Wigan Album

hi eric great pic is that the canal st near ince railway station at the side of the viaducts

no tony its canal st off woodhouse lane i was born in this street

Wasn't Paul Carters on the corner with Woodhouse Lane?

thanks gringo i thought that it was the house i was born in

Excellent photo Eric - have you got anymore of the Woodhouse Lane area? I've shown this to my Mum and she's asked who's the chap on the corner - she grew up in Beech Hill avenue and briefly worked in the old post office (Bannisters?) on the corner of Holt Street back in the early '50's.

yes art paul carter the barbers was on the corner

that is paul carters where the lad is.

yea tony j it was paul carters i lived in the 1 with the street light outside

Hi SB, I havn't got anymore picturs but if you look in photos of Wigan,album,assorted you'll find another picture of canal st in the fifties. We lived there till 1960,i was only 6yrs old

my cousins lived at the top of canal st, just wondering if the chap it one of them Harry or Albert Ackers

sb, the post office was indeed bannisters, it was facing the lad in the picture.

So it wasn't on the corner of Holt Street - behind Paul Carter's? I've seen maps of the area and there were buildings on the opposite side of Canal Street where the Territorial Army base is now - at one time I think there was a Tram depot and a school. So what was there in the early '60's?

I'm too young to remember this era on the photograph, but I do remember Mrs Hill's off licence and a short row of terraced houses where the Douglas Bank Car Park is now, further down Woodhouse Lane.

hi sb i moved in 1961 the only thing facing the houses as i remember was a corragated tin fence

Takes me back - had my first proper crop in Paul Carter's in 1959.

sb, on the opposite side of canal street was the post office and about four houses, and where the houses finished, there was a street called "new street" only about five houses in it.

My grandfather Harry Whittle was born at #36 in 1899, his mother Alice (nee Harmer) came from there while his dad came from 196 Woodhouse Lane. There were quite a few of the Harmer's down there I believe

Yes Gringo - I remember that corrugated fence, though in my time it was in a pretty bad state. It was all just weed strewn waste ground behind it with rubble everywhere. Probably from the houses, post office, tram sheds, who knows...

My Mum reckons Canal St houses were pulled down in about 1967

Ian, Harmers pen used to be across Ball St from the Woodhouses (keepers) pub on the cut bank. new houses there now. They lived opposite, the end terrace in the row.
There used to be chickens all over Woodhouse Lane belonging to them........I used to deliver their milk when I was a kid, helping Lizzie from Evan House farm..;o)

My cousin lived about 5 or 6 houses down on the left hand side, until they were rehoused in Beech Hill.
My uncle was Jack Hilton, he used to do shoe repairs and make clogs in their front room.

my dad george heaviside lived in canal st and my aunty marg my dad now lives in beech grove .marg moved to the [new flats]in dumbarton green .i now live in holt street and i remember getting the candle treatment in mr carters

ducky wiggins lived close to canal st dident he sad but hes no longer with us

i remember jonnys pen going in and piching his apples .near woodouses inn before keepers

Can't tell you what pleasure this pics given me. We lived at 30, on the left of the 1st entry in the photo, next door to the Rowes. Ducky lived on Woodhouse Lane, a door or two from the corner shop which would be facing where that guy is looking. He used to breed pet rats and flog them for a few pence. As kids we were devestated when we woke one winter morning to find ours frozen like statues in their cage. In fact I met Renee Aspey, last Saturday who lived in the street, now living in Leyland. Does anyone remeber her? We moved in about 1957 when I was 5 and left in 64 when the houses were being demolished. Other names that come to mind are: - Hollerons, Whites, Baxters, Leatherbarrow...my memory's grey. Behind the corrugated fence facing the houses was GTS tyres, stocked tyres in piles 6 feet high that we played in as kids (I can still sense the smell of rubber) and the place was alive with wild rabbits (and I dont just mean us kids playing the doctors and nurses games). Ah! what magical memories!My dad Bert (who sadly left us 8 Dec gone) got done for pinching two tyres from there for his Austin 10. Silly sod hadn't noticed that they were all marked with yellow crayon.

i remember you dennis you used to live next door but 1 to us
sorry to hear about your dad

Thanks for the condolences gringo. You've done me a favour 'cos i thought we lived in the 'top' entry but if we lived next door but one to you obviously it's the 'bottom' entry. It looks to me, seeing the rubble in the street that most have moved out and you can see the houses being demolished at the bottom end which, i remember pretty well. We moved to marsh bonk from there in 1964. Our house became crawling with cockroaches towards the end because they'd all migrated from either empty or demolished properties. Gringo what's your name? Is it Jimmy?

hiya dennis no its not jimmy its janet (phillips)do you remember me

Thanks Gringo (Janet) The same family as Terry Philips? I remember Terry - we used to knock around with him. I called round my mam's yesterday and put as few more names to the street. So as I get time I'll put them on here. Betweeun us perhaps we can put more accurate street numbers against them - I think all out memories are on the wain. (It is more than 40 odd years since.

