Photo-a-Day  (Monday, 25th November, 2024)

Winter Hill is certainly living up to it's name, it's FREEZING out there.

Lot of 'cross' farmer owners protesting over the recent labour budget and their inheritance tax changes.

Good photo of the changing season Colin, and the snow covered Winter Hill a reminder of the air disaster up there in 1958.

A scene taken for granted where I live..but Winter Hill is living up to its name at the moment with its blanket of snow…gives me the shivers seeing it…brr.

By 1958 I was living in Kent so don't know of the air disaster you mention T.D. can you enlighten me ?
It looks very chilly over Winter Hill, here down on the lowlands the temp is 60F.

Good photo, Colin. You mentioned recently on Album that you had caught the wrong bus from Ashton to Wigan and it brought you through Stubshaw Cross, Bamfurlong and Platt Bridge. There is a point along that road where, when it has been snowing at Rivington, it creates an illusion that you could walk there in no time. When we had our dogs, I have been on the rec at Abram with them at dusk on a Winter afternoon when the mast on Winter Hill has been lit up and it gives the same illusion.

Helen, this will give you the information:
The Winter Hill air disaster occurred on 27 February 1958, when the Silver City Airways Bristol 170 Freighter G-AICS, operated by Manx Airlines on a charter flight from the Isle of Man to Manchester, England, crashed during heavy snow into Winter Hill (also known as Rivington Moor), 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast of Chorley. Thirty-five people died and seven were injured; the cause was determined to be navigational errors.
The flight was a charter flight from Ronaldsway Airport, Ballasalla, on the Isle of Man to Manchester Ringway Airport, operated by Manx Airlines with the Silver City Airways Bristol 170 Freighter G-AICS, call sign "Charlie Sierra".[1][2] It was flying a group mostly consisting of people connected with the motor trade in the Isle of Man to visit the Manchester Exide Battery factory at Clifton Junction and the Manchester car show.
Memorial plaque at the crash site
The aircraft took off from Ronaldsway Airport with a crew of three, captain, first officer, and stewardess, and 39 passengers, bound initially for an aircraft reporting point at Squire's Gate, near Blackpool. Take-off was delayed by repairs to navigation equipment, and as a result because of other air traffic in the Manchester area as well as poor weather in England, the captain was ordered to maintain an altitude of 1,500 feet (460 m) rather than climbing to the normal 3,500 feet (1,100 m).[2][6] After receiving clearance from air traffic control at Manchester Ringway, the flight continued inland to Wigan Beacon, a non-directional beacon in the Manchester Zone, which transmitted a recognition signal of "MYK" in Morse code on a frequency of 316 kHz and a range of c. 25 miles (40 km).]
While the captain was briefly absent from the cockpit, the first officer erroneously tuned the radio compass to the frequency for Oldham Beacon instead of Wigan Beacon; visibility was extremely poor and the mistake was first noticed by Manchester Control, who at 9:44 AM ordered an immediate right turn.Shortly afterwards, the aircraft crashed near the summit of Winter Hill, several hundred yards from the Independent Television Authority's Winter Hill transmitting station.

No belong before it's like that again soon.

‘A Wellington Bomber
Z8799 came down over Anglezark in 1943. There is a memorial erected by Horwich Rotary Club. It’s very touching to see it as all six of the crew were killed. The bomber took off from its base at Lymeswold, Leicester. It’s believed that part way through the flight a deadly build up of ice had formed on the air frame of the Wellington. It was to such a degree that control was lost and the bomber entered a steep, high speed dive which resulted in structural failure and eventual break up of the aircraft. The wreckage was scattered far and wide over a large area of Anglezark Moor’
I remember going on a walk up to where the memorial is situated a few years ago.

So very sad,and just 3 weeks after the Munich Air crash involving the 'Busby Babes'

I worked with fireman Tommy Jackson,from Horwich who attended the air crash,he said it was terrible.I have also seen the plaque about the Wellington bomber.

Veronica, it was 20 odd years last I was up there. when the college had us all up for a morning trudge, the memorial was also on the trek.
It reminded me of the Hillbilly's around Anglezarke too with being very remote and wooded parts and a lot of places called Jepson's, expected to see them sat down 'whittling.'

