After a short cruise yesterday we had to do a longer cruise today,cruising through the Trent and Mersey's Flashes caused by subsidence and passing through the Brine Works on to the Anderton lift.

There was a fantastic sunset last night at the Bramble Cuttings.

Dave the other night recommended these moorings so as we cruised up they were totally empty and Ruby had missed playing with the ball we decided to moor after an hour cruising.

We are now moored in Middlewich a lovely sunset after a five hour cruise to get here.

Looking like snow on the hills in June but it's mountain of salt from the salt factory.

Travelling on today I had to report to the Eviromental Agency that there was hundreds of dead fish which they put down to the recent storms and hot weather.

Today we completed fourteen locks with our extra crew member Rita mooring tonight in Wheelock even the locals showed interest in us, Rita moved on to her next destination tonight.

Last night we moored in Rode Heath and caught up Dave and Hamish the cat off Barolo and visited the Broughton Arms.

With the extra crew member we travelled through ten locks with ease.

After completing the tunnel we cruised on to Kidsgrove to be hit with a thunder storm.

After leaving Festival Park we were booked to go through the Harecastle Tunnel at 3pm on our way to the tunnel we passed the Middleport Pottery.

We left Festival Park on Monday.

Yesterday we hade a great time with family, thanks for them all for travelling up to help celebrate my birthday.

On my Birthday on Thursday Paul called in and we went for lunch on Friday it was great to catch up with all his family for the Heartwood reunion.

We have made it to Festival Park Marina photo's have been taken fifteen years apart.

Things got a bit prettier as we went up the locks more pottery kilns and some nice street art.

You know that you have reached Stoke on Trent when see the redundent pottery kilns, the first lock of the day isn't a very pretty one but very deep.

Yesterday we moored at Hem Heath just outside Stoke on Trent passing the Wedgwood Factory