Chorley

Chorley. Chorley Live, Music On The Streets.

Can I make a suggestion for your diaries next year? Clear a space around the beginning of October and make a note to get along to Chorley Live. Its a marvellous music event that takes over the town centre, places not normally thought of as venues become the stage for a two night celebration of live music of all types.

Professional, semi professional and people chancing their luck at an open mike session all make the two evenings swing along. You won’t go hungry either there’s food as well as an interesting selection of beers from the bars and pubs around the town centre.

Enough with the words, on with the pictures.

06/10/18 CHORLEY LIVE. Bees Country Kitchen.

CHORLEY LIVE ’18. Part of the fun of Chorley Live is the wide variety of food available. Bee’s Country Kitchen on the covered market, offer a wide selection of home cooked food.

06/10/18 CHORLEY LIVE. The Covered market. Donna James.

CHORLEY LIVE ‘!8. Donna James gives and open air performance on a cool evening at the Covered Market.

06/10/18 CHORLEY LIVE. The Covered Market.

CHORLEY LIVE ’18. With is central location the Covered Market is a natural hub for Chorley Live.

06/10/18 CHORLEY LIVE. Face Painting On Cleveland Street.

CHORLEY LIVE ’18. As well as enjoying the music. atmosphere and food, you can also indulge in a bit of face painting.

06/10/18 CHORLEY LIVE. Adam Heap.

CHORLEY LIVE ’18. Adam Heap brings his own take on the songs of George Ezra for the patrons of the Ginnel Bar.

05/10/18 CHORLEY LIVE '18. Sherpards Hall Ale House. Yoz Hindley

CHORLEY LIVE ’18. Yoz Hindley and guitar make the most of the Ale House’s intimate atmpsphere.

06/10/18 CHORLEY LIVE. Jan et Al.

CHORLEY LIVE ’18. Entertaining the audience in the Market Hub Centre Jan et Al add a Parisian twist to the evening.

06/10/18 CHORLEY LIVE. The White Bull.

CHORLEY LIVE ’18. The White Bull on Market Street, one of the Chorley Live venues.

06/10/18 CHORLEY LIVE. Fazakerley Street Doughnuts.

CHORLEY LIVE ’18. Live music, beer, and doughnuts on Fazakerly Street. All part of the Chorley Live experience.

06/10/18 CHORLEY LIVE. Lone Violinist On Chapel Street.

CHORLEY LIVE ’18. A lone violinist serenades the night in the gathering shadows on Chapel Street.

06/10/18 CHORLEY LIVE. The Covered Market.

CHORLEY LIVE ’18. A wide selection of food is part of the Chorley Live experience here at the Covered Market.

06/10/18 CHORLEY LIVE. Lone Violinist On Chapel Street.

CHORLEY LIVE ’18. A lone violinist serenades the night in the gathering shadows on Chapel Street.

06/10/18 CHORLEY LIVE. Mike Kneafsey At The White Bull.

CHORLEY LIVE ’18. Mike Kneafsey strums the night away at the White Bull.

06/10/18 CHORLEY LIVE. The Shed Bar.

CHORLEY LIVE ’18. As well as being a warm and intimate venue, the Shed Bar serves an excellent selection of beers.

06/10/18 CHORLEY LIVE. The Shepheards Hall Ale House.

CHORLEY LIVE ’18. The Shepheard’s Hall Ale House, is a cosy bar that is another of the Chorley Live venues. Real ale and great music.

06/10/18 CHORLEY LIVE. The Covered Market.

CHORLEY LIVE ’18. A wide selection of food is part of the Chorley Live experience here at the Covered Market.

So there you are, don’t say I didn’t tell you about it, might see you there next year.

CHORLEY LIVE INFORMATION

CHORLEY INFORMATION

SOME OF MY STUFF.

FINE ART GALLERY

BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY

PRINT & e-BOOKS

SNAPWIRE PORTFOLIO

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Chorley. Waiting For The Bus.

Even though I’m a car owner I still like to use public transport regularly, either the bus or the train. I welcome the change from being the driver so I can just sit back and let the journey unfold. I find these sorts of journeys really helpful if I’m working on a project, a photo book, a short story or a blog post that’s got a bit ‘sticky’ or isn’t progressing as well as it should. I just sit and watch the world go by the bus or train window and let my mind freewheel. I try not to deliberately think about the problem in hand, that just seems to chase any solution further away into the dark corners.

