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Who Are They ?

55 Comments

Girls feeding chickens
Girls feeding chickens
Photo: Julia Joyce
Views: 3,880
Item #: 29705
Can anybody please help with recognising the girls or the location in this photograph which was discovered down the back of an old sofa in a charity shop. I think it was taken in the 1940s.

Comment by: John G on 7th September 2017 at 18:59

Julia: It may be helpful if you can give the location of the charity shop, it may be local in relation to the picture, it's a long shot but every little helps.

Comment by: John G on 7th September 2017 at 19:31

Julia: It may be helpful if you can give the location of the charity shop, it may be local in relation to the picture, it's a long shot but every little helps.

Comment by: Poet on 8th September 2017 at 21:08

I can't believe the girls are not wearing any protective clothing. God , haven't they heard of bird flu.(The antithesis of 'manflu').

Comment by: GW. on 9th September 2017 at 09:59

Agreed Poet. For just a "poultry" sum they could have bought themselves some wellies instead of playing "chicken" with their health and safety.
Just a guess [ without putting my head on the block] if that's the Southern end of Winter hill in background i'd say this is Ashton/Abram or somewhere South of Wigan

Comment by: Poet on 9th September 2017 at 11:41

Could be up Pen. Sorry that should read up Pem. Perhaps Henfield St.
Sorry folks.

Comment by: Jinksi. on 9th September 2017 at 17:22

Poet, in them days nobody had heard of Bird Flu,or Health & Safety

Comment by: . Ozymandias . on 9th September 2017 at 19:54

O.K. then, here goes......with very little to go on, not even the location of the charity shop, which could have proved helpful, I would say that if the photo was indeed taken locally, then my guess would be between Horwich and Bolton, looking over Chorley Old road and the eastern flank of Anglezarke moor towards the Belmont road and Blackburn and Darwen beyond.....There you go. That's my two penn'orth anyway.

Comment by: Julia Joyce on 11th September 2017 at 08:31

Thanks for the comments so far, the photo was found in Warrington, I think the centre person is my mum and she lives in Warrington but her mother came from the Aspull, Top Lock area and had relatives around Abram, New Springs etc.

Comment by: GW. on 11th September 2017 at 10:59

That could well be crucial information for all us couch potato sofa detectives following the case Julia. The Aspull/Top Lock "feed" adds some weight to Inspector Ozy's initial theories however the Abram/Warrington connection only throws the cat amongst the chickens. At least we can narrow the "pecking" order down to somewhere in the north of England . Billinge "Beak"on perhaps.....??

Comment by: Julia Joyce on 11th September 2017 at 11:04

Could it be near Deane? Platt Hill Farm has come up on my searches?

Comment by: . Ozymandias . on 11th September 2017 at 15:18

I daresay it would be a relatively simple task to digitally enhance this image in order to assist in identifying the location at least. There are people who come on this site that possess the necessary equipment and know how to accomplish this, I'm just not one of those people unfortunately, I'm just a wagon driver.

Comment by: Helen of Troy on 11th September 2017 at 19:30

Oh Ozy, can I be the wagon driver assistant ? Technology is just not my forte however hard I try !

Comment by: Poet on 11th September 2017 at 20:14

It certainly is a very 'grainy' photo that needs the treatment. OK , that's it. Positively no more 'corny' chicken puns.

Comment by: . Ozymandias . on 11th September 2017 at 20:28

I'm afraid you're a little late unfortunately Helen, as Julie has already applied for the position. She'll have to undergo a probationary period of two weeks though, so I'll just keep your details on file for the time being, if that's o.k., then if she starts giving me a hard time, which she almost certainly will, I'll get back to you. Thanks for your interest.

Regards. Ozy.

Comment by: Helen of Troy on 12th September 2017 at 08:36

OK Ozy, I stand in line, at the ready in case you should need me !

Comment by: Veronica on 12th September 2017 at 09:37

It's no use me applying then Ozy- as soon as the wagon trundled on the scene - I would trundle off! Anyway I have no sense of direction - as my dad would say 'neither use nor ornament'!

Comment by: GW. on 12th September 2017 at 11:25

I'm sure your skills would be 'eggs'emplary Veronica, and your work ethic im'peck'able

Comment by: Philip Gormley. on 12th September 2017 at 11:45

Veronica: If you should ever consider moving south then consider Corporal Jones's little nugget.
" Point the hour hand of your watch towards the sun, and then consider the point between the hour hand and the number twelve on your watch; it points south".
On second thought, though, stay as you are soldier, you're in demand.

Comment by: Veronica on 12th September 2017 at 13:21

I'm very good at 'pecking heads' GW. Philip that's too complicated as well - I would love to have been around in the forties though perhaps as a Land Girl - feeding the hens!

Comment by: Veronica on 12th September 2017 at 13:28

Mind you being a Land Girl I would have to learn to milk the cows instead of the bulls!

Comment by: . Ozymandias . on 12th September 2017 at 14:14

I get the distinct impression that you lot aren't taking this quite as seriously as you might do, so come on, promise me you'll all buck up, after all, the girl's only looking for a straightforward answer to a straightforward question, and if you don't come up with something soon, I'll end up having to go up to Horwich on the bus to check out the topography.

