Photo-a-Day (Monday, 25th March, 2024)
How to do it
It’s a matter of opinion I suppose, but I think this is a lesson in how to add a little style to an old building. You would think that veranda at the front had always been there.
Photo: Dennis Seddon (Sony DSC-HX99)
This is the scene we have been waiting for, Daffodils at Aspull, didn't need to look who had taken it, could only have been Dennis. Thanks Marra. Lovely sight, beautiful village.
Beautiful, fantastic just the tonic for a rainy Monday morning. The Daffodils in full bloom and the former Queens head pub stands strong at the Finger Post.
I've been in the there a couple of times in the 1970s, it had a great atmosphere and beer, the people were nice too.
Cheers Dennis a belter.
A nice display of daffodils
That photo angle is absolutely spot on, Dennis. You really do have an eye with the camera.
It captures everything on a lovely Spring day, lovely place Aspull.
Brilliant Spring photo of one of the best places around Wigan.
Really good composition and crystal clear that says everything in the photo.
A lovely photo and a very smart building. I have missed coming through Aspull on the bus. There’s always a good floral display in Spring.
Very nice picture Dennis, you have captured the view in Spring perfectly.
I agree, whoever has purchased this former pub has done a lovely conversion.
Bindi,indian restaurant in Aspull.I agree Dennis, they have done a great job building the verandah which seamlessly fits in with this former pub building.
Dennis, I have just noticed that it is now an Indian Restaurant.
You should visit with a copy of your picture, you might get a free curry for the exposure you have given!
Now The Bindi Indian Restaurant. We went there last year. Aspull always puts on a good Spring showing of daffodils and crocuses.Always a pleasure to drive through the village.
I don't think that I can ever love
A restaurant more than an English pub ,
Although I'm partial to Lamb and Riata
I'd sooner have a pint of bitter
And a buxom barmaid to a waiter .
I much prefer a game of darts
To food that always makes you fart ,
Such over indulgence is quite sinful ,
Much better to treat yourself to a skinful
Of John Barleycorn's noble art .
Dennis more of these, Aspull has a great deal to offer and Haigh is beautiful and rural, what more do we want.
This photo is stunning.
Agree, Dennis.
The Queen's was next to the old Methodist school, chapel and hall. Socials and wedding receptions in the hall were non alcoholic e.g. toasts in Cidrax(?) a form of non alcoholic cider. To me, the taste verged toward weak disinfectant. Men would comply but go for frequent walks for air, which led to the Queen's bar.
In the mid 60s a son of the landlord (Parr?) was killed motorbike scrambling up and down Wutchie - biking there was common then, steep slopes of spoil and flying grit.
The building remains impressive - someone mentioned to me some years ago, on PAD, that it was an Indian restaurant.
Thanks, Dennis.
You are right Dennis. If you hadn't mentioned the veranda, I wouldn't have known it had one. It really does blend in perfectly.
This is a smashing photo and has everything, Spring has arrived.
Somehow I don't think that poem is by our "Poet"... there is .nothing wrong with adding a humorous poem but please choose a name of your own.. If I'm wrong and it IS our regular contributor "Poet", I apologise but it just doesn't sound like him and it must be so annoying to have your name used by someone else.
We have an abundance of Spring flower in Shevington, the Crocuses have now been and gone, but the very many thousands of Daffodils welcome Spring, we are very lucky the Council work so hard to make this sort after area beautiful.
Nice photo Dennis.
Nice tidy building...enhanced by the beautiful ' Host of Golden Daffodils'
Lovely Dennis.
PS love the poem Poet, made me smile !!
That was my local late 60 ties Dennis,you can always tell when the professional back,we keep saying we will afto visit the now Indian as they have glowing reports.DTease I do apologise.
We. Used to love The Red Lion at Haigh, in fact we got engaged in there 52 years ago, now it’s flats.
Dennis can we have one of the Balcarres? They serve good food in there. Also is there a bus from Wigan to the Balcarres anymore?
I do not know Aspull very well but been through it hundreds of times but I have enjoyed a few visits to the various pubs and always had a good night out.
