ROB LAWSON ... He goes messing about on the canal for his family's first barging holiday and finds the sedate pace of life to his liking.

CHUGGING gently along a slow stretch of Midlands waterway with a tiller in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other, I decided I liked barging holidays   I was a canal virgin, and to be honest, I struggled for the first day.   I was strangely restless, eager to get on with things. Then it dawned on me. I couldn't, and this was the beauty of my first barging break.  You see you're forced to slow down. The boats are long and cumbersome, the lock procedure laborious and time consuming. The only thing you can do quickly is get stuck .It took me a day to wind down, then I had a fabulous time. We picked our boat up in Stoke-on- Trent, having decided to tackle the Caldon Canal. Our 70-ft long craft was named Poppy, and as there were two young families on board we needed every inch of her generous space.  There were two toilets on board, and four sleeping areas, all of which provided comfortable beds.  There was also more than enough storage space for the four adults and five children. The helpful staff from the boatyard gave us a full briefing on controlling the barge, and even took us through the first two locks.  Then we were on our way.

Our route took us through the battered, sorry remnants of what was once Stoke's pottery industry.  Slowly but surely we eased our way out of what was the industrial heart of the Potteries into the leafy suburbs of Stoke. You literally pass people's kitchen windows as you make your way sedately out into the open countryside   It took about three hours, but was well worth the wait.  We could have been in another century as we cut a gentle swathe through quaint villages and hamlets.  We could have been in another century as we cut a gentle swathe through quaint villages and hamlets. There was the quiet chug of the boat, the chirping of the birds and the occasional outburst from sheep peering inquisitively from the riverbank.

There does seem to be a certain camaraderie among boating types, which seems to extend on to the canal sides. We were often helped through locks by eager youngsters who were only too happy to muck in.  With little more than a cursory glance at the map, we decided we'd head for Leek.  As the darkness descended we moored for the night. It's just like caravanning on water really.  Next morning we made an early start. We weren't too sure how long it would take us to get to Leek, so wanted to leave ourselves plenty of time  I'm pleased we did, as once we arrived at the end of the canal, and walked through a depressing industrial 'estate we found ourselves in the historic heart of Leek, where antique shops thrive.

Our journey back was just as leisurely. We stopped overnight near to a family-friendly pub which had a brilliant play area for the kids to stretch their legs.  We also found a miniature zoo right next to the canal which we visited. Gliding through beautiful countryside we really didn't want to return to Stoke.  However, we'd booked for only three days so we reluctantly, but slowly, headed back to reality.  Barging was an experience. It wasn't luxurious, it wasn't fast- paced and it won't be for everybody.  I had a great time and can thoroughly recommend it as a way to relax amid beautiful countryside.