Harnser's Travels: Trentham Friday 4 October 2019

Friday, 4 October 2019

Trentham Friday 4 October 2019

Day : Friday
Date : 4 October 2019
Start : 0930
Finish : 1400 Trentham

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Well it was raining when we went to the pub and it was raining when we came back, I think it rained most of the night. Good value and a tasty meal in The Red Bull pub, but they close next week, Sunday 13 Oct. for a major refurbishment if you are thinking of calling in check they are open again.
Yesterday, a fellow blogger left a comment on the blog, well Mike we waved this morning, but no one waved back.
We pushed of about 9-30 am in the dry and made our way to the Harecastle tunnel expecting to have at least a short wait, but we didn't even tie up. We had the headlight on ready and when the tunnel keeper came from his hut I tested the horn, in turn he took our details and opened the barrier and we were away, Billy no mates.
As we approached the tunnel one of the liveaboard's on the offside shouted at me to slow down, I had just passed the big slowdown sign before the bridge he was moored under so was already on tick over but I guess the exhaust echoed under the bridge with no stack on.
The tunnel was as wet and humid as I have known it, a constant mist ahead and lots of water coming down but we were through in just over half an hour. The weather at the other end had taken a turn for the worst and it was drizzling, this carried on interspersed with rain until we moored up just over Trentham Aqueduct, then the sun came out.

Approaching the Westport Lake moorings a boat pulled out well ahead of us, this meant that all the 5 Stoke locks would be against us. At the bottom lock one of the CRT volunteers caught up with us, he wasn't a Volockie but on his way home from a scrub bashing session and stopped for a chat, we have met several time in the past and he recognised the boat, he even appeared in a photo on one of my bogs I think.

As we passed Longport Wharf we could see that Duke and Duchess had already been lifted out onto the hard ready to sell. It looks as if they have even been blacked.

There were lots of cyclists about today, first we met this group then at Westport Lake there was a large group of children heading off on their bikes.

Coming through Stoke on Trent it was quite obvious at the bridges where the magnet fishermen had been out enjoying themselves. I have very mixed feelings about it, should it be down to them to clear it away, its not their rubbish, or should they leave it on the bed of the canal for boats to get round their props, who should clear it up? Would we all be happy if they threw it back in so we couldn't see it.

After leaving Stoke on Trent it was a matter of looking for somewhere to moor, it looked as if these Starlings had the same idea swooping round looking for a roost. We finally pulled in just after Trentham Aqueduct, its good piling but a bit shallow so no fenders, this time the bottom is gravel so the boat grumbles every time it moves like when someone draws Trentham lock.