Photo-a-Day  (Wednesday, 19th August, 2020)

Nice photo, but I wouldn't call it a fountain at all.

Yes indeed Dave, nice to see it working. Is there still plenty gold fish in the pond?

I always think this fountain could do with a new nozzle which sprays the water into a nice shape, instead of it coming out looking like the end of a hose pipe

Dave, lovely photo of a spot I remember very well. As a child we often visited the Hall and gardens. In this pond were exceptionally large goldfish, behind the pond stood an enormous glass greenhouse with tropical plants from all over the world. Thanks Dave (Oy)

Lovely photo of my favourite place brings back so many good memories when I used to go haigh hall with my dad when I was young.

I used to love the lily-pads and huge goldfish when I was a little girl. and the greenhouses were wonderful. Haigh Hall seemed a magical place back then when the furthest outing we had was a day at Southport! Sunday afternoons meant Haigh Hall or Wigan Park. It was all we wanted or needed and was on our doorstep. I am still very much of the same mind!

Lovely scene and a very popular place to go in my younger days..

The heat inside that greenhouse was stifling . Sometimes difficult to breath .. It was such a relief to get back outside to the cool plink of the fountain . I still vividly recall one huge goldfish , I called Picklebarrel , after a carp in a schoolbook I was reading. He was easy to spot for he was was almost completely white with orange splashes . The king of the pool .

I think you've got a point there Mick. It wasn't always like that and I have the photo to prove it.

Wasn't for me and my friends and family Irene. We would only go to Wigan Park and Haigh Hall once in a while, and the latter just to chase the trams and get a free ride, I don't remember anything about Haigh Hall other than that, Wigan Park more. We lived in microcosms, sticking to where we lived. Even other streets were their areas not ours. We basically went to Wigan Town centre and then stuck to our own street.
It was all we needed. We had the countryside two minutes away, we didn't need Haigh or Wigan Park. It was wild and natural as Nature should be. So all of my memories of Wigan are only of the my area, I have none of others because we never went . It's like you say, it was all we needed. A lot of the places on here I have never even heard of let alone been. I had a wonderful childhood growing up where I lived. If I'd have been off school like the kids today it would have been like winning the lottery. I would have been beyond happy. Growing up was such an adventure, never ever got bored because we always found things to do.

We always rambled to the woods when it was school holidays. The Camel's Hump was another good spot, taking butties and a bottle of Corporation pop. Rolling down the hill to our heart's content. Jumping over the Yellow Brook, the days were endless. There was safety in numbers, a different adventure every day. Sometimes we would go with mam and other neighbours to Southport on the train, on special occasions it was Blackpool, once even abroad to New Brighton! Kids now do not know what they have missed.

Looks like we all did the same when we were kids, in my case late 1950s 1960s, but wouldn't change for today's entertainment.

It was much the same for me, Xpat. It wasn't EVERY Sunday we went out, just sometimes in the Summer. As you say, we played in our own streets, and maybe that's why I have no desire to go further from the place I live now....we just got used to a small space, and I am still content to stay in mine. Whereabouts did you live? xx

Love this photo, it brings back so many happy memories.Thank you Dave.