Monday, 30 June 2014

Stone

We stopped short of the town of Stone last night in order to enjoy tranquillity before tackling Stone and Stoke on Trent.
Stone is where our first boat was built by Roger Fuller back in 1985. It was side launched from near the garden of his house where she was built.

Anna's launch site now somewhat overgrown

The first lock you come to in Stone is Star lock the home of the famous Star Inn where each room is on a slightly different level.

Approaching Star lock

In Star lock

The "Star" lockkeeper

An interesting tree stump carving

The home of the Stone Brewery now a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) workshop
 
 
Roger's Yard
 
Roger has a great love of trains and he has laid a narrow gauge track around it complete with signals and a signal box. Great fun was had back in 2003 when he held a "Fuller Fest" at which the owners of all the boats he had built were invited. We all had goes of being hauled around the yard by a hand operated buggy. (I'm sure there is a proper name for it)
 
The signals
 
And the signal box
 
It was great to meet Roger and his son Jo again as we mellowed about old times over a cup of coffee.
 
On we went towards Stoke on Trent only to come across this ideal position of a house with its own dry dock!
 
Dream on!
 
We passed the Wedgwood china factory before mooring up for the night just short of the Britannia football stadium, home of Stoke City. 

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