Photo-a-Day  (Friday, 12th July, 2024)

Old lines are great for walking. I thought the photo was one of yours Poet as it opened up.
Near where I live there is an old line, now used for walking & a Pilgrim path, Veronica will know of it. Its so peaceful to hear the the birds, see the wildlife & flowers.

How peaceful that path looks, dreaming of the days when it rang to the noise of the coal train and the shouts of the workmen. It looks almost mystical now. Lovely photo, Poet.

What a lovely sight for sore eyes Poet…thank you.

Down the line the sleepers have gone ,
The rusty rails and clouds of steam
Dissolved in this intrados of green .

Houses now are on the land
Where Baldwin's cows once stared
And lowed in the High Jossy pond

And Annie Whacky's hen coops ,
Which rose out of the tall white grass ,
Are now some strangers living room ,

Those gates that swung across School Lane
To let the dirty haulage pass
Long shut ...... as time and train

Crawl by the iron bars at Squire's Hey
To Prospect Tunnel .......
Chugging slowly down the line .

Poet

You and me both Poet. The times I walked along those railway lines. Was it only yesterday!

It looks well trod …and a bit eerie.

Have to admit I was sceptical about the upgrade to the line but the new surface and street lights have drastically improved it and it's good to see that it now can be used year round instead of being a mud bath half of it.

It is a sad sign of the times though that what was once a reasonably countryside walk where berries could be picked and deer seen is now more of a public footpath through sprawling new estates

I know I've already commented but I just have to add that your poem "Down The Line" is beautiful, Poet.

Lovely paths to walk down from School Lane to Pepper Lane with the old pit lodge at the end. We refer to it as the Red Path due to its surface.
I can just remember the rails still in the road at School Lane as it crossed to go down to Prospect with wooden gates at each side. Never saw a train though shunting across but bet many in Standish do.

Very true Helen I have a dvd of when we walked the path many times. It’s a glorious place …I watch the dvd and re-live it all again……The birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees…what more could you want.

A bit creepy looking !

If you walk down on a wet day you will see plenty of newts that come out of the ponds.

In the olden days it was never referred to as the old mineral line.

Words can be so moving, especially when expressed with thought, feeling and sincerity. Lovey Poet.
Colin T.

Ann is right, to the left of the photo is a nature reserve paid for by the residents of Rushwood Park there are absolutely loads in there

Used to go to Shevvy school and got off the bus at Almonds brewery where my boyfriend was waiting and we walked down those lines to the back of Prospect where I lived, I went in through the back garden and my boyfriend then cycled to Wigan. The tunnel was just further down and when we dared to walk through it sure was cold and very damp. More than once we passed close to the wall when the train went past.

Why is this called a mineral line and what mineral was transported? I presume it was not coal as coal is not a mineral.

Who owns a skylark ?
Who owns a cloud ?
Mine is a worse
when spoken out loud
Moments are treasures
belonging to you
but any wall you build
denies you your view
Hold is a need ,
we all want to last
coated with scents
we owned of the past
Unfortunately the real
is a bird of the true
once what we held
belongs now to new ..

Does the bird leave you ,
of course it does not
It shows you the clouds
you think now are not ,
it reminds you of memories
day after day
moments you thought lost
just can’t go away
for the bird of its soul
is the truth that is you
and the journey we follow
is our dream to come true ..

That’s interesting Poet would save cycling down Crow Orchard Road and avoiding motorway roundabout when riding from Standish to Parbold providing bikes are aloud.What a great photo.