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Photos of Wigan
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Wigan Album

Wigan Mining & Technical College

11 Comments

Cedric & Bill
Cedric & Bill
Photo: Bill Hart
Views: 3,172
Item #: 16161
Cedric Bamber & Bill Hart on the scaffolding at Wigan & Dist' M&T College in Library St in 1962/3. We were employed in the Colleges Maintenance Dept as plumbers - me as Ced's apprentice. We were renewing and repairing perished leadwork to the roof weatherings and dry rot was found in the roof trusses. All of which had to be replaced. This was the College Ave side of the building. Wigan's new olympic sized swimming pool was under constuction at this time.

Comment by: T. Berry on 20th October 2010 at 10:23

Thanks, Bill. I remember Ced from our time together in Wigan G & S Society. He was one of the friendliest and fun-loving men I have ever met. (I have to say he had much less hair when i knew him)

Comment by: Bill Hart on 28th October 2010 at 13:12

Cedric was some character... I wish I could remeber half the quips and gags he used all the time. Hilairious guy and a talented plumbing craftsman who was a great welder too. He we on to teach full-time as a Lecturer in the Engineering Dept. What with me head full of the Beatles and and playing in the Shyms pop band and Ced with his G&S productions we must have been the most musically gifted plumbers of all time...

Comment by: Bill Hart on 29th October 2010 at 20:40

"Anticipate my requirements", was one of Cedric's favourites lines. Followed by, "Your not a qualified plumber until you've stood-up under a bath wiping a joint." and one I never quite understood, "He's not as many brains as fill a dollytub?" All great times...

Comment by: Bill Hart on 30th October 2010 at 20:46

The Maintenance Dept of the 'Tech' was about the size of a rugby league team and quite a close knit group which contained all the sterotypes you see see on TV soaps. The Maintenance Superintendant was a Mr James Valance. Cedric Bamber, Bill Hart and Jack Green - foreman, were the plumbers. The Joiners were Harry Bates - foreman, Jim Fairhurst, Ronnie Spencer, Billy Draper, Billy Bamber. Electricians were 'Mack' ?? and John Bates and the Painters were Ronnie Cheers, Trevor Bamber and Bert ??. There were also one or two more who's names I can't remember.

Comment by: Bill Hart on 31st October 2010 at 12:27

Correction... Jimmy Fairhurst should read Jim Winstanly

Comment by: dave orrell on 15th November 2010 at 15:23

the joiner was jimmy spencer and the other painter was horace seddon.ced was one of the nicest people i ever had the pleasure to know.i worked in the mining dept laboratories.

Comment by: dave orrell on 15th November 2010 at 15:33

some of those lads are still around,trevor bamber,ronnie cheers i think,jimmy spencer i see occasionally and i think billy draper.were you a drummer bill?

Comment by: Bill Hart on 22nd November 2010 at 21:48

Yes Dave... I'm a drummer. Didn'y you work in the Mining Eng Dept and you are a great lover of jazz?

See my webby... www.lankybeat.com

Comment by: Graham on 20th February 2011 at 08:41

just come across this , what a chap ced was , i could tell you a few stories , funny ones , i used to work in reprographics at the college, and i knew ced very well , what a gentleman he was .. and yes . you could make a telly series all about the Maintenance Dept ,

Comment by: JohnB on 16th November 2011 at 16:31

What a terrific response for this photo, I really enjoyed reading them. It epitomises what wiganworld is all about. Brilliant.

Comment by: Stephen Smith on 29th August 2013 at 14:07

Can anyone tell me what happened to Harry Bates and Mr Winstanley - I knew both of them when I was at the Tach in the 1960s. Is Mr Bates son still at the Tach?Wonderful people

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