Photo-a-Day  (Friday, 25th October, 2024)

It looks lovely in the Autumn sunshine. A very nice photo Dennis.
Even if money has to be fed in that machine for the benefit of walking in
the surroundings!

Its still a lovely walk Dennis. I went a couple of weeks ago, collecting conkers. They’re good for keeping those big spiders away, which we see this time of year.

A nice area of Wigan, like the park. That's a lovely Autumn view of it. It reminds me of childhood Sundays, going up to The Plantations with my parents, and getting the tractor down to Haigh Hall. The "posh" houses used to fascinate this little girl from Ince!

Good photo of the former public convenience, now a cafe (not the 'Lavie' ) Those council machines are ravenous Dennis and the sports stadium car park that was supposed to be always free is now pay.... by card only!

Ah well that rules me out. Thanks to the Einstein who thought that one up.

No worries there are other, more inviting towns to visit these days.

See you later.

Don't forget if we didn't have parking meters people would be parking up all day and night.

Always thought that the cafe looks nice although never got round to going in. A lot nicer than the public toilets that were once there

The white line is handy Dennis pedestrians one side cyclists the other in this posh area.

Hi again Dennis. Did you take this photo last Sunday. This is one of our regular walks, and last Sunday going past the hospital, we passed a guy with a camera, and I wondered if was someone from PAD. Great picture.

We walk up to The Cherry Gardens and down Mesnes Road. I never get tired of looking at the lovely houses. I notice something different every time we go.

Who knows Irene we might have been on the same tractor.

Kath H,I didn’t know there was another tree that produced conkers..the tree that we used to collect ours from was sawn down.
Twice lately as I’ve been watching TV a very big spider was just crawling towards my legs,I’d die if one ever crawled on me…my hubbys Aunt used to scoop them up in her hands and put them outside..I don’t believe in killing them but just don’t want them on me..shiver.

Kath H, this photo was taken at 12.55pm on Friday the 11th of Oct. Must have been someone else with the same idea Kath.

Maureen, just put a glass over them, slide a piece of card under the glass and take them outside, put the glass on the floor, remove the card and then stamp on them as they try to run away.
Only joking!

Kath H / Maureen . I was just waking up one morning so still half asleep . As I opened my eyes I saw something dropping from the ceiling appearing to grow larger .
For a moment I froze unsure what it was then as it got closer I saw its spiders legs . Jump! I’ve never moved so fast . Thing was dropping to my face on web rope strand . By the time it got close to my face it seemed like it was the size of a tarantula.
I’ve never forgotten it . It had its legs all spread out so maybe some how it fell from the ceiling but that seems unlikely. Either way my face was its planned landing ! Scared the wits out of me !
True story !

Maureen. They are from a Horse Chestnut. There are Horse Chestnuts and Sycamore trees up near the cafe. Just need to look at the leaves. We get them every September, quite a bagful.

Maureen, there was an enormous Horse Chestnut just beyond the path that leads through Marylebone park, looking on the photo and just before the white signage you can just make out the remaining stump, this had begun to send out shoots after the main tree had been felled and hopefully it shall be left to grow as usually the stumps are ground out.
The remaining trees that conkers were collected from on Wigan Lane that I knew of was this one here, and also the tree on the grassed area alongside St Clements Road, opposite Woodfield School, there had in the past been one in the garden of the house corner of Clifton Cr.
Unfortunately the tree at St Clements Rd had become diseased with Horse Chestnut Bleeding Canker, and this too later affected the tree at Marylebone which also became infested with Elm Bark Beetles which cause a fungal disease under the bark - Dutch Elm Disease, this fungus eventually cuts off all the supply of sap coming up from the tree roots.
According to this news article (link below) the Horse Chestnut tree on St Clements Road was 200 years old, so possibly the tree at Marylebone was of a similar age.
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https://arbtalk.co.uk/forums/topic/30016-managing-horse-chestnuts-with-bleeding-canker/
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An article from Wigan Post is about a sapling grown from a conker picked up on a visit to Auschwitz, and doing well in a Golborne Community Garden.
I'd say it's a wonderful living memorial to the people who were murdered by nazis in those camps.
https://www.wigantoday.net/news/people/wigan-community-garden-contains-memorial-sapling-grown-from-a-nazi-death-camp-conker-4476257

Oh heck! I’ll be looking all around before I get in bed from now on with all these tales of spiders. The last time I saw a massive spider on the bedroom ceiling I had to go next door to get somebody to shift it. I swear it was just staring at me. That must have been terrifying Mark. I jump out of my skin if I see one scurrying across the carpet.

Spiders are armless. They help to keep homes insect-free, and will be more scared of you than what you are of them.

I read that spiders don’t like the smell of white vinegar so the first thing I saw as I walked in B&Ms was the white vinegar,so far I haven’t seen one except for one behind a plant pot on the corner of the bath..I think he’s still there,but I’m not going to look anyway….Veronica,last year I pulled the duvet back to get in bed and there was a massive spider then early this year there was one under my pillow…guess where I’m sleeping now,I just can’t cope with creepies.

The Gates? Hmmmmf. I would have named that cafe "The Old Stones".

Or “ The Uphill Gardeners “ perhaps .

Spiders do more good than harm; they get rid of flies. I never kill a spider or a Daddy-long-legs, and if they are in the bath I trail a long piece of toilet paper from near to where they are, leading over the rim of the bath, and close the bathroom door, and when I go back in they have gone. They are far more frightened of us than we are of them. They get stuck on the curve at the bottom of the bath as they can't get a grip....the toilet roll gives them a grip and they climb out. We have a huge resident spider called George; he is as welcome as the flowers in May!

Irene, during my mis spent youth there were a few times when I could have used something similar to get my head out of the big white telephone. Ho happy days….i think!

Ozy and John N, how about "the glory 'ole"?

Irene, thanks for naming your spider after me, I am quite overwhelmed.

Irene,I have a plastic beaker..I put it over the spider etc,then put a flat plastic piece over that and put it outside,I’ve always said I will never cause any creatures heart to stop beating.

Well done to you, Maureen. I admit I will kill flies but they have to be killed outright with a fly-swat.....I can't bear those flypapers where they are stuck to them whilst still alive....awful! If an animal or an insect has to be dispatched. then it should be quick....they should never be left frightened or struggling. The trouble with a fly is that you can open the window or the door for it and the little so-and-so won't go out! DT....you DO cheer me up! We don't hear from you enough these days. George, my resident spider is a very handsome chap so I'm sure I named him well!

Best to keep the plug in the bath when not in use. I would never kill a spider but I have been known to throw a tea towel over one and hope it’s still in there when I shake the towel through the window. That doesn’t mean it won’t come back though.!

Tommy Pilkye you’re right Spiders are ‘armless’ but they make up for it with all the legs. I agree they are ‘harmless’ though. If someone suffers from arachnophobia that’s quite ‘ crucifying’….
Some good tips above I’m taking notice.

I distinctly remember as a little girl,whenever we got a bluebottle in the kitchen at home..my Dad used to say “go on love tell it to go home” then open the back door,of course it would go out towards the draught,I remember telling my little friends that my dad knew magic.