Reaching Kidsgrove

Entering Lock 44, our 3rd for today

Sunday we moved onwards and upwards, working 4 locks before lunch!  It was a lovely sunny day so we didn't go any further spending the afternoon relaxing on board with all the doors open for a breeze!  We were taking our time so spent the next day pottering about with odd jobs.  In the midst of which we discovered a leak under the galley sink.  Turned out we needed a new waste. So on Tuesday after just a short cruise to Wheelock we got the bus to Crewe where there is a Screwfix.  Despite the old waste having come from there the new one was different.  But Paul got it fixed and all is now good.

Lock 42, you can see the aqueduct carrying the Macclesfield Canal over the
Trent and Mersey Canal.

On Wednesday we got the bus again, this time to Sandbach where we were meeting my cousin Dawn and her husband Dave for lunch in Case Mia.  An Italian restaurant that we found there a couple of years ago.  After a lovely meal they took us to the supermarket before bringing back with our provisions!
Thursday was a busy day with us working up through 14 locks, with very few boats in the opposite direction. Most of the locks in this flight are doubles with 2 side by side.  Although not all the second chambers are open.  Another 6 locks on Friday.  All through fairly small villages, or in the middle of nowhere.  Yesterday was storm Hannah and we also had rain all day long.  So we lit the fire and did nothing at all!  So today again has been a busy day.  Just 5 locks which brought us to Kidsgrove.  The water here is almost orange due to the iron in the rocks.  Then after lunch a walk up the hill to the launderette.
Tomorrow we will be going through Harecastle Tunnel which will bring us to Stoke on Trent.
It will then feel that we really are getting southward.