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Boyd's photo diary.

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Jan 19 Feb 19 Mar 19 Apr 19 May 19 Jun19
Jul 19 Aug 19 Sep 19 Oct 19 Nov 19 Dec 19
 
 
Sat 30 Nov 2019
This evening was the grand switch-on at the Clayton-le-Woods Christmas Tree lights. I caught the bus to Clayton Green in time for the start of Chorley Silver Band and carol singing at 6:30pm. It was a cold evening with sub-zero temperatures and ice on many footpaths. That didn’t stop the crowds turning up and I think it was the largest turn out yet. Refreshments of mulled wine and pizza were provided a short walk away at the Lord Nelson. The band and Father Christmas were at both venues.

The big switch on.
   
   

Reading gravestones is always interesting but the passage of time usually means many are illegible. Wandering through Brindle graveyard yesterday (Sat 30th Nov 2019) I stopped to photograph the grave of Samuel Stancliffe who died on Tue 14 Nov 1871. The inscription has vanished completely and the original stone cross has fallen off the base and now lies on the top of the grave.

The grave of Samuel Stancliffe
 It was only identified by referring to the church graveyard records. Samuel Stancliffe was the last master of Brindle Workhouse and had been appointed to set up and run the new workhouse at Eaves Lane in Chorley. This ‘new’ workhouse was to replace both the smaller Chorley one and the large workhouse he was already running in Brindle. Samuel never lived to see the project through.
On a dark and stormy November night he was coming back from the new project in Chorley with his overseer by the back lanes north of Chorley to Brindle when his pony and cart overturned in a flooding stream (River Lostock) at Lower Copthurst. The pony and Samuel Stancliffe were drowned and the overseer died soon afterwards.
The incident was covered extensively in the national press. The exact location is where Lower Copthurst Lane leaves Whittle-le-Woods and enters Brindle and Birchin Lane.
The accident was also documented in the diary of Thomas Blinkhorn Parke, the owner / manager of Withnell Fold Paper Mill.
He said: 1871 Tue 14 Nov T.B.P. diary
Wet afternoon. Gaskell & Brindle Workhouse Governor upset at Copster Bridge @ 7:30 PM
Pony & Governor were both Dead when found and Gaskell Died soon after getting home.
   
Thu 28 Nov 2019

Morning view along Factory Ln., Whittle-le-Woods, taken in heavy rain
Tue 26 Nov 2019

Morning view in St John's Churchyard, Whittle-le-Woods
Sun 24 Nov 2019


Midday cycled to Astley Hall, Chorley to see ‘The Industrial Tourist’ exhibition by Andrew Marland theviewfromthenorth.org

Astley Hall
 

Astley Hall exhibition room 

Old narrow gauge railway to Jumbles Quarry above Slaidburn

The exhibition

The Whittle-le-Woods Christmas tree this evening. I used my bike lamp to add some extra illumination.
 
Sat 23 Nov 2019


Big thanks to the Carvers Trees team for our Whittle-le-Woods Christmas tree this morning. It’ll be a fantastic switch on next weekend.

Roebuck & Christmas tree Waterhouse Green

Steve came round to do most of the work assembling my new computer

PC interior
   
Fri 22 Nov 2019
Drove to Scan Computers Horwich to collect my new computer
Wed 20 Nov 2019
My secondary education was at Southlands High School, Chorley. I left in 1964 to start further education and a fascinating and satisfying career in Civil Engineering. I was asked to give a presentation to some final year students about some experiences during my working life to see if any of if appealed to them. There were some very sensible questions at the end so they’d listened to what I had to say.
My Thornton slide-rule
I thought it would be interesting for the students to see some memorabilia from those pre-digital, calculator, computer days. I took a set of log tables but most amusing to me was how they viewed my slide rule. Several picked it up and looked in wonder. What is it and how does it work? Before the portable electronic calculator came along it was a standard piece of kit to carried around.
   
Wed 13 Nov 2019

Suspension bridge on the final approach to Tanting Village

Pleione praecox orchid identified with #GoogleLens
 
Tue 12 Nov 2019

The first rays of sunrise on Macchapuchare
Sat 09 Nov 2019

Sunrise at high camp
Fri 08 Nov 2019

A lovely sunset from our high camp
Wed 06 Nov 2019

During the day we trekked up to Ghanpokhara Village. In the evening we were entertained in the village hall by dancers from the village.
Morning sunrise on Macchapuchari from Baglungpani
Tue 05 Nov 2019

Madonna on the trail to Baglungpani
Sun 03 Nov 2019

In Kathmandu called at Shona's to see Andy and Shona and buy some trekking trousers.
Sat 02 Nov 2019

I left the UK to fly to Nepal to do some trekking. My flight from Manchester to Doha (first leg) was on an AirbusA350-900 plane. The in-flight entertainment screen showed live views from external cameras. It was great fun watching the rain soaked Manchester runway whiz by, then up through the clouds to emerge into sunshine above. It was the middle of the night when we landed in Doha.

About to leave Chorley Railway Station

Tail mounted camera on the plane shows the rain soaked runway at Manchester
   
Fri 01 Nov 2019

A rainy morning walk along Preston Road, Whittle-le-Woods. The photo was taken from under the bus shelter across from the Bay Horse Pub.
 
 
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