Seems to be a dangerous place for aircraft crashes, 7 unless anyone knows of anymore, some interesting info about the mast on the link too. A similar one at Elmsley Moor collapsed with ice it says, and yet the massive concrete mast is still standing and quite a landmark that is.
http://www.ss-osands.org.uk/ssosands/beep/horwich/winter_hill.htm

Elizabeth, I never connected the two incidents as being so close together. I would be only 10 at the time but remember both vividly.
Tragic as the Munich air crash was and still rightfully commemorated, it is a bit sad that the Winter Hill crash with so many lost lives and so close to home is not as much ‘printed’ on people’s memories.
I am so glad that T.D. reminded us of this.

At night in the far distance you can see the red lights on the mast on Winter Hill from my back garden and when the grand kids were younger I told them it was Blackpool Tower

Cyril I wondered if the pilot did his best to get the plane at the last few minutes to such a remote area. You are right in that it was a right old trudge up there.
I do remember the other crashes and the Busby Babes- it was shocking and yet some of them survived it was a miracle. I was eleven at the time and I quite liked Duncan Edward’s I thought he was so handsome.

Wellington bomber memorial video.

https://youtu.be/dagE2LH5_5g?si=pJi1EFFHHJZxhlzo

Mick, you have always produced some great videos over the years and this with the music choked me up. Cheers,

Another great photo Colin I remember taking load after load of concrete for the anchor points that hold the 15 cable/chains that keep the mast upright around 2008,Cyril I always thought the structure was steel but maybe I’m wrong as it’s hollow and the red lights are serviced from the inside of the steel tube.Ozy a very good friend of mine died around 3 weeks back albet you new him he was blind from a early age if you Google Alan Roberts from Atherton it tells you all about his remarkable life .

I remember Alan Roberts John , but I never got to know him that well .
He ran an agency employing hgv drivers at one time , back in the 80s I think it was .

I recall going to his house on one occasion enquiring about some work although it all came to nothing in the end .

From memory , I seem to recall he lived in a council property just off Gloucester st at the bottom of Bag lane in Atherton .

Are we speaking of the same bloke here ?
And wasn’t there a connection with Hamilton haulage somewhere along the line ?
But either way , I never really knew the chap personally .

Another part Winter Hill and its sad past Scotsman's Stump Monument worth a read

Winter Hill showing Scotsman Stump https://youtu.be/k8Nl1WIGwNs?si=zRRs3sDwhddU6F1i

Ozy your on the right bloke I worked at Hamilton Haulage for Alan and was his Taxi taking him either for a van load of wagon tyres or to Keswick he new he could depend on me in the seventies, I visited his wife Angela a couple of weeks back to see when his funeral was but they had agreed no funeral very sad but there you go. I probably passed you on the weight bridge at Bickershaw pit several times.

Yeah , quite possibly John … we ran out of Bickershaw , Parsonage, Bold , Cronton , Sutton Manor and many more local pits in the 70s , but we mostly did the South Yorkshire , Derbyshire and Nottingham coalfields … before Thatcher and her right hand hatchetman Heseltine closed the industry down in favour of importing the same stuff that we were producing from the other side of the globe that is .

I hasten to add at this point that I never once ran through a picket line , … unlike those jock Yuill & Dodds tossers with the mesh grilles covering their windscreens . I doubt I’ll ever forget those barstewards … Gits .

I read the story of the Scotsman’s Stump I’d forgotten about the murder there which was never solved. I love the area around Belmont another ‘step into the past’ and a lot of history around there.

Ozy I only worked for Hamilton Haulage for maybe 12 months but remained a lifelong friend of Alan,the 1970 ties pit strikes had finished bye the time I started on the tippers and we did loads of work through George Roberts Haigh Road Aspull I think they are still operating with the son Carl who keeps the trucks spotless and well maintained carrying limestone mostly I presume.

An important petition is waiting for signatures …hope you are seeing it on Google.

O.K ….I give up .

What’s this petition that you’re on about Veebs ?

Not the one with two and a half million signatures demanding another general election surely ?

I sincerely hope not … I couldn’t be doing with that bleed’n palaver all over again .

