Ince Memories.

.

thats brilliant Joseph i am a incer and had lots of happy
day as a child in ince can i ask if any one has got a photo of the signal box on manchester road my grandad dad and some of the men in little darlington st helped to pullit down in the 1960s she

Thank you Sheila, I did that after a visit to Ince and a trip to the cemetery.

Once an Incer....need I say more

You little tinker, Our Joseph, keeping all that poetry talent under your hat! Bit late tonight to add memories,(Peter hogged computer all night!), and off to 1940s "do" tomorrow, but no stopping me next week!
ps.....that was really lovely, Joseph.

your right there Kenny my dad was an Incer and was always proud to be one .

This was the view from my bedroom window when we lived in Leaway.

one for sheilamerchimp, this hit any memories.

I can almost smell the tripe and hear th'Empress's siren going off.

Talking of the Empress, does anyone know the year of the big fire at the mill?

yes Atich i have that photo in a frame on my dining room wall i look at it every day i was born in the bedroom that you can just see the window 67 years ago i can see all my family when i look at it father mother mam dad and my sister and me happy days and some very sad ones

Just look how clean and litter-free the pavements look on Manchester Road. My late brother , 19 yrs. my senior, told me he once found half-a- crown along here; this would have been around the early 40s...can you imagine the wealth to a little lad in those days?! Off out soon, but couldn't resist a peep at the Ince thread.

I have a photo showing the post office yard at the end of little darlington street, any one remember that. ?

jacklaw

You must have lived near Sylvia Mann,and across from ther Grundy's

I used to work in one of the units long after the mill shut down,that was in the mid 80's

aitch

Lovely clear picture that one,why not put the one of the PO yard on

Will do Kenny, also got one of the devils tunnel I will put on.

I remember p o yard aitch and the devils tunnel and summer days in Ince park

Memories of Ince, oh where to start? Being taken by Mrs Blackledge of Holt Street to Cheetham's on Manchester Road. Didn't headmaster Staveley's wife work there? Going to Jack Tomorrow's for Cir-cur-O ointment. My dad said it stood for certain cure and was originally sold by Nathan Foster from Bolton on Wigan Market under a flaring gas jet.Taking a basin to the chippy by the Cases Arms, or going to Marion's at the top of Holt Street of an evening for pop. I can still recall the smell of the shop.
Anyone out there remember my great uncle Jack Cain of 84 Manchester Road, or my grandad Jimmy Cain of 38 Holt Street?

I can remember Cains that lived in Earl St.
That would be around '65

Manchester Rd we had everything we needed Cloggers chemist tripe shop chippies you name we had it and not to mention the pubs

The mobile library on Smithy Green and the little fish van with "Fish From Fleetwood" on the side. Going to the doctors in Ince Green Lane, Dr's Hyde and 'Chezniak', not sure of spelling, or the dreaded trip to Milners dentist up that foreboding staircase that lead to having a gumboil in my case sorted, oh that gas smell haunts me to this day.

Just remembered the fruit shop, Mrs Robinson's I think it was, I used to buy those little boxes of dates from there, They also sold fresh fish as well, kippers and poached eggs for tea. Cains/Ashurst's pie shop across the road at the bottom of the lane, then Annie Cappers for wool and knitting needles with my big sis. Back across the road to Mary Boardmans shop for a lucky bag and a penny dainty, with a hint of best bitter wafting from the Engineers Arms as we came out. Can't remember the name of the chap fron the paper shop who took photos of the walking days then put them in his window so folk could buy them. Then the smell of the pickle works and the tripe dressers overtook your sences.

In't it murder when tha gets agait reminiscing! As't be fradgin' like an owd woman in a bit.

PS. Keep away from that Black Tank o't top o't lane , if tha gets stuck in theer that's thee done fer.

Joseph,in your poem when you referred to your mam was very touching.

anyone any early pics of lower ince?

Loads on the Album Staffie, look under places then Ince.

I remember Worthy's bread shop near Jack Tommorows, my mammy used to send me for a loaf and one day I dropped the silver shilling she'd given me down the grid outside, went into the shop to ask them to go down the cellar to get it for me and they would'nt, I could see it shinning there, was scared to death of going home with no bread and no shilling. Next thing me mammy's giving me a clout for losing the shilling, then marching round to Worthy's sleeves rolled up ready for a bother.

joseph 1

Was the paper shop owned by Ernie Entwistle,dont know why,but that name came to me as soon as I read your post

And wur't Lancy Union bus used stop there was some sort of electrical shop,am a reet ?? front of the shop were on Manc Rd. ant gable eend were on B.G.Lane

Kenny, I used to deliver papers for Entwistles (thought his name was Jimmy) and the shop you refer to was Gaskells.
The shop always used to smell of parafin.

Joseph 1
You forgot Sallys

douglas

You're right it was Jimmy Enty,dont know were Ernie came from,and the parafin driven electrical shop,I would never have got that one

What about the transport cafe, between th,amberswood and Millers, (I think it was owned by the Cheers family) I used to go there for mi dads dinner, they would fill the plate up and put the gravy in a jug, quite a juggling feat to get it home to Petticoat lane bowt spillin owt, also going to Bob Inces shop at the bottom of Park view, asking for them to pur it ont book till wikend, mi mam used to always be gerrin Indian Brandy from there, never knew what for though

happy memories brought back looking at pics and reading storiesthanks to all contributors

i remember a pie shop/bakers nr jack come tomorrows,use to do massive barm cakes you could just get a pie on

I think I have put this one on before, I got it out of a book I had, have a good look, spot the differences.

staffbullterrier, thats the one I mentioned earlier we used to call it Worthy's, probably Worthingtons.

I did forget Sally Foys chippy, Douglas, how remiss of me. The paper shop I meant was on Belle Green Lane.

I used to go for yeast from that shop, Staffie for me mam.

WALTER Hurst shop facing wagon works loved those tins with glass lids that had bicuits in them

Sorry I am wrong, the shop I went to for yeast was nearer to Rose Bridge. Mrs Bithells shop on Petticoat lane was another favourite of ours, you would end up spending half the day chatting to Eric her son.

On Ince Bar wasn't there a launderette at the top of Stopford Street next door to the television shop and then Grundy's furniture shop.

Mrs Mellings shoe shop and Heskeths Hardware shop was opposite. Remember going there for some putty wrapped in brown paper for my dad when I cracked a window in our house. In the same block was another paper shop and the Post Office

Myers chippy was on the same side of Manchester Road as Grundy's next to another pie shop.

joeseph brilliant poem,I know my grandad is one of the Incer buried overseas.I used to love seeing the Christmas tree lights up on the Smithy Green and the crib at ST Williams.

Flaggy delf, I sold cer-cur-o ointment when I worked in a Chemist's on leaving school, (not in Ince, though). Our Joseph, it was Dr. Szczesniak, (pronounced Chesniak),.....I sat on the wall outside and memorised it, (not much on the telly in those days!), and I recall the papershop on Ince Bar as TOMMY Entie's, Kenny, but could be wrong.
Aitch, please try to pass this on via Colin Shirley.....

For Christine....

Remember Ince in '62?
We were nine then, me and you,
When nights drew in and brought a haze
Of magic to the Autumn days.
A tingling feeling in the air,
And, on the old spare land, - The Fair!
Noses pressed to lit-up shops,
Penny Arrows, Lollipops.
Jumble Sale on Friday night,
"Take Your Pick" in black-and-white.
Nights when Jack Frost bit your nose,
And fog hung low in terraced rows,
We told ghost-stories in our den,
Of skeletons and bogeymen.
"Penny-for-the-Guy" was fun,
And daring games of "Ring-and-Run";
Carol-singers, mild and meek,
Always told, "Come back next week"!
We're old now, Chris, .....it's getting late,
The time moved on...it wouldn't wait...
The Fair has gone; On that spare land
Now a hundred houses stand;
And in the front room of a house,
A child holds a Computer-Mouse,
Staring at a screen for hours,
On the spot where we picked flowers.
Is this how her life will be?
Computerised Technology?
Or will she step outside today,
So we can teach her how to play
the games that came with lighter nights;
Summer pleasures, Spring delights?
Playing "two-ball" on the wall,
Chanting songs I still recall:
"Old Mother at Hindley Fair,
Get some papers to curl my hair".
Remember, too, the skipping rhymes,
Jumping into Mam's clothes-line:
"Eeper, Weeper, Chimney-Sweeper,
Had a wife but couldn't keep her".
Hopscotch chalked out on the flags,
Marbles kept in draw-string bags.
May-Queens formed all over town...
Mam's net-curtain, cardboard crown;
Remember Ince in '63?
We were ten then, you and me.

Great stuff, fellow proud Incers.

Joseph ''Can't remember the name of the chap fron the paper shop''.....

The paper shop was called Morris's in the late 50's and early 60's, then it became Marshall's about 1967.

It was always Jimmy Enties to us Irene, Got all our comics delivered from them when we were kids, I think the next paper shop was the other side of Rushtons going towards Rose Bridge, but enties was always our papershop, and for a time I took orders for Mortons, my run was to the top of Belle Green lane, hard work going up, but a doddle coming back on mi order bike, and I have sent the poem off to Colin to give to their Christine.

johnnyseven

Were have you been lad,the TV shop you mentioned next to the laundrette was O'Neil's,then I think they got one of them new places on Smithy Green...nice to see you post again mate

What was the shop on the other corner of Careless lane,next door to the temperence bar

kenny, it was Sylvia Mann's brother Tony who I remember. I think Sylvia was older. This photo shows their house,No 28, it is the house attached to the one that looks like it has no chimney, No 26, the Groves's. The house just out of shot, on the right, with the couple at the gate was No 24, the Smiths. I lived at 22, the Rydings at 20, Broxtons 18, Pearsons 16, Daniels 14, Gregory 12. Two other families on that side were Holdings and Meadows.
Opposite us were Poole, Storey, Rigby, Tarpy, Evans and Harvey. I can't remember the rest.

