Making good time.

Yestrday I completed 21 lock miles, today 17.5. I need to take it easy a bit more or I'll be at Harecastle by Thursday! The weather was absolutely foul for most of the day with the rain only stopping as I moored up and then even the sun attempted to put in a show. It ranged from steady drizzle to heavy drizzle and back again all day long and the whole days cruising was viewed from under the rim of my umbrella. A fairly uninteresting days motoring. The most exciting point was passing Ilford at Shugborough!

Very little traffic moving due to the weather. A short stop at Great Heywood to get rid of rubbish and take on water and then onwards to find a mooring place. A passing boat advised that Weston on Trent was busy so I stopped just short at bridge 78. Another passing boat told me there was plenty of space at Weston and very little traffic moored there - oh well; it just goes to show you should never rely on towpath gossip!

The plan is to motor through Stone, (with a short stop to see if they have a new brass tunnel light in stock,) and on to Barlaston. Then Thursday on through Stoke, (any offers of 'heavies' for protection?) to the lakes just this side of the tunnel. Finally, Friday morning a short hop, skip and jump to the tunnel portal where I shall pick up dad to help crew the next leg up and over.