Comment by: Veronica on 12th September 2017 at 14:23

There are quite a few farms in Westhoughton a couple of which are off the A6 and Rivington / Anglezark can be seen from them... Just a guess and probably wrong knowing my sense of direction. There are about 5 farms which all link up from as far afield as Borsdane Wood to the top of Dicconson Lane. If that's any use.....

Comment by: DTease on 12th September 2017 at 14:36

Ozy, while you're up there topographying why don't you check out the scenery and see if it matches the photo?

Comment by: Philip Gormley. on 12th September 2017 at 14:40

Julia: a smashing photo, thanks. As your Mum and her chums don't appear to have be dressed for rigorous farm work, then perhaps they had been enjoying a stay at a friends house. Have you noticed your Mum's tentative approach towards the birds? How very wise.

Comment by: DTease on 12th September 2017 at 14:43

Veronica, I should think that will come as a great relief to the cows.

Comment by: GW. on 12th September 2017 at 18:49

I've a guess
its to the West.
When you get to the topography
do some photography......
Ozy!!

Comment by: . Ozymandias . on 12th September 2017 at 19:19

No, that's no use at all Veronica, and as for the rest of you lot, well I've just about had enough. I give up. Talk about useless. There's nothing else for it, I'm just going to have to go up to Horwich tomorrow and sort the job out proper.....No, it's no use.....don't try to stop me.....I've made my mind up,... Jeez, if you want a job done.....And when you break your leg, don't come running to me........mumble mumble grumble take the bloody proverbial grumble mumble.

Comment by: DTease on 12th September 2017 at 23:50

Veronica, I think you've upset Ozy.

Comment by: Maureen on 13th September 2017 at 08:15

Veronica,I don't think your sense of direction could be any worse than mine..I'm hopeless.

Comment by: Veronica on 13th September 2017 at 10:05

Maureen I could get lost on a ship! DTease I did try -the picture does look familiar - when you've seen one farm you have seen them all and there's so many of them around Howfen!

Comment by: GW. on 13th September 2017 at 10:08

Apologies Julia for the off focus skitting but at least it's got Ozy out of the house and on a geograghical mission.Err, it's to the East Ozy but i couldn't get it to rhyme [ late night]

Comment by: irene roberts on 13th September 2017 at 10:36

Veronica, I wish you had been at the Haigh 1940s event last Sunday; I have sent Maureen a pic of Peter and myself but I have no means of sending it to you. it may be on the Friends of Haigh website...if so, I think you would know us...I am wearing my original forties pink dress.

Comment by: Veronica on 13th September 2017 at 13:16

I didn't even know about it Irene...that's what you get living in the sticks of Howfen. I might be wrong but it wasn't well advertised.

Comment by: Veronica on 13th September 2017 at 15:09

I have looked on Friends Of Haigh Irene but not fopnd anything. I also went on Ytube and discovered the Lytham event. To my surprise me and Millie were in the audience in the big tent when Lancashire Belle was singing. We were near the front on the left hand side as you went inside. It was great re-living it. I didn't see you on that either.
( I have emailed Tom to let you have my email if he has yours)

Comment by: . Ozymandias . on 13th September 2017 at 16:01

Having just returned from an exhaustive foray around the North Howfen / West Bolton area, I have to report that I have very little to report. Other than my meeting with an elderly farmer from Lostock by the name of Jim Roberts, who promptly set the dogs on me.....No, just kidding....Mr Roberts in fact turned out to be an absolute gent. I'd been informed previously that if I wanted to know anything at all about the area, then " Tha mun speyk ter Jim.". Both Mr Roberts and his wife were indeed very knowledgeable, but had never heard of Platt Hill Farm. They did however tell me that a mile or so away, in the Platt hill area of Bolton, close to the eastern end of Beaumont road, there used to be a farm, or more specifically a smallholding that was called Fern Hill farm, and guess what they specialised in?, that's right, they reared hens. The " farm " was later divided up into allotments evidently before finally being turned over to housing. I didn't follow this lead up however as it had been a long morning and by this time, my body clock was telling me that it was rapidly approaching happy hour at the Bellingham. So that's it I'm afraid Julia, at least for the moment. If nothing ultimately comes of this, then at least I can say I've had the pleasure of meeting Jim Roberts. Anyway, I'm off for a pint now, so I'm passing the case over into the hands of two of Pinkerton's most capable men, D'Tease and his sidekick G.W. And May God have mercy on your soul.

Regards. Ozy

Comment by: Veronica on 13th September 2017 at 16:39

Just think of all the fresh air you have had Ozy. You're lucky Farmer Roberts didn't have a gun! It has been known around these parts when walking through the farm yards to be chased off. It's not called Wild West Westhoughton for nothing y'know!

Comment by: DTease on 13th September 2017 at 18:03

Veronica, I bet farmer Roberts wouldn't take kindly to you trying to milk his bull.

