Photo-a-Day  (Tuesday, 19th November, 2013)

Why is such extensive scaffolding needed?

Interesting Mick. It is nice to see a major re-fit.

Wow Mick....fab picture.....nice to see these pics as I am not there....cheers!!!

Boring!

a good shot from a good standpoint. a lot of work being done by the looks of it

The scaffolding is there for health and safety for the workers, and perhaps also to allow the public to peer into the lock when the Canal & River Trust (formerly the British Waterways Board) held an Open Day at the lock and the adjacent dry dock over last weekend. See: http://waterwaynews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/open-day-at-wigan-lock.html
Normally, of course, the lock, like most in Britain, has no barriers round, but you'd get a softer, if wetter, landing when they're full of water if you fell in.

Garry, there's only one answer to your comment,'Get off your backside and get YOUR camera out'

....and so are you dear Garry...

Thanks Rev David; Was the dry dock built at same time as the canal?
Two interesting websites :-

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/places-to-visit-pdf/Wigan.pdf
http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/Tour_03/Tour03_20.html

Extract from the latter:- " At 09:30 we were past the Leigh Branch and started the Wigan Flight proper at 09:30. Rev David Long had been contacted and after his morning service, came out to join us, for his customary bike assisted lock wheeling."

AW Tricia, I've never called you boring...the photos just about opinions isn't it....

Ernest the website that you have found is very interesting.

Mick, surprised that you have not put photos of the work going on behind the DW Stadium. A few times there has been a large mobile crane to lift the locks.

Why dont you do it, Dave!

...only joking , Garry...you are OK really!
I was asking Colin about his bike by the way..we were in Wigan for most of October

Dave Johnson I saw that lock being done as wellwhen I was peddling past but didnt stop.