Archive for May 2007
Norton Water Tower
May 29, 2007, 6:13 pmHigh on the top of Windmill Hill, east of Runcorn lies this Grade II listed, 110ft high Victorian Water Tower of 1892. Still very much in use today as a water pressure booster apparently with 650,000 gallons capacity, the site is closed off to the public.
A section of the Latin inscription to the top of the stonework (around 50%) reads “…RINAL . FONTIBVS . DERIVAIA . LXXX . M . PASS . PER . ARDVA . AC . PLANA . CAMBRENSIS . ET . INTERIACENTIS . ASRI (?) . AD . VREE…”
—ikl | 6 comments
(posted in the Main Blog, Photo Album category)
Warrington Transporter Bridge
May 28, 2007, 7:56 pmApparently designed by W.H. Hunter and costing in the region of £34,000, the Warrington Transporter Bridge opened for service in 1916 to transport goods and vehicles (up to a maximum of 18 tonnes originally - 30 tonnes from 1953 onwards) between two sections of the Joseph Crosfield & Sons Ltd factory on opposite sides of the River Mersey.
The bridge has been out of use since the mid 1960s and is now owned by Warrington Borough Council. The structure is Grade II* listed and due to its uniqueness (there are thought to be only 9 surviving examples of this type of bridge around the world) is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Access to the structure isn’t particularly easy however it is possible to reach from the east bank of the river.
—ikl | 2 comments
(posted in the Main Blog, Photo Album category)
Manchester Bridges #5
May 27, 2007, 11:07 pmBridges over the Manchester Ship Canal, Latchford, Warrington.
Well, ok - these bridges aren’t actually in Manchester but span the Ship Canal to the west in Warrington. They both tell the same story… neglect, age, deterioration. The impressive Latchford Viaduct weighed over 1,200 tonnes when it was opened in 1893 on the southerly railway line between Liverpool and Manchester passing through Warrington. It was closed in 1985 due to the prohibitive costs for repair. In actual fact, I suspect it failed its loading exam and required strengthening. On a railway line, you just can’t add weak bridge signs and 12.5t weight restrictions!! It has been closed ever since. There has been talk for a long time about it being opened for use as part of the Trans-Pennine Trail.
The second is officially called the Latchford High-level Bridge. Everyone knows it as the Cantilever Bridge and apparently weighs 783 tonnes. This is of a similar design (if not identical) to the Warburton Toll Bridge further east and has a similar problem - it is weak. I suspect it is still privately owned by the ship canal company and hence due to the adopted highway running over it, will be down to them to replace when it reaches the end of its life. That can’t be far off, the next restriction down from 3t is to close the bridge completely to motor traffic. In the next 10 years or so, the ship canal company is going to have to spend a huge amount of money replacing a lot of their bridges.
—ikl | no comments
(posted in the Manchester Bridges category)
Halt! - This floor is wet.
May 26, 2007, 10:04 pm
I get the impression the nurses and ward staff have too much time on their hands today judging by the fact they have dressed the “Wet Floor” sign in surgical items and put it in the corridor. The door just off shot to the right also has the sign emblazoned across it “Staff Only” and reminds staff to keep the door locked at all times… maybe they forgot to close it… again… in their rush to do absolutely nothing for the rest of their shifts.
—ikl | 2 comments
(posted in the Moblog category)
Manchester Architecture #45 (2)
May 25, 2007, 10:35 am
—ikl | no comments
(posted in the Manchester Architecture category)
View from the viaduct
May 23, 2007, 2:46 pmTravelling between Manchester Deansgate and Manchester Oxford Road railway stations looking towards the south of the city. I wonder how the view will differ in 5 years and 10 years time…
—ikl | no comments
(posted in the Main Blog, Manchester Skyline, videos category)
The return of the wheel
May 23, 2007, 12:51 pmIt’s back… The Manchester Big Wheel evidently takes two days to install. Had I been in central Manchester later today, I expect I would see it nearing completion.
—ikl | 1 comment
(posted in the Main Blog category)
Ways to get admitted to hospital #1
May 20, 2007, 11:08 amImagine the situation - You have to replace an upstairs window to the front of your house. You decide to save a bit of money and do the work yourself. Do you get some scaffolding to put outside? How about a ladder propped up against the building?
How about getting two planks of wood, binding them together with some string and pushing them half out of the space where the window frame will go. That’ll do as a working platform surely?
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing so turned the car around to have another look. Alas I only had my mobile phone with me but it was worth a photo.
Lucky for him, Warrington Hospital is literally around the corner from his house just in case the planks of wood snap. Unlucky for him… I don’t rate the standard of nursing care at that hospital should he need to be admitted.
—ikl | 1 comment
(posted in the Moblog category)
One of the neighbours commented earlier today how she watched me “having a conversation with myself” whilst in the garden and thought it rather strange. She had to be put right of course, people can’t go round thinking i’m a bit loopy and losing control of my faculties. It was explained that I wasn’t having a conversation with myself, instead I was talking to Wonkytail… the Blackbird and so everything was alright.
I’m not sure she has been totally convinced that i’m still completely sane.
—ikl | no comments
(posted in the Main Blog category)
Bug of the Week #18
May 19, 2007, 1:38 pm
This is “Brad the Cure Bear” he was part of a now defunct promotional campaign for local pharmacies which ran sometime around 1999 / 2000.
—ikl | no comments
(posted in the Bug of the Week category)
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