the stove for the pies in the morning.  Apparently they have 24 outlets for their pies, amazing people as they are not young, a great find.

Walked back to the boat, picked a few blackberries for a crumble sometime this week, then just chilled out for the rest of the day.  Off again tomorrow morning.

Moored in Milton