Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 17th May, 2025)

I saw it yesterday as I was out on patrol.
The abandoned boat would have originally belonged to someone who bought it from a man he met in a pub, but now it's just left to rot, and it will be us, the taxpayers, who will end up paying for its removal.
There is a man who has set up home in a tatty caravan on the little Scot Lane and canal bank car park, which will eventually be left to rot.

A sad end to something that once knew, happy days, sunshine & bobbing about on the water. I read that the Canal & River Trust have a problem these days with abandoned boats cluttering up the waterways, now its cluttering up somewhere else.

If yesterday's photo looked like "The Martians have landed in Wigan ", today's photo looks like their spaceship. But perhaps it provides a home and shelter for some little creatures along the canal.

In dry dock ! See this every week, love it round there.

A well composed lovely photo Dennis, it looks a lovely spot to spend your final days.
May she rot in peace!

Where are the Scrap men when they’re needed…. Are there none knocking about?

Not much scrap value there Veronica, wood and fibreglass is not metal.

not much steel there, apart from the handrail, not worth messing with.
timber and Glassfibre so no money in it.

Yes I suppose it is more of those materials Kath. The wooden part could be used for plants with a bit of ingenuity and artistry. It’s a shame to waste the wood.
( surprised nobody has set it alight!)

Ozy that would look lovely outside the shelter done up! All things ship- shape you might come across an anchor…plus you already have a flag!

It reminded me of Geedubya setting out for Tittibong Veronica. He told Ozy he was “gonna need a bigger boat”, but Ozy told him there was nothing in the petty cash tin except an old silver thripeny bit and a couple of washers off a Double Diamond barrel.
Looks like Geedubya may have ended his trip by donating himself as a light snack for a peckish shark.
He was always a bit sticky fingered with the petty cash was Ozy.

Used as a large plant pot like you see at seaside resorts would not look out of place.

I could patch her up and row over to Calais in her Veronica … although I’d most likely get turned back by the French authorities knowing my luck …
But … if I dumped my passport and other ID docs overboard mid - channel on the return leg , I could crack on I’d come from Iraq , claim asylum in Dover and end up living in the lap of luxury in a converted stately home for the rest of my days , waiting for my application to be processed, … all my expenses being paid by you lot .

Now that sounds like a plan to me …

Fancy coming with me ?
After all … when was the last time you stayed at a 5* hotel for nowt ?

Oops ! … and there’s me going down for a 30 month stretch ….

Minimum … and with hard labour probably .

I was sooo disappointed when I missed that boat Dtease……there were so many shenanigans went on though….its a good job I didn’t go. But GDubya definitely went native wearing his grass skirt….i hope he didn’t end up inside a whale. Poor thing. €;o)
John just using the bottom part would be ideal…

I bet that IS the first boat ever used to cross and it’s been dumped ….I wouldn’t bother Ozy you’ll just end up in a tent over there in a hangar and have to take your turn…stay with your shelter and your Aga.

Ne’er mind sticky fingered …
I’ll have you know that I still have outstanding interest payments owing on that damn Chocolate abortion DTease .

I had the bailiffs hammering on the roof of my shelter only the other day in fact .

They didn’t tek owt , but they left me an old black and white telly , a pre-loved pair of gum boots complete with a puncture repair kit and a box of Christmas candles to tide me over until my ship comes in .

Not bad lads at all them bailiffs in my opinion despite what folk say about ‘em .

I hope you’re not expecting sympathy from me Veronica .

Anyone who passes up a once in lifetime opportunity to go on a FREE cruise to the sun kissed , coconut strewn glistening beaches of Tittybong in favour of ironing their living room carpet and harkening to Jeremy Vine on’t wireless only has themselves to blame .

Thats wot I say .

P.s . I see you’ve had your nose rearranged again …
And you’ve had yer hair done different an’ all .
You’ll make yer mind up one of these days I daresay … I quite liked the perm .

Look on the bright side Ozy you’re better off than that chap in ‘’the tatty caravan on Scot Lane and Canal Bank car park”. Especially with parking prices going up 75% according to the headlines this morning.

I knew I'd made a video of a man called Michael rowing this boat down the canal towards Top Lock
But I don't think my videos will play on WW

https://youtu.be/eIhNO0p61zk?si=xpLH7ISBlqADwqHo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIhNO0p61zk

Ozy, you'll be able to watch The Woodentops and Z Cars and Four Feather Falls on that black-and-white telly!

If yer do get sent down for 30 months Ozy, can I have yer Aga? I mean, yer don’t want it to go rusty do you?
I tried to watch Jeremy Vine once, but I had to give it up, I couldn’t stand the excitement.

Ozy if you make a little trailer for that boat you could easily tow it when you’re going to Sunderland Point then if you get caught by the tide coming in again throw bike in boat job sorted.

It wasn’t Jeremy Vine it was that little chap with the big ears..can’t remember his name but it’s Laura Kunesberg now. She could scare Putin if he was being interviewed…. Anyway I’ve gone laminate now….i stopped ironing the carpet a while back.

I have a feeling that you’re not going to forget the Sunderland point incident any time soon John , … or the relatively minor misunderstanding on the motorway slip road in Rochdale either I’ll wager .

And four feather falls , …
let me see …
That would be the place where Tex Tucker ruled the roost wouldn’t it Irene?
I believe you could hear a dog mee-oww there unless I’m very much mistaken .

Or stranger than that , any stray cat , could suddenly remark “ Bow Wow ! “

Remarkable place was Four Feather Falls I feel obliged to say .

They could do worse than bring that programme back in place of Married at first piggin’ sight Australia , or Naked bloody Attraction.

Good God Almighty !
If I wanted to look at a load of bare arses I could just go up to the infirmary .

No . The link works fine for me Mick , and I was able to watch Michael row the boat ashore …Allelujia !

Tell me Mick , was Michael on day release from some institution or other on that particular occasion ?

Ozy I hope I can remember the correct route as a neighbour of mine wants to catch the train to Littlebourogh and then cycle back this coming week but there seems very little space for bikes on the train now,not like when we did the same run.

That short section in Rochdale without a towpath is the only tricky bit really John .
Just don’t go the wrong way up the hard shoulder of the motorway would be my advice .
I’ve tried that route on a couple of occasions and I wouldn’t recommend it.

I can just about do Littleborough to Wiggin on a full charge .

John there's loads of space for bikes and prams you can just lean them up against one another.
Coming back is the hardest because you will be coming out of Manchester at the same time as the workers.
Best station to use on the return journey is Victoria because the people on the platform will be catching your train, unlike Piccadilly which as trains running to different place from the same platform, so
you get more people hanging around.

I think you may have misread John’s post Mick .
They’re going to Littborough on the train then riding back on their bikes .
You’re right about trying to get back from Manchester with a bike at teatime though .
Piccadilly especially .

Mick ………Ozy knows you know.

I reckon this is the Top Lock equivalent of Roswell - did anyone see it crash here and where are the occupants ?!