Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 24th August, 2024)

What a lovely view of a well kept area.

Another good one Dennis. Reminds me of the song ' Messing about on the River '.....or on this case a canal ? Anyone know who sang that song....Irene will know !

I don't actually know who sang it, Helen! I can hear it in my head from childhood, probably from the Saturday morning radio show, "Children's Favourites" but I can't name the singer. I just recall a gentle voice singing it. However, I do like the photo.....it looks a pleasant, peaceful place.

Serene and Tranquil, just how life should be. Nice one Dennis.

ALL TOGETHER NOW!
When the weather is fine you know it's the time
For messin' about on the river.
If you take my advice there's nothing so nice
As messin' about on the river.
There's big boats and small boats and all kinds of craft
Puffers and keel boats and some with no raft.
With the wind in your face there's no finer place
Than messin ' about on the river.
Written by Tony Hatch and sung by Josh McCrae in 1962
Helen we must be on the same wavelength because this song popped into my head when I saw the lovely photo. Thank you Dennis.

Eric Idle as Ratty does a splendid rendition of 'Messing About on the River' in the film version of 'Wind in the Willows ' .

Thankyou Meg, and I bet everybody "sang" that when they read it....I know I did!!

Merrily merrily life is but a dream.

Years ago this would have been the entrance to the John Pit underground canal, and the hump from where the photo was taken would have been the end of the Pemberton tramway.

Whenever I see a Marina I always look around for a Howard.

Helen and all.
Now I can’t get ‘There’s a hole in my bucket dear Liza’ out of my head! Very irritating it is too.

Colin, was it Harry Belafonte who had a hole in his bucket?

Thank you Meg ! Now you have reminded me of the words I shall be singing it (in my head ) all day long !

Thank you The Colman, I always like to know a story behind a picture and this is very interesting.

Coalman, the underground canal actually went to the Taylor pit, a short distance from John pit.

Very tempting to buy a boat Dennis,we see a lady that we’ve christened Marina riding along the promenade at Morecambe she’s glamorous around 70 and always gives us a nod, that brings a smile.

The silent Angel

Elsie always sat quietly , as the others in the home sang joyfully smiling . Never joining in, Elsie was politely ignored .
Then one day , another ordinary day , rain miserably falling outside and no one having the urge to sing , Elsie chose to , and from nowhere, the voice of an angel appeared, bringing tears that silenced her audience to hold .
Elsie’s voice rang out hypnotising her audience’s ears bringing a stillness into the home that had never remotely been felt before .
Elsie’s beautiful voice then stopped and she rested , and as she did
One by one her audience disappeared in the most gentle manner , as if ….leaving only Elsie left and her most beautiful voice still ringing as it left , capturing every space in the home .
When the staff appeared in the lounge area they found no one , no one at all - except one single white dove on the open window , which glanced at them once , then flew to the welcoming distant sky ahead, as the sunlight bowed the rain to its measure , a measure especially ready , for an Angel with a voice like Elsie had ..

The pit was named after John Taylor and the canal went to the one named John first then to the Taylor pit.
Next time any of you historians are down that neck of the woods, have a look at how wide the old Royak Oak canal originally was, you could drive a wagon over it to pick up coal that was coming down the Pem tramway. its even got two world war concrete cubes on it to stop the Germans using it.

Dennis, it was Harry Belafonte - 7 or 8 years after he appeared in Carmen Jones.