Things are now moving on quickly with the new access roads taking shape to make the ‘Ashworth’ junction a full one. Here are a few photos from Saturday 18th January:-
The first shot is of the new pedestrian/cycle access down to Giddygate Lane and the second the access steps of course. The last one is looking at the motorway junction from what is now the end of Giddygate Lane for vehicles.
Click on the photos to enlarge them
The old Skelmersdale Station – now long gone in the name of 1960’s progress!
The Liverpool Echo has the latest in what is clearly going to be a very long saga with at present an uncertain outcome – see link below:-
www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/skelmersdale-could-finally-merseyrail-station-17549470
Melling folk will know that this lovely lych gate to St. Thomas & The Holy Rood Church on Melling Rock was attacked and burned by vandals last year. I watched the craftsmen repairing it last June:-
I also blogged about lych gates and their history a while back (Jan’ 2017) and here’s link back to that posting should you want to know more about them:-
tonyrobertson.mycouncillor.org.uk/2013/01/17/sefton-church-brooms-cross-and-lich-lych-or-lyke-gates/
Looking at the new oak wood repairs a few days ago brought home to me the craftsmanship of the past which is still alive today.
Click on the photos to enlarge them
Sign on Green Lane Maghull adjacent to canal swing bridge. A Maghull in Bloom planter can just be seen behind it.
I saw this sign and wondered what the long closure was all about. The Canal and River Trust website gives the answer and the link below refers:-
The odd thing is that the C&RT says the bridge will be closed for longer i.e. until 13th March? This longer period could just be for canal boats though? I’ve run this past Sefton’s Highway Engineers for clarification and will update when I know more.
Barge at Green Lane (Methodist Turn Bridge), Maghull
14/01/20 Update from Sefton Council:- The date on the C&RT link is for the closure of the actual canal which needs to be done in 1 phase as the bridge will need to remain in the canal closed position during the upgrade works.
The highway part of the bridge will be closed twice. Phase one to remove the working parts that require attention (27/1-7/2) Then it will be closed again (24/2 -11/3) to install the upgraded parts.
A floating walkway will be installed during the closures to minimise disruption for pedestrians. A diversion will be in place for vehicles.
Southport Road, Lydiate
This is a matter I have oft thought about and not necessarily in the way you might think.
Yes, we all see the mad drivers blasting through our communities at a rate of knots neither aware or caring about the potential consequences of their actions. Indeed, in my own community of Lydiate there are growing concerns from Joe and Jane Public about irresponsible speeding along Southport Road and Moss Lane and I’m quite sure others can add to these two roads.
To his credit local Labour Parish Councillor Neil Spencer is trying to get the powers that be (Sefton Council and Merseyside Police) to address this problem and I’m with him all the way. I’ve previously tried to get Moss Lane’s speeding addressed and the rural part of it was reduced to 40mph a few years back. And my Parish Council colleague Edie Pope campaigned for the speed restriction to be reduced to 40mph along the section of Southport Road where it becomes Mairscough Lane because it’s a notorious accident black spot near the junction with Church Lane. But, and its a big but, bringing in lower speed restrictions does not stop the mad drivers who want to blast along at 50, 60 or even 70mph as they don’t really care. So good luck to Neil, let’s have another go at trying to make Lydiate’s roads safer.
Edie Pope outside her Southport Road farm shop. The notorious accident black spot is in the background.
But to me this speeding problem is probably far more deeply seated in our way of life than we may realise. Everything has to be quick, immediate and now. Our working lives are all about doing things faster to save costs and boost productivity. We leave too shorter time to get from one place to another, probably because we are either too optimistic about how long a journey will take or because everything we do is at 90mph so to speak. In turn all this causes much stress an anxiety so should we really be surprised if it produces more and more racing car drivers on our streets? Just a thought……..
Edie Pope’s scarecrow traffic cop from 2019, which was meant to make drivers think about their speed.
Merseyrail Class 508 EMU at Maghull Station
I’ve been informed that there’s a rail tour coming up on the Merseyrail network on Sunday 26th January 2020. The tour will be raising funds for Merseyrail’s charity of the year, Alder Hey Children’s charity.
The tour can be booked from the Branch Line Society (BLS) website www.branchline.uk/current-fixtures.php and is charged at £25.08 per person. This is a relatively cheap price as in previous years the BLS tour on the MR network has been charged at a higher price.
The tour involves coverage of all lines of the MR network including the stock interchange line (transfer between the Northern and Wirral line, not usually used for passenger service), Sandhills reverse sidings, arrival/departure from platform 2 at Hunts Cross and use of a number of less used platforms on the Wirral line. Full details of the tour are provided in the link above.
Depending on the progress with the introduction of the new fleet this time next year, this could be the last rail tour operated by the Class 507/508’s.
The previous tour on Merseyrail (The Branch Line Society’s Bootle Brush hauled by Class 47’s) in December 2019 prompted a number of people comment on the lack of notice of such tours taking place so here’s some notice of the up and coming one.
My thanks to Craig for the lead to this posting
A Merseyrail electric Class 507 EMU at Bootle New Strand Station.