Kenny,

Good to hear from you again.Not been anywhere, but couldn't resist posting about the old times and places. Not lived in Ince for 25 years now but still have vivid memories.
However,I cant remember what the shop was at the top of Careless Lane looked in the WW Album for Ince and it just shows a derelict shop.

The shop at the top of careless lane used to be lygoes pawn shop at one time, it later became a tv sales and repair shop but it never made any kind of impact on Ince, Ron Leigh and O,Neils had the monopoly where that was concerned
this is a shot of Little Darlington Street as everybody called it showing the P O repair yard at the top, my mother and my wife are the 2 ladies walking my eldest daughter down towards the house we lived in.

remember it well atich the house at the end was a lady called mrs robertsons the next one was farimonds the next was maginisses

What about Barrow's toffee shop?Think it was near Bolton Street, am I right? Think the Earl Street Cain family may be related to Marlene Austin who posts sometimes. Thanks for that Douglas.

What about Barrow's toffee shop?Think it was near Bolton Street, am I right? Think the Earl Street Cain family may be related to Marlene Austin who posts sometimes. Thanks for that Douglas.

what about annie brittens outdoor on ince green lane used to take empty bottles back and get i think was 2p refund.but she used to make sure they where bought from her shop.

I remember it well Albion, I also remember another shop, just sfter the Central school, towards Ince bar, Im not too sure but I think Shaws ran it, at least I seem to remember a lad named John Shaw living there, who we used to call for before going to school, and Sheila, when we lived there we were next door to Maureen Round, and I think Ronnie and May Aspinall lived in the end one, I aslo seem to remember Roy Green living near, And Joe Miller in the Crown pub, he ran that as well as his coal round.

aitch your right the shop was always called shaws. there was a chipshop opposite.the duddles used to live a couple of doors away.

I remember Annie Britton's, later run by her daughter Winnie. The other shop was Shaws at one time, but I remember it as Flannery's, or Jenny Dwyer's, (Dwyer being Jenny's maiden name). The chippy across the road was, in my childhood, Maggie Scott's, and many a "six", (sixpennywoth), of chips I've had from there, in a bag made from newspaper. My brother Colin lived next door to the chippy and sometimes people used to walk into Colin's, thinking it was the door to the chippy! They used to be so embarrassed! Now here's a little Ince ghost-story for you all.....My brother and his wife were woken by a loud banging on their front door in the early hours of the morning; they opened it to find a policeman there, asking if everything was ok. Puzzled, they said Yes, everything was fine, and the policeman said he'd just seen a woman dressed in a long white dress run out of their door and up towards Ince Bar. Strange, eh?

Dr. Szczesniak,used to hold his pen in between his index finger and middle finger when writing. Thanks for the spelling correction Our Irene, I would never have got it.

Glad this is taking off, people forget that good folk lived and still live in Ince despite what you read and hear now.

Reet am off for a swing down't little jungle.

"Joseph brilliant poem,I know my grandad is one of the Incer buried overseas."

My uncles too Sue, thank you.

Leslie Hilton from the Wigan ukulele duo Chonkinfeckle was born in Peel Hall, Ince. He has written a few songs about the area, reminiscing of the old days. One song called 'Jack come tomorrow', about the infamous chemist, and this one below, 'Marion's Corner Shop'. Both songs available on the Chonkinfeckle CD 'I'm from Wigan me'!

MARION’S CORNER SHOP – Les Hilton


When you went to Marion’s corner shop, at the end of our street
Well you didn’t know how long you’d be gone or who you were going to meet.
You could stop and chat, have a laugh and put the world to reet,
When you went to Marion’s corner shop, at the end of our street.

VERSE 1
She’s shelves full of jars, full of sweets; more than a schoolful of kids could eat
The smell of bread, fruit and veg; and a little bell on the door.
You could get a fag and a spare match; no I.D. required for that!
You could spend all day in that penny tray
I bet she must have swept a hole in that floor.

CHORUS

VERSE 2
She knew a little bit about everyone; that she would tell to anyone
And any little bits that were a bit rum, well she’d do the old mee- maw!
There was a chair in the corner where the old folks sat
You really couldn’t ask for more than that
She was always glad to have you back, and she always asked about yer mum...I wonder why?

CHORUS

When you went to Marion’s corner shop, at the end of our street
Well you didn’t know how long you’d be gone or who you were going to meet.
You could stop and chat, have a laugh and put the world to reet,
When you went to Marion’s corner shop, at the end of our street.
When you went to Marion’s corner shop, at the end of our street.
There should be a corner shop at the end of every street.......oh aye!

It was Mr Morris, thanks Pisolivadi.

Good one Timmyblue.

Lets not forget the folk of the United Nations at the top of Belle Green Lane area too, we had the Irish contingent (It was called Irish town at one point in time)then the Asian and Polish families, Scottish, and probably a few others.

All proud Incer's.

Timmy blue, Can you actually buy that cd? Does anyone have any pics or memories of the old Ince Central School that aren't already on The Album?. I was only there for the "Babies Class" as we called it then, as the new school was being built. We used to take threepence every week to pay for a brick for the new school, and the teacher used to mark our payments off on a little pink card. I am still in touch with Miss Ashurst, (she later became Mrs. Johnson); we got in touch after she read an article of mine in Past Forward about Ince Central. There were two rows of smelly toilets in the old schoolyard, and each toilet was just a round board with a hole in it. We had a coal-fire in the babies' class, and a little stone lobby where we hung our coats. Does anyone have any memories of the rest of the school?
Our Joseph, you were talking about the smell of beer coming out of The Engineers Arms; the smell of beer as you passed by pubs seemed so much stronger than it does today. Perhaps it was, as we lived right across from The Long-Neck and sometimes off-key renditions of Nellie Dean or "Honly a rose hi give yoooooo" would float across to our house! They used to have a singing-room with a piano,and they used to "blink" the lights at closing-time and shout "'Av yer getten no woms t'go to?" at chucking-out time. Neighbours and elderly people could relax then; any trouble or bad language would be nipped sharply in the bud by the landlord, but there wasn't much to stop; people had respect in those days, and wouldn't use foul language in front of women, children or the elderly.....not like now! I only have memories of The Long-Neck......any more Ince pub memories, anyone?

Hi Irene,
Aye, the CD is available from their website which is
http://chonkinfeckle.co.uk/cds-for-sale/
And there is 19 songs on the CD, all about Wigan and some of the more colourful characters who used to knock about town!
Cheers!

Timmy's Link

Thanks,Timmy blue and Thanks Our Joseph; ordered it.

The caretaker at Ince Central school at one time was Mrs Aspey from Park View, myself and her 3 children, Joseph, John and Margaret would go at night to help sweep out the classrooms and the main hall, it was very eerie being in there of an evening time, sadly all are now no longer with us, but we had some good times in there playing hide and seek after we had finished our work, I never got to go to the new school, passing the 11+ and going on to Ashton Grammar school in 1950, I hated every minute spent there, to me they were all foreigners who seemed to look down on a lad from Ince, there were 2 more from Ince there, Johnny and Olive Rowson, but I think they came the year after

Walter Hurst's sister gave piano lessons, next door to the shop, I was a pupil for a while, but I never could get the hang of it, this was because mi mam had bought an upright piano and she wasn't going to see it stood there doing nowt, so me being the eldest, I was selected to go for lessons, these stopped, when a bicycle we had propped up by the side of it and on which I was attempting to sit, fell over and broke my right arm, so off went the piano, also I well remember Mrs Bithells shop, as well as Maggie Greens, later on we had a chippy in the lane Crostons I think it was, that place is still there, but not as a chippy, just out side of our house was an iron tunnel which ran all the way up to where Bithells were, we would walk up there, our feet either side of the pipe to stop our feet getting wet, half way up, the tunnel narrowed, so then it was an hands and knees job till we reached the other end, sometimes to find it blocked with all sorts of debris, so we would have to turn round and make our way back, we used that way to go and rob the petticoat lane bommie, only to get chased back down by mostly the Wilson brothers, I remember one was Tony, dont remember the name of the other (senior moment here)

My Mam was an Aspey before marriage, Aitch, but must have been a different family as I don't recognise those names. I wish I had more memories of the old school. I remember Johnny Rowson; he was a friend of our Colin's, as you were yourself, Aitch. As well as Shaw's/ Flannery's shop, mentioned earlier, I recall Fred Alker's on the corner of Hook St./Ince Green Lane, and Connie's on the corner of George St./Ince Green Lane. And there was another chippy, Ernie's, down near Little Amy's. Little Amy's shop/off-licence was like a time-warp even back in the 60s;she had ancient, faded showcards depicting young ladies of a bygone era enjoying Gaymer's cider, and the shop was lit only by an unshaded electric light-bulb. It was so gloomy, and had an echoey wooden floor. Then there was Mrs. Dootson's shop down the "viredocks", which always had a funny smell. And of course the co-op, (now Brian's Chippy), where there were chairs for customers to sit on, and you were served personally by the assistants, and your order added up at the speed of light on long, narrow strips of paper, using a pencil which they kept behind their ear! Where exactly did you live, Aitch?

