Early start, wagon wheels, rain at last

We made an early start this morning, getting under way from Stone at 0615 so as to beat the forecast rain.

In the event, the rain only really came at about 2100 so we would have missed it anyway had we got going at a more leisurely hour. These few spots dampened the roof for a few minutes at coffee time when we stopped at Hem Heath Bridge for Aldi.

Coming into Stoke-on-Trent I saw hundreds of railway wheels at a "DB" works just south of the (invisible from the canal) station. I missed the best opportunity for a photo so you'll have to make do with this.

In the fight of locks up to the summit level we quickly caught up with a hire boat. One lock down from the top, when emptying the lock to go in, they had failed to notice that a top paddle had been left partially up. This took about 18" from the pound above; I was in time to restore some of the loss from the summit pound.

At Etruria we turned sharp right onto the Caldon Canal and tied up outside the museum opposite a large tree covered in white blossom.  We had the curry part two: just as good!