Photo-a-Day  (Wednesday, 30th January, 2019)

Great shot Mick. Is that a bus #15, or 18, or 14.Perhaps 16. OK who can put names to those route #s

Was watching them over Flintshire a few weeks ago... the Beluga. Big beggers!

It really does look very similar to Benny the Beluga who made himself at home in the Thames.

Wish I was on a 'plane this morning flying somewhere nice and warm, IT's a 'whiteout' this morning up here in Howfen... The weathermen were right after all!

Where I live on the Wirral, they pass over my house on a nearly every day en-route to Airbus @Hawarden (Chester Airport). I am led to believe from a different aviation website that the next generation of "Beluga's will be flying over us on 15th February 2019 into Hawarden to test the facilities prior to it entering service later this year. A good website to log onto is FR24 (Flightradar 24.com) and see how many different aircraft pass over the Wigan area every hour.

I was sat on a plane at Toulouse airport recently, waiting to taxi to the runway and a Beluga passed us having just landed, they're BIG !!. Toulouse is the home of the Beluga and the birthplace of most Airbus planes. Veronica, it isn't a passenger plane, it carries Airbus wings from the UK to Toulouse.

Here in Standish the snow's falling too Veronica and those tough guys at the High School have declared it a danger zone and closed for the day. Still the lads on the building site are still labouring away.

You learn something new everyday Roy! I know nothing about them! Most schools are shut here! Goodness me it's only 4 inches deep! The snow used to be well over the top of wellies when we trudged through mountains of it! Oh,the excitement! It's a softer generation these days Poet.

I agree we did trudge to school every winter in a lot more snow and ice than there ever is these days. However, the schools can't risk any kids getting hurt now because of claims by parents.

Poet and Veronica, it isn't the kids fault that schools close when a bit of snow falls, its the ''compensation society'' to blame. The education people don't want to be landed with claims re ''Our child slipped in the snow at school and banged his/her head'' etc. A couple of years ago Standish High School sent pupils home because of a snowfall and I witnessed at least 8 kids in a pile in the snow on the main road pavement having the time of their lives, they probably arrived home got a sledge out and proceeded to slide down a steep hill, surely they would be safer at school. Most parents work and rather than have time off, or recruit grandparents to childmind they would prefer their children to be at school. ALL that is needed is for parents to sign a disclaimer re their children slipping in the snow at school and hurting themselves.

I was born in Aspull and remember in 1947 (I think) and the snow was up to the upstairs windows some of it had drifted of course. Can you remember that Ken R. My school didn't close then!

Move to Norfolk...well not all at once !
Veronica I have just been out into the garden to take a pic for our son in Littleborough & daughter near Sevenoaks in Kent...they both have snow. Here in Norfolk its cold but the sky is blue & the sun is shining
..and we have no snow or ice !

The reason as well is that teachers travelling by car-some distance can't get to school. Remember when teachers walked to school, especially the female teachers. Miss Holland from Boars Head caught the bus and walked up Greenough St to St Pat's. The nuns from the Convent as well- I don't think they wore wellies under their habits!!! Our parents wouldn't have dreamt of claiming from the Authorities either. Mine would have said - "You daft gawp - why didn't you look where you were goin'!

Not sure why teachers travelling by car fail to get in Veronica when everybody else does.
The fact is it's become culturally acceptable for them not to do so. I was chatting to a teacher on Monday evening who was praying for snow so she could have the day off. No other profession would think in those terms.
And why is Standish High off when the the two nearby primary schools are open?.

Well the white stuff has nearly gone - no doubt the Newscasters will be saying it's the worst weather for years. New Yorkers are being told not to breath the ice cold air in and we think we have got problems. Time to switch Ytube on - last night it was 'How Green was My Valley' and 'Pick Up On South Street'... brilliant. I'm spoilt for choice!

Veronica , I can remember fighting my way from Dobb Brow over 'the fields' to the parochial school in mi wellies which always seemed two sizes too big.Then sitting in class with mi stocking feet steaming on the radiator.

I bet you knew Mr Hindley the headmaster then Peebee - he was my next door neighbour for 30 odd yrs - he didn't stand any nonsense! I used to walk many times over Dobb Brow with children and then grandchildren. Lovely walks but built up more now sadly.

Why is it only teachers who can't get to work when we have two inches of snow? Were the shops and cafes closed in Wigan Town Centre today because the staff couldn't get in? No, they were all open and business as usual. The staff in those shops and cafes don't live in the town centre....they have to travel in, and they got there. Our local primary school in Abram was open and you could hear the children laughing and shouting in the snowy playground from our house....they loved it!

Yes Veronica I knew him very well, those were the days when you feared and respected head teachers and police men , not like today. Did he live on Park Rd, and if my memory serves me right he had a son called Stephen who I used to play with some times , or is the old memory playing tricks!. "Owd Jack Indley" but you wouldn't let any one hear you say that.

Yep Veronica, the Dobb Brow I knew is long gone unfortunately. 'Burnt House' farm gone and houses in it's place . All the fields built on with mock millionaire mansions stuck there thank god they can't take away you memories.

He lived on King St PeeBee The house backed on to to the Park. One of his sons David,lived on Park Road though. He died in 2000. I believe he was feared and was a 'nowty' old devil' , he knew very well his nickname. He loved walking down to the shops on Market St where old pupils would always stop and chat to him- he still remembered all their names! He was well in his 90's when he died.

It's not that teachers can't get in to work, it's more a case of they have been informed by the Head that their school is going to be closed on that day,for reasons already stated in other comments, so wha would be the point in going in?

I'm sorry Rosie G, but on both ITV and BBC northern news on two consecutive evenings two head teachers were interviewed and they both said the reason schools closed in general was mainly because the staff couldn't get to school !!

I saw where a Head was saying that the safety of her pupils was her number one priority, hence schools will be closed.