I was born at the bottom of Petticoat lane on Island row, the middle one of the 3 houses on the right

I passed your poem on to Colin Shirley Irene, but he says he hasnt seen her for a while, she lives in Hindley .

Do you remember Hurst's grocers on Manchester Road, Aitch? Mr. Hurst was Walter Hurst's brother and his daughter Elizabeth is a friend of mine. Also, living where you did, I wonder if you remember my Auntie Rachel and Uncle Harry Aspey? They lived in Windermere Road. During my childhood as far back as I can remember, (late fifties/ early sixties), Auntie Rachel had long grey hair in a plait and both she and Uncle Harry often wore clogs. We used to visit them via Factory Fold, which fascinated me; it was so quaint in my eyes. Christine and I exchange Christmas Cards, so if she hasn't seen the poem by Christmas-time, I will put it in her card. Hope someone else comes up with memories, Aitch. I'll put a note on "General" to let people know.

aitch round was maureens married name oneal was her maidnen name maureen and her mam annie and dad and brother lived at no6 annies mam maureens grandma lived at no4 we lived at no2 maud farimond lived at no8 after the entry maud died young leaving two boys

There was an Harry and David Aspey lived on Park view in the 40s and 50s, I cant say I remember any one of that name on Windermere road and till I got married I lived in Langdale Avenue at the top of Windermere, there used to be a Rachel Heyes lived in Factory Fold, as did my cousins Doreen, Norman, frank and linda, all still around but in different areas, Hursts shop was were I went for my piano lessons

dose any one remember maud fields shop it was just derelict and mr jhonstone he had no legs lived in pifold squ

WHEN I WAS A KID I REMEMBER A VAN THAT CAME ROUND SOLD HOTDOGS BURGERS AND YOU COULD ALSO GET PARRIFIN OFF HIM HE WAS AN ITALIAN USED TO COME ROUND SAT TAY TIME ANYBODY REMEMBER I LIVED ON CONISTON AVENUE

Not same family, Aitch, but thanks. Don't recall the hot-dog van,although I didn't live in that area of Ince, but there used to be a hot-dog stand at weekends on Smithy Green I think. I know there used to be one in Hindley when I used to go to the Monaco. I would fear for people serving at one of those stands when the pubs and clubs empty today .....I think they used to be there until 1am or so; doesn't bear thinking about nowadays! (Not even a mobile phone to call for help.)

That hotdog stand on Ince bar, used to do really well from all the pubs around at that time, th,imp, the,engine white un, flying bottle, longneck, fox as well as all the others up lane, now theres nowt ont bar except one pub, and half a dozen pizza and kebab shops, and 3 or 4 hairdressing places

going from jackson st towards ince bar, there was a shop run by mr& mrs brown. there was also winnards workshop, next to that a chippy, molyneux's greengrocers ( run by councillor molyneux parents )that then became a hairdressers. i seem to remember a bookies next to them, plus the tsb bank and woods clothes shop, then the pub, cant remember it's name maybe the royal, you then got to pickup st.

The Royal is right Ian, quaffed many a pint in there in the 60s and 70s, they had some good groups on in the early days before the Old Hall became the in place to be

Thanks for mentioning Rachel Heyes, aitch, she was my auntie and I know that she was a very popular character in Ince; whenever Incers met her again after she moved away they were always really happy to see her, and if she remembered them, well then they were really chuffed!

Am really enjoying reading all your memories, it's reminding me of when I used to visit Rachel and my grandmother, whom we always called Mother Heyes, at Factory Fold, - keep it going!

frazhm, was there a brother as well, Teddy, its a long time since I was down the fold as we called it, at least 60 years, but I do remember Rachel, she always used to call me young wh****e, happy days, as I said, the first house in the fold was the home of my cousins and my Uncle Frank, and his wife Ethel

hi aitch
was reading these posts and they dont half bring back some memories
i was just thinking about factory fold and remembered when me dad used to take me fishing on the river lune
we would get up at 4 o clock and walk down to the park through Factory fold and meet up with Jack Hampson who used to live in the houses which backed onto factory fold, we would get the bus into wigan and catch the btrain up to lancaster
oh happy days!

Hi Peter, Jack lived in the first house proper in Park View, next to Joe and John Aspey, he was one of our mates until we all went our seperate ways

the front part of factory fold was the old Star pub, which was made into 3 houses, the front part housed the Seddons, while the old living part of the pub was home to the Toothills, and the Crompton family, there was about 10 of the Cromptons, but when Mrs Crompton was baking on a weekend, ther were more than 10 waiting to try the bread and buns she was making, I can smell them yet

Ah Aitch, you've answered a question that has been in my mind for ages as to where the Star was. My great great uncle Chris Higham kept it about1880. They found a swan and advertised for its owner in the Wigan Observer

Aitch, which pub was "The Flying Bottle"?

the caretaker at st williams when i was there was a mr riley and then i think a mr eatock took over.

The screwill Irene, its had the nickname for a few years now, at the end of a perfect evening there, is a bottle through the window. rumour has it that everytime there is a altercation in a Last orders pub, the police are on autopilot to Ince bar, maybe thats why they have just changed the name back to the Squirrel, They reckon woods glaziers have a part share in it

Would anyone still remember my relatives, the Stones, from the bottom of Belle Green Lane, Jimmy and Martha, who moved to Almond Brook? They had a child that I think got killed by a tank going through Ince during the war.
There was also my great uncle Billy and Alice Stone from near Boardman's and Dick Stone who lived down Can Row way I think.

Irene , I've finally managed to post a pic on the Album from Ince Central infants class 1960. Not having as much luck with another from about 1963/4 , but I'll keep trying!

Thanks, keep trying! Were you at Ince Central?

I don't know the occassion, but this photo of the regulars was taken in the back yard of The Engineers Arms in Belle Green Lane in the 50's. Back row, 1st left is the landlord Mr Welsby, 4th left is Mr Greenhall, 5th left is my grandfather Tom Hilton. Front row 5th left is my grandmother and on the extreme right is the landlords wife.

Does anyone remember the "Clary", you got to it down Wray St or John St. It was like a pond and there was always geese on there. I remember loads of geese marching up John St from there and people throwing bread to them. As a child I was taken round there for walks with my uncle. What was it??

aitch, you mentioned Ron Leigh, TV shop. Don't know if its been reported elsewhere on WW, but sadly, Ron Leigh passed away very recently and his funeral's at St Wilf's in Standish today RIP.

On a much, much lighter note, me mam rented our first telly of Ronnie, because she was fed up the neighbour telling her , Oh your Bill does love watchin 'I love Lucy' in our house.

I remember I Love Lucy. Living in our damp little terrace with a tin bath and an outside toilet, we were amazed at these American homes with frdges and fitted carpets, and children coming in from school having "milk and cookies". It was another world. As I've told in The Album, we rented a tv off Gaskell's, and when it was "looping-the-loop", Mr. Gaskell came and showd my Dad where to hit it, to save calling him out! Did you go to Ince Central, pisolivadi?

Yeh, I went to Ince Central, then HAGS. I've managed to post another Ince Cental picture, Irene. From 63' or 64.... don't kmow if its up yet. I'm on both of them, but don't want to say which one til 'Douglas' sees them. Bet he can name most if not all on the pics.

I went to both schools, but better not start reminiscing about HAGS as we will be going off the thread which is meant to be about Ince. I left Ince Central in 1964 and have put a few pics of it, and of HAGS, on The Album under Schools; you've probably seen them. Looking forward to the new pic. Ron may not have had time to put it on yet.

irene

I dont remember Dootsons near the "docks"we only moved down Ince Green when Pinewood and Maple were built,but I ccan still taste that musty owd atmosphere in Amy's,and Ernie's,best chippie EVER ,remember them plastic trays,if you weren't careful you would stab your finger ont corner,and end up sucking blood as well as eating your "treatment" aaaahhhhh,I want one NOW

aitch

Do you remember Alan Greenhalgh,he will be early 50's now,I'm sure he lived in Island Row,and a girl named Carol{sorry}cant think of her surname,she will be about the same age
Also going back up Belle Green,the first ever chippy experience was Mrs Mason's,all I ca recall is the blue oilcloth floor,definately not fitted by an expert,we used to love it going for our weekly trate

This is the BEST thread i've seen in ages

I agree, Kenny; let's try to keep it going. Yes, I remember Ernie's chippy well, and Little Amy's. Yes, Amy's WAS bare and dusty, but it had character. I wish we could all do a "Gary Sparrow" and go back for just another peep. I think you once tried to find some photos of Francis Street for me, as my friend's Dad lived there in the 20s/30s; if yoy ever come across any, please let me know.

Kenny, last saw Francis st. about 1972, wished I'd taken pics regretted it ever since. 5 generations of my family lived there 1871 to1930+. Tales my dad used to tell of life around the ironworks, wish I'd written it all down now.

annron1928,
There's a picture(s) of the Clarry somewhere on the WW site, sure I saw it a while back.
It was the first place a lot of us 50's-born Belle Green Laners ever ever went ice-sksting in the big freeze about 1962. It was where where me and me mates first tried a 'mucky-dadda'...with mixed results. We managed to perfect it a winter or two later on Langdale Avenue, sliding down from Bowness Place. Wellies were more suitable than ice skates for mucky-dadda-ing, I've always thought.

