Boating oop North

[blackrose]

I was near Wigan yesterday for work so drove into town for a creep around as I've never been there. 

 

I walked down the canal for a few hundred yards and was surprised to see the visitor moorings empty. Further on there were a few boats but it contrasted to city centre moorings down south which are generally crammed full of boats especially in the middle of summer. They're 1 day moorings so one would assume that restriction was imposed due to high demand, but clearly not.

 

Is it just Wigan or is that typical of canals running through city centres in the north?

 

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Did you spot Wigan Pier?

 

from experience just typical of Wigan,

 

Edited August 4, 2023 by Goliath

[rgreg]

Most people moor on the pound above the lock behind you or on the pontoon at the far end of your photo. The L&L is even quieter than usual at the moment.  The stoppage at Burscough won't be helping, preventing travel to/ from Liverpool. 

[blackrose]

13 minutes ago, rgreg said:

Most people moor on the pound above the lock behind you or on the pontoon at the far end of your photo. 

 

Yes I walked up there and saw a few boats but it was very quiet, as was the town centre itself for a Thursday evening.

[ditchcrawler]

I was lucky enough to see the Trencherfield engine running when I was there 

[Ianws]

The flight has only recently reopened after ongoing repairs. But, having said that, why hang around in Wigan. It's an odd layout of a town. I don't think Poole's pies exist anymore, which would have been worth a punt back in the day. 

[Naughty Cal]

Is Wigan North?

[enigmatic]

Lots of moorings in Wigan which isnt exactly a destination town, IIRC that's the pound with banks that are much higher and less convenient than it looks, just round the corner moorings that people actually use.

Nice rural moorings either side too.

 

I assume lots of people are avoiding Pennine canals this summer because of the many many closures...

[Dav and Pen]

Always associated Wigan with Uncle Joes Mint balls as promoted by the WRG . 

[Ianws]

Yes. It's certainly not Midlands or South. Though I suppose it depends on your perspective. For people in Wigan and neighbouring districts, it's definitely up North.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

12 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Is Wigan North?

A centre for Northern Soul back in the day, so it counts.

[nicknorman]

1 hour ago, blackrose said:

I was near Wigan yesterday for work so drove into town for a creep around as I've never been there. 

 

I walked down the canal for a few hundred yards and was surprised to see the visitor moorings empty. Further on there were a few boats but it contrasted to city centre moorings down south which are generally crammed full of boats especially in the middle of summer. They're 1 day moorings so one would assume that restriction was imposed due to high demand, but clearly not.

 

Is it just Wigan or is that typical of canals running through city centres in the north?

 

 

Cities of the north - Manchester (barely north) has very limited moorings although there is often space because it’s a shithole and no-one wants to moor there. Leeds has limited moorings often pretty busy. Liverpool central moorings are great, but you have to pre-book.

 

York - pretty limited. Ripon (if that’s a city) pretty limited. Not sure about Lancaster.

 

Is Wigan a city? Don’t think so.

Edited August 4, 2023 by nicknorman

[Machpoint005]

See the thread title.

If the locals say "oop" rather than "ap", it's the North.

 

 

[Ianws]

I wouldn't try to argue with someone from Manchester or Wigan that they aren't Northeners. It might not go well. 

[blackrose]

1 hour ago, Naughty Cal said:

Is Wigan North?

 

It is to me...

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

2 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

It is to me...

When people are talking geographically it’s North West to most people, like they say Carlisle is in the North West too, then there’s the North East(Newcastle) which is more North than Manchester/Wigan, so where is the North? The Scottish borders of Northumberland, Berwick?

 The canal system North is different I would say Lancaster, Skipton, Ripon are North.

Edited August 4, 2023 by BoatinglifeupNorth

[Rincewind]

On the other side of the canal behind where you took that photo, I used to moor my boat when it was first launched, ( there was a boatyard there below the dry dock - boatyard now long gone).  My boat was broken into - through the window, and the replacement window - twice within two weeks! nough said!  Do not go there!!

It massively influenced my decision to move further south, never had any problem - so far - since. 🙂

 

We, myself and a few other boat owners, staked out out the site overnight for several nights in an attempt to catch the b*****d and we nearly did. We called the police when we saw him return at around two in the morning only for the police en-route to the scene to  F**k it it up by ringing our mobile, the unexpected ring tone that alerted him that something was amiss.  He legged it.

 

Don't think the chief constable was too happy about their cockup, he also owned a narrowboat moored in Wigan that had been broken into!

 

 

5 hours ago, Goliath said:

Did you spot Wigan Pier?

That is such a good question!

Let us see if anyone knows!

Just where is/was Wigan Pier?

[Ange]

The north was where they took the piss out of my accent and called me posh (working class council estate girl here!)

 

[blackrose]

1 hour ago, Rincewind said:

 

That is such a good question!

Let us see if anyone knows!

Just where is/was Wigan Pier?

 

Why is it such a good question? I went there on Wednesday evening. Google told me it was rebuilt some distance from the original which was demolished in the 1930s I think.

[Pie Eater]

It is rare to see boats moored in the area shown in the photo as you need to climb up to get off your boat. As rgreg says the pontoon is used but there is only room for 2 smaller narrowboats and canoeists.

 

The drydock pound is the best pound but lots of the mooring rings are missing.

 

Other towns have directions to the town etc on notice boards but there is nothing in Wigan and the Council and CaRT don't seem to be interested.

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

5 hours ago, Ange said:

The north was where they took the piss out of my accent and called me posh (working class council estate girl here!)

 

Where was that!? The real North of England or the North people want to say they live in, like Yorkshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester?

[davem399]

For me living south of the Thames, Essex is the North!!

[GUMPY]

Carlisle is North East as far as I am concerned. Apart from Cornwall there is nothing in England to the West of us

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

5 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

Carlisle is North East as far as I am concerned. Apart from Cornwall there is nothing in England to the West of us

Obviously you didn’t do Geography at school.

[GUMPY]

23 minutes ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

Obviously you didn’t do Geography at school.

Draw a line north from the Devon  Cornwall border and the whole of England apart from Cornwall is east of this line.

It's obvious you have no idea  that some places in England are further west than Carlisle 🤔

Edited August 5, 2023 by GUMPY