Photo-a-Day (Friday, 24th May, 2024)
Bottom Lock
I remarked that the dog looked like he was enjoying the trip. She said that he loved being on top, but hated to go down below for some reason.
Photo: Dennis Seddon (Sony DSC-HX99)
Our Canals seem to be getting scruffy and unkempt lately.
Went for a walk last week up to Top Lock at New Springs road Bridge, at Withington Lane, the water was full of algae and pea green moss.
It looked awful and dirty. But still a good walk on a nice day.
Lovely Dennis, what a happy scene, so colourful & smilely !
Looks like a very capable lady when she uses her body to hold the tiller arm while she finds time to wave to the camera.
How many of you, like me on seeing that delightful picture, waved back at that gentleman .
I always enjoy walking up to Top Lock,New Springs area of the canal.I much prefer it to further down into Wigan.Good photo Dennis !
Three lovely contrasting but complimentary photos Dennis.
To be honest, I wasn't sure if that was a lady or a gentleman, what with the short hair, unisex clothes and dark glasses, but that really doesn't matter with such a lovely smile and wave! What a cheery picture! The little dog might be a bit claustrophobic..... some people are, so maybe some animals are too. It might feel a bit odd below deck, with the water lapping around, or perhaps he just doesn't want to miss anything!
The boat skipper looks a Kiwi to me, I've been surprised how many Kiwis and Aussies I see taking canal boat holidays, when I've asked why come over here they have said it's because of the exchange rate.
Original name for a Kiwi is Chinese Gooseberry, so if a question ever comes up on one of these telly quiz show asking this you will know the answer.
Bon voyage, Madame.
Dennis and everyone has anybody watched canal boat diaries on bbc 4 the man who was on the boat presenting it came threw new springs and he also went threw wigan pier and ended up in liverpool it was very interesting to watch all the episodes.
Someone has been Googling the wrong Kiwi. That’s unless the New Zealand Rugby League Team are nicknamed The Chinese Gooseberries!
Dennis good photography as usual,Linma I always wave to the boat people on the canal and one boat stopped to see if I needed assistance when mending a puncture near Heatons Bridge so they are mainly friendly folk,Julie I’ve probably watched most if not all of those canal boat diaries very interesting,Colin take it easy,take it easy don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy,referring to comments about Mick yesterday I’m sure he meant no harm.
Thank you Julie, I will check out canal boat diaries on BBC 4. You may be interested in series 3 episode 1 of Walking Through History. Tony Robinson of Time Team fame can be seen walking the canal to Wigan and speaking to locals.
Julie, that was Robbie Cummin. We loved it all & watched it all again when it was repeated. I hope he films another canal journeys.
Thankyou TD and Helen of troy me to helen of troy d i to have watched it repeated quite a few times and i also hope like you that he makes another series.
Dennis is there 21 locks in the Wigan flight albet it takes all day to get from the bottom lock to the top lock by narrow boats.
Excellent photos Dennis.
She doesn't look to be a Chinese gooseberry to me Mick, you may need new glasses.
We've had a Kiwi fruit vine growing in the garden for years, it flowers but never fruits, someone said they only fruit after seven years, though it's been in over seven now - so it's being dug up later as it takes over.
Cyril, we've had a camellia bush in the garden for the last 16 years and not a single flower until this year. I think that parking the wheelbarrow and shovel next to it did the trick!
Programmes like Canal Boat Diaries are a bit of a disappointment when you've travelled the routes in a boat yourself. I just happened to find an episode just this evening where Robbie was doing the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, including the Standedge Tunnel, and I found myself wondering why we spent more time over his shopping and cooking afterwards than we did on the history of the tunnel and its links with the parallel railway tunnels - which he didn't even mention. He also didn't mention that the escorted passage is free... but one of the volunteers has written a history of the three tunnels, which I found difficult not to buy from him....
Rev David we drove to Marsden last summer and walked to the entrance of the Standedge tunnel hoping to arrange hiring a canoe to paddle the 3 mile tunnel after watching a countryfile presenter do so but no one could give us any information as everything closed so enquired at the cafe that is at the entrance to the tunnel but no help there so just had a coffee and cake and left disappointed.
Sandra they are crying out for volunteers to make things look pretty. If you have nothing better to do.......
I once caught the train up to this side of the tunnel , then rode all the way back along the canal.
Another time me and the missis drove up to Marsden and then went on a CRT boat few hundred yards into the tunnel.
I've watch many canal boat YouTubers and I also think Robbie is rubbish. I like watching a gay couple, who l bumped into 3 weeks ago in Appley Bridge and then a. week later on the Wigan flight, there Channel is called Narrowboat unlocked they arr currently appearing in a channel 4 TV programme called Narrow escapes.
There was also another gay couple who used to make some very good canal journeys called Foxes afloat afloat who I also met when they came through Wigan.
The channel is still going but now they do the videos from a remote Scottish farmhouse.
Mick we caught the train to littlebourgh and rode back along canal just across from station albet you’ve come across the lad I did that ride with Eddie he lives at Swindley.
Yes John I know a Eddie who lives up that way
I have two Camellias, one bright pink and the other is red. They need to be planted in acid soil in dappled shade. Mine flower prolifically every year. I prefer the red one …the flowers drop off if they are not watered enough in the Autumn.