Comment by: Julia Joyce on 14th September 2017 at 08:46

Wow, thanks all, especially Ozymandias for all your efforts, funnily enough my father's family were farmers in Westhougthon but that was long before he and my mum met. I will see if I can search out anything to match your findings, my mum can't see the picture with it being bad quality but she might recognise places or people I can mention.

Comment by: Julia Joyce on 14th September 2017 at 16:20

Following Ozy's findings, I've looked online and discovered a Fern Hill Farm at Deane in 1925 and this fits in nicely with my finding family at Platt Farm near Chip Hill Farm as now in Deane there is Platt Hill Avenue, Chip Hill Rd and Fernhill Avenue all running along by each other. Perhaps my distant relatives had an allotment on this area.

Comment by: GW. on 14th September 2017 at 16:52

Great stuff Julia. It would seem Ozy's 'scratching' about has delivered us from a bus ride East, Dtease. But we still have that old cold case to solve. What came first?
The chicken or the egg??

Comment by: DTease on 14th September 2017 at 19:31

My mam used to tell me if I didn't eat all my egg I would never have curly hair. I was about ten before I realised that I didn't want curly hair anyway!

Comment by: Philip Gormley. on 14th September 2017 at 20:13

Julia: Find maps that were printed during the 1930s or 40s, and then give particular attention to the farmhouse that's shown on your photo. It's a singular structure sitting at the foot of a range of hills some four or five hundred yards from the spot where your mother had her chums had their photograph taken. With that criteria in mind, I searched west of St Helens Road, albeit without any real success, and found the farmhouses that I had located to be quite dissimilar in size and shape to your 'beauty'. You might also like to put 'Old-Maps' into Google, and then choose the 'Old maps online' tab. I hope my post gives added impetus to your search. Regards.

Comment by: Veronica on 15th September 2017 at 08:31

'Eggsactly' GW what did come first and will we ever know? It's best not to count the chickens before they are hatched - or indeed put all our eggs in one basket! Good luck Julia I hope you find what you are looking for.

Comment by: Veronica on 15th September 2017 at 08:46

Julia there is a local History Group which meets every 1st and 3rd Thursday every month in the library in Westhoughton. I'm sure someone would help with your query. Between 10 00 and 12 00 noon.

Comment by: Poet on 15th September 2017 at 13:52

Something that was like a chicken,but not a chicken as we now perceive laid an egg. There was a genetic mutation within the egg which hatched as the first chicken. Such is evolution. Therefore the egg came first.

Comment by: Julia Joyce on 15th September 2017 at 14:10

Thanks for all the extra info and advice all, it's very kind of you all to make such an effort. I now live in the flatlands of Cambridgeshire, but next time I'm over the Pennines I'll check out the places mentioned so far, what a pity there weren't more convenient masts and aerials around back then ;)

Comment by: Veronica on 15th September 2017 at 14:28

Julia I'll print the picture off and try to find out for you as I know quite a few of the History Group folk. Most of them were born and bred in Howfen I have only lived here for 48 years!

Comment by: Veronica on 15th September 2017 at 14:52

Poet - but what came first with the other chicken which wasn't the chicken 'that we perceive today'? Did that one come from an egg as well? It's the same with dinosaurs too as they came from eggs didn't they?

Comment by: Poet on 15th September 2017 at 15:18

Veronica
They say the closest living relative to T Rex is the chicken.
The species that laid the egg was not the same species which emerged.

Comment by: Veronica on 15th September 2017 at 19:48

We could go on forever more Poet ...how did TRex come on the scene! There is a cause to everything that happens - there is nothing that hasn't got a cause to it. If you look back on your life there is always a cause to whatever choices you make in life -it's the same in everything.

Comment by: Poet on 15th September 2017 at 20:08

It's a timeless debate isn't it Veronica. My very best to you luv.

Comment by: . Ozymandias . on 15th September 2017 at 20:48

Not that's it's of any consequence, or even remotely incidental to this thread, but I have it on the very best authority, that TRex is lower in saturated fat than butter. Just a useless bit of info, but quite surprising nonetheless.

Comment by: GW. on 15th September 2017 at 20:58

So Poet.
Why did the genetically mutated Tyrannosaurus rex cross the road?.....

Comment by: Veronica on 15th September 2017 at 21:00

You are not wrong there Poet. Regards.

Comment by: Julia Joyce on 13th October 2021 at 17:15

Dear All, thank you so much for your comments, I hope you have all kept well this last year or two. I'm afraid my mum became ill while this post was going on and sadly died the following year so I didn't get to make further investigations and solve the puzzle for her. Looking at the photo again, there is a family resemblance to a cousin of mine in the young girl, her relatives lived at School Close Aspull, now a playing field alongside Woods Rd,. My mum's grandparents lived at Simms Square Aspull. I notice looking at an old map that there is a farmhouse in the distance from them, Hilton Farm, Aspull. Corner of Holly Road and St David’s Crescent.
https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=31310&gallery=Aspull&page=54
This looks the right shape for the farm in the photo, but it looks pretty flat behind it from what I can see on google maps. Hopefully next summer I'll get a chance to have a drive around the area, but just thought I'd mention it in case anyone had any thoughts if Hilton Farm is a possibility. All the best.

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