Veronica all sorted and there must be double the signatures needed for a re…election sorry for late reply been visiting most of the day.

It’s nearly 3 million now. Get your signatures on it..get rid of the 3 Stoogies. This is the worst Government ever and they’ve only been in weeks.

Come on ! You must be having a larf .

A re - election … really ?

Most of us on here are already sat reading Readers Digest in God’s waiting room , so what makes you think another soddin election will make two penn’orth of difference to owt ?

Look … here’s a bit of advice .

Just relax , lay back in your electric recliner until Sainsbury’s deliver your order , then wait for the inevitable .

It won’t be that long I shouldn’t imagine .

In fact , you might be well advised to change your order from two loaves of Warburton’s farmhouse to one … just in case … eh?

I’ve yet to come across
anyone that can eat bread from the inside of a box .
Apart from Harry Houdini that is … … possibly .

Don’t be defeatist! Two minutes of your time that’s all it takes. Who knows what changes can come of it..it’s bound to have some effect. Please yourself….its going on until May. ( if not before)

I think I can confidently predict the difference it will make Veronica … buggerall …
yeah , that much .

And it’s an online petition right ? with a few million signatures right ?
Well I’ll tell thi summat else for nowt .
If all these signatories had to walk 100 yards to sign the damn thing , it wouldn’t have 3 million signatures on it … it’d be more like three
dozen .

Still , feel free to come back in May , when Starmer’s gone and Liz Truss is back in the saddle and tell me how wrong I was .

Oh ! Lordy … I’m experiencing an overwhelming desire to catch the 615 to Middlebrook now .

See what you’ve gone and done ?

Caught that bus yesterday Ozy, me and the driver had to talk to each other.
He wasn’t complaining, even his ticket machine wasn’t working!

The sight and sound of all these Tories whining and moaning in the Tory rags and on the tele is music to my ears.
YOU LOST THE ELECTION! And lost it badly. Soak it up!
We had to put up with a 14year parade of non stop Tory clowns one after the other, now you want to bring them back! You must be joking.

Caught that bus yesterday Ozy, me and the driver had to talk to each other.
He wasn’t complaining, even his ticket machine wasn’t working!

The sight and sound of all these Tories whining and moaning in the Tory rags and on the tele is music to my ears.
YOU LOST THE ELECTION! And lost it badly. Soak it up!
We had to put up with a 14year parade of non stop Tory clowns one after the other, now you want to bring them back! You must be joking.

I’m proper upset i am, I’m so upset I sent my comment in twice!

How very dare you Dtease insinuate me with the Tories. I’ll just be glad to be rid of Stalin and his two Harpies! The lying ‘Rachel from Accounts’ and Mrs Motor Mouth with her 1 CSE! Plus I didn’t vote for that lot as many didn’t. But there you go we will ALL have to ‘suck it up ‘ and sucking it up is happening now. We may be grasping at straws but it’ll make this left lilly livered shower take notice. We live in hope… no disrespect we all have our views. I doubt my comment will appear but ne’er mind.

Yeah , news of the 615 service doesn’t appear to have quite filtered through yet does it DTease ?

I’ve been on it a couple of times just to savour the invigorating thrill of the experience , but it’s a bit like riding on the ghost train after closing time .

Still , TFGM can hardly be blamed for the lack of patronage can it ? They were probably only responding to the petition signed by those two blokes who live on Dicconson lane eh ?

And doesn’t your heart just bleed for those poor farmers , having to shell out 20% of their 3 million quid after they croak ?

But hang on !… weren’t successive governments
taking 20% , and then some , out of my wage packet for 50 years ?

I’ll check , but I’m fairly sure that they were you know .

Veronica, I wasn’t having a go at you. As far as politics go my opinion has always been “A plague on all their houses”.
I agree with Ozy that it doesn’t matter which set of clowns are running the country so why get exercised about it.

Ozy, the farmers in this country have been living on Taxpayer and EU subsidies since the last World War.
I reckon that since I left school and started work at fifteen one third (33%) of every penny I earned went to the government in one way or another and it didn’t matter which persuasion of clowns they belong to.
Farmers were already favourably treated on inheritance tax and still are despite the recent budget.

