I saw three ships go sailing by, go sailing by....

David is still miffed about this morning..... 

My idea was not to go off too madly early but to wait in a relaxed fashion for maybe some boats to arrive from coming down the six Stoke locks...  Obviously I wanted to read my totally absorbing book.  

We did but just as we were about to set off three boats went past us and one was a single hander...

Well lets just go anyway.  Well we did and my idea did half work as we did meet maybe four boats at the locks coming down saving work for both boats.

I walked to Trentham lock, the first one and yes there was a queue, lots of crew with windlasses loitering so it was hard to tell who was from which boat.

Finally on our way for the long run to the next lock in Stoke proper.  We soon passed a boat with a couple of gents on who had been in front of us as they stopped at a particular pub they were wanting to spend lunchtime at.

Great.

Last time we came past here this was rough ground, possibly a previous industrial site but mostly green and brambles.  There are more being built past this section and most are sold.

Sad to see these iconic Bottle Kilns in a poor state, but Stoke is a town that has most lost its previous industry of pottery.

Now this iron girder has concerned me before, but I guess it does not look worse...  It supports a train line into Stoke. 

This one with the canal directly underneath.

Here he comes.

Two more looking slightly better cared for in the grounds of student accommodation 

One time this little building had sold on it and I had hoped for it to be restored but that didn't happen.

Finally arriving at Festival basin.  We were spending a night here to go visit somewhere very special tomorrow.  I was twitchy about leaving WaL on the tow path so I had called ahead and booked us into the Black Prince Hire Base here.

The lady on the phone said 70' yes just come to the office and I'll tell you where to birth her.

I did so, its a secure marina with gates locked after office hours so to enter the basin we were given a key to the gates and to the locked swing bridge to bring WaL in via.  David had walked around with the nice lady and decided he would have to reverse in....

Reversing into the basin.

Reversed past the mooring he'd chosen, can you see a hire boat moored opposite?  Made it much narrower

But in he came, I was full of praise for him, not a scrape or a twink or a tap

Not sure what the annual fees are here but I'm not used to these short floating pontoons which go up and down, when you pass another person walking too its like being on the ocean.

No water on the pontoons either but at £10 a night without electric I'll not worry.

It was cold and despite having a restaurant over the way we had early showers, early tea and early bed.

Supper was a chicken tomato and pasta dish, baked in the oven in one dish and 500 calories.