Photo-a-Day  (Sunday, 16th December, 2012)

Have fished in that pond. Looks a bit chilly.

With 22 ducks, 1 fisherman under a blue umbrella and 1 dog walker with a red umbrella.

This is a very interesting photo. Can anyone confirm that this shot is more- or-less looking eastwards and the houses behind the trees are in Winstanly Road?

Is that what used to be called Abbey Lakes ?

nice picture roger. looks freezing

Lovely Roger, looks wonderful and wintery, would you mind if I took a copy, cheers!!!

A tranquil,but chilly scene.....The birds are "walking on water"! Please inform an emigrant of 46 years, (therefore woefully ignorant);where is this Orrell water park? I'm from Holland Moor, went to Upholland Grammar School,(in both Sandbrook Rd. and Winstanley Rd.,so am quite familiar with Orrell as it was in the Fifties. However, I Can't place the park. Would be grateful for enlightenment!-I look on every day as a learning experience. (I'm having a little trouble with my laptop's "c" key-it needs a rather hefty punch to make it work.I'll have to get my resident computer gurus; otherwise known as grandchildren, to work on it!)

Ellen if you turn right just after you have crossed the railway the water park is on the left of lodge road.

Maybe in your days it wouldnt have been open to the public.

Theres a few videos here of Orrell

http://www.youtube.com/user/singaporemick/videos?query=orrell+

No Alan, Abbey Lakes is on the A577, just as you leave Orrell and enter Up-holland. Put WN5 8QZ into google maps for Abbey Lakes location. Orrell Water Park is quite near Orrell Railway Station which you should see on the same Google Map.

Ellen, this site (or part of the site) used to be simply "Orrell Reservoir" (usually called "Reservoy") and has been there for at least 60 years. Because it was , and maybe still is, a utility as a water supply, the public was not encouraged to be there. Maybe fishing under licence was allowed. Try Google Maps using WN5 7AT for its location.

Orell water park is between Lodge Road and Winstanley road. There is a large car park, the entrance opposite the church in lodge road. Yes the houses faintly visible at the back are in winstanley road

Ellen if you walked to the Grammar School you will have passed it everyday,If you turned right just after the station it is just up the road on the left, It would of course at that time be called Orrell Reservoir's.

These lakes/reservoir are fed by brooks from the surrounding area of Winstanly and from the foot of Billinge Hill (very close to Crank Road). In the photo, over to the right you can see what appears to be a small white fence on the edge of the lake. This is almost certainly an overflow and is a continuation of "Smithy Brook". Smithy Brook flows mainly eastwards fron Orrell passing Lamberhead Green, Pemberton, Worsley Menes, Poolstock and entering the River Douglas near Scotman's and Pearson's Flashes. I used to live in Brook Lane which lead down to Smithy Brook from Pemberton. Brook Lane used to be the actual border between Orrell and Wigan. There are some interesing sites relating to or referencing Smithy Brook: http://coal.decc.gov.uk/en/coal/cms/environment/schemes/smithy_brook/smithy_brook.aspx and http://www.wiganflashes.org/web/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=11&Itemid=2 There is an interesting map showning the Brook and the area where Orrell Water PArk now is at http://www.wiganman.co.uk/Content/history/Lamberhead_Green.html

Thanks, everyone for the information! I have it in mind now.
To Dave-I did walk to school, not every day, but mostly, so I remember the Reservoir.

I think those birds on the ice look like seagulls???? Cheers!!

Ellen, you say you went to Upholland Grammar School both in Sandbrook Road and Winstanley Road. So did I, Alan Porter, started 1948 and left in 1955. Do I know you ?
Also, Neil Rigby, thank you for answering my question.
I enjoy looking at these photos every day....they bring back happy memories. My thanks to all you photographers.
Alan

Alan,you were a couple of years ahead of me, I was there from 1950 to 1957. There are two class photos posted on "Schools" in the Album.My class was the one which appears first. Small world, isn't it?!!

used to take the running group from st james rd (now newfold) round the reses.We even designed a fitness trail round the back nearest to g.s. as a project called "stay well"

Hi lizzie you are welcome to save any pictures on here, I would feel honoured

Thankyou Roger, that is nice of you. I am getting a collection together and this one is very similar to the weather I left in 1964, though it looks like you are in for a very cold one this year. Stay warm and a Merry Christmas to you and yours, cheers!!