Hunting for oatcakes in Stoke on Trent

I think we made the right decision not to move today, given the frequent showers of both rain and hail together with gusty wind. Hence, again, very few photographs. Indeed, it was only around teatime, when I realised I hadn't actually taken any, that I thought I'd better do something about it.

Jubilee is in the middle here, tied up outside the Etruria Museum at the beginning of the Caldon Canal.
 

We spent much of the day on Stoke on Trent city centre dodging showers and patronising the City Café. We were on the hunt for hot filled oatcakes and I was asking passers by where the best place was. The first three or four didn't know or didn't speak English; a woman queueing for the bank very helpfully said she would take us there. She left the queue - she was at the back - and we accompanied her a short distance to the oatcake stall outside M&S. Which was closed. Our guide then said we could get freshly made (but cold and unfilled) oatcakes from the indoor market just a few steps away. There we bought some, and some pikelets (which don't appear to be small fish), and asked the friendly woman behind the counter where we could get hot filled oatcakes. She directed us to the City Café where I had a bacon and egg one, while Jan's filling was bacon and mushroom. Jan says the best thing about it was that it was hot, but I think that is more a reflection on the weather - and the fact that we had to eat sitting outside the café - than the quality of the snack. (Thankfully we were under an awning which kept the rain off.)

We returned to the café for lunch as I have a penchant for all day breakfasts.  As you ask, yes, it was good.

After tea on board we went for a short walk up the T&M during a welcome break in the clouds.  Now, as I write this, it is raining again.  Tomorrow looks perhaps more promising weather-wise, so we'll head for Harecastle Tunnel (and dig out our lifejackets).  Bring on the rain, hail, sleet and snow (while we're underground)!