Photo-a-Day  (Sunday, 10th September, 2023)

An interesting building I've not seen before.
The architect has followed the classical order of columns , Doric at the bottom , Ionic centre and Corinthian at the top .
Thanks for a fine picture Dennis.

Nice photo Dennis. We went to a 1940s event at a church hall in Billinge some years ago but I don't think it was St. Aidan's, (sure my memory's going!). You should have waited until the church clock was at ten to three, then we could all have asked, "And is there honey still for tea?".

Looks very mysterious…I love old churches. I can see the church goers congregating for a chat after a service.. good one Dennis.

Very much fitting on Sunday.

Built in 1716 to replace an earlier Chapel of Ease.

Good photo Dennis, did you visit the Vampires Grave? Were they really Vampires or was it just a ploy to get visitors to Billinge, I remember the tale about the Stork being haunted by a Cavalier and folks would go for a drink and a toot. Anyhow the YouTube video man Mr H and his family went there for a visit and here's the link to their video of the day at the Vampires Grave: https://youtu.be/79iV5FePBKY?si=qP0V41LYlcHtkJ6k

further to the supposed hauntings of the Stork Hotel, apparently the cellar was used as a Cromwellian Gaol for captured Royalists, and The Sun in October 2018 reported of a paranormal investigator being attacked in the cellar by a ghost - so with it being in The Sun it's up to you whether to believe it or not.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7451557/dad-left-with-red-claw-marks-down-his-back-after-he-was-attacked-by-the-ghost-of-tortured-soldier-in-wigan-prison/

If it was reported in the Sun then it must be true! Just like it's reporting of the Hillsborough football tragedy.
Although the columns are in the style of classical architecture they are far from being a true representation. For example a true Doric column does not have a Base. Instead the bottom of the column touches the floor. The column itself would also have 20 grooves ( flutes). A very interesting and atmospheric picture.

What is a chapel of ease by the way?

I haven't read a newspaper except The Wigan Observer for forty years, Cyril, (in fact I haven't listened to "The News", full stop, for forty years, either in newspapers, on television or on the radio) but if I had, I certainly wouldn't believe anything in "The Sun" due to its reputation! However, I do believe in the ghost of the cavalier as I remember hearing long ago of a person in the men's toilets in The Stork seeing the ghost at New Year's Eve and thinking it was someone in fancy dress, and only realising later that they had seen a ghost.

It looks like the ghost at the Stork is about to have a lot more people to haunt fairly soon!

My grandad never watched the news, “Nowt bur hard times and misery” he used to call it.
I never watch Eastenders for the same reason.

If you’re feeling chirpy
Full of the joy that sunshine renders
Just sit yourself down in a comfy seat
And watch an episode of Eastenders
All that joy you’re feeling now quickly disappears
To be replaced by misery and a flood of salty tears
Brother murders brother while their wives cheat on them with a friend
And just when it’s getting interesting the drummer beats bump, bump THE END.

Irene, we stopped getting newspapers too as they got that bad, I'm sure the reporters sat in front of their TVs and radios and copied the news reports from off there. You can also get more up to date news online too. DTease, Eastenders is a show we don't watch either, in fact we call it the shouty show as they're all shouting at one another, though Emmerdale was getting just as bad and we stopped watching that too.

History of The Stork by Headland Archaeology for SEP Construction.
(Apparently the original inn was built in 1640. ‘Ghosts of the North by Tony Ellis.’ )
During the times of Civil War on page 13 (5) https://docs.planning.org.uk/20210809/149/QWUXY2PEL3T00/94e06hhlh52nvqsl.pdf

Article by St Helens Star, The Stork was saved from demolition and to be made into apartments, now construction company goes bust. https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/23721745.stork-inn-left-wrack-ruin-billinge-plans-fall/

Since by your own admission Irene , as you appear to have been out of the loop for forty years or so , then it may be of interest to you to learn that Maggie Thatcher threw in the towel around about that time , thereby allowing some geezer by the name of Blair to continue to grind this country into the dust before abdicating in favour of some tartan arsed bloke who proceeded to give away the country’s gold reserves and scupper everybody’s chances of a decent retirement pension by buggering up their pension arrangements .

Good on ya Gordon . ………(Dick).


Amy Winehouse died , apparently from a drug overdose during your absence … but that’s not the worst .

Some self appointed dictator in the east who identifies as Vladimir Putin has taken it upon himself to support a substantial body of Ukrainian residents who just happen to identify with the federation of Russian states , by virtue of birth , education and language , by staging
“ Special Operations “ within The Ukraine , thereby prompting certain corrupt U.S led western countries to respond by providing the Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of firepower .

You must have missed all of this Irene .

But it just gets worse my dear , if that’s at all possible .
Only a week or so ago , it was reported that 240 rubber dinghy refugees are to be interned at Kilhey Court pending refugee status analysis .

Now I don’t personally have a problem with forties re-enactments , but you really must make an attempt to keep up with current events my dear , even if that involves switching on the telly every twelve months or so.

I love church's, It looks unusual, I would love to see inside.

"I certainly wouldn't believe anything in "The Sun" "

I wouldn't either, Irene. According to "The Sun", The Stork is in Wigan, Greater Manchester.

That’s a very good condensed piece of history up to today’s news Ozy. It’s nice to have one’s memory jogged - plus It’s easier reading in that form . I did wonder if you were driving overland in an old truck with supplies for the poor Ukrainians. Perhaps you could have helped them to build shelters like the one you have in the backyard.
Indeed I wondered if you had encountered that General Wotisname with his cauliflower ears who ‘fell out of the sky’ a bit back ….?..

Ozy, it's nice to hear from you as you don't appear on p-a-d very often these days, but I have no interest whatsoever in the news and I prefer the past, hence the forties clothes and music. I have heard that if you are suspected of having dementia you are asked the name of the current Prime Minister; I would fail the test miserably. I neither know nor care who it is. I am happy in my ignorance of whatever is going on. DTease, I loved the poem, and though I haven't watched Eastenders since the Dirty Den days, it doesn't sound as if it has changed much!