Douglas Diary 15th August
Churnet Valley.
How delightful is this hidden part of Staffordshire and for 48 hours I have seen nothing to indicate that we are travelling in the 21st century. I was made very welcomed in the pub last night just like the old days my bearded one said, a real pub no music, no fruit machine and the only noise to break the silence is the landlady pulling a pint and an occasional haunting steam whistle and belch from an old steam engine. To complete the authenticity there is no wifi or internet or mobile phone connection, thus my diary may never arrive or will at best be be posted late.
We explored, I sniffed about and the long haired ones sketched the old railway station and rolling stock, we all visited a family of pigs that I was not allowed to play with and it was getting quite late in the morning before we tore ourselves away from Cheddleton to continue our journey into the wilds of the Churnet Valley towards Froghall.
We cruised from Canal to join the river and I walked a lot with my long haired one we hardly met another boat or person or dog until we arrived at Consall and the Black Lion. We moored outside and particularly the bearded ones seemed quite thirsty. “Slumbering Monk” is to be recommended.
We all love this pub and mooring, interestingly we are, according to the landlord, three and a half miles from the main road – accessable only by track, or river or steam railway. Chickens roam the front garden see photo and I am told I must be on a lead which I think is fair, some of my kind are not as well behaved as me. In fact there was an incident whilst I was being very good under their table as usual, one from the Jack Russell tribe broke loose from his owner and there was a bit of a tussle before he was recovered with a mouth full of feathers. There was no other damage. He left. We are going to stay a while.
Sent from my IPad x
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