There’s plenty of stimulus to be found on these journeys, scraps of overheard conversation, or scenes being acted out as you pass by.

What were those two staring at so intently?

What was in the big, cardboard box that was so heavy?

The briefly noticed scene in a cafe window, do those two people meet regularly?

The list is endless.

There was a particular reason for me travelling to Chorley, a market town in central Lancashire, not too far from where I live. The town has a vibrant centre and market, with plenty of independent traders and they always put on a good event. I was going to collect my ticket to the flower show which is held at the end of July in the grounds of Astley Hall which is just off the town centre. This is the fourth year that the show is being held and each year they have added to and improved it.

It has become a permanent fixture now in my own calendar. There’s all the attractions you would expect, the displays, the talks, appearances from well known gardeners from the TV. There’s also a growing food court area.

Speaking of food, collecting my ticket only took a few minutes so I had plenty of time to have a walk around the town and the market. I had a really good brunch at one of my favourites, Bee’s Country Kitchen on the market and after some more shopping I headed back to the bus station in time to have an afternoon coffee & cake at Woodchats Cafe on the bus station, in fact you can just make it out at the top, right hand corner of the photo.

The next event I’m looking forward to after the flower show is Chorley Live, a two night event of live music played at venues throughout the town centre. I blog more about that one when I’ve been.

CHORLEY FLOWER SHOW

CHORLEY LIVE

BEES COUNTRY KITCHEN

WOODCHATS COFFEE SHOP

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MY IMAGE PORTFOLIO

 

 

Chorley. Leek & Potato Soup

The weather in my part of the UK is currently bouncing to and fro between wet, windy or just plain horrible and it’s been like this for the past few weeks. I finally ran out of patience a couple of days back and decided I had to get out of the house come what may. I had counted all the flowers on my wallpaper more than once and my camera was sat in it’s case feeling lonely and neglected.

It was Tuesday, that meant Flat Iron Market day in the nearby town of Chorley. I believe the name comes from the practice in years gone by of turning up at the market with an old blanket, the corners of which you weighted down with anything to hand, old flat irons etc and that was your stall and that name stuck. Things are more organised today. Due to building work the Flat Iron isn’t on it’s usual site, a large car park instead the stalls are threaded through the streets around the covered market. I must admit I like it, the arrangement means you get the best of both worlds, the regular shops, Chorley has a fine selection of independent traders, mixed in with the market stalls.

You would have to put a lot of effort into going hungry in Chorley, the choices of places to eat is really wide. To warm up on this visit I took myself to Bees Country Kitchen on the side of the covered market. This place is a true gem, an almost bewildering selection of food comes out of a single market stall. I went for the Leek & Potato soup, perfect for the cold weather. Seating is in a couple of pavilions alongside so you get to eat and watch the world go by. Perfect if you are looking for inspiration for that project/image/idea.

The Bees Country Kitchen

CHORLEY INFORMATION

CHORLEY MARKET

MY BOOKS

MY PORTFOLIO

Astley Hall & Figures In A Walled Garden

A favourite place of mine for taking my camera for a walk is Astley Hall on the outskirts of the Lancashire market town of Chorley. The Hall has it’s origins in the 15th century, with succeeding families of owners each putting their own stamp on the building. To the rear of the hall is the walled garden, the kitchen garden, providing produce to feed the household. The garden has been under a program of restoration and replanting with the emphasis shifting to the decorative as opposed to the edible.

It’s a spot that holds year round attractions as the season ebb and flo, the bare sticks of trees and frozen hummocks of soil slowly warm and ease themselves into a new cycle of life for the year. Shoots forcing themselves through onto the stage of a new growing year and fresh leaves begin to garland the trees as the days lengthen.

The walled garden is also a stage for an ever shifting range of features and exhibits. Two that have caught my eye are these wicker figures, not quite a Wicker Man, they don’t quite have those sinister overtones, they are more peaceful and reflective.

13/09/15 CHORLEY. Astley Hall Walled Garden. Wicker Figure.

LANCASHIRE. Chorley. Figure woven out of willow in the walled garden.

My original shots were colour but something in the poise of the figures made me try out B&W versions of the images which I felt conveyed more the timelessness of a peaceful walled garden.

Astley Hall Information

Chorley Information

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