Poppy relaxing in the sun

No need for any comment really?
 

 

 

Back to Etruria

Back at base after a very enjoyable week. This was the last of the late afternoon sun - just before (you've guessed it!) we went and ate at the Toby Carvery.
Hope you haven't got too bored with the Caldon Canal - we didn't.
 

 

Stoke Museum

For the first time since we have been based in Stoke, we wandered into town to have a look round.
We went to the museum to see the "Staffordshire Hoard" of gold, found by metal detector.
Naturally I forgot my camera so these are "phone photos" - you couldn't take any pictures of the gold hoard anyway.
 

A re-created pub setting in the museum.
 

 

Caldon Canal 8

Aha! Here's The Holly Bush at Denford which was excellent.
 

Here we are moored up above the pub on the Leek arm aqueduct.
 

Just a short muddy stroll along the towpath and down the steps to the pub.
 

Good heavens, we're already back at Etruria services topping up with water ready for our next owners to take over - but not before we've visited the Toby Carvery again!
 

Caldon Canal 7

Some places you might like to live?
 

 

 

 

Caldon Canal 6 & Best toilet ever!

Leek library in a very impressive building.
 

How's this for a pub toilet? A seat from a bar stool is screwed to the wall to give you somewhere to rest your weary head!
 

Caldon Canal 5

We reached the end of the Leek arm and found that the moorings are rather close to a scrapyard! We did later speak to a relative of the owner of the scrapyard who said it had been purchased and a marina was going to be built there - we'll see.
It's about a mile walk into Leek through a grotty industrial estate. That won't change if the marina is built.
We found Leek to be a very nice town and set about exploring.
This is St.Edward the Confessor Church at the top of the Market Place.
 

 

 

Never seen such a huge balcony in a church before.
 

Caldon Canal 4

Modern sculpture at Stockton Brook locks.

Sunset at Stockton Brook - wonder who tied those terrible knots - can't have been either of us!

Caldon Canal 3

Beautiful cruising weather - not bad for February!

Sadly derelict Victorian waterworks at the bottom of the Stockton Brook locks.