We bears enjoyed lots of fun days out in April, including a visit to the Churnet Valley Railway. We saw it last year, when we travelled along the Caldon Canal on Polar and Grizzly's narrowboat, Uplander II, but we had not been for a ride behind one of the engines before.
While we waited for the train at Cheddleton Station, Polar let us climb on some vintage luggage that's left on the platform to make it look like a long time ago. There are pigeons in the baskets but, fortunately for them, they aren't real ones.
We were catching a special train, which went in a big loop north from Cheddleton, through a long, smoky tunnel and past the junction where the lines used to run to Stoke and Leek, and climbed up into the Staffordshire Moorlands.
Polar and Grizzly found us nice seats with a table we could sit on, giving us good views of the fields and high hills behind them. It was a bright, sunny day, so we could see a very long way.
It was quite a tough climb for the little steam engine, so the railway people put a diesel locomotive on the back to help push all the heavy carriages up into the hills.
I think the animals who live in the farms were quite surprised to see us!
The railway lines go all the way to a big quarry at Caldon Low, but the train didn't go that far. We stopped near Ipstones, then came back down the valley.
Grizzly pointed out where the line to Stoke branched off. He told us that there were plans to reopen it for passenger services, although no work had happened for a while. We hope it will be repaired soon, all the way to Leek, as it would give us something else to do on our days out.
The end of the line is at a station called Kingsley and Froghall, near the end of the Caldon Canal (and the start of the Uttoxeter Canal, which you can't take boats along, at least for now).
We got back in our bear bag and let Polar carry us, as there were lots of people on the platform, as a couple had been holding their wedding reception on the train, in some very smart dining car carriages. Our little furry tummies rumbled when we smelt roast dinners!
Travelling back to Cheddleton, we recognised the Black Lion pub beside the Caldon Canal, near where we had moored last year on Uppie.
'Last time we came here, we had baths!' Hanley Bear remembered.
'I think you're going to need baths again, little bears,' said Polar. 'You're getting quite grubby after all your adventures.'
We didn't say anything and hoped she would have forgotten about giving us bear baths by the time we got home. We liked smelling of bear and adventures!
When we got back to Cheddleton, Polar and Grizzly drove up into the Peak District, going over the level crossing at the station and crossing over the Caldon Low line further up the road.
We were going for a walk along part of an abandoned railway which is now a cycle route, through the Manifold Valley. Grizzly explained that they had walked some of the middle section of the route, but not the north or south ends. This time, they were going to explore the northern part, near Hulme End.
We enjoyed the walk, but thought it would have been much more fun to have another ride behind a steam train.
On the way back, we got a good view of The Roaches, near Leek. Endon said he would like to climb them. Grizzly said he would have to be very careful, as they are very high and steep and the mountain rescue people might not be very pleased if they had to save a small bear who. had got stuck.
I think we are always good and sensible bears, don't you?
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