Men Mending

Maddening. On the way home and pop, the tyre blows but looking at it in a glass half full way what better surroundings to put things right, a sunny day on the corner of a cricket field by a quiet pathway.

Earlier in the day I had passed the signposted 'men at work' delving down the canal banking.  I don't know what their objective was

but they were certainly concentrating on the task in hand.  One thing is for sure I can't think of a

'Pennine Way' Canal and River Trust work boat

better way to arrive at work than on a boat. 

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at M here

 

Little

A rustic little ladder to help one up and over the wall stile, no balancing on small stones here.

Little people keeping a watch on the water while canal dwellers take their ease elsewhere

A little horse quietly chomping away oblivious to all around it.  I wonder if it has a little rider

which Norman Thelwell always included in his humorous drawings, things rarely went well.

Little and large on the road.

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at L here 

Esholt

The towpath of the Leeds Liverpool Canal is a popular place for getting exercise, I was only walking but this twosome passed me more energetically on their morning run . You may be thinking, as I did, that the building they are running past must have been a rather grand lock keepers cottage, especially as a local description calls it being built in the Edwardian neo Baroque style.

As I step on to the Strangford Swing Bridge a more industrial view looms into view to the left

with some sturdy stone gate posts at the entrance.   At this moment the gates started to glide open

to let a Yorkshire Water van exit the site.  Too good an opportunity to miss I clicked the view inside before the gates closed.  So no lock keepers cottage but a cluster of early 20th century buildings.  This is Esholt Sewage Works which in past times must have been the only profit making sewage works in the country, living up to the Yorkshire expression, "where there's muck there's brass", ie money.  The opportunity was the large amount of rich wool grease (lanolin) waste produced by the wool industry in nearby Bradford.  In Esholt it was turned into lubricants for train axles and indeed was used on the national rail system until just after the second world war.  Of course that was not the only thing that happened here, it did not get called the Esholt Pong for nothing. The human organic matter was reprocessed into cakes and used as fertiliser.  All this was transported around the site, at its peak, by 22 miles of rail track and 11 locomotives which did not run on coal but on the waste product. The ultimate recycling site way before its time

  People even came to take a tour around the site behind one of the little engines. Standing room only!

Perhaps they came over this now disused railway bridge which linked the massive Esholt site.  Esholt Sewage Works closed in 1977 but the photographer Ian Beesley worked there in the latter years before his work mates, who he took photographs of, encouraged him to go to art college. Some of  those photographs can be seen here

In the present day a recent multi million pound bio energy scheme and waste water treatment plant doesn't make money but saves it and boasts of being energy neutral in Esholt.   

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at E here 

Egg Trail Loiter

My local canal had an Egg Trail along its length this Easter. Built at the hight of canal mania in the 18th Century it no longer serves its original purpose and access for ships is not possible from the sea at Morecambe Bay as the entrance is blocked off with concrete here which I think happened in the 1940s.

The old loch gate has gradually disintegrated, years ago it was a popular spot for diving off on summer days.  At only one mile in length the canal is a popular stroll on a nice day and in all weathers for dog walkers or sitting by for fishing folk.  Lets set off along the Easter Egg trail and see how many Ls I can spot for this week's ABC Wednesday

 Little Beasties, the local pet shop

Ulverston is the birthplace of Stan Laurel so of course there is The Stan Laurel Inn, a friendly pub with a wide range of beers one or more of which will be

from the Ulverston Brewing Company with their Laurel and Hardy themed beers which include, Laughing Gravy and Lonesome Pine.  They have really gone to town with the canal theme and a lighthouse

Here is the Ulverston egg, nicely positioned with the 'real' lighthouse in the background at the top of Hoad Hill. To save you squinting here it is

The flag is flying so its open for visitors to climb to the top to take in the view of bay and Lakeland hills.  Not actually a working lighthouse but a monument erected in 1850 to another of Ulverston's sons, Sir John Barrow, naval administrator, traveller and writer who also has a school named after him,

the Sir John Barrow Primary and Infant School, their Egg along complete with decorated wooden spoons

Lindow's, the jewellers.  Only sheep in the field and no sign of lambs.

The long straight canal path, how appropriate that the bikes were 'parked' by the Appleseeds the health food shops Egg

 Here is one that made me laugh, the Boogle and Bump shop (clothing for little people)

Lastly it is the Ulverston Lantern Festival Egg, an annual event that takes place in September.

I was pleased to see an Easter Egg with an X, always a tricky letter for ABC Wednesday so that one is tucked away for another occasion. 

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at L here