Photo-a-Day  (Thursday, 16th May, 2024)

Colin that’s got to be near the coop we were having a minute there on Sunday after cycling from Rufford.

An apt title Colin for a lovely tree & such a nice shape.
A Horse Chestnut , not a native Engish tree I believe but we seem to have adopted it.

I tried to comment just a little while ago but the comment was not sent as the WW site '' could not be reached '' so here goes again.
A very apt title Colin & a lovely shaped tree. A Horse Chestnut, not a native English tree I believe but we seem to have adopted it....conkers & all.

Like many things in life, buildings for instance, we walk past many times and hardly notice them.
This tree must have been a sapling when planted, it’s grown huge but seems happy and thriving in its location.

John, yes it’s on a small patch of land adjacent to the Co-op.
Next time you are passing through drop me a line, I think you have my email address?

I still love picking and opening conkers

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree
A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed
Against the earths sweet flowing breast
A tree that looks at God all day
And lifts her leafy arms to pray
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair
Upon whose bosom snow has lain
Who untimely lives with rain
Pores are made by fools like me
But only God can make a tree.
My late Sister used to sing this and she had a beautiful voice,

Good one Colin, a tree i see everyday. I lived directly opposite until i got married in 1965 and it wasn't there then. No need to throw sticks up at this one to get 'conkers', just reach up, in fact my head catches the lowest branches when i'm walking on the pavement beneath it

Beautiful tree with its white flowers. Would not like to own the building behind it. root damage to the foundations over time

Apologies..I should have said "My late 'Sister in law"

Maureen, a wonderful poetic verse.
Your late Sister in Law's words and your memory of them immortalised in the annals of WW.

Roy, you must remember what it was like on Pole Street and Market Street and Market Place where like before those new builds. The Betting Shop, The Co-op and the block of flats with Woks Cooking and McRob's below and even the once Labour Club behind.
Were there terraced houses along there? I would love to see if there are any old photo's along there, only those two cottages still exist, one of which was a shop which Mrs Allen had and she lived next door.

I love trees and it’s a beauty but it’s a bit too near that building for me. It needs cutting back by an expert. They can get out of hand in the wrong places.

PS Roy, have you viewed my posting on The Album recently viewed, Pole Street Then and Now?
One taken in 1901 (not by me I add!) and one more recently,

Thank you Colin.

Veronica, I think I would prefer to building’s pruned back rather than the tree. Pruning or Pollarding would just ruin it.

Colin I never know where we are going on Sunday’s I just follow it’s always an adventure for me,having said that if the Manchester to Blackpool ride passes Standish which is the second Sunday in July you can pass me an ice lolly and providing weather’s good I’ll be cycling home to make it 100 miles.

There are three images in the Album (under 'Walking Days', 'Standish') in which this end of Pole Street appears. The first two show just the very start of Pole Street and the third shows the full length of the first terrace away from St Wilfrid's.
This third image is dated 1911 - and shows folk outside their front doors. The Great War started three years later, and six men from Pole Street served - with three being killed. They may be among those stood outside their homes....
Those killed were Arthur Babb (No. 17); George W Bibby (No. 11); James Harrison (11 Back Pole Street).
Those who returned: James Henry Lowe (No. 5); Peter Tickle (No. 12); T W Williams (Also No. 11)

Further information: George Bibby was married to Peter Tickle's sister, Lucy Ellen, and James Harrison was married to another sister, Margaret.

John, did you or anyone else see that about the couple from Chorley who did the bike ride in the nude from one length of the UK to the other? His name was Colin, I assure you Colin was not me.
I have put that date in my diary, hope to see you then if not before.

Rev Long, many thanks for this, I will check it out tomorrow.

Hi Colin sorry re the late reply i've been out and about all day.
When i was a young lad in the 40's there was nothing on the land where the Co-op now stands except a slightly different shaped and smaller Labour club plus a small cottage next door to it both with entrances on Smalley St.
From the top of Bradley Lane going up Market St the first shop was Taylors, next was May Smith's, then a private dwelling owned by a Mrs Finch, then Amos Allen's veg shop and their living quarters, next came Sam Hale's shop, a general store and butchers, next was a dwelling house attached to the shop then came the 4 terraced cottages that the Rev Long has referred to on the walking day photos.

Rev David it might have been 110 years ago but it’s always sad to hear about people losing their lives in war times past and present.

Rev Long, the terrace in the Walking Day pictures, clearest on picture 3, that you refer to was actually in Market Street, numbers 10, 12, 14 and 16.

Colin I don’t recollect hearing about the couple riding in the nude I’m afraid that’s not my scene smiley face,if I remember correctly there was a stretch of beach maybe Ainsdale that was fenced off for a nudist beach but of no interest to me,those were the days when you could drive from Ainsdale to Southport along the beach.

Colin, in Pole street continuing right towards the church after the present day take-away shop in your album photo, there was a row of four terraced houses where the King and Eccleston families and the Misses Hart lived. Then came what I was told was Blind Peter's entry, except it was no longer an entry as the rest of the terraced houses that would have followed had been knocked down some time before the war (WW2). But in the fifties you could still see bits of the tiled floors that would have been behind the front doors and stumps of bricks from the front walls alongside the pavement.

My brain is on a go slow today. If you come out of the Co-op and turn left towards St Wilfrids school, if I’m right there used to be a shop called Taylor’s (I think) and they used to make their own ice lollies, they used to cost 1d. Either Vimeo or spearmint, my favourites were the spearmint. Am I right?

Correct Linma as it says in my previous comment, Taylors and yes they did make 1d ice lollies.