Photo-a-Day  (Friday, 25th April, 2025)

Great photo Joanne.

I've always wondered how far along the canal are members allowed to fish. Can they fish all the way to Liverpool and all the way to Leeds.

It is many years ago since I did any fishing but always though canals were open to any one to fish? Those who lived on the canal banks used to fish from their back gardens and I should imagine some barge owners fished off their boats.

Its been members only for a couple of years.Wigan anglers have the rights from Halsall to chorley.They used to sell day tickets on the bank but no longer.

Does anyone check ? What would be the consequences if some unlicensed worm drowner refused to pack up . A physical confrontation . Surely not the police for such a minor offence .

When I was a boy there definitely was a permit man on the stretch near Red Rock . We thought it was the cushiest job in the world , cycling along the canal and getting paid for it . Only one job beat it and that was driving the tractor from the Plantation gates to Haigh Hall .
We all had permits purchased on the first day of the season from Finch's tackle shop on the High Street . It was a symbol that you was a proper Angler . But sometimes you forgot it and pleaded with him like you'd forgotten your homework , sir , and he let you off .
That permit covered more than the canal . They had a private beach on Coniston Water exclusively for Wigan members .

That's a nice Spring photo of the canal and memories of walking along there as a child. My husband has just renewed his licence but he goes further afield, but doesn't catch any more than if he fished locally! I end up going to the chippy! Nice photo, Joanne.

Joanne, that looks a pleasant peaceful place to sit & fish...I had never thought that there would be fish in a canal.

Lovely picture Joanne.
Top Lock and The Wigan Flight are in my opinion one of the most photogenic areas around.
I would recommend anyone to take the bus to New Springs and walk along the canal all the way down to Rose Bridge. It’s a photographers paradise.

Great photo Joanne.

Colin I would have disagree about the Wigan flight being the most photogenic, for me I would say the Windmill in Parbold, Crook Village and Dean locks.

Pleasant walkways down by the canal that’s something that Wigan still has and can’t be destroyed.

John D, all three that you mention are indeed very interesting.
Earlier this year I took a series of photos around Parbold, I did send a few to pad but was told that Parbold was not in Wigan so did not qualify to feature.
I thought that strange as it was once in Wigan RDC along with Dalton and Up Holland.

John D, just to add a bit more, nearly all the canals in and around Wigan do have beautiful views to take both rural and post industrial.
One of my favourite stretches is from the iron bridge over the canal in the Plantations to Red Rock especially in Summer, then call in at Arley Hall for a glass of wine on the terrace sat overlooking the moat.
Perfect peace and tranquility.

John ( Howfen) if you look on recently commented . There a chap asking about a photograph of his grandfather Frank Calderbank. I wonder if you can help him. Apologies for going off the PaD.

Colin I used to call in at Arley Hall and sit on the same terrace but my drink would have been a pint of bitter shandy.
This was when they had a pair of Black Swans on the moat.

John D, when I was last there there was only one black swan left. There were lots of feather around from a duck, I assume a Fox had done its work or a Hawk.

Wassam drowners indeed Poet, they sit there all day come rain or shine intently eyeing a coloured float bobbing around, and yet if they had to sit and watch paint dry or grass grow then they would cross their rods and kick up a fuss, even though all being the same difference.

As for the tractor driver being a good job, we were discussing the same subject the other day and concluded that it isn't, what with gangs of children lying in wait along the lane intently seeing a chance to jump on the trailers for a free ride. Unfortunately, in the past this resulted in injuries when they jumped on, but then fell off, lesser injuries consisted of grazed knees or elbows to the more serious such as broken bones or head injuries, and even more serious when they happened to go under the wheels of a trailer full of passengers. Not nice at all for the driver in having to deal with the aftermath of follies gone wrong and the filling in of forms, and in triplicate.

poet.....fishing without a licence is poaching.A criminal offence.It follows that the same person refusing to leave would also not be in possession of an EA rod licence which warrants a fine of 400 to 500 pounds.