Kenny, you may have already seen it but there's a photo of Ernie's chippy/ little Amy's just before demolition. You go onto the Album, then Street Scenes, then scroll down to Ince, press, and the pic is on that page. You can see the sign in Ernie's window and the steps leading up to Amy's, Apologies if you've already seen this but I didn't want you to miss it.

Kenny, there was a Belle and Bill Greenhalgh lived on Petticoat lane, just after Maggie Greens shop, I used to baby sit for them looking after little Billy, I think they did move to Island Row later, but that was after we had flitted to Langdale Ave, Old Billy was a marathon runner well into his 70s and competed in the London marathon up till his death a few years ago, they were both gentle people, the best way I can describe them.

irene

Sorry still no sign of any Francis St fotos,but,never say never
I'm just about to have a look at the fotos you mentioned before getting ready for work

flaggy

We left the street about '67/68,I used to go back up there on my bike,my mates stayed up there for a while,Ste Mosely,Joe Hitchen,Andy Yates,Carl Riley,Trev Longshaw,to mention but a few

pisoviladi

Mucky-dadda,never heard that saying in yonks

I put this in photos, but for anyone who hasnt seen it and would like a look at the site of the old Bird ith hand pub on Ince green Lane this is it, anybody recognise anyone

Pisolivadi,
Wonderful photo but I'm clueless with any names and certainly wouldn't have spotted you.
Only one I think I know is maybe Richard Balderson at the back and the dark haired girl at the front could be Betty Atkinson
My memory isn't as good now as when it was very poor
Can't wait for you to fill in the blanks
Is the lad far left Norm Shawcross

My husband was born in the "Bird I'th Hand", his grandfather was the landlord of this pub in 1937.

Aitch, Nice evokative pics. thanks very much.
I esp. like the view of Island Row and Petticoat Lane. Playin' footie matches in Ince park with lads from up there .. Sayles, Cowburns, Malones, Westheads, Cavenys, Ellisons, Pulfords, Kellys, Prices, Aldreds, Heskeths, Andrews... . And one other who is one of my finest drinking comrades, step forward Professor Dave Haran of Liverpool Uni and proud Petticoat Laner.

Very sad memories, too, I'm afraid. An Ince Central and HAGS school friend was killed in August '73 riding his bike at the junction with Manchester Rd, the day after he'd receive four brilliant' A' level results. Alan Foy. Tragic.

Douglas,
Not bad considering you didn't know 'em . All your guesses are correct. Of the two you didn't know, one's Frank George Gregory Nicholls ( top mame for a Windermere Roader , or what) and the other girl with betty in the worlds least enthralling see-saw, .. you should have got because she lived in Earl street about 20 feet from your house.. Number 3 or 5.

Can't be Josie or Marie Dean surely.

No. But she had a brother called Robert, who once showed me how sharp the household machete was by hacking at his parents' bed head. You've got til quarter to nine , then I'm off for pint, Douglas.

Pisolivadi,
Only family I can remember on Earl St (apart from the Deans) was the Falkeners but I don't recall them having a daughter just 2 sons. Paul being the younger one

http://www.wiganworld.com/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=5238&gallery=Ince&offset=60

Her name's Carol Hunter. I think they moved to Hindley and maybe thst's why you don't recall her. Their house' back gate opened up to that red gas tank on Earl St. The elder Faulkner brother was a good footballer, David. If we'd been big enoough to see over your back yard wall we could perhaps have seen Faulkner's petty ayt No 16 (I think!)
Alsithee.

Paul Faulkener was in my class in the infants at Ince Central and there is a pic of him, (and me), on The Album, under Ince Central School. It is the class photo in the old schoolyard with 47 comments.

Just remembered Yvonne Shaw lived close by as well.
They went to Aus for a while but came back in our last year at Rose Bridge

For annron1928,

http://www.wiganworld.com/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=15959&gallery=Ince&offset=140

Yvonne is cousin to my friend and sister-in-law Mary Roberts, nee Shaw. Mary and I lived in the row of six houses behind St. Williams' Presbytery wall, opposite The Long Neck Pub, and we married two brothers from Hindley. Yvonne's family came back from Australia, but her Mum died and her Dad remarried and went back, as did her brother Neil. A couple of years ago, Yvonne and her husband went out there, but weren't happy and came back to Hindley, for which I am so glad as we often see them at family weddings/christenings etc., and they are such lovely people.

Irene, did you know my sister Janet Price.
She may have been a year older than you

No, sorry Douglas, that name doesn't ring a bell. I am going to be 59 next month, so you will know if she's near in age to me. I will be picking my Grand-daughter up from school on my birthday, and I have no doubt the whole school will know it's my birthday and how old I am, so no use hiding it! Signing off now; looking forward to more comments tomorrow. Goodnight, everyone.

Douglas,
Irene's got such a fantastic memory, but she doesn't remember her and June Mc D taking me to Southport on t' train in the summer of '66. I'm gutted.

Irene, I was right My sister is 60 later this year.
She was in the same year as Marlene Dainty and Audrey Robinson at Ince Central

Kenny,

Dootsons shop was demolished before Pinewood Crescent was built, but it would have been where Pinewood Crescent started about three doors down from the Bird going towards the bridge

Albion got it wrong,the caretaker at St Bills after Jimmy Riley was Bill Fleetwood!
Jimmy Rileys grandson Andy,the son of Frank,wrote a very interesting book about his travels in South America through Chile,Bolivia,Brazil etc,a really good read.
The picture of IGL and the Bird shows the Roy cafe van obscuring Mrs Dootsons shop,she had a bluebottle in the window that had three birthdays!
The other shop in the picture was Albert Harts ,the original open all hours,and a nice man as well.
I remember Little Amy,s as Mrs Arderns outdoor,and going up IGL Tommy Rawsons(later Ecclestons) and Gregsons paper shop(now Ikkys)opposite the church!
And Charley Abbott was the landlord of the Longneck when Irene was a young wench

stuarts link

stuarts link for annron1928

Thanks Jacklaw

Thanks Jacklaw for the picture seeing that brought back a lot more memories, I'd forgot about those pens and also the round iron railings where kids used to get their foot stuck. Didn't know the history of it either. My grandma died when I was seven so I haven't been around there since then.

Did Dr Backer who had a surgery in Hindley with Dr Hyde who was mentioned earlier have a surgery on Manchester Road, close to Ince Bar. I'm sure I was taken there as a child, I have a recollection of sitting in this dismal waiting room.

since no one has mentioned MASON JOHN & SONS LTD., warehouse.of Wray Street, i thought i'd bring it up...started work there at 15 . van boy, it was run by the MASON brothers,,,,,,harold, tommy , jack, bob 2 others brothers i can't recall,

Dr Baecker certainly had a surgery on Ince bar as well, next to the barbers shop, as well as the one they had in Hindley, but I always thought Dr Hydes surgery was in Ince green lane and not part of the Hindley one, which is still going as a doctors, but now called the Pennygate medical centre, I have been on their list since I was born in 1939, I stand ready to be corrected if any can put me right, I do remember the surgery on the Bar though, it was a little triangular waiting room, with the docs room at the top to the right, and as being very small, only room for the docs desk andone chair, the windows were painted out in a bottle green colour.

Wasn't Dr. Baeker (sp) from one of the eastern European countries? My mother had a hard time understanding him. From what I can remember he got fined for drink driving, think he lived on Wigan Road in Hindley.

Douglas if you mean the walking day photo, the tall lad on the far left is my good self, the lad in front of me is Jimmy Fillingham and the lad at the front is I think Alan Parr, dont know any of the girls.

Dr Hyde shared a surgery with the aforementioned Dr Chezniak ( phonetic sp)in Ince Green lane and I think the entrance was in either Local Board St or was it School St? ( one of them above George St or maybe George St itself come to think of it.)It was indeed a dinghy waiting room.
The little triangular surgery on the bar was ( occasionally ) Dr Oldfield's who more or lesss chainsmoked, had an ashtray full of tips on his desk, but was a likeable chap.. He also had another surgery just below Cale Lane in New Springs.

nostalgic gets yo Incers

irene

You beat me to that post of douglas's about Yvonne Shaw my wife worked with her for a time a few years ago just before they went to Oz,and it seemed like no time at all they were back,she was the manager at Sullivan Way day centre

douglas

I do believe she is Les's cousin

pisolivadi.....actually, when I was walking our dog yesterday, my mind was going over memories I could add to this thread to keep it going, and it suddenly dawned on me who you were, but I still have no memory whatsoever of the day out with you and June! I remember Dr. Hyde's well. The surgery was on Ince Green Lane and was called Bedford House, but the waiting room was round the corner in George Street. It was a bare little room with plain wooden benches round the walls, an ancient gas-fire and a central dim light-bulb with a plain pink shade. There was a little "window" where you gave your name in to the receptionist, Mrs. Thorpe, before you took your uncomfortable seat for a long wait amidst coughs and whispered conversations. Dr. Hyde liked a drink and a bet, and used to go out to a regular patient of his, the daughter of a local "bookie", and often got so carried away with the racing on the telly that he left without seeing his patient! Dr. Hyde's daughter, Dr. Marie, (pronounced "Marry"), was also at Bedford House.
Fossil, I do remember when Charlie Abbott ran the Long-Neck. My Mam and Dad were reular customers in those far-off days of Singing-Rooms and pianos. The brewery was Magee's, and my Mam loved their Oatmeal Stout.

aitch
The surgery in Market St Hindley was Dr Baeker and Dr Hyde when I was a child, I lived in Hindley so was a patient there, but stayed at my Gradma's in Ince during the week because my mum worked, so I saw the doctors at both surgeries. I remember going to the surgery on Ince bar it was a dismal little room and they only opened at certain times, (not like the one in Hindley). I don'tremeber ever going to the one on Ince Green Lane but I do remember my mum going there.
I think Dr Hyde's son and daughter went onto to run the surgery in Hindley they were called Dr David and Dr Ann.

