Another visit from President

President arrives!

Stone may have missed out on the route of the Olympic torch but we made up for it yesterday when the unique steam powered narrow boat, President, stopped off in the town for a couple of hours!  President was  beginning its journey to London to take part in the Diamond Jubilee flotilla on the Thames on June 3rd when it will represent Staffordshire. This flotilla should be a sight to behold - boats of all shapes and sizes stretching for over twelve and a half miles!

And yesterday a very good crowd turned out to wish her 'bon voyage'. She moored alongside the towpath above Star Lock for a couple of hours and her crew and Inland Waterways volunteers were on hand to answer all questions. Built in 1909 , President was restored in the 1970's and is the only operational steam narrow boat on the canal network.

And two hours later, departs.

She has, of course, visited Stone on several previous occasions. Only last year did I see a video of her taken, I think, in 1991, when the then Mayor of Stone Stan Goodall and the then Mayor of Stafford Mike Heenan, were in Stone to see her off on the last leg of the journey which transported the statue of James Brindley up to Etruria where it now stands at the junction of the Trent and Mersey and the Caldon Canals.