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Photos of Wigan
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Wigan Album

BICKERSHAW

15 Comments

Hindley Prison
Hindley Prison
Photo: RON HUNT
Views: 4,319
Item #: 27798
Newspaper cutting re. the opening of Hindley Prison 1961

Comment by: Beryl on 17th April 2016 at 21:10

I remember some of these young inmates being admitted to the surgical ward when I was a student at the hospital. When on night duty one of our duties was to lay out the breakfast trolley, these young lad were always bored so often would do this for us and also take around the early morning tea trolley. Occasionally they would abscond but always did their trolley first. They never gave us a problem. In fact I often felt quite sorry for some of them as they were a very long way from home.u6

Comment by: Johnny on 17th April 2016 at 21:55

What was the name of the Young Offenders Prison near Warrington? The name escapes me even tho I visited a couple of times!

Comment by: Roger on 18th April 2016 at 01:29

Young Offenders Prison near Warrington? Probably Risley.

Comment by: Grannieannie on 18th April 2016 at 06:23

When I was married over 50 years ago some of the lads were at work in the churchyard as I walked up the path from the taxi. I had a chorus of wolf whistles which made my dad smile!

Comment by: phred on 18th April 2016 at 07:10

Johnny,was it Red Bank approved school?

Comment by: Rev David Long on 18th April 2016 at 09:01

Appleton Thorn was the YOI south of Warrington. As stated, there was also Red Bank north of Warrington.

Comment by: PeteS on 18th April 2016 at 09:20

Johnny / phred Definitely Risley. Became a remand centre and when I served in the Police made several visits to drop prisoners of who had been remanded in custody from Wigan Magistrates Court. Those who had been sentenced to a term of imprisonment were taken to Walton Jail in Liverpool until 1974 and after that to Strangeways

Comment by: JJP on 18th April 2016 at 10:09

Throughout the 1960s and 70s I delivered for Osram (GEC) lighting division and made deliveries to all the northern prisons and remand centres including Risley, Hindley, Appleton Thorn as well as Strangeways and Walton, most deliveries were made by going straight into the prisons and I met some very interesting inmates but the one I remember best was a close neighbour of ours who was supposed to be working abroad, oh dear !!.

Comment by: Gareth Cheetham on 18th April 2016 at 11:21

Appleton Thorn was the Young Offenders place south of Warrington. Now called Thorn Cross, its now an open adult prison. Risley was a Remand Centre, but is now a category C adult jail. Hindley was a borstal, then a Youth Custody Centre, then a young offenders Ihstitution, and is now an adult prison.

Comment by: Johnny on 18th April 2016 at 11:48

Thanks folks for joggin my memory! I didnt smoke but remember taken in packs of fags for my mate who was incarcerated at Risley. He was charged with assault but later acquitted. Lack of evidence.

Comment by: irene roberts on 18th April 2016 at 15:50

When I was at Hindley Grammar School we went on cross-country runs, (supposedly!), but once away from the teacher's eye we would just walk, chatting and singing the latest songs. We would go past the prison and I remember the young lads working in the grounds.

Comment by: Clem on 18th April 2016 at 17:00

I always knew it as Hindley Borstal. Just wondering why the photo is titled Bickershaw.

Comment by: Beryl on 18th April 2016 at 19:37

Clem I think it was between Platt Bridge and Bickershaw if I remember rightly

Comment by: irene roberts on 18th April 2016 at 19:53

It is actually in Bickershaw, at the bottom of Gibson Street, but the fields it is in border on Hindley.

Comment by: Sir Bob on 19th April 2016 at 13:58

I always knew that place as being 'Bickershaw Borstal' and inmates used to abscond regularly and the police would just wait at the railway bridge in Platt Wazz, because the escapees would walk down the railway line and by the time they had got to Platt Bridge, they would be cold, wet, hungry, lost etc so when they saw the police car they would just go and give themselves up and one night I overheard two prisoners, who were in the back of a police car complaining that they wanted to be taken back to the prison and the police were saying "No we are waiting until these other two turn up" apparently four of them had run away that night.

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