11^th May

Thought we would make an early start but Barlaston, being part of the Four Counties Ring, we were well and truly beaten by a hire boat passing us at 5.45am and then a couple more followed.

We decided to leave at about 8.00am and as we were preparing to move off Nb Sarah Kate was passing and asked if we had a Sandhills boat. I asked how he knew and it turned out that he was a friend of Mo and Ness on Nb Balmaha. A little further we passed Nb Caxton moored up with no signs of life otherwise we would have stopped to speak to them as we knew the previous owners Lesley and Joe and the Labradors.

The Canal is a small world and you can’t move without somebody knowing.

* Canal side Cottages

Although the locks were against us we made good progress and were moored up at Stone before 11.00am.

* Town Mooring in Stone

No sooner had we moored than we had a call from one of June’s school friends to see where we were as they lived nearbye; so a quick tidy round and they arrived for coffee. Spent the afternoon chatting about holidays and farming, as Jacqueline and David had recently retired from their dairy farm and were now enjoying a lie-in in the mornings and far off holidays.

* David and Jacquline   

Later we went to explore Stone and do some shopping. June of course had to visit her favourite dress shop and even tried to buy some shoes but to no avail. I on the other hand found some more bargains at Morrisons, a £10 umbrella reduced to £.3.00 and a selection of bread rolls reduced to 19p.

* The Last Lock before leaving Stone

* Ducks enjoying the evening sun waiting to go down the lock!!