Travels of a Local in Northern England

Preamble- This travel is being done in another week when locally we have unannounced industrial action happening again at my two local depots, so there is considerable disruption from very short notice train cancellations and trains being terminated short of destination due to staff not turning up for their shifts without notice.

So thinking on my feet is essential. I am keeping in close touch with the Northern web site, and it's journey check pages, as well as using other tools to be totally up to date- likewise for Trans Pennine and Avanti.

Even where I can reserve seats I never ever do, as I know that the train loadings do not make that necessary.

Monday - This was an extra day, as all but £3.85 of the ticket cost was paid for by the client.

So wearing one of my other hats a chance to visit two War Memorials which have problems- to assess and write condition reports for assessment of any required remedial work.

This is unpaid work, with no expense account so is squeezed in whenever the chance (like this week exists) at little or no cost exists.

LYMM and RAINHILL

The first visit of the day was to Rainhill. I had forgotten how nice a village it is. It is best known for the Rainhill trials of 1829- in the early days of passenger railways, and there is quite a lot at the station about those. But there is also an active Civic Society who have installed a number of plaques about the history of the village- including it's role in the [Frederick William] Deemster murders (in England and Australia in 1891- some suspected at the time that he may have been 'Jack the Ripper' A theory since discredited

Then onto Lymm in Cheshire for a war memorial with access issues after a Churchyard wall collapsed as the result of wet weather. Lymm was mentioned in the Domesday book, and is on the 41 mile broad Bridgewater Canal- built to carry coal.
Lymms industries included cotton production, salt extraction and the production of gold leaf.

The village is a conservation area and is on the long distance walk- the Trans Pennine trail

TUESDAY- Ashton under Lyne

Visit to Tameside Archives to check the local newspapers for Hyde (then in Cheshire, now in Greater Manchester, by happy chance the town next to the village where I was born.

On the way to Ashton I had to divert to Warrington to check on the Civic War Memorial there which had been reported as at danger of slipping into the adjacent River Mersey due to erosion.

(By the way, Warrington has a venerable history as a town- the main bridge over the Mersey was originally built as early as 1304, replaced several times since).

But what I was not prepared for was that there is a whole new memorial garden opposite the Cenotaph dedicated to a Private Daniel Wade who was killed in Afghanistan in 2012. By total chance, while I was surveying the Garden I met his mother- whose project this garden is. It was one of those moments when you suddenly re-write your day and make time. The power and commitment to remembering her son, I can't put into words.

What was an ordinary site visit turned into something extraordinary.

While on my way on to Ashton I had to pass through Manchester Victoria. I have not mentioned (on purpose) in the various Manchester threads, the memorial beside the Soldier's gate at Victoria to the Manchester Arena Bombing of 22 May 2017. I do commend any visitor to Manchester to pay their respects there. I have not been there before so close to an anniversary. The memorial area was overflowing with tributes. The rawness of the grief of a city (my city) 7 years on to that Terrorist Attack was so plain to see.

Oh, and at Tameside Archives there is a memorial to a local man lost in the Spanish Civil War and also a big memorial to those 18 locals killed in the Peterloo Massacre in Manchester in 1819- a notorious event in British History.

I was meant to be going on from the Archives to the Portland Basin Museum at Ashton, but the earlier events and then the onset of rain put paid to that plan.

WEDNESDAY- Burnley via Blackburn Rovers Football Club-

So today to Burnley Library for more research.

On the way I had to call in to Ewood Park, the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club.

There are two war memorials there, from local former Churches. There is a very. involved story behind that. And both original memorials have actually vanished in recent years, and had to be remade. They are beside the Away supporters entrance, but I wonder how many supporters notice them.

Afterwards I took one of my favourite walks into the mill town of Blackburn along a small stretch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. A beautiful stretch of the canal.

I usually do such walks with my windlass as you never know when you will need one. Not today!!

At Burnley, if I had timed my visit better, I could have visited the Weavers Triangle Folk Museum at Burnley Canal Wharf- one of the major trades of the town in years past.
The other was coal, and there is an impressive new memorial to those killed in local mining accidents beside the Library. Also the centenary government paving slabs to two men from the town who were awarded the Victoria Cross in WW1.

Major train problems tonight after an overhead wiring problem and a suicide on the tracks.

Sounds like you are doing some interesting work. Thanks for sharing!

Interesting insights into your work as you zig and zag by train across the country. I did wonder what sent you on your many travels.

Thank you for your valuable insights on some of the lesser known locations in this area.

THURSDAY- Bury

Today was a pure research day. Any time there might have been for side trips was lost due to many short notice train cancellations on my local line during the evening.

The title says Bury, but I was actually going to two towns either side- called Heywood and Radcliffe with a back up of Bury in case microfilm readers weren't working or there were missing newspapers in the other towns.

Had I been a tourist I would have been going to Bury Market (one of the biggest in the area, Coach parties frequently go there). I would also have caught the steam train on the East Lancashire Railway from Bury Bolton Street to Heywood.

In the other direction the steam train goes to Rawtenstall. Among the town's other attractions it lays claim to having the only remaining original Temperance Bar in the UK. (Don't say I don't find unusual facts).

I used The Bee Network Buses- all buses in Greater Manchester are being brought back under public control under the Bee Network brand with unified ticketing. As fast as possible all buses are being replaced with either electric or ultra low emission vehicles.

All Bee Network buses have next stop announcements and USB charging points. Also all Bus Station Toilets have had charges removed and some long closed ones have been refurbished and reopened- that all helps the travel experience

One other curious oddity to note is the Art Gallery on Platform 5 at Bolton railway station. It is open odd and limited hours so I have never actually found it open yet, but it exists.