Forgot to thank Stuart before for the photo of the Clarry, thanks it brought back some lovely memories.

Pisolivadi, I remember all those lads you mentioned playing football on the common or in Ince Park, we used to play for hours especially in the summer months with the light nights. But if you remember there used to be one girl played as well, Carol Ellison and her brother, I reckon if their had of been England girls team back then, she would have been captain, she was brilliant and had no problem getting a good tackle in against the boys, great days. My best mate was Paddy Malone tragically killed in Blackpool.

Kenny, I remember Alan Greenhalgh, he did live on Petticoat lane next to Mollys shop. almost cnr of Island rowe, we both played football together, then I think he ended up at Ashton Town FC, I played for the double 0 seven club with the cowburns and one famous Danny Wilson. Not too sure about the girl named Carol though, long time ago.

gunnerbill. was Masons a bakery?If so there is a lovely old pic of the bakery on one of the websites, maybe google Ince in Makerfield+pictures

Dr David Holmes was the son of Dr Holmes senior at the Market St surgery,Dr Anne was his wife,there was a Dr Bullough too,Dr Anne died a few year's ago,and I could never understand Dr Baeker,he used to get mad if you told him.

tonyg

You played inthe same team as me a few times,both of you,and the girl called Carol,she was quite tall very slim with blond hair and pouting lips,this is nothing perverse,just an obsrvation,I'm sure she went out with a lad who played for Ince Central at the time,cant remember his name either

Kenny, Tonyg ,
It was Jonnny Ellison's sister, Carol. (They moved from the estate to that row of houses on a slant towards the Park opp the Little 'Ole.)
Think she's still up top of BGL somewhere. She's hung her boots up now, but Johnny Elly played into his fifties and was a fine body -builder in his pomp.

While we're on Petticoat Lane, there was rum scouse lad in the late 60's/ '70 , name Tony( I think ) - lived either at the chippy or somewhere near it. You're not one and the same, are ya tonyg?
..and is that you on the Northern Soul thread pics from last November / Dec wearing the Barmy Army shirt? I was at the Gabba nad Adelaide Oval Tests... Incers abroad, hey hey! .

pisolivadi, what's Mucky-dadda, that you mentioned earlier? I've heard the name but either never knew what it meant , or have forgotten. (You know what a bad memory I have!)

Yes aitch, you're right Rachel's younger brother was called Teddy; she also had sisters named Alice, Doris, Lilian and Elizabeth who mysteriously went missing in 1943, they even dredged the lake in Ince Park to try to find her, but never did.

Also living at Factory Fold as well as Frank and Ethel, then my grandparents Margaret and John Heyes, and next to them was Elizabeth and Tom Middleton who were cousins of my grandfather.

Irene! You sure you're an Incer?.
...mucky-dadda ( noun. olde wiggin/ ince origin; pron: mukkee-dah dah ):
skating on ice movement and formation; take as fast a run up as ice allows,hurtle from upright forward position - arms splayed for balance- bending knees to allow rear end drop toward the foor, then rising back upright without falling over before concluding slide. ( Repeating up and down movement twice or three times even-- before coming to stop, often claimed but rarely performed and even less witnessed.
As in'' doin' a single, double or triple mucky-dadda.''

Definitely an Incer! As I say, I'd heard the term but didn't know what it meant. I can remember sliding along those slides we used to make when it was icy; you slid along in a crouching position with your bottom almost touching the slide.....it was called "the little woman". Until you put me right, I wondered if Mucky-Dada was another name for "slop-dash", which we used to make by mixing dirt and water, (Why, I wonder now?!). A friend of mine from Oldham used to call it "sloppy daw-daw"; I think the names for things varied slightly from district to district. Thanks!

Slop dash was a girlie thing . Irene.

Spud1 you are correct about Dr David & Dr Ann, my mistake regarding Dr Hyde, Dr Holmes came after them. Dr Baeker was a nouwty old so and so. My mum wouldn't let him in our house, my brother was really poorly and he told my mum there was nothing wrong with him he was just a naughty baby always crying, next thing he's being rushed into hospital with a very severe throat infection. After that if she called out the doctor for a home visit she would not let Dr Baeker anywhere near her kids.

"My best mate was Paddy Malone tragically killed in Blackpool."

Paddy was murdered by doormen in Gwent, Wales on June 28 1989. He was working for Redlands at the time and had gone to play a football match for the company. Sadly a few members of the family have now gone, Alan, Paddy, Eileen, Linda and Peter. Their Mam Jane (jinny) passed away some years ago, good people and a good family.

Coming from Abram,what you Incers called Mucky dah dah we called Little Daddy.Mucky daw daw was mud.It's surprising 2 miles away and a different language.Even though I'm not an Incer I really enjoy reading this thread.

I remember the chippy in lower Ince, almost opposite of what is now a chippy called Ince Plaice, (Searched google maps, street view).Lovely chippy it was, Woman called Edna had it, When she died her husband died shortly after. Very sad.

Tony g
Do you remember Alan Irwin?
He ran a team called Santos Celtic and I played with your brother Terry in that side and Dave Andrews and John Moor

bluesman, I have lived in Abram for the past 36 years and I love every square inch of it, but my birthplace , Ince, will always hold a special place in my heart, as it does with these good people on this thread. I'm so glad you have enjoyed this; it's nice to feel someone from "outside" has experienced the spell Ince cast on its children. Welcome!

frazhm, Frank and Ethel were my uncle and aunt, they lived in the first house after the star pub, I always wondered how they went on as the house was only 2 up and 2 down, and there were 2 daughters and 2 sons living there.

Heres one to stir the memories, were did you learn to swim, for me it was in the ressy, not to be confused with the brickhill, which was the one being filled in as a tip. or land fill as they call it now, I got one of my feet badly burned on there, standing on what I thought was a pile of plastic labels, they were, but also they were on fire underneath, just after the ressy in the 40s, were pit rooks, where we used to pick bingy and coal, just to eke out the bit of coal we were allowed after the war

Heres another picture of mine, this also is on photos, but may not have been seen by some, so any one recognise where it is,

flaggy delf (22........IT USED TO BE A BAKERY BUT BEFORE MY TIME.THEY USED TO DELIVER GROCERY'S TO THE SMALL SHOP'S BUT SUPERMARKETS PUT PAID TO THAT,,I WORKED AS A VAN BOY FROM AGE 15 TO 18 WHEN I WAS CALLED UP TO SERVE IN H.M'FORCES,I WAS BORN IN ALBERT STREET BUT MOVED TO BIRKET BANK WHEN I WAS AGE 3,,,,,,,,,

aitch, is that Pickup St behind the stands?

Aitch,
Is it the rec, may queen and maypole day, with the back of the last terrace in Pickup Street on the right, leading to George Street?

Douglas,
I remember Alan Irwin; lived in the last house on the left at the top of Petticoat Lane; and I played for Santos Celtic, but for some reason don't associate you playin' at the same time. I do remember Paul Green (Granit) and, I think, Harold Ainscough being in the same side and maybe Philip Dumican.
We played a game or two on Fosters, one of which was abandoned through thunder and lightening -- but also travelled out to play a team at St Peter's in Orrell.
Alan Irwin featured in a piece in the Post and Chroinicle at the time called '' Unsung Heroes'' for organising the team. .... I think his mother might have had somnething to do with that.... I liked her. She always gave me a bob tip when I sold them Latics fund raising tickets on my round every friday evening a year or two later.

Granit, Harry Ainscough and Phil Dumican had a spell watchin' Bowt'n at the time but were lucky enough to escape the clutches of that terrible addiction.

Is TonyG Terry G's brother? From Grasmere Ave?.... Blinkin' eck.

pisolivadi/douglas

Alan Irwin lives off PLatt Lane in Whelley now

Pisolivadi, I can only remember Terry Gallagher and his mate John Moor in the Santos Celtic side but I would imagine Dave Andrews also played as I think it was him that introduced me to Alan Irwin. I think Dave lived just a few doors away from Alan.
I also remember going into Alans house to look at his model airplanes. I think he has the reet good uns with engines in.

Pislovadi and Jack, it certainly is the rec, with Pickup street in the background, I wonder how many still around played on that turf and how many stood in the grandstand, as it was,

kenny , If you see Alan Irwin, tell him Douglas is a still envious of his planes with engines in. If he's still the same good sort, he met led us go reaynd n' play we um.

Kenny, what number Francis st. did you live at? Over a 60 year period my ancestors lived at 15,25,27 31 and35

My mum was born in Mount View, 1951, not sure how many years it was after that that Grandad got to manage the Balck Diamond - I don't know much about her years in Ince - must ask her what it is to be a Nincer!