Hey, Janet, it's just clicked - course I remember you. Janet and Jean Philips! How are you? Where are you living these days? Tell me a little more about what you been doing. My email address is enclosed if you want send it there.

hi dennis living in kitt green got a chippy in newtown see your ronnie quite a lot didn,t you move to lower ground in the 60,s. remember a few names from canal st but can,t remember which houses they lived in . i do know the Rowe,s lived inbetween us

Hello again Gringo (Janet). Called round my mam's and she brainstormed some names out. They're as she gave me from memory so will not be 100% accurate - but here they are. They could jog a few memories and if anyone knows any further details it would be good to slot them in the correct place: -
No 26 Iva Benson. 28 Aspey. 30 Partington. 32 Lucy Rowe. 34 ?. 36 Florrie Roberts. 38 ?. 40 Maggie Robinson. 42 Jimmy/Betty Buckley. At Holt St were: - Maggie Rourke, Hollerons, Liptrots, Baxters, Nellie/Cliff Higham, Annie Melligan. other misc names....Alice Clare, Lol & Annie Philips (that's you Janet). Nabbs, Johnsons, Chris Daniels. Incidentally, the shop/P Office was Jack Harrisons.

You are all to young for me to remember, but I also had my hair cut at Paul Carter's. our family moved into 284 Woodhouse lane in 1936, just across the road to Canal/Holt Street, I was 6 years old. The picture still brings back memories for me, Woodhouse Lane, Canal Street, and Holt Street kids had an on-going rivalry between each other, but not like today, Knives, guns, ect, Just things like nicking each others Bonfire, Guy Fawkes, after all we didn't have much else to nick in those days. I do remember a few of the names mentioned, but they would probably their parents I knew, ask them if they remember The Rosbottom’s, Leeche’s, Horners, Ormishaw’s, (he controlled the hare on the dog track, and made it pay.) Nelson’s, Gaskell’s they all lived next door to each other on the side of Woodhouse Lane facing Canal/Holt Street.
Thanks for the picture.
Fred

Fred - do you remember the Tram sheds?

My mum lived on Canal Street - Phyllis Robinson. Does anyone remember her? Mum married Cyril Pennington in November 1952 and they are still happily married - celebrating their 58th wedding anniversary this year! I read out all your comments to her and she was really excited to be hearing names from her youth - lots of whom she remembers fondly!

I lived in Holt street my name was Rita White and I had a sister Jean and brother Philip . I remember how all the neighbours sat on the back steps talking everyone new everybody and it was a close neighbourhood ( Happy Days )

Ian I think we are related! Was your grandfather Harry christened Henry? I have done some research on family tree and my grandad is the son of Mathew Harrys younger brother,address is same etc and Alice hamer married Richard Whittle their dad,small world!

i lived in canal street in 1961 i lived at no 14 next door to leylands iwas married to eddie caddick is mum and dad were mable and eddie lots off nice people in canal st and holt st the corner shop was jack harrison and when we left to live in beech grove margret wood used to come daily with order good days

Vaguely remember going to Paul Carter's would have been in the early 60s.

saw the write up on canal st, Well we lived in No12 with sisters Maureen,Jennifer,facing us was that field full of Tyres spent some time on those,im sure they had someone walking round,Remember the Names ACKERS,HEAVISIDE,ROWES, and CADDICKS,joined up in 61 did sixteen yrs,

I lived in Canal St, at number 12. Second up from the entry. I dont no the lads name. The barbers was at the end of the street. Happy days.

Please does anyone remember a Walsh Family who lived in Canal Street?

Mother's name was Margaret, and Father was James.

Trying to trace some Walsh's who are, believed, to be ancestors.

Thanks.

my great grandma and grandad lived in canal st early 30,s their names was joseph and bridget mcguire my dad lived there to for a few years his name was billy mcguire

Re comment 24 January 2012 re the Walsh family - Margaret and James - I think they were my grandparents. They surname was Herbert, but Margaret's maiden name was Walsh.

Hi , I was hoping anyone would know my father Brian Houghton , he lived in 14 canal street when he was young (I have a bible that gives his address in it ) his mother was Elizabeth Ann birchall I think she had lived there a long time before marriage . I wanted to trace some of his family as he never talked about when he was a young man . Moved to Yorkshire where he met my mother and married in 1961 . He had a brother called Graham and a sister Christine any information would be great thank you

Hi it's late and I have wrong info earlier so sorry .
My grandmothers name was Annie Elizabeth Atherton married Harry Houghton , my father was Brian as I said they lived in canal street not sure if graham and his sister Christine was around then too .
Any info would be nice thank s
Caroline

My dad Benny Holleron lived in Holt Street and I remember visiting my Nanny Margaret Holleron there. We later lived in Beech Hill Lane and then Beech Grove before my mum and dad took over the Seven Stars Pub in Wallgate. I remember a lot of the names mentioned here. Ducky Wiggins was related somehow through my nanny’s family and I do remember him quite well from the good old days.

My dad Benny Holleron lived in Holt Street and I remember visiting my Nanny Margaret Holleron there. We later lived in Beech Hill Lane and then Beech Grove before my mum and dad took over the Seven Stars Pub in Wallgate. I remember a lot of the names mentioned here. Ducky Wiggins was related somehow through my nanny’s family and I do remember him quite well from the good old days.

Well remember Benny and his Missus at the Seven stars in the 70s, worked with their son Johnnie at Sarah Lynns for a while, many happy hours and memories in the Seven Stars for sure..