Condorosa

Sunday sermon…

Condor — Sun, 20 May 2012 07:56:58 +0000

Embarrassingly, for a bike repair emporium, my own bike, due to serious lack of stock, is still not ride-able. But a part is ‘in transit’ so to speak and the Attenborough-like forays into wild, woolly local countryside – and indeed history – will resume shortly. I could actually walk to a few locations but having seen soaking-wet, mud-covered and bedraggled dog-walkers on many occasions, I prefer to ride the bike and stay relatively dry and clean.

Today, again, a minimalist (no caption) photograph of the orange ball is reproduced. At Elton Reservoir, by Old Hall Farmhouse, is an old wall that, at one time, may have kept folk out of the reservoir embankment area. It’s just a few stones nowadays, but standing by it and looking toward the distant Holcombe Hill does afford quite a view across the water. Doubtless many folk with an eye for a ‘classic’ (?) scene would photograph it or indeed draw or paint it. The small stone wall gives a solid stance reference so that repeated viewings follow the same ‘line’. Photographs taken from a position at the dry end of the wall give the same view say, daily as I take them, yet each photograph quite different from a lighting/weather/water surface aspect.
This slightly artistic facet to my and anybody’s cross-reservoir, classic-scene photograph taking is, however, marred totally by the placing, almost dead-centre of any such photographic shot, of an orange ball.

There is, not far from Elton Reservoir, a smaller one – Withins Reservoir. The area here is too photogenic and a ‘Page’ here about this reservoir is intended and will be done.
Sadly, I can find very, very little about in on the ‘net that I could use as ‘content’….

Saturday stuff…

Condor — Sat, 19 May 2012 07:56:38 +0000

Normally a string of daily photographs accompany a short – paragraph or two – blog, but lately, the bike needing a minor repair and a new part, (not a problem) just one ‘old’ photo’ is published.
But when working thus a single photo’, because of more time available, can be of better ‘quality’!
Not long ago I read an article in the online press about ‘attribution’ among websites and, as a result, decided, as retirement became a reality, to abstain from using, at this website, other folk’s work. (stories, pictures etc.) As a self-employed tax-payer I’m not represented by any political party (indeed, just the opposite!) and so decided not to publicise, in any way, any of them. This really cuts-down the content possibilities for a website blog, but a few possible, self-’written’ blog genre’s were put here to see which developed best.
Getting out, on a bike, taking photographs of a square mile or so of local countryside proved, from all aspects, to be favourite and, having a little time while bike is serviced, the website has been thoroughly edited of other test subjects.
There is too a concept, common with folk that earn their own living, sometimes called ‘The Blue Feather’. The idea is that if you want something badly enough it will come into your life – over the years I could mention several instances where exactly this has happened – and yesterday it happened again.
My PC – itself a freebie Blue Feather – had only one (512MB) memory stick but dual slots for two processors. A PC boffin suggested that two matching memory sticks would be better performance-wise. Initially I checked memory sticks from old PC’s but none was the right type, and as the PC worked ok I just carried-on with it without problem. Yesterday Ed was searching for a disk and found a memory stick he didn’t know he had. It was the right type and a matching 512MB capacity! And, having a bit of time on me hands…

Friday fix?

Condor — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:31:54 +0000

Still

Dull, windy and rainy today and, rather than a ride out on the bike it needs maintenance! An old (ten years at least) part has given-up the ghost and needs replacing. So the photograph is an old one taken a month or so ago.

Thursday things…

Condor — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:49:59 +0000

Wet but green.

A wet, rainy morning for a ride-out but it’s not raining that hard and once you’re out it’s nothing.

Adventure Playground?

So, off along Banana Walk to the canal.

Over the Red Bridge.

It looks bleak along the canal tow-path. Deserted too. Not many venture canals in this murky weather, let alone take photographs!

Too wet?

Trainspotting?

Nothing. Rare these days.

More nothing. Enjoy.

Morning!

By the scaffolded bridge.

Orange Ball shot.

Out for a run.

Murky?

Meanwhile, on a canal not far away...

Wednesday wheelings…

Condor — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:41:32 +0000

Down Banana.

An hour later than usual and it’s dry and not too windy down Banana Walk for this morning’s ride. Click on images for a bigger view.

At Radcliffe.

Locals.

It’s just a matter of following the tow-path from now.

Mile marker?

Tufted ducks again?

Playing bridge?

View back...

Sleeper fence?

Old stone wall?

Dredged rubbish 1.

Dredged rubbish 2.

(Familiar?) Dredged rubbish 3.

Around the bridges area this morning were folk, armed with long-handled nets, carefully and painstakingly removing every bit of (reachable) garbage, on the water surface or just below it, on a voluntary basis. Hence the pictures of dredged rubbish here today. The results of this work are immediate and very plain to see – cleared sections of the water are literally without floating (cheaply-dumped?) flotsom. From one tow-path traveller a word of thanks to the dredgers!

On to the Bury end.

The Irwell by the scaffolded bridge.

Local dweller.

Uphill a bit.

Cyclist above.

Orange Ball shot.

By Old Hall after the Orange Ball shot, a few minutes with a local ‘watcher’ revealed that planning for many more new homes (across the reservoir from this point) was on the cards. So in the not-too-distant-future photographs of a large reservoir, at this location, may become historically interesting!

Bury end.

Toward Bolton.

Tuesday Tow-path…

Condor — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:17:30 +0000

Steam remains...

