Smooth operator.

So what shall we do while we wait for the intrepids?  
Well what do you want to do?  

Don't know what do you want to do?

This went on for some time.  Options were, the lovely walk up into the woods on the Sandon Estate through the bluebell walk, a different walk taking in the Holly Bush pub, staying snugged up and reading my gripping book secretly got my vote but then over coffee I suddenly remembered The Moorcroft Factory at Stoke.

Reader you may remember that last year, we finally came through Stoke not on a Monday when the factory was always closed to visitors, not during one of the Pottery Holiday Weeks, that was a tradition when there were all the factories closed several weeks a year in unison to give the population a week together as so many families would have either worked in the factories or in one of the supporting trades.

When I called last year I was devastated to learn that Moorcroft had gone into receivership just 6 weeks previously.

I wept bitter tears.

Then, to my utter joy, months later the factory and business found an investor, actually a grandson of the Moorcroft family, the business had been out of the family control since the 1980's.

So the bluebell walk was abandoned, I did feel a bit guilty as that was David's first choice but not too guilty as we pulled the pins and departed, the appointment had been made for the Friday, they only do tours twice a week, finally we were in the right place at the right time.

This gave us two days to get to Stoke, do a supermarket sweep at M&S in Stone, water up and continue to Stoke.

In the meantime I messaged friends George and Carol to say we were coming up their way in general and if we couldn't see them on our way up we would surely see them on our way back again.  At least that was the message I intended to say, as I worked WaL through the first of two locks Carol called David back to say they would be arriving in 45 mins!!!  I felt I had ordered their presence.

So as David watered up I shot around M&S (To my reader in Alaska that's a nice food hall on the canal side in the first town of the day, Stone).  I nearly jumped out of my skin when Carol tapped me on the shoulder in the shop, but she helped me with the shopping and as we walked back to the boat we saw that David had already done the first lock, Star lock with George and he was disappearing from view as we valiantly carried four heavy bags.

So off we went, George prepping and me working the locks.  

David in Stone passing the old Joules brewery, now a really nice pub and restaurant.

George marching on smartly to the last of the eight locks in Stone. 

WaL in the penultimate lock, look closely and there is David and Carol.

It came to light that their car was parked in a public car park in Stone that closed at 6pm, barrier down and a fine if you were there in the morning.  

It was going to be tight.   

Our car was at Barlaston and David intended to drive them back to get it.... eek it was going to be tight and there in front of us was a single hander.....

George had worked him through a lock, so I chanced my hand and asked him if he would mind if we passed him?

Such a nice man, SURE he said, I'm in no hurry, and he proceeded to explain that this was his third trip over from California this time single handing, he just LOVED boating and had a narrowboat tattooed on his forearm.  He helped US through the lock and in repayment we lifted one paddle for him where we could as we shot on.  

Around the corner as I marched along on the long stretch would you believe it but another single hander was casting off!

I asked him too explaining about the rush we were in if he wouldn't mind letting us through....?

Well all I can say is aren't single handers marvellous?

As we approached the bridge at Barlaston, David and George literally jumped off leaving Carol and myself to moor up.

Clearly Carol took the helm as although I can and do helm in locks too I have not moored up.  She brought WaL like a.... like a..... well like a very smooth thing without a tink or a scrape just a silent halt.

She is a helm of magnificence.

Carol.

David and George were back in a little under thirty minutes and off to the pub we went.  We passed the second single hander and thanked him again profusely for his favour.

Now last year the pub here, The Plume of Feathers, had recently been taken over from the famous ownership of Neil Morrissey the actor, then we were not impressed and several things were wrong with no care at all from staff.  Today I have to say the staff and service was marvellous and so was the food.

We had coffee back on WaL and dessert too, an M&S raspberry and pistachio roulade and it was delicious. 

Supper for me was Katsu chicken.