Wigan Album

When men dressed smartly in suits,collar and tie even for a pint at Sunday dinner. So much nicer then....

Should have stated. They all lived in that locality at that time.

Your clan was well turned out Albert. Had they scrubbed up for Sunday service?

Veronica, I'll fight you for Alf Corless.....what a nice-looking gentleman! All so smart! xx.

I'm quite partial to Billy Ashcroft Irene the one with the light suit on I think.
they all look like a nice bunch though.

Actually if any one of those young men had asked me to dance at the Emp I would certainly have said yes. (even though it was a bit before my time!)

Thanks for posting Albert - good to see Lime Street (as well as the fine bunch of gentlemen), where my maternal great grandparents Henry and Susannah Brown (nee Donnelly) lived in the 1880's at number 15 with their offspring.

Oh, what a wally I am, Veronica! I've only just realised these lovely gentlemen are named right-to-left, and my "beau" appears to be Ben Bennison, not Alf Corless, (sorry, Alf!). See you at The Emp, Veronica! x.

I remember a Billy Ashcroft from Scholes he was a boxer.
Is this the same Billy?

He certainly is the same one Ian, a professional boxer, during the fifties. Ben used to accompany him to a lot of his contests, always carried Billy's bag.

Had many a pint with Billy In the Moon, Albert. Although I've not seen him for a few years. How is he doing?
Last time I heard he wasn't too well. I hope he's ok now.
He was a very good friend of my late father.
He will be about 20 years older than me though.
I used to love listening to his tales from years gone by.
His brother John was a rum un too! You could hear him from half a mile away!

Ian. You've got them both to a T. Billy isn't too clever, health wise, but still getting about. He is now eighty five. Earlier this year, June, and he, together with the rest of his close-knit family, celebrated his Diamond Wedding. Good memories for you to look back on.

I didn't think he was 85! That makes him 27 years older than me not 20! I've met his son, Billy junior. He came in the Moon one evening whilst visiting Wigan. If I remember rightly did he live in Hull?

Yes Ian. Billy junior lives in Hull, he has just retired, or is about to retire from the fire service. He held the equivalent rank of a sergeant in the police service.

Wow! A family member just unearthed this photo on the site. Thanks for sharing. Jimmy Foster is my dad and he is still going strong and lives in Shevington (when you manage to catch him at home). He’s still as handsome as he was then :-). I’m sure he’d be delighted to hear from anybody that remembers him.