We spent several days journeying north and west through Staffordshire. Sometimes there were dark clouds and rain but the countryside was still lovely. Grizzly's favourite area is between Colwich and Stone - he calls it 'Arcadia'. I liked it because there were lots of animals and birds to see, including a very bold kingfisher perched on the back of a boat who didn't fly away when we went past!
Now the weather was getting cooler, Polar used some felt her friend Tina had given her to make me a duffle coat! I love it, as it reminds me of Paddington's coat and keeps me very snug in the cold autumn winds, especially if I put the hood up to cover my ears.
Close to Stoke, we passed through Barleston and then the big Wedgwood pottery factory. I knew from reading the canal guidebooks that Stoke-on-Trent was famous for the china made there by very clever humans for more than three centuries. It would be nice to have a bear-sized tea set for Hanley Bear and I one day, so we could serve a proper afternoon tea to any of our animal friends who come to visit!
Stoke-on-Trent didn't look very nice from the canal. There was a huge incinerator, then a busy road, then big walls with lots of scrawly graffiti on, then a big concrete lock next to a house with a fierce dog that kept barking at me. But, after we came through two more locks, we reached quite a pretty area next to the Industrial Museum at Etruria. We stopped here and that was when Polar and Grizzly met Polar's friend Tina, her mum and her sister, and their small bear friends, one of whom is now my best bear buddy, little Hanley Bear.
I was glad Hanley was with me for the journey on to Kidsgrove, where Uppie lives when we are not on a voyage. I thought the landscape looked rather sad and empty, but Hanley explained that there used to be a massive steelworks where we were, and that the derelict buildings we went past were old potteries. He showed me one that had been restored, at Middleport, and pointed out a couple of the famous bottle kilns which used to be used for firing the pottery.
Then we got to Harecastle Tunnel. Although we bears are used to caves, we find very, very long tunnels rather scary and this is an extremely long tunnel. Grizzly always steers the boat through as he is shorter than Polar and less likely to bump his head on the nasty low ceiling. Hanley Bear and I sat in the cratch, watching the tiny speck of light in the distance slowly getting bigger.
'Isn't the water a funny colour!' I said to Hanley, as it had gone all orangey.
Hanley explained this was because there was iron ore in the hill the tunnel went through, which was what stained the water orange. He showed me that there were small stalactites on the ceiling too, made from where the water seeped through limestone. Hanley is only a very small bear, but he knows a lot of scientific things. Having him talking to me about rocks and mining and Stoke-on-Trent and oatcakes stopped me getting frightened in the tunnel and soon, we were through!
Polar and Grizzly sat us both back in my bunk while they finished packing up everything that had to go back to the house and doing things like switching off the gas and electricity on the boat. Then we were taken along a gangway to some funny lop-sided steps and up to where Grizzly had parked a little red car, and that look us up a steep hill to Polar and Grizzly's house.
After our adventure going through the tunnel, Hanley and I were too tired to explore the house and garden that day, but as you can see from my other posts we have a very comfortable life as loved bears here, with our cosy bear basket to sleep in and a nice big garden to play in. Hanley Bear was very keen to show me round his home city and I have got to like Stoke-on-Trent much more than I thought I would from my first impressions, but I am still a boat bear at heart and hope to be off on more voyages soon!
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