I lived in Mount View until 1951 and I have just worked out that Nicola's grandmother was my sponsor when I was confirmed at St Williams. Mrs Danson stepped in at the last minute when Edith Marsh who was the district nurse couldn't make it.

flaggy delf

We lived at...wait for it No's 1,and 3,sounds big and posh dunnit,but 1 was part of the old off licence it used to be,before my mam's family moved in,we also had 2 addresses on B.L.G.183 & 185 on the corner

Me mam's family were evacuated from Bootle,when the Jaymans were targeting Liverpool docks during WW2,there were quite a few of them at fisrt and so needed a big house to accomodate them. The old shop was never used for anything more than storage and didnt even have a light in it,wasted space....sorry for going on a bit

Kath - thats an interesting little tale - will have to mention that to mum when i see her this weekend!

Nicola - I remember the names of her brothers - Denis, Bernard and Colin the youngest and also the house they lived in. I think they lived in two houses in Mount View but I might be wrong about that.

Good memory Kath, Denis and Colin are still in Wigan, Bernard moved out to NZ in about 1970, mum tries to get over there as often as possibe - Denis seems to be chief archivist for most things, i'll have to see if he has any old photos of Ince - I'll be sure to mention you to mum at the weekend!

Where is this you Incers, its changed a bit over the years, but the thing is still in the same spot.

I won't give it away just yet!

I remember walking through there in the 1940,s and never got wet

you need a boat now Bill, or a pair of wellies

We 'dared' each other to go through at night.

Our family used to go that way on a saturday when we went to the Regal, but we never came back through there, too scary

Is it The Devil's Tunnel?

Thats right lads, my brothers Terry Gallagher and did play for Santos Celtic, I remember going to Alan Irwins house, he had all the football photos on the wall and used to write to Jimmy Hill in that football magazine, can not remember the name though.

The devils tunnel, well if you were to scared to go through you would go over but that meant crossing the railway lines, just as scary. I live in Sydney now, been here 30 years but get back every now and again. We lived in Haweswater ave, Ince. Great times as a kid growing up and would have not have it any otherway. Still involved with the northern soul scene as you have seen on the threads and off to the wonderful GoldCoast, Queensland on Saturday night for another night with all the Brits,still love watching the England cricket team beat the Aussies and went to see England beat them in the rugby world cup final, that was some party after from what I remember.

remember summer hols in mi dads shed wi mi bowey knife makin a catty then goowin o slaggy to scale turtle rock thowt we were rock climbers ha ha ha the three day survival o wuchy brilliant oh and for more fire power dont forget mi pey gun int tunnels o rabs walk all way through them great days then cubs neet top of windermere road int hut

Keep 'um coming,this is great

Tony g, I think it was Football Monthly

Thats it Douglas, Football Monthly, thats how Santos Celtic was born via the magazine and how Alan Irwin selected the games. Does the magazine still exist.

There use to be a spring- s'pose there still is- at the gullicks end of the devil's tunnel. At least we thought it was a spring . May have been a burst pipe for all we knew.

The water went into the now overgrowen ''three-corners '' or ''Big V'' as it was known to us. Spent many an unsuccessful hour spinnin' for jack pike when it was a clear lake. Never did swim in it though.
Swimmining we did further over toward Platt Wazz in a pond we called the GC. Hindleyers called it the ''Rainwaters'' , I think. They had another pond over towrds Bicky they called the GC . But who's bothered about Hindleyers. eh? what do they know?

Percy the pike in Ince park, was he really a monster fish who took ducks and small dogs down.

Kenny, have you ever seen the photo of the BGL/ Francis st. corner shop in the Wigan Archives( code 6762/5.? You used to be able to see it in the History Shop photo ring binders but last time I looked the binder seemed to have gone walkies. I have never found it on the Wigan World photos. If anyone has 'd love to know what its under

Joseph1.
Jeff Hilton and Tony Scrivens still owe me ten bob after they dared mt to swim across the the park lake; I was a bit concerned when I got to the middle that percy might try to feed on me bits ( It may not ne etiqette to name and shame them two lively scallies , but they are longstanding debtors, after all)

Douglas , didn't you fall in the park Lake before you'd learned to swim, and when ya scrambled to the side an angler said to us in a loud authorative tone '' Altho' tha may not know it , ahm a wayter baliliff''.... as if it had some key bearin' on you nearly drownin'..... ( or am I on't wrong 'un?)

Pisolivadi, not seen either of those two for many years. Last I heard anything about Tony he was working at Laycocks timber yard, Lower Ince, not seen his sister Susan either.

Minnies shop in York street and Lilly's at the corner of hemfield road(Lilly Chadwick) Barbara's shop across from the Bush with the cloggers on the corner, going further down the lane was Ernie Prescott's shop. The big chimney behind the Oak was a good playground too.

Didn't George Gregory's brother have the Oak in the 60's with his Mynah bird always shouting things from upstairs.

flaggy / joseph

I f the foto in question is not of the boarded up shop we lived in,then on the other corner of Francis St & BLG,was Mrs. Mills chippy wasn't it ?

pisolivadi

I almost posted about the spring last nightbut got side-tracked,I remember it well,and we used to call 3 corners,No 1 as well

we made a raft one weekend ont 3 corners owt of railway sleepers, 4 of um nailed together wi a couple of pieces of wood, just come from church sunday best clobber on, and off I went on this raft, stood up, pushing off towards the park side, the nails wernt very big, or the wood was too thick, but it came apart int middle dropping me in it, in more ways than one, it was a long walk to Island row, dripping every inch of the way to face the anger of mi mam when I got home, and I remember the spring at the top end near to the Thompsons yard, there is still a small bridge which the can row brook ran through, till it was diverted through the devils tunnel, and another memory, who remembers the horse which got stuck in a ditch between the tunnel and the Park, it took a lot of firemen to get it out, but they did, and last time I was down there the spot is still visible

Kenny, Mrs. Mills chippy wasn't that facing Hemfield road. (From Francis St.)

In the early 70's there used to be a Disco in the Bush, was told the DJ wasn't up to much though, it was said he only had two records. Can't think of the lads name, began with a 'K' I think.

Kenny, just had a flashback to seeing you riding across Willy Fosters on a motor bike.
I think you were still at Cardy then and I didn't really know you.
Underage, no helmet etc
I think it was an old British bike.

Pisolivadi, it WAS me that fell in the Park lake although the euphoria brought on by surviving the event must have blanked out the bailifs remarks.

Isherwood's pen was a crackin' playground. Garages to climb on, John Isherwood's pigeon lofts, Harry Isherwood's geese and ducks, a massive broken down shed, a shakey tree, an elderberry bush for stomache ache, a lodge at the far end with bullrushes, frogspawn, newts , lizards, and casual internecine conflict with the Careless Lane gypsies on the far side.... Ee, We were lucky.

joseph
It was facing Hemfield Rd mate,spot on,and that disco,two records indeed but I think they were 12" ers so they lasted quite a few minutes each

douglas
If it's the same bike I'm thinking about is was a James,I think 90 / 100 cc,was it a black 'un,coz we had a few bikes in them days,not all at same time

Didn't George Gregory's brother have the Oak in the 60's with his Mynah bird always shouting things from upstairs.

Joseph, Bill Gregory did indeed have the Oak Tree for a good many years, and does anybody remember jack Woods the landlord of the Bush, in later years it was also run by the great Billy Boston.

Kenny, the pic I've seen is definitely the BGL/Francis st corner on the downhill side. Been on Wigan Heritage Service photo archive on line. No trace. Very odd. The shop was Harringtons back then with a cat sitting on the rounded steps.

I too have seen that photo. It definitely does, (or did), exist. Hope it hasn't been lost or accidentally destroyed.

Thanks for that Aitch, George and Bill were a couple of grand chaps.

flaggy delf

What year would that foto have taken,any ideas ???
Just wondering,because my mam always had cats,and maybe the said feline could have been one of hers

Kenny, the pic I've seen must be circa 1920, maybe earlier. Maybe Irene could hazzard a guess.

I agree; it was a very early photo.

That rules out me mam's cats then

Flaggy and Kenny, I am going to make enquiries about the photo next week; it can't have just disappeared..... watch this space!I bet your Mam's cats were decendants, Kenny; in fact, I bet THEIR decsendents are still roaming Belle Green Lane. Cats show loyalty to PLACES, not people; it's a well-known fact. Any more Ince memories, anyone? Let's not let this thread fold so quickly; memories of the streets, the shops, the cotton-mill, the canal, the schools? Funny stories? Ghost stories? Odd characters? Come on, get your thinking caps on.

Iremember collecting peelings and crusts taking them to rosebottoms farm getting tuppence to go to the bug

pisolivadi My grandfather had the pen that joined on to Harry?? Isherwoods. It was between Isherwoods and the houses built onto the side of the dairy. I think it was the co-op that backed onto the pen, and they used to dump all the old fruit etc into the pen for grandads chickens to scrape about in. If I wanted worms to go fishing that was the place to dig. Never seen worms so big.

I can remember myself & Peter Holcroft,from Francis St going for a walk over to the canal with his older sister Kathleen,we were having a bit of a splash about in the bywash,and the next thing......Kathleen wasn't there

Me and Pey were looking all over for her,thinking she was hiding,right down to the rabbit rocks..no sign

The bywash we were paddling in was one of those that went underground,we absolutely bricked it

All the way home we were skryking our eyes out,wandering what to tell our mams,we would have got a right going at for getting anywere near the cut,but as we got to Barans,[spelling]wood yard at the top of York St?..we heard a girl shouting "why dint you wait for me" Kathleen had slipped in the bywash,but as luck would have it she grabbed hold of some weeds in the tunnel,but it took her ages to get back out,thankfully she did..and she now tells the tale,coz she lives next door to my mother-in-law in Scholes

That bywash had the best bloodworms in the north of england, except for the ones in the stream by the side of Ince park.

