Wigan Album

Looks like they are about to cross the canal bridge on Pottery Road. The Victoria Hall can be seen in the background.

On their way to work Ron I think, they are all so nicely dressed and clean, perhaps Trencherfield ! or one of many on Wallgate. All look very happy don't they.

Yes they all look very happy, must be payday.

Looks like a group of happy hard working girls. Love the film poster on the wall, wonder if any of them saw the film.

Hardworking lads and lasses who just "got on with it" in the mills and the factories, coming home with their hair covered in cotton. They must have felt the name "Danielle Darrieux" on the advertising poster very glamorous, but no-one could match those Gladyses, Doris's, Edies and Elsies from Wigan for charm and Lancashire wit. (Anyway, I bet Danielle was really called Edie!)

Ee, our Edie's gone reet posh cawin' ersel Danielle un aw! 'ers gone aw fur coat un no knickers!

Due to the large numbers of factory girls leaving the factories at finishing time, the Wallgate police officer used to have to take up point duty to see the factory girls across Wallgate , at the junction with Miry Lane. A colleague was in the middle of the road waving traffic to proceed when one of the ‘girls’ shouted “ Come on Bobby, put your hand up.” He turned to look at her, smiled, and said “ Don’t tempt me.” The reply was accepted with laughter.

Some of the mill girls were natural beauties without the heavy make up. I bet on. Friday night at the Emp with their glad rags on they were just as beautiful as the film stars.

I've looked up Danielle Darrieux as I'd never heard of her, apparently she died last May aged 100, wonder if any of those girls are still going, or if their cotton dust filled lungs and the doctor of the day - an aspirin, a cup of tea and a Woodbine finally got them.

Would love to hear all those clog irons clattering on the limestone paving and cobbles, wouldn't do a hangover any good though.

a few of these girls seem to be carrying a brew can

DTease, I used the name Edie for Danielle in case anyone has relatives called Edie, Elsie, Gladys and Doris,and may have thought I was making fun of the old-fashioned names as I could tell them truthfully that my grand-daughter, (aged 10), is called Edie. They are all coming back....I know a little girl called Florrie and a baby called Elsie.....what goes around comes around! I hope no-one blesses a poor child with "Irene" though! xx.

Cyril Cobbles were more likely millstone grit rather than limestone.
https://www.bgs.ac.uk/downloads/directDownload.cfm?id=2066&noexcl=true&t=Lancashire%20%2D%20Building%20Stone%20Atlas

Cyril,I too would love to hear the sound of clogs,my Grandma would wear them on weekdays..then on Sunday's she would wear lovely shiny leather shoes,to hear them again would bring back so many memories of her, also
I would loved to have been around when you would hear horses hooves trotting in the streets.

Maureen I had to wear clogs to school up to the age of about eight - I absolutely hated them and I was ashamed to be wearing them! Sometimes I hid one under the kitchen table on a shelf that ran underneath and pretended I couldn't find it. So some days I went to school in my best shoes! The shelf under that table is where I put bits of food off my plate that I didn't like as well - its very strange we didn't have mice...although we probably did come to think of it! I never got found out anyway.

Irene, I was just imagining what her mother would have thought if one of these young ladies had gone home and told her she was changing her name to Danielle.

Yes, Dtease...."Danielle? DANIELLE? Wot sooart uv a name's THAT, tha daft 'aporth! They'll be sayin' that's bin in T'Ship wi' 7/6d chalked on t'bottom o' thi' clogs!".

Veronica,that tickled me.I can imagine you being a cheeky little monkey..as for clogs,I don't remember ever wearing them (Cliff does) which is as well,I've never fancied them,it was always sandals for me and my school friends..I can still remember going to M&S with my said friends and trying them on..but I'm sure your Mum thought they were good for you,if I'd worn them I might not have developed the bunions I have now.

Irene: My mother's name was Edith, but she was always known as Edie...

There is a lovely photo of one of my friend's Mum under the 'Work' heading under 'Eckersleys Mill. Her maiden name was Mary Rourke and she lived in Lea Street, off Miry Lane as a young girl.

Maureen don't you believe it clogs did nothing good for my feet! I am leaving my feet to Science when I 'pop my clogs' as I have terrible feet with corns and bunions. I only wore the clogs in winter though - it was sandals and white pumps in Summer. Happy days - what?

Irene my mother-in-law was Edith and when her hubby was annoyed with her it was " EDITH - EDITH now look here woman!'. Her own mother called her Edie though- must admit she did try his patience!

Veronica,that tickled me,my Mam always called me Mo,but when she was annoyed with me she would call me'Maureen McGovern' my maiden name).

I know a couple that have christened their daughter Liberty.
I always thought that was a cowboy's name.

Jarvo and Veronica, I am proud that my grand-daughter has such worthy predecessors to her name.....lovely ladies both, I have no doubt. I had clogs as a child and our Jamie had them in the late 1970s. But they were hand-made and expensive and as I wasn't working when my daughter Ashley was born in 1981, I couldn't afford them. However, she had some made for herself when she was 18 by Walter Hurst, and when she married and went to live on The Isle of Lewis she left them with me. They have been on the stage at Wigan Little Theatre in Hobson's Choice, (along with half the contents of my old-fashioned living-room!), and are at the side of my fireplace as I type.

My Mother worked at Trencherfield Mill as girl and then again during WW2 as a married woman with four children. My Dad was serving in the Army at the time.

Even though I hated clogs I did have some little red clogs made at Walter Hurst's shop in Hindley for my son when he first started walking!

Poet, I think Mr Valance had just got out of jail when he thought of that name.

Irene, would 7/6d not have been a bit upmarket for the Ship?

The couple may have been to New York Poet and named the baby after the statue! It seems to be a bit of the in thing to name babies where they are conceived! Aka Brooklyn The Beckham's off-spring!

Elizabeth, which page of photos is your Mum's friend on under "Eckersley's Mill? There are three pages. x.

So that may explain my middle names of " Morris Oxford " Veronica.

As Irene would say Gdub -' you little tinker!'

Hello Irene,sorry it's the third page.

I've seen it Elizabeth..it is as you say a lovely photograph.

Thankyou, Elizabeth....lovely photo. x.

Thanks Maureen and Irene.A couple of weeks ago,my friend Pat, showed me her Mum's wedding photo, taken outside St. Joseph's, Caroline Street and that's a lovely photo too.Her Mum, Mary, will be 95 years old on 25th March and is still a good-looking lady.

GW, my middle names are Morris Mini. Dad was very versatile.