Westport Lake, Trent and Mersey Canal

An incongruous sight. Two old bottle kilns in the centre of an estate of modern flats. Still, I suppose they haven't torn them down (the kilns).

Another early morning, but only managed 2 locks before we joined the queue and two locks later with were No 4. While there we were joined by two more boats. The couple on the boat immediately behind stayed with their boat and the lovely lady from the boat behind that came up to help.

Why do people do that? This miserable couple followed us through all the locks and sort of hung back and lurked just out of sight, only coming up to the lock after we had closed the top gate and moved off. Considering the queues, things would go a lot quicker if everyone came out of their boats and helped.

Rant over for today.

The original plan was to stop off by the Wedgewood
Factory, but we were there far too early, so came on to Westport Lake so we will be ready for the tunnel tomorrow morning - though the number of boats that have gone past us since it closed means we will be queueing yet again. Hey Ho!

There was an artist's boat. Willowmoor
by the museum at Stoke and another "artwork" outside the BW Yard. This one has benefited from time in the cut.

The gate paddles were just as stiff as when we last came through (there must be a reason why gates and paddle gear get worse the closer you get to a workshop) - so with having to help the single-hander in front I did most of the locks twice today. And I can now feel it!

And so as they say. Now for something completely different. I just love pansies. These have been decoupaged before being stuck to a white, Cuttlebugged oval, a dark lilac oval and a scalloped, white oval (Nestibillities). I tied two strips of ribbon into knots and fixed the ends at the back of the front of the card and then added the topper, finishing off with three little lilac pearl dots.