Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal (Little Lever to Radcliffe)

[@frankfitzgerald5832]

Really Enjoyed That Steven....And Myself And Lee...Have Walked The Length Of It And Look Forward To Re Visiting It Again For Further Walks......Well Done Mate...A Great Listen And Watch.......

[@michaelbates7025]

Fascinating, It's no coincidence that there are many Irish tunes and jigs playing in the background. The Navvies would have played a massive part in the building of these canals. There undoubtedly, would have been many injuries and fatalities associated with the building of these cuts. It would be great as a tribute to these men to see the waterway as it was once was.

[@johnthecloud]

It was just luck that I happened to make friends with Brian Branche who was the Boxing Vicar and chaplain of Bolton FM. He was also a member of a band which played music in The Horseshoe Pub, in Ringley Village (they were called the O'Reallys). I needed some music to keep the radio broadcast acoustically interesting, and so decided to use my recordings of the band. It was recorded with a little field mic in the middle of the table, and the musicians arranged around it. The mic was a Zoom H2 which had a mode that would record 360 degrees of audio, and when wearing earphones would give a nice feeling of being there. This was 12 years ago, so I'm not sure whether the band is still going. I know that Brian moved to Germany and had a radio career over there broadcasting interfaith programmes. Sadly he died shortly after a heart bypass operation a few years ago. He was in his late 70s. He is in one of my Bolton FM behind the scenes videos on this channel. He played the Irish drum.

[@michaelbates7025]

@@johnthecloud Thank you John, I know the Horseshoe very well, I worked as a chef across the road at the Lord Nelson some years ago. and almost landed the job at The Horse Shoe.

[@raymondfletcher726]

Fascinating series, thanks Steven, hope to walk the length of it one day!!

[@Ljotulfson]

Very interesting video of a lesser known canal - thanks for sharing.

[@mrhearse777]

As a very young boy , I used to live in Radcliffe . Many a time I went riding my bike on the towpath . Nostalgia IS what it used to be ! Wonderful to remember , but sad to see the dereliction. Missed opportunities .

[@fongy200]

Really interesting video thanks for posting brought back aload of childhood memorys,me and me mates were around there all the time.

[@deltafoxtrot2]

Thanks for sharing😊

[@johnthecloud]

You're very welcome. This is a broadcast we originally made on Bolton FM. I enjoyed volunteering for that radio station. I have a number of shows I need to upload - including a show about the Bolton Symphony Orchestra (yes it does have it's own symphony orchestra, and they are rather good - read very good - as most of them also work for the BBC Philharmonic). Originally this canal show was audio only, and we stitched video together to match where we were talking about. Hence in some places we'll be talking about autumn but the video will be in spring.

[@deangriffith6862]

Just after you go under the green bridge before water street on the right there in the building used to be a steam engine I used to play on it as a child back in the seventies

[@johnthecloud]

I'm sure Steven would love to know more about that.

[@humptybum]

lived in spring street,but left in 67.l always wondered what,if anything is there now....

[@nodriveasusephotos8019]

have you seen the spring and port wine 1970 with james mason which had scenes of all round this canal-ive got it and perhaps could upload it if anyone interested

[@nodriveasusephotos8019]

+Alan Wolstenholme oops guess you already seen it!

[@franktuckwell196]

Fascinating stuff. Pity no subtitles would have been nice to get the lyrics for the songs. At 30:53 you state "Three Metal Posts", yet there are plainly FOUR to be seen.

[@johnthecloud]

Well spotted. The video and the audio were recorded quite some time apart. It is possible that the number of post was three at the time the audio was recorded, and 4 when the video was recorded. Or it could be that Steven can't count!

[@AdamsLifeRiding]

I used that building to ambush you little lever lot with bricks too. I love that area and it belongs to prestolea lol

[@nodriveasusephotos8019]

+Adam Westhead did you get back to prestolea (6 fingers people lol) back over the wall to the little park there?

[@fongy200]

Yeah Prestolea Boys painted in white on the football shed on Mytham Rd, lol. I left Lancashire in 92 so it would have been about 1988 when this happend.

[@AdamsLifeRiding]

I would have been 10 years old but still remember it my older brother would have been 18/19 and right in the thick of all that. It was madness when you think back to what went on people got really hurt. Thanks for subscribing to my channel. I still love that area its one of my favourite places.

[@fongy200]

@@AdamsLifeRiding people did, It used to be a lot of charging up and down the canal, it's when people got caught up in it at the style were it bottle necks or ambushed by either villages gangs. Fair play Adam take care mate.

[@scottroofer4975]

I have climbed that steam grane lots of time's.

[@TheBambi1971]

very interesting indeed

[@D.Smagnetfishing]

very cool. can you tell me, if Radcliffe wharf play a part in ww2 in any way? thanks. was it just mills for coal and textiles like iv read thanks

[@johnthecloud]

I don't know. I suppose some of the ironwork could have been utilised for the war effort.

[@D.Smagnetfishing]

@@johnthecloud I know about Bradley fold.... But wondered about the wharf location at water street... As in making artillery there ..

[@bottledigerchris]

Really enjoyd watching this edited version!!!! Is there any way to get access to some of the amazing old Bolton pics,especially the what was St Peters was ones? If it is the Stephen who left Sharples in 1986 say hello from me

[@markvickers6641]

Would have been better to see you guys in person at the site rather than old photos

[@johnthecloud]

This was originally an audio only recording for a radio broadcast on Bolton FM. We only aftewards put video to it, and that was video that had already been shot.

[@michaelbates7025]

Does anyone know where the pub in the film is located?

[@johnthecloud]

It's the Horseshoe in Ringley Village.