There’s many people in Westhoughton used that bus route Ozy. It did depart from Bolton y’know. Residents on the A6 before Dicconson Lane and Church St who relied on that bus as there was no other - they are being left off the list. Mind you there’s nothing left in Wigan to go for apart from Tesco. It won’t be long before the ghost train makes its way somewhere else….

Yes Dtease I realise signing the petition is similar to the
‘’peasant’s revolt by keyboard’’ they got in with, was it 9 million votes? I would love the total to go over that number on the petition. We all know they have lied through their teeth to get in. They are not fit to run. Not just the farmers but everyone is being affected. Least of all us grannies and grandpa’s shivering in our shoes with shawls shrouding us shoulders. It’s like Custer’s last stand! That’s me signing off…;o(

Further to the above:
A debate will take place on the 6th January which can be seen on UK Parliament YouTube Channel.
(An ironic date as it’s the departure of the 3 Kings from Bethlehem. Let’s hope it’s an omen!) We have 3 Clowns needing to depart!
To the ‘scoffers’ the numbers are growing fast. Plenty time to place your marks….

Veronica, we have already had a huge vote in July, it is called an ELECTION. The Tories lost and Labour won.
The moving finger writes and having write moves on.
Nor all thy piety nor wit
Shall lure it back to alter half a line
Nor all thy tears wash out a word of it.

They won’t get in again though Dt. It will serve them right. I just hope the humiliation gets through to his rawhide skin. Mrs Motor Mouth is in Italy on a ‘jolly’. Perhaps she’ll get some advice on what to wear…

We aren’t still on about this nonsense are we ?… surely not !

I know nowt about online petitions , but would I be correct in thinking that there’s one regarding assisted
suicide as well ?
If there is , then I’m seriously considering putting my name down for that one .
Sooner that than suffer another general soddin’ election .

I’ve voted in 50 odd of the damn things and for all the difference it’s made to my circumstances , I may just as well have stayed at home .

It must be obvious that most of the proper politicians are under the sod by now , having been replaced by cardboard cut-outs .

In short , there just isn’t a party worth voting for nowadays Veronica .
I would have thought that this realisation would have dawned long ago .

This country is on its last gasp in my view , and revolution is its only hope of salvation , voting won’t make the slightest difference … it’s far too late for that .

Something of an extreme and pessimistic view there I’ll admit , but I actually kind of believe it … the place is falling apart … it’s obvious from any angle .

Furthermore , I couldn’t give a toss about the cold weather allowance either .
They can stick their bloody 300 quid , …or whatever .
I managed to stay warm before the cold weather payment was even thought of ,… I’m warm right now , and I’ll continue to remain warm until the day that I find myself incapable of setting fire to a bit of wood … then they can come and cart me off …

So bring it on !

It’s ok for you Ozy you have the blithering Aga and has many logs from Haigh Hall as you can muster! “I’m alright Jack” comes to mind..I think I’ll have my chimney opened up and beggar the climate change I’ll burn logs from Hall Lee Bank Park and my back garden. The shed is falling to pieces that’ll do for this Winter..I might need a wheelbarrow though for the logs. Whilst we’re at it we could make a pyre for the leader - an old Indian custom.
I do agree there’s nobody you can rely on in Government it is a sad state of affairs. We have had five changes of PM’s in the last few years. Only one was shifted in the War years replaced by Winston but he was soon got rid of afterwards! We’re ne’er satisfied are we!?

That’s the spirit Veebs , open up the chimney and to hell with the zero emissions lobby .

I don’t recall seeing a property that’s been built in the past 20 years that actually has a chimney tbh .
It’s all one massive conspiracy .

Fire has been central to human existence on this planet for millennia , yet the planet still exists .

I personally don’t doubt that global warming is a fact , but they’d have us believe that driving an electric car and installing solar panels is the answer to the problem . Meanwhile , the likes of China , to give just one example , continue to mine and burn coal by the millions of tons in order to support their burgeoning economy .

Listen to me !

Once they’ve corralled the entire population into brick boxes without the capacity to actually produce heat using traditional methods , the utility companies can charge whatever they like for power … you may have noticed that it’s already started ,… and don’t rely on any government to help us out . It’s down to the likes of me and thee to sort it out for ourselves .

