fat & hairy

just want to stand up for the stoke bit of the caldon - its not that urban really - just the short stretch between hanley park and the lime kiln lift bridge - which is now not so much urban but just an unfinished building site. (Note the shiny new bridge that goes nowhere that has been put up for all the houses that haven't been built yet). After that its really quite green and pleasant. Walked along there the other day and saw a kingfisher and that was on the building site stretch so it is well worth it even before you get to the delights of endon, froghall etc

What about the stretch south of middlewhich to wheelock? - a salt plant and bisto factory doesnt really do it for me. (mind be biased as it was pouring down the last time I was there)

Whilst going up the Farmers Bridge locks into Birmingham a female American tourist watched for a good while as the wife negotiated the bits under the buildings and a few locks and then asked 'Do you have to steer these things' and then when in the lock with all gates shut and thing gently filling asked her why she wasn't driving on' American didn't seem to understand that the boat would drive through the gates. - Ah well I suppose thats what happens when you come from the most powerful country in the world.