Yes that's what we want - beautiful springtime :)
Colin, I remember The Red Lion....it was very, very popular. We all thought we were dead posh going for steak and chips! I remember my son, when he first passed his driving test , proudly taking me to The Balcarres for my dinner. We walked in and the landlord, (not the current landlord....this was 30 years ago!), was leaning on the bar reading the rugby page in The Wigan Observer. My son said, "Can we have two chip barms please?", and the landlord never took his eyes off the paper but bellowed through to the kitchen, "Mary! Knock thisel' abeawt a bit....two chip barms!" Not exactly The Savoy Grill but much more fun!
Why did the pub close, not enough business? Did it have a pub garden at the back previously? That would have been nice .
Helen, I agree about the poem....it's very funny and made ME smile too, but it just didn't sound like "Our Poet" to me. Someone had added a poem using his name the other day and he was understandably annoyed and threatened to leave p-a-d, which would be such a shame, and I just felt it had happened again, that's all.
Thanks Irene but the post is genuine .
I think the unpoetical flatulence reference made you suspicious :-)
Colin, there is no bus to Haigh now, you would have to get off the 575 at the top of St David's Crescent and walk up the hill to get to the Balcarres.
Irene, I remember going in, in the 1960’s, there was always a large jar of pickled eggs on the bar. Apart from crisps, I think that was the only food available. Gross!!!
Looks like the clowns are out today. Sad “Sue” is another one as if it’s not noticeable..By the way it should be ‘sought’ after not ‘sort’ after. Anything for attention.
"I see the daffodils are out"
"Will it affect us?"
Thanks Dennis for the confirmation, I thought as much.
Ps and sorry to digress from your extremely popular picture which we all love, I thought I might have posted Pickled Heads on the bar, not pickled eggs!!!!
Colin, are you Colin Traynor who worked in the drawing office at Rank Audio Visual in the early 70s ?
Colin , Bus 981 . Standish , Boars Head , Red Rock , Haigh and Aspull .
Aspull is indeed a lovely village,my favourite area of Wigan.Haigh really nice also.Bindi does great food.Used to love the Red Lion ,it was always busy,think owners may have retired and sold it and then it was made into apartments.My daughters' friend had one of the apartments a few years ago but it seems they weren't very good conversions,quite dark inside.
Thought it would be a matter of time before 'Sue' commented on Shevvy-La !
The council along with local schools and other volunteer groups have done the whole borough proud, and looking really good, with their time in planting Daffodils.
Gross indeed Colin, they don't even take the shells off the eggs, just hard boil and put them in spirit vinegar to mature, and it's the acid in the vinegar that dissolves the shells. I have never fancied them at all, but a lot of folks seemed to enjoy them.
Poet, that poem would raise a good laugh on the toilet wall at Manzil's on the High Street, even though it's never been a pub.
John Fisher, yes John what blast from the past and a lot of memories to share. A lot of water under the bridge since those days.
Drop me a line at:
colinptraynor@icloud. com
Poet, I'm so glad it WAS you....as I said to Helen, the poem was very funny and made me laugh but it just didn't sound like you and I would hate to see you leave photo-a-day and Album due to people posting under your name. Veronica, I too have noticed "Sue" praising Shevvy on a number of posts recently....does it have a separate Council to the rest of Wigan's villages, I wonder? Today's photo certainly proves that Wigan has some beautiful outlying villages around it. Thankyou Dennis.
I agree a sort after area is Shevy and lucky to live their.
Shevy in Bloom even if it's raining still a lovely place.
Veronica and Jean I can't see a problem with Sue's comment?
Very nice photo indeed, Dennis.
Keep um coming.
You mustn’t be a regular then Jack..
It’s not about Shevvy/ Shangri La it’s about Aspull today. I could say we have a better show where I live but being well mannered and polite I don’t. Ignorance is bliss for some. Anything for attention….
Lower Ince have a lovely Daffodil display along Warrington Road.
But as Veronica says, today it's all about Aspull.
Elizabeth - regarding the Red Lion apartments, I read the same in 2020. The builder had squeezed one extra flat in the building, which restricted the window space for light.
The landlords I knew there were Mr & Mrs Johnson, from Liverpool. They had a pub in Sandhills, then moved to Horwich to the Beehive and, from there to the Red Lion. They left in 1970 and took a post office and general store near Heathrow airport. I think it was in Hounslow.
Elizabeth - sorry, not Hounslow. It was Harmonsworth.
OK Gary,thanks.
That's not 'finger-post'.