FRIDAY- Bonus Day 1.- A trip to the countryside between Bolon and Wigan today to a town called Lowton, for a formal visit to war memorial which has been having maintenance issues.

On the way back at Wigan North Western Station I saw the fine new mural in the station underpass which is an A to Z of Wigan dialect words.

The former Wigan Pier tourist attraction on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal is currently being redeveloped. The 'Pier' is actually a Canal Wharf- originally a coal loading staithe.

SATURDAY- Bonus Day 2- Just a blissfully quiet day today with a short journey to Wigton, where a local war memorial has gone missing. A few weeks ago I glancingly noticed it's absence when passing (the former Church where it was is being converted into a dwelling). It certainly is missing more enquiries needed.
Wigton was the birth place of the well known author Melvyn Bragg. There is a nice small town theatre there- the John Peel Theatre. For anyone in the Lake District with a car that is an easy drive, if an event is happening there.
The Parish Church is also a fine example of a Georgian Parish Church.

SUNDAY- Bonus Day 3

MONDAY- Bonus Day 4

TO FOLLOW.

After a series of long delays on Monday, in instant delay repay, I have an extra day, free of charge.

Silver Lining! Thank you for sharing your adventures :)

DAY 9- SKIRWITH

This is a stand alone day. I have lost count of the number of attempts to get into Skirwith Village Hall- but it is 16 or so. I can only get in on the first Tuesday morning of the month. Ever time I have tried for the last 16 months or so it has either been wet or I have been elsewhere. For once it actually looks like a fine day. EDIT- Finally, finally, my mission is completed!

There are supposedly two Rolls of Honour (1 for each war) inside. The London office do not believe what was recorded by a former County Archivist 20 years and more ago, so this is a visit in the footsteps of Jeremy.

There is little or nothing of tourist interest in Skirwith- although the next door village of Ousby is a double thankful village (very rare)- a village from which no-one was lost in either war. That is the official position although there is contemporary newspaper copy which casts doubt on that in the case of WW1 (which leads one down a blind alley of truth and untruth).

EDIT- Even a local can learn new things. I was unaware of John Randal Bradburne (1921 to 1979). He was a son of the local Vicar and cousin of Terence Rattigan (playwright) and Christopher Soames (the last Governor of Rhodesia) After service in Malaya and with the Chindits in WW2 he converted to be Roman Catholic and led a remarkable life ending with service at Mutemwa Leper Colony in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). He was abducted and murdered by the Mujhibas guerillas on 5 September 1979. For his work with the lepers and 3 miraculous events after his death (and reports of miracles since) he is being considered for Canonisation as a Saint.
There is a society dedicated to his cause, and an annual pilgrimage to the Church which includes a walk up the nearby Cross Fell.

Thanks to the Churchwarden who let me into the normally locked Church and gave me all the information about John Bradburne.

Just shows what there is to find in the most unexpected place.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY-
What started out as a 4 day trip somehow transformed itself, due to various delays, into an 8 day trip on a 4 day ticket- an odd position to be in.
If we price it as an 8 day trip, then with a railcard, the cost would have been just over £76- or just £9.50 per day. Several of the days would each have been £76 or more if using walk up tickets.
I paid £64 for the 4 day pass- so £8 a day.

I have used the trains of Northern. Transpennine Express, Avanti West Coast, Transport for Wales, Merseyrail and East Midlands Railway (the only ones not used are Grand Central and Scotrail) and travelled 2.538 miles with total flexibility and never a seat reservation needed.

A huge bargain. Many regions have similar such rover tickets.

But I have ended it absolutely exhausted- 8 days at this pace takes it's toll on you.

Day 9 is on a complimentary ticket due to a 1 hour delay months ago.

Thanks for your great report. It’s given us a whole new angle to explore for our October trip.

Stuart, thank you for sharing! You have been, and continue to be, such a great help to those of us planning trips to the UK, it is lovely to have a "behind the scenes" look into your travels.

This week I have been on an exhausting day trip to two locations at opposite ends of the country.

On Tuesday I had to go to St Andrew's in Scotland to check on a war memorial at a Church at a tiny place called Windygates which Church has closed unexpectedly due to structural defects. To verify reports and submit recommendations for relocation to be funded.
This was also tied in with researching the new way to St Andrew's via the East Neuk which has become possible with the opening of the new railway line to Leven.

Then an overnight bus journey to Basingstoke and Andover in Hampshire- on the ongoing recording of the plaques for the Trafalgar Way Trail. This is a lovely, often overlooked area of lovely thatched properties and gently rolling countryside. A lovely diversion off the main highway towards Salisbury. Basingstoke itself (now a modern town) has Roman and earlier history to it.

I had hoped to get into Westminster Abbey for the 7.30 and 8am services (a blissfully quiet time of the day to access the Abbey) but no less than 5 diversions due to overnight roadworks put paid to that plan.

Thence the last train of the day home. On a railcard that was under £39 all the way from Hampshire to the Lake District. Due to delays I missed the last train on my branch so Avanti paid for a taxi for the last 40 miles home from Carlisle. I had asked twice for the train to be held to avoid that expense of Avanti but it was to be too long a hold.

So I finally got home at 0020 Thursday morning after just under a 44 hour journey- now I need to catch up on my sleep.

As an important note another passenger was initially denied a taxi from Carlisle to Darlington, because she was travelling on split tickets (on a Euston to Darlington journey as it was far cheaper than Kings Cross to Darlington- the normal route- Euston to Carlisle, Carlisle to Newcastle (5 hour wait), Newcastle to Darlington).
Quite reasonably Carlisle staff felt that was not a sensible route, just taking the p.... which it was.

Being a lone female who then turned on the tears staff eventually relented, but with a stern warning about such idiotic routes.