Boyd's photo diary. |
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Tue 29 Apr 2014
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While out
on a bike ride I was passing the stone well in Tockholes at the
bottom of Rock Lane when I noticed the stone plaque inside had
been replaced or refurbished. On the new version the lettering
is readable. |
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The inscription reads:
Serva Fidem (Keep [the] Faith)
The Norman Arch over this well was removed from Gerstain Hall,
Tockholes and placed here in 1910 by the Revr A. T. Corfield,
Vicar. |
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Sun 27 Apr 2014
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Mid day cycled
to Withnell Fold for the monthly Sports and Social Club Walk
that Dean had prepared. Twelve of use set off from the Cricket
Ground and through the Withnell Fold Farm yard and the track by
Withnell Fold Hall. Through the field we cross the river by the
Thirlmere Aqueduct then headed up towards Ollerton Fold. At the
first stile crossing we had some terribly wet ground and there
is obviously something wrong with the ditch drain. Further up it
became better and we stopped briefly at the top of Whaves Lane
to admire the view across to Brindle. We descended the grassy
lane down to the bridge over the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.
Across the next field we crossed Whaves Brook and up to Marsh
Lane. After a short walk to the left we headed across fields
again to reach Brindle. Then along Smithy Lane to the rough
track that connects with Pippin Street. Across the lane we
followed a farm track by Chesham Farm. The path follows up the
field side to reach Summit Bridg, the old stone bridge on the
line of the filled in Lancaster Canal. It was fairly overgrown
but we got over it OK. It’s difficult to imagine how it used to
look like when I first walked there with Dean in 1965.
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Near Ollerton Fold |
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The path took
us across the next field to the pedestrian underpass under the
M61. The lights were on and I think they were only repaired a
couple of years ago. We walked along the side of Clayton Brook
Road then Westwood Road and on to Sandy Lane where we headed off
across fields again to Denham Lane. The high point over the hill
is always a good viewpoint as it’s directly above the M61 and
gives good views out to the coast. |
On Summit Bridge |
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Down Birchin
Lane we took the left farm track up to Denham Hall then across
fields down to the River Lostock and up to Simpson Fold Bridge
at the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. When we saw the Thirlmere
Viaduct to our right we crossed the bridge, across fields to
Brandwood Fold the back to the Club Pavilion by the Cricket
Field. We were soon sat down to tea, sandwiches and cakes. It
was a great walk with nice weather and lovely cloudscapes.
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Leeds and Liverpool canal
with Brown House Bridge |
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Sat 26 Apr 2014
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Drove to
Calderbridge Village Hall, Calder Bridge near Egremont for an
evening’s entertainment by my favourite live band
Madison Violet. The Canadian duo is singer-songwriters
Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac. This is the second gig of
their current UK tour and they have added Adrian, on base.
Their new EP was supposed to be available for purchase but
hadn’t arrived. I left my address and some money and was told
I’d have my copy one day after they got it. The evening also
included an amazing stew and loads of bread. With that and
amazing live music it was a fantastic evening. |
Lisa & Brenley |
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Lisa & Brenley with Adrian in the background |
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Brenley |
Lisa |
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Fri 25 Apr 2014
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Enjoyed a visit
to
Lyme Park House near Disley, Stockport, Cheshire. It rained
all the time so I wasn’t able to visit the gardens but the
interior was impressive. Lots of wonderful paintings hanging
from the walls helped. |
Catherine Sedley, Countess of Dorchester (1657 – 1717).
The mistress of King James II.
Catherine was not noted for beauty
but for her wittiness and sharp tongue.
(source Wilipedia) |
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Upstairs |
Downstairs |
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Thu 24 Apr 2014
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Sun 20 Apr 2014
| Cycled to Astley
Hall walled garden to see the statue of
Benjamin Disraeli (1804 - 19 Apr 1881). It now has a wreath
of primroses round his nick to commemorate
Primrose Day, which was yesterday. Apparently the Mayor of
Chorley put the wreath there then. |
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The new fountain at Astley Hall lake |
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Sat 19 Apr 2014
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| A lovely evening
walk along the abandoned canal between Whittle Springs and Town
Lane. This stretch was opened in 1803 and ran through
Whittle-le-Woods to Walton Summit. It is now filled in between
Town Lane and Walton Summit. |
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Fri 18 Apr 2014 Good Friday
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East of
Worsthorne, Burnely, is the Gorple Road. Near Brown Edge Farm is
this control building for one the WW2 Starfish sites. These
sites were built as decoys and were intended to divert German
bombers away from the main industrial sites to harmless ones in
remote moorland areas. This was a dummy airfield with a runway
and canvas hangers. |
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Thu 17 Apr 2014
| Late morning at
'The Barn' Scorton for the 80th birthday get-together for Peter
Ward. Peter was one of my cycling mates from the 60s. We rode in
the same Ribble Valley Cycling Club team. Peter's racing career
was long and impressive. For a time he held the leaders yellow
jersey in the Milk Race/Tour of Britain. |
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Peter Ward (in Ribble Valley
jersey) |
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Mon 14 Apr 2014
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The ferry
crossing from Tobermory to Kilchoan looked stormy but wasan't as
bad as it looked. |
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I was camped at the westernmost point in the UK mainland. My
longitude was -6.22546 deg. Any further west and I’d have got
wet feet.
Arndnamurchan Point and its Lighthouse should be familiar to
anyone listening to the shipping forecast and inshore waters
forecast.
Mull of Kintyre – Ardnamurchan Point
Ardnamurchan Point – Cape Wrath. |
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Sun 13 Apr 2014
| All day I was
stuck in a wet and windy Tobermory. As is was Sunday no ferries
were running. I found the place depressing and not very
friendly. |
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Thu 10 Apr 2014
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Thankfully the
weather improved for this visit to a bay near The Mhachair |
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View from North
Iona |
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Wed 09 Apr 2014
| Heading for a
cycle ride around some of the Inner Hebrides. About to get the
ferry at Oban bound for Craignure on Mull. |
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| Once on Mull the
weather and cycling was fairly dismal. Most motorists give no
consideration to cyclists on single track roads, which is most
of Mull. The boat was just by the road. |
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Mon 07 Apr 2014
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I've posted a
picture of this post box outside Chorley Town Hall before but I
don't remember seeing the information plate that says what it is
for. In 2012 Bradley Wiggins (now Sir Bradley) won the Gold
Medal for e the time trial in the London Olympics. Earlier in
the year he also won the Tour de France. |
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Sun 06 Apr 2014
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Abba |
Certain events
stick in my mind and I can remember where I was when they
happened. The main one was the assassination of President John
F. Kennedy on Fri 22 Nov 1963. In total contrast another memory
was 40 years ago today on Sat 6 Apr 1974 when ABBA won the
Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton with their amazing
performance of ‘Waterloo’
I remember sitting in our living room watching the TV as they
sang. It was extra special as my Father had called in for a
visit and he was as impressed as I was. That was a major
achievement as he was mostly rooted in Mantovani type music. |
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The evening sun is now reaching
the west portal of the tunnel that caries the River Lostock
under the embankment that used to carry the Lancaster canal to
through Whitt-le-Woods to Walton Summit. |
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Thu 03 Apr 2014
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Wed 02 Apr 2014
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Baslow Village
Spar Shop, Derbyshire. No, that's not my bike. |
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Tue 01 Apr 2014
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