Well sod ‘em all ! That’s what I say .

But you’re right when you say “ I’m alright Jack “… because I AM alright … due primarily to the fact that I said
“ sod ‘em all “ years
ago .

I’ll remain tuned to p.a.d 251124 periodically as this would appear to be the channel where like minds tend to congregate .

Finally , I hope you won’t take it amiss if I point out that it isn’t “ has many logs “ … it should be “ as many logs “…

You know I’m right …

It’s a simple error , but I see it on here more and more , and it’s doing mi bloody yed in .

p.s . I have access to one of those old brown sinks if you want one for the garden , but if you do , you’ll have to let me know sharpish , as they’re clearing the place this week .

That’s the spirit Veronica, now you’re talking. A plague on all their houses.
Er, you wouldn’t have a log or two going spare would you Ozy? I wouldn’t ask only my toes are turning black, one of ‘em fell of last week.

Oooh! I love brown slop stones Oz we used fot t’ave one in John St.
Dtease get your order in before any more toes drop off. Have you tried Super Glue?

Ps I’m knitting a bob cap and a scarf and some fingerless mitts…I can’t keep replying. That’s an idea Dtease how about toeless socks that might solve your problem.

That toe of yours DTease ,… the one that turned black and fawed off .
I hope you haven’t chucked it away … have you ?

If any of the remaining follow suit , just put them in a bag and leave ‘em hanging on the bus shelter at Fingerpost and I’ll pick ‘em up one day next week … Wednesday most likely .

I was initially thinking they may burn well on the AGA …

… but on second thoughts , I could put them in a 16th century biscuit tin , forge a certificate of authenticity with that John Bull calligraphy set that I received for my 12th birthday and never used , then try to flog them off as St. Oswald’s mummified toes ….

…. Just to let you know .

I’m currently in the process of demolishing a breezeblock wall ,…

… No BS …

and I was thinking of contracting Bennyangelo to spray it with graffiti , then flog the bits on eBay as remnants of the Berlin Wall .
What do you reckon to that for a wheeze ?

There must be one or two dipsticks out there that would be prepared to pay good money for a chunk of checkpoint Charlie eh ?
And I would be prepared to donate a percentage of my ill-gotten gains to Veronica’s hypothermia avoidance program .

Of course the bulk of the proceeds would be donated to :- ozysbartab foundationatthebrocket.com

Naturally .

Veronica, my socks are already toeless, that’s why my toes are falling off, I’m worried that it may spread to various more delicate parts which would definitely not be good for morale.
Sounds like a plan to me Ozy, we could sell the stones to the Greeks, tell them they are part of the Elgin Marbles., they won’t know the difference.
Failing that we could flog them to the British Museum, I’m told that they will buy any old tat.

While you’re in knitting mode Veebs , I don’t suppose you could knock me up a a pair of cashmere underpants could you ?
I ride the bike a lot you see , and … err … well … you know !

Do you think I’m made of money Oz …Cashmere it’s about £ 5 an ounce it’s dearer than gold!. There’s an hand knitted white Polar Bear with a blue scarf that could do with a new home. It could sit on your famous Aga.

Would there not be a problem with static electricity riding your bike wearing cashmere underpants Ozy?
Shocking!

Hadn’t thought about that tbh DTease … but my mate Ron of Ambrosia Towers ; well he’s pretty handy in the electric department .
So I reckon if he could wire mi kecks up to the bike lights , and provided I wore rubber boots and refrained from touching any metal surfaces , it shouldn’t prove to be that much of a problem … plus I’d be saving on batteries .
Win win I’d say .

Problem is , Veronique reckons cashmere is a bit pricey , so it’s looking like I’ll have to make do with an inflatable rubber ring from Poundland sellotaped to the saddle for now .

Ozy, can I take a picture when you try it out? I’ll let you keep the copyright on it.

Ozy get yourself some pure wool long johns they have rubber buttons so that would solve the static electricity around the nether regions. That’s if they still make ‘em. I know my dad wore them and he swore by them. I could hear him swearing
sometimes. That could have been when the horses went down though.