Photo-a-Day  (Friday, 7th August, 2020)

Makes a change from cyclists going where they shouldn't!

I think Shevington and Appley Bridge are fast becoming the bread basket of Wigan, because you dont see many crops growing in the fields of Wigan anymore, this year Ive only seen some in Standish, Winstanley and Billinge.
So these women shouldnt be spoiling them by walking over them, and causing £100s maybe £1000s worth of damage just to go sunbathing naked next to the River Douglas weir

You are right to highlight this problem Mick, much crop damage is done. Last autumn I had a chat with a farmer who told me he had lost his entire crop of barley due to prolonged heavy rain and winds, his crop was flattened and ruined, cost countless £ thousands. I can imagine this farmer getting annoyed. Farmers usually tolerate walkers using the outer edge of the field. What's on the far side Mick ??.

Whereabouts in Wigan is this?

On the other hand , there are a couple of farmers here in Standish who regularly plough over designated rights of way . A glance at an OS map shows many paths ' lost ' under wheat and spuds .

Walt its the River Douglas weir

Beware Mick might just want a reaction.

That's nothing new , many farmers fields are walked through every year, for donkeys years.
The worst afenders are motor bikes and four wheel trikes.
Ashton and Garswood have the problem.

So how do you know those women were sunbathing naked, did you add to the damage by riding along there hundreds of times and being a peeping Mick. Cosmo Smallpiece comes to mind.

Many paths are lost in Westhoughton due to the extra buildings being built and others lie forgotten and overgrown. The younger generation don't seem to like walking much anymore.

If that is a right of way footpath, the public have the right to reinstate it it it has been ploughed over or sown.

How did you know women were sunbathing naked Mick ?!

Veronica, we're going to have to stop sunbathing naked near the river Douglas.....I TOLD you it wasn't safe! xxxx

Well we could always make a grass skirt and put two half coconuts on top,to preserve our modesty, I mean to say where else can two laydees sunbathe, only on the banks of the Duggy Irene. Best watch out for cyclists though!

Mind you he's crossed five fields to find us!

You can keep your beaches at Santa Monica
Bondi, Palm and St. Tropez ,
For the real glamour is Eileen and Veronica
Au naturel by la Rivière Dougié .

Irene, Veronica, I was just wondering, what time do you normally go sunbathing and hmmm what day of the week, just interested you understand!!

Ha ha, I'll drink to that Irene, cheers

Could the path not be there to allow engineers access to the monitoring equipment on the riverbank? It appears to lead right to it.

Mike W there is a proper footpath that runs left to right at the top edge of the field for the engineers and paddling sunbathers

Veronica, being a Keawyed born and bred every time I go back or pas through it breaks my heart to see all the old fields we used to play in full of housing estates. Where Eatocks old pit was near Daisy Hill that used to be all grass is now full of houses. And Dobb Brow where I grew up has every blade of grass concreted over with bloomin mansions all over. I know people have to live but it still hurts when I remember how things were, that's what getting old does to you I guess. I wish this generation all the good luck in the world, I'm just so happy to remember the good times and am glad to be a Dinosaur

If this is the correct line of the path as per the O/S MAP it should have been re-instated within 14 days of it being ploughed to a width of at least 1 metre.It looks like the path from Miles Lane Shevington,past the surgery into Calico Wood which has been a problem for many years, which goes over a brook into a field like the one in todays photo. The Footpath sign has a habit of disappearing!

Philbee this as never been a path, the path which runs from the canal bank to the douglas weir runs around the top edge of the photo.
I know the Calico wood path your on about and Ive never seen that one plough over.

Brilliant poem, poet!. That would be telling, Wigginlad! Garry, Veronica and I will join you in a sherry. If you run out of glasses, we'll use our coconut halves.....oooh la la! xx

I know what you mean peewee it's change so much in the fifty years I have been here. All the concrete laid down in gardens isn't good either. Rainwater can't drain away as it should and causing many problems. I used to wheel my children and grandchildren over the lovely fields behind the Parish Church the rot set in when they built the industrial estate.. that's awful too.

Sorry Peebee it's the flipping' predictive text.
But would it taste as good Irene from coconut halves. He might just run out of glasses on purpose!

Oops sorry Irene , I seem to have renamed you . Still , all Eileens are welcome too.

Mick said "you dont see many crops growing in the fields of Wigan anymore"

Are there any fields in Wigan, Mick?