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32 Comments

Unknown Location?
Unknown Location?
Photo: RON HUNT
Views: 4,074
Item #: 32031
Location anybody....

Comment by: Joseph on 31st March 2020 at 09:54

I'm thinking Birkett Street with St Cats church at the top, but the spire looks rather short maybe due to the camera angle?

Comment by: Albert.S. on 31st March 2020 at 11:44

Is the official holding some type of trophy cup?.

Comment by: Eric R. on 31st March 2020 at 12:28

Albert S - Looks more like a money collection at some event to me - You will no doubt remember the Official Collectors Badge that had to be displayed, visible on the collectors jacket.

Eric R.

Comment by: John G on 31st March 2020 at 13:16

Well Albert S I'll go for your interpretation of what it is, to me it looks like a couple of balls in a bag.

Comment by: jugger on 31st March 2020 at 13:57

Albert, that looks like a church collection bag he`s holding out, he`s practicing social distancing.

Comment by: Rev David Long on 31st March 2020 at 14:00

I agree it's probably St Catharine's - but its proximity to the road makes me think it's either Lorne Street to the East of the church, or Caunce Street to the North. Given the angle of the slope, I think it's the latter, coming up from Platt Lane. As it's not a main street, and the badged steward is in civvies, it's more likely to be a Walking Day crowd than one awaiting a Royal or Mayoral procession.

Comment by: Veronica on 31st March 2020 at 14:23

My first thought was Lorne St. I remember a row of terraced property just about there and Holland St around the corner from the row of houses.
( might be wrong) Because of the steeple, as Joseph says, I wasn't quite sure... It looks like a walking day as well perhaps just waiting for the procession to arrive...

Comment by: Philip G. on 31st March 2020 at 14:34

Could have something to do with the mining industry. And what's that sprig in the Stewards lapel.

Comment by: Albert.S. on 31st March 2020 at 15:12

I believe you are correct Eric. Having a closer look, the canvas bag can be seen hanging below his hand

Comment by: Bill on 31st March 2020 at 15:52

The angle looks right for Caunce St,and the road gradient was more like it.

Comment by: Tom on 31st March 2020 at 18:51

Could it be in a old schofied lane

Comment by: Mr X on 31st March 2020 at 20:56

The shape of this church spire does not look like St Catherine's in Scholes. I think it looks very like St Matthew's, Highfield. Churches in Wigan that have steeples are All Saints, St James, St Paul, St Mark, St Nathaniel, Platt Bridge and those with spires are St Catherine, St Matthew, St Wilfrid, Standish and St Peter Hindley. There used to be St Thomas in Caroline Street that had a spire demolished about 1970, so it could be that.

Comment by: Cyril on 31st March 2020 at 21:09

Definitely Caunce Street, the man in the road with the walrus moustache also has a pennant on his lapel, they're enjoying themselves whatever they were waiting for.

Comment by: E Mc on 31st March 2020 at 23:41

This is definitely not Caunce St.It did not go into a slope.It was flat.More like Lorne St.Waiting for St.Catherine's church walk to assemble on the Rec.Which is at the bottom of the slope.

Comment by: Tom on 1st April 2020 at 11:05

It looks like the the guy carrying the collecting bag has some embroidery on his trousers when you magnify the photo

Comment by: Philip G. on 1st April 2020 at 12:35

Yes, Tom, he does have a bit of polish about him. I've been trying to find out what the 'big day' was all about by searching for other numbered old postcards, but without success, I'm afraid. However, I have found one on Images that shows 'suited' men marching together, and wearing badges like those shown here - some beside sprigs of thyme, perhaps. The postcard is titled 'Walton-le-Dale St Patrick's Day Field Day'.

Comment by: PhilipG. on 1st April 2020 at 13:16

Mr X, After going through your list, I installed Hindley St Peter's as clear-cut favourite, so to speak. Good fun are these yed scratters.

Comment by: Veronica on 1st April 2020 at 13:56

Could the 'sprig' be shamrock? It was a big day around St Pats.... I am wondering about the top of a wall, behind the lady with the big black hat....

