We are now moving away  down the Trent Mersey canal between the railway and the infant river Trent heading towards Nottingham still  a few days away.
Think an hour in a car equals a weeks boating but then how much more do we see.
Tonight we are moored in Stone , tomorrow is market day so we will go for a look round and see what is on offer .

To whom it may concern here`s  Grandma standing guard on the boat don`t mention the hair !!

Please ignore the paint job down  the side it is the result of two and a half years and many hundreds of locks , this year we are due to have our bottom blacked which will make us look good again although you can also see the damage to the hand rail caused by our journey through the Standedge tunnel not so easily rectified 

A quiet night at Westport lake despite Stokes reputation we have not yet experienced any problem here

Our mooring for tonight out in the country below Stoke

Now we can see the light at the end of the tunnel Harecastle that is

Our neighbour  for tonight at one side the railway with Wedgwood pottery factory behind

And in the field next to us some lovely Alpaccas

I know it has been a big gap since the last post but this winter seems to have dragged on so despite that we are now on the move again  first day down to Macclesfield and the superb fish and chips at the Chinese and despite being moored outside a pub a quiet night then onward next day in strong winds to the Bosley flight of locks we stopped for lunch just before the locks when a hire boat that we had given directions  to the water point  earlier in the day appeared but because of the strong wind banged into us twice no harm done so we helped them off the side although the wind seemed to have them glued on  and away they went with us following later but when we reached the top lock we had the same problem it took us ages to get going again with hilary driving and me pushing  the boat out .
Two and three quarter  hours later we reached the bottom of the flight and moored up for the night when the lady from our previous encounter appeared with two pieces of home made flapjack one for each bump  very tasty too .
Another quiet night although we were overlooking the site of an horrific explosion last year at a wood chip factory ! Today  our new friends set off , turned around and went back up the locks and towards the hire base and the end of their   holiday.
We travel onwards down onto the Trent Mersey where we have stocked  up on gas and coal at Smithsons before entering Harecastle tunnel a mere 2926 yards long that only took us forty minutes to complete,
a doddle after last years attack on the Standedge.
We are now moored next to Westport lake in Stoke on Trent settling down for the night

Well that`s got that out of the way , Standedge tunnel just over three miles , and an hour and a half underground a bit of  a bumpy ride as most of the tunnel is cut from rough rock plus half way through there is twenty seven  foot misalignment in the shape of an s bend , even going as slow as possible there was contact between both front top corners and the rear handrail with the rock but its really only paint work damage .
Hilary decided to make the journey in the cabin but I think this was worse because there was all the sound effects banging and clanging but unable to see what was happening.
Today we are now heading down towards Huddersfield with twenty two locks completed  already .
Fish and chips for tea in Saithwaite.
These are not my pictures as there wasn`t really time to take any so borrowed from here

OK well I am sorry that it has been a few weeks since I last posted but following our visit to Stoke we then spent a week up the Caldon No internet but a beautiful place Then after that a visit back home and  on our return we made our our second attempt on the llangollen canal , success  at last no modern communications up in the Welsh hills but again fantastic country small narrow wooded canals and of course the viaducts wow .
following that we went off in a totally different direction a drive to the south coast , Eurotunnel ( a brilliant efficient event but look out for the french police speed camera on the exit ramp at Calais !!)
then on through Belgium , Holland and Germany to our destination Himmighausen  superb time had see Kirby band site for video evidence himmighausen and also http://www.kirkbyband.co.uk/ The round trip was one and a half thousand miles in total just as well I love driving .
We did manage to get lost in Calais Eurotunnel site in the dark including trying to get in the deserted HCV entrance , Security ?? we had to find a van with two french lads in to help us escape not an immigrant in sight either , when we did find the correct entrance no searches at all straight through both customs and  back in UK within the hour .
Jumping forward to today our current adventure is the Huddersfield Narrow which includes the Standedge tunnel three miles long and  that is the longest tunnel in Britain , that`s happening  on Monday but  as there a restrictions on size so we hope we will fit .
Pictures will follow later.

Monday we  have stayed moored at Longport lake and went to the Middleport pottery visitor centre unfortunately the factory was on holiday and so there were no guided tours but still plenty interesting stuff to see  pottery .
On our way back we called in here butchers outlet a carnivors paradise and although they are really more of a  trade outlet we  got a few bits including some steaks one of which was enough to feed us at tea time.
Tuesday we are going to start our journey through stoke and on to the caldon canal.

There has been a bit of a gap as we have been back home for a couple of weeks to make a visit too York hospital and then Hilarys sisters wedding the week after (well fed and watered thank you courtesy of the G&D in the afternoon and the golf club in the evening a good do all round  .
We left our mooring  on Thursday and travelled down to Gurnett Aquaduct for our first nights rest , then next day onward to the Bosley twelve locks stopping at the bottom for a well earned nights rest on the Dane aquaduct.
Saturday morning after a little lie in moved onwards  a few more miles towards the Trent Mersey junction stopping just short ready for an early start on Sunday to tackle the Harecastle tunnel  2926 yards long  that took us just 45 minutes to complete nothing like as difficult to do as some people make out the lowest parts do require you to bend down to avoid the roof for a couple of hundred yards thats all.
Sunday afternoon are now moored at the West Port lake just outside Stoke on Trent went for a little walk to find a shop and do some essential  food shopping and stopped off at the cafe boat on the way back for a bacon sarni and baked potato  .

Our neighbours for Saturday night just through the railings next to our bedroom window

spotted halfway down the Bosley  locks funny place to park an

aeroplane

 A fantastic setting for a mooring

tboss in pearls and finery

moored up

round ).