I can’t believe it was last Tuesday when I wrote my last blog. I just don’t know where the time goes. Sunday again! We met our friends on Tuesday at Market Drayton, and made us of the fact they had a car and popped to Lidl to stock up on the items my granchildren had eaten or drunk. On Wednesday we went to the Wedgwood museum near Stoke-on-Trent, as it wasn’t open when we passed it in March. Hard to believe we have been on the move for 20 weeks and really gone in a circle!
Charlie took a few pictures at the Wedgwood museum; the one above shows the canal which was built to transport the pottery to Liverpool. The museum had only been open a few weeks, but it was packed with items from Josiah Wedgwood’s early days, up until the modern ware made today. There was so much information it was hard to take it all in. We went out for a pub meal in the evening to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary (belated as it was in May). On Thursday we moved along the canal through Tyrley locks; had a BBQ and then turned and returned to Market Drayton so our friends could pick up their car.
Tyrley Locks
Top of Tyrley locks in the converted wharf buildings
Our friends left us on Friday and we are making our way rather quickly (for us) to Autherly junction, as we received some sad news this week. A very good friend passed away at the age of 60 from cancer and we are returning briefly to Cornwall for the funeral on Thursday. It makes you realise that life is for living while you can, so enjoy it! We will put the boat into a boatyard at Autherly junbction whilst we are away and hire a car from Wolverhampton. Today we have made it to Wheaton Aston, and tomorrow another 3 hour journey to Autherly junction and the boatyard. Luckily the Shropshire Union is quite rural along this stretch and very beautiful; but not much to see in between, so exploring put on hold until we return.
Embankment cut through solid rock; amazing to think all done with hands and hard graft
Shropshire Union lined with tree’s as there are many embankments along this route
Izzy snoozing on our travels
Another plant encrusted rock
One of the many high bridges along the canal
Cowley Tunnel
And finally a stowaway!!
ps.new phone all up and running and all passwords retrieved (phew). Hubby banned from touching the new phone. Since we left Market Drayton we haven’t had a 3G signal until today. Hopefully once we get going again and into Birmingham the signal should be okay for frequent blogging. Watch this space.