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haggis

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We came though Wigan today ( on our way to Liverpool) and how it has changed. Ok it is several years since we have been this way but our memory was of a working mill, interesting outlets and craft centres where you could buy all sorts of things ( we still use a set of bed linen I bought in one of the outlets ) and several interesting eating places. All we saw today were  down  at heel buildings with some work going on to  presumably  turn them   into living accommodation and nothing attracting us to stop as we always used to. It was sad to see broken windows in one of our favourite eating places. How sad it made me feel. 

One good thing was the walkway across the bottom of lock 86 as you don't need to go up onto the road to get to the other side now 

 

Haggis

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My memories of Wigan in the summer of 2000 are of lots of eejuts and razor wire round buildings. We had been over the years before but have not been since. Having bought whole or nearly whole boats since 2001 we no longer do the L and L hence not bothering going up that way. 

We have Wigan weather here again today as its raining ?

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2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

My memories of Wigan in the summer of 2000 are of lots of eejuts and razor wire round buildings. We had been over the years before but have not been since. Having bought whole or nearly whole boats since 2001 we no longer do the L and L hence not bothering going up that way. 

We have Wigan weather here again today as its raining ?

A whole boat can go up the Bridgewater, through Wigan and all the way into Liverpool, and the L&L from just outside Wigan to a bit outside Liverpool is a very nice canal.  The new lock access bridge is a big help as you can now go through Wigan without having to look at it. I think the city centre is ok if you don't mind a little walk, but the canalside is sad.

 

...............Dave

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5 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

My memories of Wigan in the summer of 2000 are of lots of eejuts and razor wire round buildings. We had been over the years before but have not been since. Having bought whole or nearly whole boats since 2001 we no longer do the L and L hence not bothering going up that way. 

We have Wigan weather here again today as its raining ?

That's another good thing. It isn't raining in Wigan   today ?

  • Happy 1
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54 minutes ago, dmr said:

A whole boat can go up the Bridgewater, through Wigan and all the way into Liverpool, and the L&L from just outside Wigan to a bit outside Liverpool is a very nice canal.  The new lock access bridge is a big help as you can now go through Wigan without having to look at it. I think the city centre is ok if you don't mind a little walk, but the canalside is sad.

 

...............Dave

Think I will nip up to Lechlade instead ?

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The buildings at Wigan Pier are currently being redeveloped. The site will include a wedding venue and events space, gin distillery and micro brewery, food market and restaurant.

 

The old toilet block near Seven Stars bridge has been demolished and 8 x 3 storey terraced houses are now in the same place.

 

I am not sure of the new completion date as work has been delayed due to the pandemic.

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17 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Think I will nip up to Lechlade instead ?

Never been, hoped to go last year but ran out of time. I hear that getting a whole boat round the bends can be tricky.

 

Going into Liverpool is a very interesting and dramatic bit of boating, I highly recommend it.

 

...............Dave

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1 minute ago, Pie Eater said:

The buildings at Wigan Pier are currently being redeveloped. The site will include a wedding venue and events space, gin distillery and micro brewery, food market and restaurant.

 

The old toilet block near Seven Stars bridge has been demolished and 8 x 3 storey terraced houses are now in the same place.

 

I am not sure of the new completion date as work has been delayed due to the pandemic.

I wedding venue, thats really useful ?

 

 

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16 minutes ago, dmr said:

Never been, hoped to go last year but ran out of time. I hear that getting a whole boat round the bends can be tricky.

 

Going into Liverpool is a very interesting and dramatic bit of boating, I highly recommend it.

 

...............Dave

Just keep the power on and you will get oop there in one hit. the bends are fun ? Funnily enough I made a pigs ear of it many years ago in a 56 footer but havnt had a problem since in whole boats!!

Watch out this year for a strange x matelot on a boat called Nightwatch :D

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24 minutes ago, Pie Eater said:

The buildings at Wigan Pier are currently being redeveloped. The site will include a wedding venue and events space, gin distillery and micro brewery, food market and restaurant.

 

The old toilet block near Seven Stars bridge has been demolished and 8 x 3 storey terraced houses are now in the same place.

 

I am not sure of the new completion date as work has been delayed due to the pandemic.

Thank you for the info. Glad it is not going to jest be residential

Haggis

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24 minutes ago, dmr said:

 

Going into Liverpool is a very interesting and dramatic bit of boating, I highly recommend it.

 

...............Dave

We are looking forward to it. We have been to Edonian village a couple of times but you couldn't get down the locks then. 

 

Haggis

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31 minutes ago, Pie Eater said:

The buildings at Wigan Pier are currently being redeveloped. The site will include a wedding venue and events space, gin distillery and micro brewery, food market and restaurant.

 

The old toilet block near Seven Stars bridge has been demolished and 8 x 3 storey terraced houses are now in the same place.

 

I am not sure of the new completion date as work has been delayed due to the pandemic.

But will the redevelopment at Wigan Pier do any better than the last re development.

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55 minutes ago, Pie Eater said:

The buildings at Wigan Pier are currently being redeveloped. The site will include a wedding venue and events space, gin distillery and micro brewery, food market and restaurant.

Gin?, GIN?????

 

This is Wigan, my ancestors from Appley Bridge will be turning in their grave!!!!

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21 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

Gin?, GIN?????

 

This is Wigan, my ancestors from Appley Bridge will be turning in their grave!!!!

I remember a few years ago going into the Royal Oak in Standishgate which had 20 gins and 6 different types of olives.

 

Olives!!!!! 

 

 

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We stopped in Wigan last year in our way to Liverpool. With Morrisons closed in the town centre that whole shopping centre seemed to have lost its heart.

 

Nice picnic area developed by CRT though don't know who can use of as gates locked and no mooring.

 

With regard to Henhurst Lock, is it still gate paddles only?

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55 minutes ago, haggis said:

No,all paddles were in operation today and there were notices there and at poolstock to use all paddles due to leakage.

 

Haggis

Last year the impression was that the ground paddles had been deliberately disabled. 

To prevent the pound above being drawn down to quickly?

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Also last year the bottom paddles of the top lock had had bolts put in (by CRT) to prevent them shutting completely, so  that the leakage would help keep the short pound filled. It also meant you couldn't open the top gates without having all top paddles fully open. Unfortunately it also meant the junction pound was almost completely drained when we got there, so the Lockies had to let water down the main flight to top it up before we could get over the cill.

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49 minutes ago, Keeping Up said:

Also last year the bottom paddles of the top lock had had bolts put in (by CRT) to prevent them shutting completely, so  that the leakage would help keep the short pound filled. It also meant you couldn't open the top gates without having all top paddles fully open. Unfortunately it also meant the junction pound was almost completely drained when we got there, so the Lockies had to let water down the main flight to top it up before we could get over the cill.

 

That's Poolstock Locks not Henhurst.  The new signs asking people to use all paddles are to avoid the junction pound draining.  It's been particularly bad with Wigan Flight shut as that's where most of the water usually comes from - there is a separate feeder into the junction, but both Henhurst lock and Poolstock Locks draw water off the pound. 

 

Because Poolstock bottom lock leaks out of the tailgates, only using nearside paddles drains the middle pound, so boaters then empty the junction pound to get up to Poolstock top lock and then get stuck there too.

 

1 hour ago, pearley said:

Last year the impression was that the ground paddles had been deliberately disabled. 

To prevent the pound above being drawn down to quickly?

 

No, they were just broken.  They actually made Henhurst Lock dangerous to use as the baffles were missing off the gate paddles.  Fortunately nobody came a cropper in the lock before it was fixed last year.

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