Anchorsholme

 I DO LIKE 🐝🐝...🐝SIDE  ?  3 to 4 miles

PROMENADERS:- Danny, Mike, Jim, John, Anthony ... 

                    ............and Mick.

Mike sent us very accurate and specific instructions where we were to park. We all claimed to be confused but then when we had parked up each and every one declared they knew it well. "Parked here loads of times"

 "Umph !" said Mike  as he pulled into a parking spot.

Inspite of traffic problems in Penwortham Jim was here sooner than we expected.

The tide was in but sadly the sand was out.

John surmised that this area was used by lots of elderly people.

Parking availableon the spot. Lots of benches for sitting admiring the view and reading the paper. Or...Staying in the warmth of your car !!  And an ice cream van parked here during the summer months.

Oh 'eck  ! There's two of  'im.

Fastened to the sea wall at intervals were little numbered fish. John W  thinks they were the random numbers allocated to the anglers taking part in competitions.

 

Just offshore from the cafe ( which appears to be wind powered ) was the rather unusual sculpture which some think resembles the rib cage of a beached whale. It is called "The Sea Shell".

Just taking a breather and deciding if an early "brew" was a good idea or not ?  NOT was the decision.

There's that "dead Whale".

At one point as we walked along the prom there was a lot of construction activity. The sea defences were being strengthened. New rocky groynes were being constructed with concrete ramps to enable emergency rescue vehicles to drive over them.

At the end of one rocky groyne the sculpture of the "OGRE" (see a previous blog "Cleveleys September 2021") was just beginning to emerge as the tide began to ebb.  The Ogre turns green as it is submerged by each tide. It is given and annual "Power Wash" so that it remains an " 'ORRIBLE OGRE" and doesn't transmogrify into a "JOLLY GREEN GIANT".

We learnt all this from a friendly construction worker.

We continued along the rather magnificent prom (Must have cost a fortune) which has become a major attraction for visitors to the Fylde Coast.

Then we came across this monstrous "Paddle". Legend (recently created) has it that it was used by the Ogre to stir up the sea causing trouble for the coastal residents,.

We continued along the prom as the sun, low in the sky, turned the unusual but attractive lighting posts into delightfully artistic silhouettes.

 

Then..... after a hastily arranged rendezvous, we were briefly joined by Mick Kilgallon (on the left), a local resident and erstwhile Meanderthal.

Camera exchange. Mike is still with with us but is a shadow of his former self.

Mick K told us there was a good cafe on Anchorsholme Park., run by Blackpool Council. 

To purchase lunch of course money is needed,

Where's mi wallet !  

    Where's mi cards ! 

        Where's mi cash 

            Nothing in either pocket !"

The cafe was good and reasonably priced... unless like Jim you wanted "Foliage" which bumped the price up.

PROOF WE WERE IN ANCHORSHOLME

We all know what an Anchor is (an anchor is an anchor is an ANCHOR !! ) but what's a holm(e)

A Holme is a small island or Islet that is submerged at highwater..... OR...... it is a piece of flat land by the sea or river which floods whenever an especially high water incident occurs.

Another fascinating sculpture. A list of all the shipwrecks along the Fylde coast. Who could have imagined there could be so many ?

Just now  a little moth is hoping to find shelter from winters worst. I have my doubts.  It was such a striking moth that I decided to look through my reference books to identify it. After ploughing through possible a thousand pictures of moths I decided it was definitely.............................A MOTH !

After the morning's brilliant sunshine the ebbing tide seems to have triggered a mist.  By the sea such mist are called Sea Frets or Haars.  These words are mainly used in the North East of England where they occur more frequently. They are caused by moist air cooling and filling the air with minute water drops. The morning sun and then the cool afternoon created such conditions.

Whilst he was stopping to take photos John's companions soon began to disappear into the mist.

What are those sculptures  ?  apparently JELLYFISH !!!

More delightful artworks.

Then a last look over the misty sea and HOMEWARD you landlubbers !

SEE YOU SOON

THE END

(Sea and SAND)

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BURSCOUGH

AUTUMN LEAVES & BROWN SAUCE 5 Mi

SAUCY LEAVERS :- Danny, John, Jim, Mike, Anthony.

Quite close to the middle of Burscough we found a neat little Car Park with spaces available. On leaving the car park the suggestion was made that we start the day with a coffee. Why not !  Just across the road was a cafe so in we went.

