Off the Grid

August 2023

Chilling with a return to the Old Empire🫠. Read more

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Traveler Off the Grid
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- Aug 2, 2023, 8:23am
- ☁️ 15 °C
- Altitude: 74 m
- England Stafford District Stone 52.900096, -2.14554152°54’0” N 2°8’44” W
1
Day 1
Landed off the grid start point
August 2, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
An earlier rise to farm the corgis to our daughter before navigating the security queues @ CPH. Stats not bad at 30 mins from drop off to leaving the extra 3rd World security check at terminal E.😉
The good weather took a rain check, which revealed its colours on arrival at Manchester. The standard baggage delay ensured our departure missed by 2 minutes at the train terminal. On a positive note, saved 18 € on delayed ticket! 🤭
Arriving at Stone, the clouds had relented, so no dripping wet clothes. Short trip to my mums by taxi spent down digging old school memories from my early youth! The taxi driver was from the same school year & school! Names of pupils and former teachers throwen about,revealed we were at different inflexions of the scale .
Didn't realise the old memory cells were still functioning , 😆
In all trip time 8 hrs!Read more
Traveler Nice 🙂
8/4/23Reply
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Traveler Off the Grid
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- Aug 4, 2023, 9:14am
- ☁️ 14 °C
- Altitude: 74 m
- England Stafford District Stone 52.900821, -2.14774952°54’3” N 2°8’52” W
Day 3
Finally Launch Time Day
August 4, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
Weather does not look promising 😕 There again ,does Russell really care ? Nature is beautiful ; appreciate it while you can😇
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- Aug 4, 2023, 9:32pm
- ☁️ 13 °C
- Altitude: 101 m
- England Stafford District Barlaston Barlaston Railway Station 52.942988, -2.1690552°56’35” N 2°10’9” W
1
Day 3
First Overnight
August 4, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
First Meal Stop.

Wow, I had to wait 30 mins for a Portobello Mushroom burger. It was worthy of the wait.
Plume of Feathers Restaurant, I would eat again there.

The Rain gods held off, rumour they were waiting for the thunder jocks to join them! Find out tomorrow.

After collecting essential supplies Liquid essentials) the instructor set off to guide us along the route. No major damages incurred so far. 6 locks complete.Read more
Traveler ✅😊
8/4/23Reply
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- Aug 5, 2023, 12:26pm
- 🌧 13 °C
- Altitude: 106 m
- England Stoke-on-Trent Trentham 52.962732, -2.19793452°57’46” N 2°11’53” W
1
Day 4
Then it Arrived
August 5, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 13 °C
Woken by the constant pit patter of the rain hammering on the roof, realising that it's gonna be a wet Saturday. 😳

Russell needs rain gear, having embraced therapy with benefits. Trentham Gardens was set as course way 👉.Read more
Traveler 🫣😅 When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! 😆
8/5/23Reply
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- Aug 5, 2023, 5:54pm
- ☁️ 14 °C
- Altitude: 137 m
- England Stoke-on-Trent Etruria 53.019299, -2.19064253°1’9” N 2°11’26” W
Day 4
Warm Shower Terapy
August 5, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
After retail therapy at Trentham, the rain disappeared once back at with Angela.

Captain Russell had forgotten that the empire uses imperial measurements. So his good speed was not rabbit mode but tortise🤫🤫

The leading mate was highly amused at the slip up.Read more
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- Aug 6, 2023, 7:10am
- ⛅ 11 °C
- Altitude: 137 m
- England Stoke-on-Trent Etruria 53.019293, -2.19054853°1’9” N 2°11’26” W
Day 5
Sunday Waking
August 6, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
Well, the storm gods have relented. Chilling with Baileys and coffee.Great start to Sunday.
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- Aug 7, 2023, 9:00pm
- ⛅ 12 °C
- Altitude: 143 m
- England Staffordshire Moorlands Cheddleton 53.070612, -2.04355853°4’14” N 2°2’37” W
Day 6
I Hate Mondays
August 7, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
Gordon Bennett.
Would you Adam & Eve It!
A day of near misses. Boaters that don't know the horn are useful on blond bends.
Four times, I had to pull emergency manoeuvres to avoid insurance claims!
Warned hirers are always to blame.

The cream on the cake was the pubs didn't serve grub on Mondays 🤨

Good old Pie & Chips to save the day.Read more
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- Aug 8, 2023, 8:08pm
- ☁️ 15 °C
- Altitude: 104 m
- England Stafford District Barlaston Barlaston Railway Station 52.942813, -2.16911352°56’34” N 2°10’9” W
1
Day 7
14 Locks in a Day
August 8, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Captain's Log.
After a hearty health breakfast, we cast off for big adventure. After making good time to the first, chief bottle washer shouts keep to the right in the middle pond.
OK, lock gate is pushed open and the motor engaged. Next bump and realise we have hit the cill! Reverse and secure Angela.
Bloody Hell, now I can fully understand the issue, the pond appears half empty.

Should we call CRT or what? Humm engineering solution open both top and bottom paddles to fill the pond from next lock. We'll half hour later, problem solved and the journey continues.

14 locks => ~ 110 cubic metres per lock.
That over 15000 litres of water moved through the journey.
That's a hell a lot of rainfall if you multiple with all the travelling canal boats!!Read more
Traveler Pond level back to normal
8/9/23Reply
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- Aug 9, 2023, 7:29pm
- ⛅ 22 °C
- Altitude: 72 m
- England Stafford District Stone 52.898977, -2.14187952°53’56” N 2°8’31” W
Day 8
It all started in 1755 !
August 9, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
The birth place.

This 'off the grid' holiday break opportunity stems from the foresight of Liverpool merchants from nearly 300 years ago!

Traffic was heavy on the trip south. In front of us a single woman was fortunate to gain the service of a renowned face from Facebook Robb to assist her in navigating the first five locks.
Bless his daily efforts to help people on their way. In fact, contra to CRT regulations, he deliberately left the paddle open to fill the lock for US..
Big thank you from me.

Our gain was lost after extending our lunch break. 2 boats jumped ahead, so it caused further delays on the next set of locks.
But hey, we are chilling off the grid enjoying the moment.Read more
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- Aug 10, 2023, 7:07pm
- ⛅ 24 °C
- Altitude: 70 m
- England Stafford District Stone 52.90059, -2.14768552°54’2” N 2°8’52” W
Day 9
Standon Church
August 10, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Squeezed between a working Canal Boat and a poor man's cruiser, it felt like we were breaking equitte! Our hemp deflectors were literally kissing both our neighbours' deflectors. A short walk to my favourite Marks & Spencer food shop revealed that boaters usually left a good meter between mooring line🤫
To avoid issues, we shipped out early to our destination - Standon Church.
After a sediate cruise enjoying the warm sunny weather, we arrived at our destination. Reality was a nerve-wracking walk, dodging high-speed vehicles exceeding 60km/hrs along the country lane.
The steep rise to the church revealed an enchanting view of the countryside beyond the ancient graveyard. Wandering among the graves presented the curse of child mortality from earlier times. Revealing the curse strikes both poor and rich! Note that all these graves indicate the local gentry. Poor families couldn't afford burial sites. Records dated back to 1311😶😶.
After a safe return to our Angela, the cruise continued to a final pub lunch before returning to Stone for our final night.Read more
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