Douglas: I remember your sister Janet. She was in my class, I remember Audrey Robinson and Carol Holmes and Marlene Dainty etc. My name was Kathleen McSorley. How is she doing?

Josie Pennington, hello Josie I wonder if your husband would be any relation to Corny and Alice Pennington who lived in Hemfield Road and then Hindley Green? Corny was my dad's best friend from his days in Francis Street and always came to see him in Holt Street when we visited Wigan. Think Corny may have been caretaker at Belle Green School in later years.He was somehow related to the Percy family who managed the Top Place ironworks and had the middle name McCloud to prove it.

I remember a lady in Pickup Sreet, (Sally Cassidy, although that may have been her maiden-name), opening her front room as a little shop; what excitememt it caused when it first opened! She had a penny tray for the children, jars of sweets, washing-powder, tinned food.....just general goods, but so handy if our Mams ran out of something. She sold glasses of Tizer or Dandelion -and- Burdock pop for a penny....you just stood and drank it in the shop,(the glasses were used for one child after another.....no-one fussed about hygiene in those days, and we none of us seem to have come to any harm!), and there was hardly room in front of the counter because all the neighbours used to gather there fradging. I remember taking potato peelings and carrot peelings to Sally's and getting a handful of toffees in exchange; I imagine her husband kept hens in one of the pens at the bottom of our back-field and the peelings were used for them. A lot of shops had a "tick-book" in those days, so you could get goods "on t'tick" until pay-night on Friday.

flaggy
Did you live in Francis St.

Also I seem to rememberthe name Pennington from there as well,what would their number have been

Kenny no I didn't I'm afraid, my grandad lived in Holt Street after moving from Francis Street so my dad and his brother and sister grew up at no 15, my great grandma at 25 and my great great grandad at the last house before the railway ( 35?). Corny Pennington had a brother Jack who just sat down in BHS Wigan and died and their dad Arthur ran a painting and decorating business. I know they once set a woman's curtains alight with a blowlamp and ran out yelling' eh missis yer curtins is afire'.Corny and my dad went to the old Belle Green Mission school on Bryham Street corner but I think all this was before your time. There can't be many left who recall life around the ironworks in the 1920s/30s now. What a vibrant place it must have been. Wish I'd written all my dad's tales down, but there you are.

kitekat, Janet is fine and well. She went Leicester Uni and met her husband Gwynn there. Still together with 2 grown up kids. They now live in Market Harborough. Last I heard Audrey was in Bury. I'll let Janet know you've been asking after her.

flaggy

I do remember Pennington's from near us,and they lived (i think)next door to Mrs Woods,or maybe the Naseers

I can only think of a fellow called Eric who lived in the very last house before the railway,he had an alsation called Sherry,his surname will come to me in time

The ironworks I definately dont recall,before my time,but we used to play on the old site,or at least that is were we thought it was....neart' black tank

kath Arkwright - you were right, my mum and family did move house within Mount View - so lived in two houses (not at the same time) then moved into the Farmyard Hotel before the Black Diamond - mum said she went to nursery at St Williams and remembers the camp beds coming out in the afternoon for a nap!

Here's one to get your memory turning, where was this taken, and what is it.

thats at the back of gullicks aitch
we used to walk over that bridge on way to springs branch
i thought you would know where that was lol

The ironworks I definately dont recall,before my time,but we used to play on the old site,or at least that is were we thought it was....neart' black tank

i can remember the black tank
we used to swimming in there even though we werent supposed to
good days back then

I know where it is Peter, I took the bloody photo, and I worked in the area in 3 seperate jobs, so work thar owt.

jacklaw,
I've a vague recollection of your grandad's pen, but it was out of bounds for us. I was born just below your grandad's on the oppsite side, so clearly remember the Co-op. We used to pronounce it 'kworp'.

aitch: IS the photo at the back of Gullicks, then?

pisolivadi Do you remember a John Greenwood who would have lived near you. (Abt 1954 ish) He would have lived just about opposite Harry Isherwoods house.

He's my brother, jack, but we've different surnames. ( same mother) He's 69, retired, healthy. looks well. Lived up Pem since he got married. Two daughters and a few grandkids. Dotes on 'em. Saw your profile and I thought you'd know him as he was at St Bills but I guess he's a year older than you. I'll remember you to him, pal. ( He doesn't have a computer unfortunately.)
ps I just phoned him , he said ' Aye , Jackie Lawton , i remember him, same class at St Bills, yeh in St John's Ambulance together. He couldn't march proper, but I suppose he got better in the RAF.

Also, Jack,in that picure of the Engineers Arms regulars above. Your grandad, Mr Hilton ,he looks like the lollipop man on Manchster rd for Ince Central children in the late 50's early 60's. Is it him?

Its the site of the GC line which ran behind GuLlicks, the photo was taken from near where the old Lower Ince station stood, the line over the top was the original line to the top place, which crossed Manchester road and further on Belle Green lane, the 2 tunnels were the lines to Manchester Central, going through Irlam, and is now known as the floods, It used to flood when I worked on the railway in the 50s and 60s, funny though we never stopped, nowadays a leaf on the track and voila, total shut down

Pisolivadi, your 20-20 memory astounds me yet again
Mr Hilton, I would never have remembered that but as soon as I read his name I could see him,in 'my minds eye'
'My minds eye' is a saying first penned by Shakespear by the way.
Didn't the Bambers live in a house that was attached to Smiths?

As this is getting so long, does everyone know how to avoid all the scrolling down? If you don't, click on the Ince Memories link, wait until it is established, showing the first posting from Joseph, then press the "end" key on the computer board, and it will take you to the very last posting.

It could have been 'In the minds eye'
It was summat 'eye' heard ont' wireless this mornin'

the floods
beside the pumping station that was alongside the bottom railway line,was a semi circular brick wall in the square reservoir,inside this semi circle was a barrel on a chain,if you pulled the chain so that the barrel was raised,the pumping station started to pump water through the large black pipes into the reservoir,it was easy to wedge a iece of wood under the chain so that the pumps pumped,and pumped,and pumped.i remember going to school past the manley hotel 1 day and the water had reached all the way to the bridge there

Nicola - I didn't know that St Williams had a nursery but I remember going to one at Rose Bridge,where the bed things came out and we were supposed to go to sleep! I thought they were like deck chairs but flat on the floor. The only other thing I remember is crying because I didn't like it there. I think I only went once and it was probably in 1946.

Correct Douglas, Jeff and Stephen Bamber. You had a good view of Tishy's and jacklaw's grandad's pens from their 'veranda' ( a kind of lean-to on stilts) and a panorama of the gypsy caravans.
If you went the length of the veranda and turned the corner there was a mountainous dumping slope of broken bottles from the dairy and the occasional acrid whiff of boiling tripe from the top of Pennington Lane. And Maurice Furlong in the distance, on his way to rob our bommie. Our knotted grass traps never did their job to stop his advance, either.

irene

To get to the bottom of the page in one click,press the "End" button on your keyboard,should be between "Delete" & "Page Down"

Maurice Furlong......a name I've not heard for some time,he was the landlord of the Belle Green Hotel when he died,only about 40 years old,a good bloke was Maurice

Kenny, where was your bommie?

( no slight on Moggie Furlong intended RIP)

St Williams nursery only opened about 1974

My husband thinks he remembers Mr Hilton as the lollipop man who stood near the pub at the front of Varty's Darville when he went to Ince Central Infants School, it's brought back happy memories of the kindness showed to him by this man, he kept little packets of biscuits to give to the children. However he does wonder if he got biscuits because he was such an urchin, maybe Mr Hilton felt sorry for him and all his brothers, whatever the reason it's a kindness that's stayed with him :)

flaggy delph,in answer to your question about penningtons,they are not relaited to us but i know them i lived in york st off frances st did you say you lived in the end house ? coz i remember a lot of people well most people but there was a lad who mated with my brother raymond,his name was eric booth but i seem to think he lived in the end house so may be next door,he used to come to our house and play the guitar my brother would sing and we would all enjoy it my mam and all us girls sat in our front room listening, there was also a family called owen they had a son who died age about 16 terry owen there was a sister called rita a very nice family,i have got friends on facebook with kevin holcroft they lived at the beginning of frances st, he has his own site he writes some poetry stuff about childhood days its very good.

kenny, do you remember me my maiden name is beckett,we lived at 9, york st if your the kenny i think you are you have a brother ronald i remember your house i thought it used to be an off licence dont ever remember it open though i think i went in once with kathleen asply and anne brighton we must have been with you or your ronny,it was dark and was the counter still there i have this vague memory of it, i remember your mams cats and us kids always sat on the big step on the corner,someone said there was a photo of it well i hope so i would love to see it,

is this the photo beckett

pisolivadi If I remember we used to go to SJA meetings in Hindley. On Atherton Rd, on the opposite side of the road to the Monoco, there was a paint works or a paint store. We used a room there. I only joined so I could get a bugle and play in the band. No good at it though, must be tone deaf.
Yes my grandfather was the lollipop man for a while. He used to love that job. He lived at No9 Engineer St, and I was born there. My auntie Anne Capper had the shop across from the Engineers Arms. She finished up moving to Elgin Close up Belle Green Lane. Give my regards to John.

