Marine Service (SOT) Ltd,
Festival Park Marina, Etruria
Canal wise this marina is situated just north of the entrance to the Caldon Canal on the Trent and Mersey. Finding it by road is as follows.
From the north leave the M6 at Junction 16 on to the A500 or from the south leave at junction 15 and take the A500, both will be signposted towards Stoke. Leave the A500 at the A53 towards Hanley and city centre. You will pass over the canal and can see the marina on the left hand side at this point. Stay in the left hand lane (do not cross flyover) and you will come to a large roundabout under it. Turn left at this and you have now entered Festival Park. Turn left at the mini roundabout and on your left you will pass a cinema complex. Take the first left after this and you will then pass though the gates in to the marina. If you get lost (!) then follow the brown “tourist” signs to Festival Park. Incidentally if you choose to approach from the A50 (from the east of Stoke) it joins up with the A500 in the centre of the city. This road is new and offers a quite stunning approach to the city.
There is sufficient car parking but they do ask you to limit this to one car, if you bring more than one then please ask for parking instructions and they reserve the right to charge you a small fee for any second vehicle.
The yard is owned by Marine Services and run by Barry and Angela Davis. Each boat will have a key to the main gate put on board but if you are arriving after 5.30 pm on any day you must ring them and make arrangements to get in to the yard.
The telephone number there is 01782 201981 and this also offers fax facilities should you need it. Whilst we are in the general area of telephone numbers should you need a taxi try A1 Inter City Cabs on 01782 855855.
When you arrive to collect your boat it will probably be in the moorings near the main “workshop” at the far end of the marina, if you cannot see it then ask one of the staff where it has been put. When you return, after entering the marina (the lift bridge may be operated using a standard windlass), you need to moor by the workshop to get pump out etc. and may leave you boat there to unload provided this is agreed with the staff. Should you wish to have the interior of your boat cleaned when you return then this is possible at a cost of around £30 plus VAT but you must give a least seven days notice. Life jacket and anchor hire are possible and on site during the “season”.
Within literally a two minute walk there is a pub, multi screen cinema and bowling alley and within a very short drive there are large supermarkets, a swimming pool and theatre, ask the staff for directions should you need them. Indeed there is so much locally that you may have great difficulty tearing yourself away! If you do intend to use your boat simply as a base Les will probably arrange a short term mooring in a “quieter” area within the marina. Apart from the OwnerShips boats and a number of hire boats Marine Services, who own the site, operate a large number of hire craft for Black Prince Holidays.
If you do decide to venture out to the canal (!) then, should you choose to head north, remember that the Harecastle tunnel is not far away and is only open during certain hours (which may be found at http://www.ownerships.co.uk/harecastle.htm or by calling the office but, in a nutshell, you need to be at the tunnel for about 3 p.m. to be certain of getting through). Personally I would head south on the Caldon Canal, quite the best on the system but take a pack of cards as you will be lucky to get even radio reception at the end!