This however was not just any cafe. There were pictures and posters of bikes on every wall.

As we finished our excellent coffees.....

 the cafe door opened  and in walked half a dozen cyclists pushing their bikes before them. Ladies AND gentlemen.

They took their bikes to another room and returned to take our places as we left. It was a large bike shop with an excellent cafe.

The first thing Mike said as we began our walk was " There are a lot of Autumn leaves on the ground this year".  He was right.

Soon into our walk we passed under TWO railway lines from  one of which a noisy train passed in the distance.

Train there ! Can you see it ?

As we emerged from the second underpass we found ourselves skirting two large fields. Partly on duckboards. 

Sorry about the "FUZZ" I was so busy keeping the point of my walking pole out of the cracks I blurred this shot.

In one large field there was a "Herd" of goats. There were structures arranged to keep them busy and amused.

The wildlife was interesting even though it was no longer "Wild".

Once past "Goat Park", we arrived at the canal.

Under another Railway bridge.

The amount of water in the overflow channel is evidence of the amount of rain the region has received recently.

Who is this disreputable character and who dressed him ...... Harlequin ?

We didn't stay too long on the canal but soon took to the roads.

More evidence of Mike's multitudinous autumn leaves.

The road we were following was arrow straight and even a little dangerous as the footpath was VERY narrow, uneven and there were cars passing at speed, but there was still interest as we walked.

One particularly large field was well mown grass with not a weed in sight. We surmised it was destined to be quality turf.

As we searched for the footpath which would take us away from the road we discovered that it was entirely blocked and led only shortly to derelict farm buildings with obvious "Horsey" connections.  We had to turn back and  continue to follow the road.

The odd garden gnome, classical statue or set of fairies in your garden. OK and depends on your taste. I would not however want this particularly unpleasant garden feature in my front garden.

Even the moles made an unseasonable appearance as we walked along the road. Then  we arrived at the junction with "Ring O'Bells Lane" and there in the distance,  down the road, we could see the Pub/Cafe/Restaurant itself.

When we got there lunchtime was rapidly disappearing in the mists behind us so after a short discussion and a vote (4 to 1) we decided to have lunch there . We went in.......... then we came out.   The cheapest thing available was a bowl of soup at £10.. A sandwich of sorts was £14 and above. 

About 50 yards through the pub garden and we were back on the Leeds/Liverpool canal where  a young lady was packing away her canoe (Kayak). We chatted for a while then moved on.

We always  do a bridge photo.... as long as there is a bridge of course.

Even a swing bridge.  

The next two photos are not the same. Look carefully !

On the other side of the canal there were some large and, one would think, rather expensive new properties.

On our side there was something lurking in the bushes.

Then we arrived rise in the towpath. We were at a junction where a branch of the canal set off towards Rufford.

We stayed for a while discussing the rules and regulations governing canal use and travel (Anthony used to own a narrow boat.)

It took several locks to match up the levels of the two canals. This view is of the Top Locks heading away from the Leeds/Liverpool and going to Rufford.

Throughout our walk we kept getting glimpses of an old mill. Usually on the horizon, Suddenly there it was right next to us.

It was an old corn mill  (1855)  "Ainscough Mill". A listed building completely converted to flats and apartments. You may have noticed how wide the canal is here. Presumably to cater for commercial activity at the mill. The Leeds Liverpool canal is anyway wider than most (e.g.  our own Lancaster canal) and boats somewhat bigger than the ubiquitous narrow boats could happily navigate it.

As we neared the end of our walk we stopped briefly. Someone produced a harmonica and we sang Happy Birthday to Jim. Slightly early but we won't be with him on Saturday.  72 today 73 0n Saturday 😟

Not far beyond  the mill we left the canal and found ourselves in the middle of Burscough, quite  close to the cars.

But first, a belated lunch in the cycle cafe where two smiling, charming and efficient ladies supplied us with excellent sandwiches at less than half the price of those on offer at the Ring O'Bells.

That's all Folks !

Bye

p.s. The first thing Mike mentioned on our walk was the abundance of Autumn leaves this year. The last thing he said before we left was.... 

" Is that Brown Sauce on my boots ?" (Careful how you touch it. It might not be) Hence the title of this weeks blog.😉

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