Ashton Canal

The Ashton Canal runs eastwards from Manchester to Ashton under Lyne. It links the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and Peak Forest Canal with the Rochdale Canal and Bridgewater Canal and forms part of the "Cheshire Ring".

The original scheme was completed in 1796, running from a large basin behind what is now Piccadilly Station in Manchester, climbing gradually eastwards via 18 locks to Fairfield, Droylsden. From there one level section continued eastward to Whitelands Basin, Ashton under Lyne, while another arm headed north through what is now Daisy Nook, climbing another eight locks to Hollinwood, with a branch running east from Daisy Nook towards Park Bridge. A short arm from Portland Basin crossed the River Tame to Dukinfield. A year later an additional branch from Clayton to Stockport was opened.

The Peak Forest Canal, opened in 1800, joined the Ashton Canal by way of the Dukinfield spur across the aqueduct over the Tame at Portland Basin.

This stretch is just west of the Portland Basin. Behind the high black fence on the right is the Riverside Industrial Estate accessed by an old brick bridge which is being replaced by a wider skew bridge.

In the background is Junction Mill chimney. The octagonal chimney, 210 feet (64m) high with an unusual tulip-shaped top was built in 1867 to serve Samuel Heginbottom's cotton-spinning mill which operated from 1831 to 1930. The mill itself was eventually demolished and replaced in recent years with canalside apartments called "Boatmans Walk". In 2000 the chimney was bought by Tameside Council and restored.

For Skywatch Friday;
Friday Fences;
Weekend Reflections;
Scenic Weekends.

ABC Wednesday: Q is for Queen's Promenade

  © Copyright Dr Neil Clifton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Queen's Promenade stretches from Blackpool North Shore to Bispham. Dr Neil Clifton's photograph was taken Tuesday, 24 August, 1993 and shows trams near the Cabin. Two 'Balloon' cars are coming southwards, while in the distance, a 'Boat' car is on the northbound track.

At that time the tramlines shared the road with other traffic. Note the position of the bus stops.

My own photograph was taken Monday, 8 April, 2013. The road has been reclaimed and a #12 bus en route to the Pleasure Beach can be seen on the right. The tramlines have been moved to a dedicated track on the left and a new tramstop erected to serve the Cliffs Hotel.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

ABC Wednesday: N is for the New Mayfair Hotel

We've just come back from a week at the New Mayfair Hotel on New South Promenade in Blackpool. It is a hotel that caters specifically for anyone with disabilities.

The food was good and the company friendly.

This was the view from our bedroom. A small lawn area frequented by dog walkers seperates the hotel from the busy road and tramlines below the promenade above the seawall.

The hotel's proximity to a tram stop was it's trump card. The new fleet of trams at Blackpool are fully wheelchair accessible and the carriages have spaces into which even electric wheelchair users can navigate. This photograph was taken at the Central Pier stop and shows Madame Tussaud's waxworks in the background.

We went to Fleetwood, Cleveleys and Central Blackpool on the tram and to Windermere and Lancaster using the hotel bus which also transported us from home to the hotel and back. I took some 300 photographs.

This was the view Monday morning before we came home. We've booked to go back again in June.

For ABC Wednesday.

In Memoriam: John Elsberg (1945-2012)

JOHN ELSBERG: CAM

(for Connie)

Cycling by the river Cam,
through weeds as high as our thighs,
wheels pounding over
the narrow path,
we stopped,
and letting the cycles fall into the grass,
we sat beside the still water ...

Thus begins this poem by John Elsberg which I published in issue 3 of Headland.

I published another of his Cambridge poems in issue 6 - view it on Pickings

John was studying in Cambridge and I visited him, unannounced, in September 1970.


Connie had just given birth to Steve and I penned this haiku

the newly-born child
capturing his parents' love -
the frightened cat sulks

See my Collected Works for publication credits.

I stayed a couple of days and pitched in by doing the cooking while John and Connie fussed over the baby.

The following year they came up to my parents' house in Yorkshire for a holiday and one day I took them over to Filey to meet George Cairncross (the "East Coast Recluse") who edited the magazine "Bogg".

John became firm friends with George and after he returned to the States, he produced an American issue of the magazine and eventually took it over.

Read Pat Jourdan's review of Bogg ##73/74 [dble issue].

In 1999 I published his chapbook Sailor: sample poem Complexities

On the cover was an original design by Wayne Hogan.

John died in July 2012 but I only just heard this news earlier in the week via John F Haines' "Handshake".

There is a good account of his life with various reminiscences by Jim Kacian, Richard Peabody, David Geisman, Ron Androla, and others on Issa's Unity Hut, the poetry blog for Lilliput Review.

There is a tribute by Wilson Wyatt on first person plural.

There is a memorial book of condolence on the Dignity Memorial website.

You can read a review by Patricia Prime of his collaboration with David Check, "South Jersey Shore" on NHI Review and also a review by Martin Grampound of his "Haiku Fan" A Week in the Lake District.

I published a new version of John's poem "Cam" in Editor's Dilemma. Here is how the poem ends ...

I laid my head
upon her lap, against her breasts,
and she rocked
in a cadence
without words.
So simply . . .

And then, content, I knew
of the harmony
in small graces, of the rareness
that comes so suddenly
with complete moments.
of the trust in silences
that belie the world:

soft pillows laced
with plucked dreams
and lost time.

JOHN ELSBERG

CDPB Photo of the Year 2012

Several members of the City Daily Photo Bloggers community traditionaly post a Photo of the Year on January 1st.

Last year the old CDPB portal was hacked and eventually disappeared. Although a new portal has been created, it is not hosting the Photo of the Year theme day.

This page has been created to provide a linkytools list to enable participants to gather together.

Please only use it if you are a member of the community and are posting a "Photo of the Year". Please link directly to your PotY post. Please include a link back to this page on your post.

Ashton under Lyne Metrolink Terminus

(Click on image to view full-size version)
The electronic displays at the Ashton under Lyne terminus read "For timetable information contact Metrolink Customer Services" but you'll have a long wait as services are not expected to reach Ashton until 2014.

Curiously the time on the two displays differs by 18 seconds.

(Click on image to view full-size version)
Here is a wider view of the tram station as it will be approached from the bus station.

(Click on image to view full-size version)
This is the scene in the opposite direction from Oldham Road.

(Click on image to view full-size version)
Here is how it looked from the same spot in April 2010.

A contribution to signs, signs.

Merry Christmas

★˛˚˛*˛°.˛*.˛°˛.*★˚˛*˛°.˛*.˛°˛.*★Merry*★* 。*˛.
˛°_██_*.。*./ ♥ \ .˛* .˛。.˛.*.★* Christmas*★ 。*
˛. (´• ̮•)*.。*/♫.♫\*˛.* ˛_Π_____.♥Everyone ♥ ˛* ˛*
.°( . • . ) ˛°./• '♫ ' •\.˛*./______/~＼*. ˛*.。˛* ˛.*。
*(...'•'.. ) *˛╬╬╬╬╬˛°.｜田田 ｜門｜╬╬╬╬╬*˚ .˛ ...

Grey Moon over Garside Street

(Click on image to view full-size version)
One afternoon last week I saw the moon over Garside Street - see the scene on Hyde Daily Photo.

I zoomed in to get a closer look.

Coloured versions can be seen on Hyde DP Xtra.

For Skywatch Friday and The Weekend in Black and White.