Our Christmas family meal was this evening. This year I didn’t cook a turkey. When returning from Scotland last Monday I’d bought a large Steak Pie in Moffat. I’d also bought some burgers from Allen’s Butcher in Chorley so they were the main part of the meal.

For anyone who knows me and didn’t get one of my Christmas Cards here is the digital version.

The messages inside are:
Christmas Greetings
2015

Cover illustrations:
People and mountains, Ethiopia & Bhutan.
Feb/Nov 2015.

I met a man with a dollar; we exchanged dollars. We each have one dollar.
I met a man with an idea. We exchanged ideas, and we each have two ideas. Unknown

A negative mind will never give you a positive life.
Ziad K. Abdelnour (1960 -)

Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter.
Satchel Paige. (1906 - 1982)

Technology is a word that describes something that doesn’t work yet.
Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)

Never confuse education with intelligence.
Unknown.

When you talk you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen you may learn something new.
Dalai Lama

The most technologically efficient machine that man has ever invented is the book.
Northrop Frye. (1912 – 1991)

It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.
Frederick Douglass. (1818 - 1895)

My Christmas Day morning walk through Whittle-le-Woods was very quiet.
I saw one person, a neighbour, on my way home. Here are a few of the photos I took while on my stroll.

Waterhouse Green and Christmas tree.

The Whittle and Clayton-le-Woods War Memorial.

Visited Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland for a nice walk in cold, clear and windy conditions.
After the wall visited the Housteads Museum and ruins of the fort. The weather was clear and cold with wonderful views. Drove home via Hartside Pass and had good views of sun behind clouds.

Hadrians Wall near Birdoswald

Letter home

 
Housteads Fort

 
In the museum

 
After three days of hill walking in Scotland, mostly in the rain, it was nice to have a morning stroll through Whittle-le-Woods. Here are a couple of snaps I took this morning of a puddle in Factory Lane and the Whittle and Clayton-le-Woods War memorial.

Whittle and Clayton-le-Woods War memorial.

Puddle in Factory Lane

On the run up to Christmas five years ago
it was cold with snow everywhere.
I took this 180deg wide angle photo in the gorge at White Coppice

A morning climb up Ben Vrackie above Pitlochry.

A very very windy Ben Lawers near Loch Tay, Scotland.

A very wet and bindy Creag Dhubh near Newtonmore, Scotland

Drove to Todmorden then parked near Bus Station and caught 592 bus to Hebden Bridge. Walked around the town first. Had a look at the old packhorse bridge which dates from around 1510 with the first repairs being carried out in 1600. Called in the The Blitz Wartime Café and Tearoom. It was nice to see some original 1940s Picture Post magazines on some tables. Then to the Railway Station for a look in the General Room and its lovely old photographs and illustrations. Then walked along the Rochdale Canal back to Todmorden. It began to rain for the final few miles.

Blitz Wartime Café 

Hebden Bridge Railway Station

Hebden Bridge Railway Station

On the Rochdale Canal

Mural in Todmorden. Spare land is being used to grow produce.

I recently posted some photos of the Whittle-le-Woods Christmas tree so in the interest of balance I photographed the Clayton-le-Woods Christmas tree this morning. The tree has recently had more lights added which have made a huge improvement. In the foreground is the commemorative mound to the old demolished reservoir that was on Back Lane. I thought the reflections in the wet stone slabs looked nice. I also waited for the 125 bus to pass by on its way to Preston. It appears as streaks of light as the exposure was 10 seconds.

Clayton-le-Woods Christmas tree & 125 bus heading to Preston.

While walking in Northumberland I visited the Coanwood Friends Meeting House.
The sign said:
1760 Historical Chapels Trust Coanwood Friends' Meeting House.
I’d visited it some years ago while on a bike ride but this time stayed for a while for a good look round and check out the interior. At first I thought the door was locked but it was just tight and needed a push. Inside was uncluttered and tidy which is the way it is supposed to be. There were various quotations written on the walls which I was surprised to see.

Coanwood Friends' Meeting House

Returning from my morning walk through Whittle-le-Woods I was drawn to our lovely Christmas tree like a moth to a candle flame. It really does look nice and is a credit to the team who organised it.
Yesterday I passed the Clayton-le-Woods Christmas tree and was disappointed to see it is still imprisoned behind metal bars. I was told it was because of health and safety requirements.
Occasionally common sense should override flimsy, and sometimes imaginary, health and safety regulations.

Whittle-le-Woods Christmas tree at Waterhouse Green

 
St John's Churchyard

 
Had an enjoyable evening walk in Whittle-le-Woods. I took a photo of the River Lostock as it passed under the bridge at Waterhouse Green then along Town Lane to the old Toll House on the Leeds and Liverpool canal. I used my bicycle lamp for additional lighting.

Bridge over the River Lostock at Waterhouse Green

Evening view of the Old Toll House - Leeds and Liverpool
canal at Town Lane

A morning view of this year's village Christmas tree.

A wet morning walk along Factory Lane.

Featherstone Bridge in Northumberland.
One of the steepest approaches I know.

 
Dad as an early cyclist

 
Great cartoons

 
Planet

Manchester Art Gallery

This evening caught bus to Preston to Preston Minster (Parish Church on Church Street) for a talk by Bill Shannon on the Last Battle in English Soil, Preston 1715. It was very well attended and hosted by Preston Historical Society. There is an excellent brochure of a history walk around the area. Click here for the pdf document

Hosted by Preston Historical Society.

This evening we had a great turnout for the official switching on of the Christmas tree lights on Waterhouse Green, Whittle-le-Woods. Before the switch on there was free mulled wine and mince pies. The Youth Band from Buckshaw provided music for the carols. Santa turned the lights on about 18:10.

Santa and a young friend

Afternoon out for bike ride as rain has stopped at last. Through Euxton called to have a look at the new war memorial and information board.

 I enjoyed a windy Friday evening walk along the canal through Whittle-le-Woods. The footbridge on the left crosses the old Lancaster canal which used to go as far as Walton Summit when opened in 1803. It now ends at Town Lane as the rest of its route was filled in during the building of the M61 motorway in 1969. To the right is the bottom lock of Johnson’s Hillock Locks on the Leeds and Liverpool canal. Whittle Springs to Blackburn was the last section to be opened in 1816.

Had a very windy bike ride over Belmont. The overflow spillway from the Yarrow Reservoir into the Anglezarke Reservoir was in full spate.

Yesterday I took a few ground level photos of puddle reflections while on my morning walk through Whittle-le-Woods.
This morning I tried similar photos on School Brow while vehicles drove by through the 10 second exposures.

The rain hardly seems to have stopped this week. There were more picturesque reflections  in the puddles along Factory Lane.

Factory Lane

In July 1977 I walked the length of Hadrian’s Wall with my friend Charlie. We walked east to west, camping on the way. On Wed 27th July 1977 we crossed the River Irthing and climbed up to Milecastle no 49. On the way to Birdoswald Fort there is an excellent length of Hadrian’s Wall and I’d read about a phallus that was carved in one of the stones. They are fairly common along the wall and on this occasion I managed to find it. This morning I was walking along the same stretch of wall in the pouring rain and managed to find the stone again. It would be interesting to see what would happen if a similar phallus were included in a modern building.

Preston Road A6

Factory Lane