Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 31st July, 2021)

Now, for those of us PAD 's who dont know Wigan very well these days....is this pic taken in Wigan, St Helens, Shevy, Ashton in Makerfield etc etc. I just see a canaI & very nice narrow boat with no red bricks to help me get my bearings !

I do know Wigan, Helen, but have no idea where this scene is. Probably somewhere near Shangri-la unless Mick was out and about on his bike. My Mam used to like a song called "In a shady nook by a babbling brook" and the person sitting in the deckchair put me in mind of it....how relaxing to sit there in the shade. Nice peaceful photo, Mick.

I doubt that Mr Knill’s modern narrow boat has ever carried any cargo.

I'd guess the Gathurst to Parbold stretch of the Leeds/Liverpool canal HoT

Irene, your mention of 'In a shady nook by a babbling brook' takes me back to dreary 40s/50s Sunday lunchtimes when the only radio station was the BBC Light Programme and Donald Peers singing that on his own slot. Along with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth , Billy Cotton et al ,absolute torture .

Rev it was steel hulled with big rivets holding it all together, you can see some of the rivets on the white paint on the stern

I suppose it's a good way of camouflaging where it is to confound the nitty pickers. I wonder if Shangri la can be seen from the top of the trees....

That boat was "Epsom", built as one of a pair of butties, named Epsom and Ewell.
Built in 1937, by Harland and Wolff at their Woolwich yard, for the Grand Union Carrying Company, but bought by Flixborough Shipping Company.
Last used, from the late 1950's, by Samuel Barlow Coal Carriers.

Rev David Long - Read 'John 20. 24 to 29'!

I don't know why it has "John Knill - London" written on the side, as John Knill & Son Ltd. (who used to own and use the boat) were registered in Bath, Somerset.

DerekB, I remember Billy Cotton shouting Wakey, Wak....eyyyyy! And do you recall the harmony singers on Sing Something Simple too? My schoolfriend Christine and I used to sing "Sing Something Simple to soothe my pimple" and then go off it fits of giggles! I know we're going off the subject but one person's memories lead to another on here and that's what I like about it.

A fisherman’s plop is all we need,
A timely perch three pound ont feed,
Perhaps a bream or a wiley pike ,
A move from stillness
to deathly fright ,
Either more , a gentle kip,
a snoring mouth and a fly ont lip...

I too would have thought it too narrow to carry coal or cargo. Apparently it belonged to Sir John Kenelm Stuart Knill who was also a successful campaigner for the preservation of canals. Here's a link to a photo of the barge Kenelm carrying cargo on the Grand Union Canal at Brentford in 1948: https://collections.canalrivertrust.org.uk/bw192.3.1.25.2.11

Irene, it surely was a tradition listening to those radio shows on a Sunday, here's a clip of Billy Cotton Bandshow from youtube. https://youtu.be/i-mgZm-E8wo

Thankyou, Cyril. xx

Cyril, have you not read james' post above?

I did George, and I added further information along with a link to a photo of the barge - did you object to me doing that?

Sarcastic digs like yours and the one by James Hanson to Rev. David Long do not help to welcome folks to add their comments onto Photo a Day, the boneheads caused so much bother on here not so long ago with their sarcasm that some folks stopped commenting or sending in their photos. (by the way George, is James Hanson your non de plume?)

For those who who are interested here's another link, it's to the canal world forum with a lot of comments and photos about a book John Knill's Navy Five Years on the Cut: https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/44715-john-knills-navy-five-years-on-the-cut/page/2/

you can get a lot of info from off Google. ;¬)

I think the Hanson brothers only come on here to nit pick. Do they not realise how boring they are? I imagine they see the photos and take their time googling everything - writing the info down and comment as if they are experts. Rev. Long just stated his opinion - there was no need to advise him to read John 20 - 24 , 29 he probably knows it back to front.