Many Meetings: Stoke-on-Trent and the Potteries Museum.

Friday 9th to Sunday 11th June 2023 in Stoke-on-Trent.

Early Friday morning, M had to go home to "granddaughter sit", so we walked the half mile to Stoke-on-Trent station where M caught the train to London as the first stage of her journey.

Back at MM, R moved up to the lock moorings for the first of the three Etruria locks to wait for someone to come down as the lock was full. After an hour, nobody did so R emptied the lock and went through - only to find a boat coming out of the middle lock and, after going through that, there was another boat coming through the top lock. So, a good road!

Waiting for the top lock was a third boat crewed by two inexperienced guys who were taking a very sick boat to Market Drayton for repairs. Lots of oil smoke from the engine as it appeared that the big ends had gone.

As R approached Etruria, he photographed this fearsome beast. Clearly having had a good meal it was still hungry!

Moored MM up just past Festival Park.

As R had moored MM up, something got tangled around the propellor so, it was down the weed hatch to remove what seems to have been a cushion with a cheerful message - bit of an irony when you're cursing it round the prop!!

Saturday was a shopping day and washing down MM. The new solar panels, in full sun, worked well as the batteries held their charge without running the engine at all.

On Sunday, R took the bus into Stoke-on-Trent centre to visit the Pottery Museum. Last time we visited, before Covid, the Staffordshire Hoard had only just gone on display in a temporary exhibition but it now has an excellent permanent exhibition including a recreation of a magnificent helmet from some bits that seemed to go together.

Most of the Hoard consists of "military bling", the kind of thing that might be found after a major battle. So, Anglo Saxon recycling perhaps. A lot of the items feature red garnets that were already recycled from Roman times.

Stoke-on-Trent was also the birthplace of Reginald Mitchell, who designed the Spitfire and the Museum has a Mk.9 on show in the Spitfire Gallery.

Last time we visited, there was a statue of Grodon Banks on display, but this time R could only find Stanley Matthews. Stoke really has a remarkable history in aviation and football as well as in pottery making.

Later in the afternoon, R moved MM up to Middleport Pottery, where he stopped for a coffee and cake. Sadly, it being Sunday, the factory tour wasn't operating but the coffee was welcome.