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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Photo-a-Day Archive
Photo-a-Day Archive

Photo-a-Day  (Sunday, 27th January, 2013)

Icicles


Icicles
Icicles hanging from Gathurst railway bridge.

Photo: Geoff Charnock  (Panasonic TZ5)
Views: 4,454

Comment by: Janice on 27th January 2013 at 00:56

That's a great shot Geoff. Just shows how cold it has been lately!

Comment by: Ernest Pyke on 27th January 2013 at 03:25

Did you use a zoom lens, Geoff?
There`s been many a tall vehicle stuck under this bridge.
Some years ago, a double decker bus, with school children on board, had the top of it`s roof shorn off.

Comment by: Lizzie down under on 27th January 2013 at 05:17

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!! It would be interesting to find out if the temps this English winter compare with the winter of 63-64.....just a thought....cheers!!!

Comment by: Mick on 27th January 2013 at 07:58

It can be dangerous walking under there when the Icicles are thawing out.

Comment by: Harry C. on 27th January 2013 at 08:38

Hi. Geoff don't look up if you're walking under the bridge.

Comment by: Colin Harlow on 27th January 2013 at 09:42

Those Icicles could be dangerous if they release whilst people walk through the bridge. Well done Geoff, good photo.

Comment by: JDH on 27th January 2013 at 11:42

I think you mean the winter of 62/63 Lizzie. My guess would be no.

Comment by: Louise on 27th January 2013 at 11:42

Did you see any snotites Geoff?
Good photo.

Comment by: dave johnson on 27th January 2013 at 13:09

The temperatures locally have not been to bad. The canal at the back of the DW Stadium has not even frozen over the last couple of weeks?

Comment by: Dave Mrsh on 27th January 2013 at 15:41

Anyone remember the shop that was once there,Mrs Lyons.

Comment by: Joan (Widnes) on 27th January 2013 at 16:35

Hi Lizzie the big freeze of 63 is I'm sure the worse on record, -19 in Sutherland, the thaw came in the March temps went up quickly. I was 8 and can remember it well - don't remember schools closing! Our winter 2 years ago colder than this one. I really like looking at all the daily pics, Wigan seems to have lovely place.

Comment by: Fred Mason on 27th January 2013 at 17:04

Yes. I do remember the shop and the bench outside where we used drink ginger beer during a walk as little lads.

Comment by: Geoff Charnock on 27th January 2013 at 17:11

Thanks for your comments, Ernest I used the zoom facility that is built into my camera, Louise I will speak to you later!!!

Comment by: Lizzie down under on 27th January 2013 at 19:43

I don't remember beeping off school as we walked in those days.....
The Dream Academy mention in their song.... Life in a Northern Town about the winter of 63.....cheers!!!

Comment by: Lizzie down under on 27th January 2013 at 19:48

Hi Joan I love the photos too, great when I havn't been there for over 40 years...cheers!!

Comment by: Jean F (Wales) on 27th January 2013 at 21:06

Great interesting photo....that road looks treacheruos.

Comment by: Mick on 27th January 2013 at 22:22

I remember the bench and I remember being told that one day a older shevy lad was sat on it drinking his pop (Ive forgot his name) and another shevy younger lad whos name was colin rimington said can I take your pop bottle back so he could collect the deposit.

So thats what he did and why he was in the mrs Lyons shop collecting the deposit a lorry came down the hill and crashed into the bench killing lad who was sat on it.

Comment by: Mick on 27th January 2013 at 22:33

You still get plenty of lorrys coming out of Heinz and take a right turn at the old engine and its only when they get to see the bridge they realize they have come wrong way.

That when the trouble starts because if they try to reveres up the drive wheel of the truck come off the ground and just spin.

I once watched one try to turn around by backing up the track to dean wood and the drive of the house next to the station but because it was on the slat of the hill the drive wheels ended coming off the ground as well.

Comment by: Joan (widnes) on 27th January 2013 at 22:50

Hi Lizzie,I went to a Wigan bout 30 yrs ago to a night club, and I met a gorgeous fireman in Widnes who came from Wigan but that was in the early 70s, even been to Australia, so I think it's time I go to Wigan to see some of the places in the pics!

Comment by: Ernest Pyke on 28th January 2013 at 04:24

Jean and Lizzie; I know that you`ve seen some of Mick`s video`s - have you seen his `M6 Re-opened` which is mostly of Shevington and he went down to this bridge and Gathurst railway station at 6am on Sat.26th Jan.`13.
Mick, do you remember the double decker bus incident I mentioned in my comment?

Comment by: Mick on 28th January 2013 at 09:40

Ernest I think I was living overseas when the bus crashed into it.

Comment by: Lizzie down under on 28th January 2013 at 10:03

Hi Joan, have a nice trip to Wigan.....where did you travel to in Aussie?
You must go and visit Haigh Hall just for me.....cheers xx

Comment by: Lizzie down under on 28th January 2013 at 10:10

A very sad story of the young lad......I always gave my kids a hug when they went out because ya never know.....even now they are big kids and they leave to go to their own places they always get a kiss....

Comment by: Ernest Pyke on 28th January 2013 at 17:51

Mick, there`s photo #16484 in Album, Work, Wigan Corp.Transport, page 4, 2nd row, 3rd along.
This shows top shorn off a double decker bus. See last comments by Mike and Norman Gerrard.
No date specified but probably late 70`s or early 80`s.

Comment by: Joan (Widnes) on 28th January 2013 at 18:05

Hi Lizzie, can't believe you said visit Haigh Hall, that's one of the places I would like to go! I went to Melbourne, visited a few relatives & many people from Widnes. Bless the boy who got killed - how very, very sad.

Comment by: alan lad on 28th January 2013 at 19:46

Mick your late brother John told me that story about the lads on the bench when i worked with him up Standish 1965.

Comment by: Mick on 28th January 2013 at 22:45

Alan I think the lad who got killed was called Ernie Hockinson.

Alan will you be a Norburn ?

Geoff Middleton dead as well now

Just had a look at the bus photo Ernest.

Comment by: Chris Winstanley on 1st February 2013 at 20:09

Hello Ernest,
about the bus going under the bridge at Gathurst,it was full of children from Orrell St Peters school and should have gone through Beech Hill to shevington, I know the name of the driver of the bus and the conductor , both of which were un hurt along with all the children ,who were quick enough to get down the stairs out of the way.
A doctors wife, who lived on the brew attended the crash and said she could hear the childrens screems as the bus approached the bridge.
The reason I know all this is because I was the driver of the other bus, a single decker , I tried to catch the other drivers attention but was unable to , subcequently the driver ploughed into the bridge and came to an abrupt stop. What a shift that was!!!!!
nice image though.

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