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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Wigan Album

Bickershaw Colliery

3 Comments

Bickershaw Colliery & Plank Lane 1992
Bickershaw Colliery & Plank Lane 1992
Photo: ArthurP
Views: 3,976
Item #: 30696
Photograph taken in March 1992. To the left, The Britannia Hotel and on the right the Packet Inn. Nothing of this scene now remains.

Comment by: . Ozymandias . on 12th August 2018 at 22:18

Good photo that Arthur. Maybe it's my imagination, but a monochrome shot always seems to appear to be much sharper than a colour photo. I'm assuming that you took the photo yourself, could be wrong of course. I used to load coal out of that place in the late sixties, early seventies, Parsonage as well. In fact, many of the producing collieries around the area, Bold, Sutton Manor, Cronton, to name one or two. I did possess a camera at that time, but unfortunately, unlike yourself, I didn't make full use of the thing. Just imagine the shots that I could have taken of the steam powered shunt loco they had there at that time.
Am I mistaken in thinking that there was another entrance to the place a little further up the road ?. I probably am, but memory does tend to play tricks over the years. I would pull in there occasionally in the eighties, just to get a checkweigh on the weighbridge. I had no business being there you understand, I just wanted to ascertain that I wasn't exceeding the permitted GVW, but the lads on the weighbridge were always obliging. They wouldn't print a ticket off of course, but they would at least verify that I wasn't overloaded. The good old days eh?, when everyone, or a lot of folk at any rate would help anyone else, without any thought of seeking remuneration.....Alas, this kind of attitude has been relegated to the dustbin of life's charity shop, and is rarely to be found in this modern age of claims culture..... " Have you had an accident in the last X No of years that wasn't your fault ?".........." Well no,...I haven't actually,...and yourself?....have you sustained a fat lip recently as a result of mythering people going about their lawful pursuits ?, ...No?, well think thissel lucky then and do one.....And while I'm in the humour, get thissel a proper job.....Think on!.

Regards. Ozy.

Comment by: ArthurP on 14th August 2018 at 19:52

Ozymandias, Thank you for your comments. I originally took the photo because my father worked here as a rope splicer until his retirement in the early sixties. I've always been in the habit of carrying a camera with me and many years later these every day street scene type photos are of more interest than the "arty" ones.

Comment by: TD,. on 1st September 2018 at 20:18

Good photo of Plank Lane from Arthur and story from Ozymandias. One of my ancestors was also a rope splicer.

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