Comment by: Donald Underwood on 1st April 2020 at 14:18

I was born in Caunce Street & went to both church & school at St Catharine's WE certainly went uphill
There was a gap between the houses at the top of the street but not so many houses in the last terrace as here.The spire does not look right & the people less well dressed than would have been the case at the top of the street even in Edwardian times.The only procession likely to have come up the street would have been from Platt Lane Mission at the annual walking days about June 16th.Flags would have been out on that occasion

Comment by: Josh on 1st April 2020 at 15:15

For what it's worth, I agree with MrX, who says the shape of the church spire does not resemble that of St Catharines.

Comment by: Tony on 1st April 2020 at 17:39

The thing on the mans lapel isn't a sprig, it's like a small triangular pennant made of paper or cloth pinned to his jacket.
Regarding the churc, I'd say it was St Peter's Hindley seen from Atherton Rd.
Definitely not Highfield or St Catherinrs. Nothing like them

Comment by: Irene Roberts on 1st April 2020 at 18:04

Philip G....that tickled me....yed scratters!! We need cheering up at the moment and that did the trick! xx

Comment by: Pw on 1st April 2020 at 21:25

I do not think this is St. Peter's in Hindley,it has a lot thinner spire and is more ornate near the top.St Nats in Platt Bridge does not have a steeple.

Comment by: Methinks on 1st April 2020 at 21:28

I tend to agree with Mr X that it is probably St Thomas's once on Caroline Street, travelling down towards Go Outdoors. Not 100% sure though.

Comment by: Rev David Long on 2nd April 2020 at 15:28

According to Old Maps, there were no houses over the junction from St Thomas' (i.e. towards the canal), so you wouldn't get that view. Similarly for St Peter's - no terrace so close on Atherton Road. Old Maps shows such a row as this row on Caunce Street, with two or three more houses around the bend leading up to Lorne Street - with this shot being taken where a gap is shown - with the next terrace beginning behind the lady on the left with the magnificent hat. St Catharine's spire has an octagonal louvred base, which I think may be seen here - the others don't.
As for steeples and spires - a steeple is any high building, although most commonly used for the tower of a church which may or may not have a spire attached. I think it's best to stick with the Ordnance Survey practice of differentiating - using tower to mean a simple tower, and spire to mean a tower topped by a spire.

Comment by: Veronica on 3rd April 2020 at 08:06

As teenagers we 'hung' about on Lorne St, I recall it was set up a lot higher than Caunce Road. Behind the terraced houses ( still there to this day) was a steep slope leading to spare land with old garages, at one time there was a Sandpit I believe. We used to scramble up and down the slopes ( still there) these days the flats on Linney Square stand there. I don't know if that makes any difference in relation to the photograph.

Comment by: Tom on 3rd April 2020 at 10:49

I wander what the 2 telegraph poles are doing there don't recall them in Lorne street

Comment by: Jimmy on 3rd April 2020 at 14:04

This location must surely be at the bottom end of Lorne Street, where it goes downhill past Florence Street, and the church is most certainly St Catherines. There was a corner shop that only went about 15 years ago. Where the people are is an empty space possibly recently demolished houses so this photograph could be in the 1960s or 1970s.

Comment by: Veronica on 3rd April 2020 at 17:31

Jimmy the photo is a lot older than the 60's it's more Edwardian times before the 1st WW, I agree about the location though...

Comment by: Pw on 3rd April 2020 at 19:16

Looking how people are dressed it looks a lot earlier than the 50's

Comment by: AH on 4th April 2020 at 09:14

Reply;to methinks;the church could be St Thomas,s. the street in question st Thomas street running down towards canal across hodson street ; caroline street behind the spire across the top ; still not sure ???.

Comment by: Donald Umderwood on 4th April 2020 at 13:38

There were ,to the best of my recollection, only 3 houses in the last terrace in Caunce Street,the Farrimonds(ken,Derek & Colon where are you when we need you),Whitesides & Browns at the end of the ThirtiesThere was then the gable end of Lorne street with the tarred message there since 1926 of a certain "blackleg"

We could tell the time from the church clock way down the street not possible on this.Nor was there a kerb across the entrance down to the sandhog & where Myers kept his donkey

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