We were rather surprised to discover last night’s mooring was quite close to Ashton Marina and we even took a photo of the exit just to make the Aussie boaters on Parisien Star, Ferndale and The Manly Ferry homesick.
Make you homesick Ray, Toni, Ellie, Mick, Elaine & Paul? 
Last night I walked the towpath into Stone and identified there were no vacancies on the 5 Day or 48 hour moorings so it was a wise decision to moor outside Stone last night. The plan for today was to wait until four boats from the direction of Stone passed us and then cruise into Stone hoping to find a vacant mooring. Just above Aston Lock there is a Trent & Mersey Canal milestone.
I guess that means we’re at the halfway point!
Has anyone noticed how Paul on The Manly Ferry has been going on about how great his new digital camera is. This got me thinking. It should be possible to make a digital camera. Collecting a Fosters can, the cardboard tube from a toilet roll, the shell of a biro pen a fruit juice container some duct tape an old SD card and the lens from a solar powered lamp In about 60 minutes I made a camera using my Leatherman tool. There was a hot air balloon flying nearby and it was a case of point and shoot.
Give the toilet tube a twist to zoom in.
Tweak the tube more
Put a strip of duct tape over the improvised lens with a pinhole in it.
There were actually three vacant moorings when we arrived in Stone and we tied up on one of the 5 Day spots. On the way to the town centre we saw the last share of the time-share boat we noticed when cruising yesterday.
Stone is a rather pretty town and we wandered the pedestrian mall before heading to Morrison’s supermarket for some essential supplies.
We were last here in 2003 when on a hire boat doing the Four Counties Ring in 10 days. It was a very quick trip into Stone that day but I still remembered the way back to the canal from Morrison’s.
This scene would look much more attractive if the black pipe didn’t span the canal through the middle of the photo. Walking back to Waiouru we passed the boat of a couple of well known continuous cruisers and bloggers.
It was Chas & Anne’s boat, Moore 2 life.
Don’t panic…… It’s just me pretending I have some artistic ability
If we move tomorrow it will have to be an early start as we’ll want to find a nice shady mooring before it get too hot.
5 comments :
Hi Tom
See, I knew you could do it, and a damn sight cheaper I bet :-)
Why don't you join the Aussies over winter at Aston Marina?
Mlke says... 'If you can make a movie version he'll have one!' ����
Hope you're enjoying the heat wave and all snuffy noses are better.
We're sweating our way towards Great Haywood.
M&M
Mike will have to wait until we have another empty toilet roll :-)
Where are you now?
Hi Tom and Jan. Sorry we missed you. We are at Shardlow having completed the T &M. So now heading back to the marina, but we have not missed it. Toni and Ray
Hi Toni & Ray,
Just thought you might be relieved to know the marina is still there! :-)
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