Wigan Album

Looks like the chap on the left has no belt-loops in his trousers. Odd.

I suspect the cars are long gone too!

Remember Harold Heaton But the other chap looks like Bill Taylor,

I knew neither of these lads nor their names. But I remember the lad on the left, popping into The Stork at Billinge, a couple times, by himself. He seemed to be a quiet and independent sort of chap ... a bit of a character if you like.

John, those trousers probably survived from an age when braces were more common than belts.

Would that be ' The Endothermic ' Philip?

it,s billinge rd & garswood rd ozzy . i remember them well as i played darts for them for about 10yrs.

Not much heat radiates through the old bird these days Ozy. Gone are its once packed disco nights, and whirling body beautifuls. Regards.

Don't know this pub but remember quite a few Matthew Brown,Lions Ale pubs around Hindley.The Strangeways,Bird i'th Hand,Balmoral,Red lion,Leigh Arms(Top Ale house) Hand and Banner?

it looks nothing like this now . it was refurbished years ago & totally different now.

Thanks for that Whups, you're correct of course, it only becomes Newton road once you get past the bad bends. Ged could quite possibly be right about the bloke's name as well, I thought it was Bob. We're going back a bit here, but it's still important to get these details correct. Cheers lads.

Whups: I think we can safely say that the photographer clicked his shutter, while standing on Newton Road's pavement. And The Simms Road Inn; surely the scene for some of your greatest victories, eh? Regards.

' The Lone eend ' was a good pub in its time Whups. Bill Taylor was the landlord for years. His wife's name was Elsie I think, she used to play the piano on a Saturday night, and all the characters would get up to sing. One old girl who used to live in the bungalow next door, I think her name was Phyllis, she was Wacker's mam, used to regularly regale us with a little number entitled " Three Jews from Jerusalem ". We'd all heard it a hundred times before, but it still never failed to bring the house down. All the pigeon men used to use the upstairs room. Dicky Birchall, Frank Oulton, and loads more who's names I've forgotten. I've helped them to synchronise the clocks up there once or twice. Happy days eh?. All gone now unfortunately.

I think that Harold Heaton worked at Stone's colliery when I worked there.He was a belt man. I knew a lot of men from Downall Green.

These two are interesting characters, aren't they? Harold holds his trousers up with an old brown belt that he has probably used for many years. He stands with a smile on his face that says to the world "this is me, love me or leave me this is who I am" and he is clearly happy with who he is.
Owd Bob? is wearing his old cardigan, like Harold he makes no concessions to the fashion of the day but sticks to wearing what he is comfortable in. He seems to have trouble walking but he doesn't let it keep him housebound. He puts on his old Skimmer, picks up his walking stick and gets himself out and about.
Have you ever seen two old men more at ease with the world?

Interesting couple o' chaps. Fred Foster, I had relatives that lived on Downall Green, James Lowe and sons Billy Lowe & Leonard Lowe. Do happen to know them?

Compare these two dear chaps to Ronnie Woods and Keith Richard....of a similar age group now!!! Can you imagine them in those clothes. The leather belt would be wrapped around their head instead of the daft bandeaus they wear.

Apologies for changing the theme on this subject..but,Veronica..have you seen Ronnie Woods paintings..if not just have a toot

i think the guy on the left is albert .yes it was a good pub when bill & elsie had it . frank houlton died a few years back .

Veronica, I remember Billy & Lenard (Lenny) Billy played football for Everton, not sure of the date,

Ged: Everton signed Billy Lowe from Haydock C & B. He made his debut for Everton as a 16 year-old against Tranmere in the Liverpool Cup during the 1942-43 season. He also played eight games during the 1945-46 season. You might like to have a look in the 'Everton Independent Research' site, for the 42-43 season - it tells a little more about Billy.

Have looked at the paintings Maureen - he is very talented - and they won't sell just because of who he is either! In fact you just wonder how he found time to paint with the life he's led. It looks like he's done hundreds and what a piece of history for the record! His family will never go hungry that's for sure!

I bet they could tell a good tale Ged ...salt of the earth types!

Ged: The Everton site suggested in my recent post isn't exactly correct. For mention of Billy Lowe, search the 'Everton Chronicles' site, instead, and then open up its Season by Season tab for 1940-50. My apologies.

ozzy it,s billy & elsie edwards.

Yeah, you're probably right again whups, it's time I called it a day I think. Apart from the name of the road, the name of the bloke, and the surname of the landlord, I think I got everything else right though. Oh!, and I forgot to mention Bill Lawton.

Thanks for the info regarding "Billy Lowe" he was my cousin we used to have alternate family Sunday visits with them for many years. Someone once said that Billy could catch pigeons. I think a broken leg ended his career with Everton. He liked a game of bowls and he gave me a set to bring home to Canada but the bowls clubs could not let me use them because of the ivory inserts.

Ken R: It's a pity about your cousin Billy having suffered such a bad injury - presumably his injury occurred early in his career. Perhaps you could discover a little more on your cousin by searching the 'Everton Chronicles' site, mentioned previously. I also hope that you've been allowed to keep your prize set of bowls. Regards.

no ozzy dont pack in . how can we rekindle our youth if you dont put pics like these on here ? .

bill lawton sadly not with us anymore.

I knew Bill Lawton. He had a brother Tommy and a sister Ada, who was married to Arthur Wadsworth.At Stones, Bill operated the belt end from the yard mine in No2 pit. Loader operators in No1 pit were the Littler brothers, Jimmy and Percy

Phil, i new most of the C&B lads , they came from our village of Gaeswood, Wilf Birket was from Haydock, Another lad from Garswood Bob Cunliffe played for Man City, Wilf had 2 brothers who played as well , Cliff & Ronnie,

Ged: Haydock and its surrounding areas seem to churn out footballers left right and centre, don't they. I met Wilf just once, but played alongside his son Alan many times in the Billinge F.C. team of the mid Seventies - Alan was a 'very good' goalkeeper. I also worked with Cliff for about three months as part of the crew responsible for the Pilkington's Cowley Hill works 'tank repair' job, during the mid Eighties. I never met Ronnie nor Bobby Cunliffe, but I remember my Dad identifying Bobby, on an old bubble gum card some years ago. The card (Soccer Bubble Gum, Card No.37 Chesterfield F.C.) is part of the set that was issued in 1957, and the set still forms part of my collection. A chap told me once, that he had worked with Bobby, and also of the game in which Bobby had constantly been on the receiving end of a particular Sunderland defender. After gaining retribution, and a finger wagging from the referee, the referee then also mentioned that the defender deserved it, or words to that effect. We don't have referees like that anymore. Golden Days. Regards.

Phill . Ronnie Birkett played for Accington Stanley, He lived 2 doors from me in the 1940s, Wilf lived at Simms Road End,

Ged: Thanks for that - I knew nothing at all about Ronnie. But I had known that Bobby Cunliffe had also lived at the bottom end of Grange road, Bryn. And that Alan and his Dad Wilf, were true 'Lone Eenders'.

I remember Albert pictured on left I worked with him at Makerfield mill on Windsor road Ashton.