Handsacre, Trent and Mersey Canal

We began today's cruise by topping up at the water point before Fradley Junction and getting the washing machine going again. Will took the remainder of the bins before walking ahead and opening the small swing bridge for Vicky to drive through. At the junction one boat was already turning in from the left and another appeared from the right just as Vicky was edging Rainboat's bow into the channel. We wouldn't like to tackle this turning in peak season!

We headed west towards Stoke on Trent, waiting for the boat ahead of us to exit the lock before we could enter. There were a further two locks after this, then the terrain flattened out. We passed walkers and cyclists enjoying the sunshine on the wide chalky towpath. The land around us remained pastoral, interspersed by stretches of deciduous woodland.

We've been very worried about Tiger recently because her episodes of Paroxysmal Dyskinesia (Movement Disorder), which normally occur once a month, have been clustering and even happening twice on a couple of days. Historically many dogs have been misdiagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy (as Tiger was) and as a result veterinary medicine has not progressed far in finding a treatment. Vicky had engaged research mode and read everything she could find, from the results of scientific trials to anecdotal advice on Facebook. Stress is one trigger and Tiger gets stressed while travelling. To help with this we've tried giving her a Tryptophan based relaxing treat. It seems to be helping her nerves. The sun relaxed her on today's cruise too.

It was a shock to the system pulling up in the suburban town of Handsacre. We hadn't seen this many people in weeks! Will had an over priced but under parr cheese and onion cob at the nearby Crown, before picking up groceries and visiting the fishing shop.

Back on Rainboat he was fishing from the stern when a boat cruised by with one of Whiskers posters in the window. People really have been kind and helpful when we've talked to them about him.

One advantage of being in an urban area is being close to takeaways like Michael's Fish Bar. Vicky often has a salad wrap or pitta but Michael's has a falafel kebab which was a lot nicer! 5 stars Michael!En savoir plus