The simple solution to the problem of having kids jumping on to the trailers would have been to have had a conductor riding on the rearmost trailer .
Someone like a pensioner with time on his hands for example .
Give him a half ounce of Cobnut thick sliced pipe tobacco and a cap with a black shiny peak and he’d have been as happy as Larry riding up and down the driveway all day .
Someone like DTease for instance … he’s got nowt else t’do … or me in fact … I reckon I could handle that job , although I don’t smoke Cobnut …
… Veterano Spanish brandy’s o.k. though .

I can’t believe no one came up with the idea before … My powers of genius never fail to amaze me .

Colin, you must be well in with the Admin Men because I must have sent in 100s of photos over the years that never appear on Pads, and I have never had an explanation like you have.
Anyway, today I went to Morecambe and had a Radfords (22 Radford children & counting) meat and potato pies, and it was excellent, missis asked Radfords is there a good chippy near by and was told to go up the street across the road to McCann's Fish and Chips shop which was also excellent.
Sorry, Joanne, for going off subject.

Veronica I think Paul who is asking for the photo could be Frank juniors brother,but sadly both Frank and his dad Frank have died and they definitely drove LGV at Forshaws but don’t know how I could help I’m off to a birthday party at the cricket club so so will not be able to respond till tomorrow,sorry to deviate.

Funny you should mention the imbalance of photo selection for p.a.d Mick as I was discussing the very same topic earlier on today .
But to be fair , you yourself have had a pretty good innings , whereas many others have never even had a look-in and have most likely given up even bothering to submit their efforts .
To me it would seem a little unfair , not to mention being detrimental to the site .
But where would the blame lie for this situation in your honest opinion ?

Ozy, when I was a small child, (late 1950s-1960 or so), my parents took me to Haigh Hall on the tractor on many a Sunday afternoon, and my friend's Grandad, (I don't know how old he was.....everyone looks ancient when you're five or six!), used to take the fares at The Plantation Gates. He wore a brown coat-style overall, like male grocers used to wear, and, as you say, a cap with a shiny black peak. The fare was3d, (threepence). However, I can't recall him riding with us on the tractor, so maybe he just stayed near the gates to take the fares for the next tractor-run. I think your idea about a similarly-aged conductor is excellent, and if ever you and Dtease decide to take it up, Veronica and I will will expect a slight discount (2d)!

OO-ERR Irene , I realise that we go back quite a way , but giving discounts … well … that would probably be more than ml job’s worth my dear .
Mebbe best to wait until shift change when DTease comes on and if he agrees , then I’ll think about it .
How does that sound ?

I think a lot of folk send photos to the BBC Weather programme. I have seen a couple of Wigan photos lately. There’s new ones every day.

Sounds just right, Ozy, and I'm sure DTease will agree. "Fares please....tuppence to the two ladies at the back eytin' pies!".

I would love that job Ozy, but I would have to make a few demands before signing the contract.
For instance I would expect to be supplied with a sturdy ex police truncheon (large size) or, failing that a robust ex navy cat o nine tails.
As for Irene and Veronica getting a discount well, it wouldn’t be right would it. I mean, yer can’t show favouritism like that can you. Although l’m sure we could squeeze them both in the rear if push came to shove. I have to say I have had plenty practice at squeezing people in the rear.

I'm sure that's right Frank but I still wonder how the full force of the law would apply itself . The police must have better ..........hang on , thinking about it , it's right up their alley this isn't it . Motorists and fishermen . Got it .

It's a shame Wally Kaye's shut down. . DTease could have got an excellent Prison Wardens uniform for his tractorial duties .
However , I reckon he's more of a Mr .Barraclough than a Mr. Mckay .

My grandma used to whack um with a brolly when they tried to jump on the carriages but the law was on her side in those days .

We used to walk it up to Haigh Hall as we went from Greenough St end.
The tractor only picked up near the gates if I remember.

It’s daylight robbery charging folk to sit on the canal bank fishing. It’s not as if they can take the fish home and cook them. They have to throw them back in the ‘stinking ditch’. I believe that’s what the canal was called by the Lords of the Manors cutting across their lands. I can’t see the point really. Surely fishing by the canal has not always had to be paid for. We used to have a neighbour who spent nearly all day sat on a square basket fishing. I never knew him to have a job.

Spot on V . Pure feudalism . And it's not exactly the River Test is it ?