Off down Banana Walk this morning – past the old steam railway bridge to the Red Bridge and there a right into Radcliffe near the old Town Hall. The canal here is wide and old mooring points are still in place. Off Water Street a pond, higher than canal-level, is literally two minutes from a main road. Click on images for a bigger view.

Toward Radcliffe.

Barge deflectors?

Original stonework?

Original trees?

Radcliffe end.

Raised pond.

Old wharf.

Back to Red Bridge.

One of the locals.

Shady reflections...

To Bury end.

From Radcliffe it’s a flat run almost to Bury and the reservoir at Daisyfield (Elton). But the sky was darkening – would it rain?

Lone marker - ten and threequarters I think this one.

Tufted pair?

Mornin' ladies!

Ducklings all there...

Goslings ok...

Swans & Cygnets asleep...

Swans were sleeping so I didn’t get too close. And it was time for the Orange Ball shot…

A darkening Orange Ball shot...

Rain clouds?

With a following wind the kettle was on before the rain poured down!

Monday moments…

Condor — Mon, 14 May 2012 09:16:17 +0000

Established 2006

Growing greenery.

Strong winds made it tricky taking pictures this morning but a few came-out reasonably clear. A ride along Elton Reservoir embankment was great going but hard-graft coming back!

Swans getting onto a 'flight-path'.

On the way there a pair of swans came across the water, turned to face the wind and, paddling into it, took-off and soared like fighter-jets.

Facing the wind...

Take-off!

Windy corner for Orange Ball shot!

Club-House end.

Old Sluice-Gate slot?

Bully Beef?

Choppy water.

From the Sailing-Club end of the reservoir it was a windy ride back along the embankment and then the farm-lanes. But the fields are greening-up with all the (quite normal here) rain.

Toward Radcliffe.

Click-on pictures for a bigger view.

Sunday circuit…

Condor — Sun, 13 May 2012 09:21:31 +0000

Withins Reservoir feed...

Bright sunshine this morning; the ‘circular-tour’ done the other way around; going up St Andrews Road, along the main-road to the turn-off for Banana Walk. Click on pix for a bigger view.

By the start of Banana.

It’s much greener along here lately as Spring kicks-in properly.

Trees, aircraft and moon.

Tall conifers.

Newish greenery.

After a mile or so of pleasant downhill ease The Red Bridge is crossed and gone-under along the (well-surfaced) canal tow-path (Cycle Route 6). At this end the path is over two feet higher than water-level, but this lowers by one of the old farm bridges.

Looking toward Radcliffe (Town Hall) from Red Bridge.

Geese along path.

Flat cycling - nice and easy.

It’s a flat, easy ride from now almost to Bury at Elton Reservoir.

Ducklings by the pond.

An old distance marker - M 11

There are, still, a few remnants from when the canal was busy, like the distance markers. The one shown is inscribed, ‘M 11′ – which may be eleven miles, or eleven miles to Manchester.

Old farm bridge approaching.

Swan - on eggs?

Reservoir run-off channel.

By leaving the Cycle Route and going over the scaffolded bridge the reservoir embankment is ahead along farm lanes.

Embankment - an uphill half-mile.

It’s uphill for half a mile to Old Hall Farm and a view over the reservoir.

Run-off channels.

Orange Ball shot.

Along the way back a detour to Withins Reservoir for a pic or two.

Withins, getting greener.

View to Whitefield from Withins embankment.

From Withins embankment the big church at Stand is on the horizon.

Along Withins to Constellation Mill - and home!

From Withins the farm tracks pass Doffer Fold and from there, this morning, I had a large, friendly Airedale for company – he was exercising his owner!

Saturday stuff…

Condor — Sat, 12 May 2012 09:49:07 +0000

From Doffer Fold to Holcombe Hill.

A much better morning for taking pictures, but there are still megapuddles along the farm track.

Orange Ball shot.

At Elton Reservoir the distant hillside wind-farm turbines, through presently clear air, can be seen to be turning at last.

Toward Bolton.

In the same vein; the Archimedes Screw, constructed at the weir by Bury & Bolton Road, seems to be having ‘start-up’ problems – it’s ‘taking-out’ rather than ‘putting-in’, power to The National Grid. I can check on this the next time mine and my mate’s canal-ride paths cross, as we cycle morning tracks.

220 million gallons.

To meself a simple ‘Water-Wheel’, rather than an Archimedes Screw, seems to lend a better concept for generating power from the flow of water. One placed by the water overflow at Elton Sailing Club might generate enough juice to power the said club-house – if the present run-off, along the reservoir wall, is shut-off. (I.e., used to regulate the main overflow to give a constant water tonnage to the generating water-wheel.)

Hydro-Electric source?

Friday photo’s…

Condor — Fri, 11 May 2012 09:05:28 +0000

Orange Ball shot.

Cold and windy this morning at about 8.00 am with rain in the air. But one or two were out walking dogs along deserted lanes.

Cold water.

Wintry clouds.

Deserted.

Tow-Path walk.

Breakfast?

The swan family were not by the old bridge, but had travelled up quite close to the Red Bridge where the geese mug you as you pass!

All ok - still six!

Goose territory.

From the Red Bridge it’s an uphill ride along Banana Walk’s new ‘easy-ride or walk’ surface. At the top and on Greenbank Road a trendy-dressed, expensive ATB rider, sped easily past me as I plodded along and flew around the junction at Ainsworth Road.
To add insult to injury the speeding, fit-as-a-fiddle rider, was a woman!