Jacklaw - Edna Capper was one of my friends at St Williams and we used to visit one another after I moved to Horwich. I haven't seen or heard of her since she left the Convent in 1959. I hesitate to say, but I think that she died some time ago and would like to know what happened to her. Did she join the WRAF?

kath, yes she joined the WRAF. She married and had two children. She finished up in Hindley with her second husband, but she got arthritis all through her body and could hardly move. She died in Oct 2002.

jacklaw, douglas,
Like mr hilton, Our kid's been a lollipop man since he retired. Last week, I didn't believe he'd been done for stealing at work, but when I went round his house.......all the signs were there.

pisolivadi

I didnt you mean you were having a go at moggy mate

When we lived up BGL it was on the spare land were the houses on Francis St were,the old garage was still standing for quite a while after the houses came down

beckett

That's the name I was thinking about earlier Eric Booth,he did live in the last house,set me yed to rest that has

I do remember the Beckett name from York St,I'm presuming you would be more our Ronnie's age,coz you mentioned Ann Brighton & Kathleen Aspley,and they were his age,I remember them because they lived right near us,Ann lived 2 doors along and Kathleen right facing
The shop was closed down long before my mams family moved in,all the fittings were still in there right up to house being pulled down,even the beer pumps
And the corner steps a meeting place for kids of all ages,I dont think I have seen a foto of them though,but I wont give up hope of seeinig one

I'll mention you to our kid next time I see him

aitch

Is that foto the crossing were Edinbrough Drive is now,if so its not the one beckett's on about,but it's a cracking shot,she means the corner of Francis St and B.L.G. there were 3 houses standing in a row,coming from Bryham St,first was Alan & Gladys Shirley,middle one was Danny & Mary Greenhalgh,and then our house which "cornered" Francis St

kath - i may have heard mum wrong about the name of the nursery! Although I think she said by the time they'd left the Farmyard and gone into the Black Diamond she had started at St Williams, I think grandad was at the Iron Works before that..

Hi everyone, havent posted for a while but just love this thread. love hearing the stories and love seeing the pictures, hi again Irene, Jacklaw, i know i dont know you but i remember your grandad i think. i lived at number 23 engineer street and used to play with Kath and in fact worked with her and looked after your aunty Annie in Thorley House.hope Kaths well havent seen her for ages give her my best.

Kenny, wheres Edinburgh Drive , the photo shows the old level crossing at the top of BGL, just a bit further up than West Street

halsall , There is an email on my profile. Send me an email and I will give you the latest on Kath. You must have lived across from the Topping's, Dennis Topping was Kath's fathers best pal.(drinking pal). It's possible I may have met you when I came down to Wigan and visited my auntie Annie in Thorley.

pisolivadi I had to read that twice before it sunk in.

halsall,
We looked after a dog from Engineers St. A brown cross- staffie called Kim (Halsall).

Me dad was chopping firewood at the back of our house one day and the dog just came up , said hello. Me dad let him in, and fed him some liver with ginger nuts as a sweet. The dog must've liked it: he came back every day for about eight years till he he passed on.

Kim Halsall was never really our dog, but he felt like it. I've still got a few treasured pictures of him.
His arch enemy was an alsation also called Kim( Hoctor) who lived two doors down . In the early days Kim Hoctor would hide craftily behind a back yard wall for Kim Halsall to arrive every morning . then pounce on him.
Not wishing to get ambushed this way every day, Kim Halsall worked out which was our front door in BGL and barked at it every morning about eight o'clock.

I think me dad liked Kim more than he did the rest of the family. On his frequent trips to the Miners' Home in Blackpool ( he was very fond of convalescing, even when he hadn't been ill) he used to send post cards, not to us , but the dog.

Did anyone else do dog sharing in Ince?

PS
Other dogs around at the time were called Seargent Isherwood, Rex Whittle, Toby McDermott, one from down Ince green lane, I recall- Rebel Taylor, a really hard dog him with stump tail. A cat called Sandy Farnworth and rabbit called Socratese Unsworth.... and a jackdaw with a gammy wing that my mate Ste Whittle brought back in shoe box from a scool trip to Hayling Island called Jack.

Josie, thanks for responding. I never lived in Ince, only visited. My dad was born at 15 Francis Street, but it is somewhere that holds a special place in heart and memory for me.

pisolivadi, yes that was our dog kim. cant remember him going out on his own but must have. thanks for feeding him, no wonder he was never hungary!must have been because me mam used to give him "chappy".

aitch

That is the same level crossing I am thinking about,Edinburgh Drive may be just a tad further up,but not very,I'm sure some present day B.G.Laners can clarify that

Its the Edinburgh Drive that I cant place, the only one I know is in Hindley Green

there is an Edinburgh close, but thats at the bottom Of pennington Lane

I think Kenny means Nelson drive,just about that spot

Hello again, halsall. Peter and I made it to photo-a-day toay.....Ince in the forties! Am really enjoying this thread.....racking my brains to come up with another memory to spark things off!

love the picture Irene, left a message on photo a day. if anyone can think of another thread itll be you. what about the bug! that piece you sent me to read was sso funny. happy times. x.

How many onyu had a few int Prince, in its heyday, I once made a model lighthouse for there, it stood about 2 feet tall, with a rotating light on the top, I often wonder what happened to it, and thowd Bush, at one time I was a member of the darts and dominoe team in there, and on Sunday afternoons, if you didnt get your name down for a game of 5s and 3s before half past 12, you didnt ger a game, happy times, that was before these daft Licencing hours they have now, when you dont know whether a pub is open or shut,

aich ,no thats not the photo but thanks the place i mean was further past that crossing under the bridge even further up the brew past belle green school not quite at the top of lane but almost,

fossil / aitch

Looks like I was wrong (cant believe it)it was Nelson Drive

Sorrrreeeee

I used to go shooting with Maurice Furlong many years ago, he was a great lad and friend now sadly missed. Maurice lived at 34 Pennington lane and worked for some time at the Tripe works, don't know where he went after that. He was landlord of the Belle Green at the time of his death 1993, he is buried with his Mam and Dad in Westwood. RIP Maurice.

Talking of Ince dogs who remembers the pickle works German Shepherd that would leap up at the windows when you walked down the side of the works, we didn't need "Working Medicine" after that!

The little shop on Aitch's photo, the one with advertisements on the side was Ernie Prescotts. I have told this before on WW but seeing we have a picture of the shop I will tell it again. In the early 60's me Mam sent me to Ernie's for 5lb of spuds, dirty ones not pinks, pinks didn't make good chips. The usual "can I keep the change for the penny tray? was asked by me" "Yes!" So off I went. Now you had to weigh your own spuds back then with those old shop scales and weights, I set the scales up for 5lbs then went to the sack the spuds were in put my hand in and picked a nice one out, not too big or you wouldn't get many then put it on the scales, in for another picked it up lifted it out only to find it was a bloody rat! It half jumped and was half clod down to the floor by me, who was then trying very hard not to scream like a wench or cry. Ernie said "Thi gerr every weer them buggers now". I left the shop holding my rat infected hand out in front of me like I was carrying a bomb that was ready to go off. I scrubbed my hand with carbolic soap for two hours when I got home. I never went back to Ernies for spuds again.

PS. I could always be persuaded to back for a Lucky Bag or The Penny Tray though!

Our Joseph, Peter and I have had our photo on "photo-a-day" today, and a lady actually said "Your cousin"....she thought we were related due to the "Our Joseph", "Our Irene" quotes.....I was made up about that! Lucky Bags.....an extremely flimsy paper bag with a poorly-printed picture of scouts on the front,a couple of horrible toffees that you couldn't separate from the paper,a pair of toffee "lips" you held in between your own, a very cheap toy that you couldn't even assemble before it fell to pieces and a corny joke like you get in a Christmas Cracker. But we kept on buying them in the hope that something better would miraculously appear, (a bit like the Lottery-Ticket!). Penny Arrows, Halfpenny "Chix", Anglo Bubble- Gum, Cherry -Lips.....come on, everyone, get a three-cornered paper toffee-bag and fill it with what you remember from t'corner shop.

Dust know Our Irene I have put a comment on your photo but it doesn't seem to have got there yet. A great photo of you and Peter by the way. Thank you for your comments about us being cousins, that was nice.

kenny, yes i am the same age as your brother ,do you remember anne brightons grandma and grandad being the knocker uppers,and the men standing around on the corner of mills chippy across from you, chatting and smoking,lillys shop was once owned by a mrs ross an old lady well she seemed to be to us then,have you seen the school photo on album under schools ,st williams i put it on a while ago your ronny is on it.

Yea Jack Brighton but I cant think of his wifs name,knockers up eh ? were have they all gone

I'll check that foto out right away

Reading about knocker uppers, while I didnt use any, I certainly do emember them, I do remember when there was always a night watchman whenever a hole that had been dug in the road, he would sit in a little sentry type box with a brazier(hope Ive spelt that reet) in front stoked up with coke, and does any one remember going for coke from the gasworks in Hindley, I certainly did, as well as wooden blocks cut from the ends of wagon bottoming planks from the wagon works on Manchester road

Ince dogs: Anyone remember Major the Alsatian as we used to call them at Crow Orchard Motors?Must have been about 1960

They dont need knocker ups these they dont get up till dinner

Here,s one for you, when I was about 9 or 10, I was walking home from St Williams, yes you could do that in them days without some idiot trying to rob, mug or invite you to their car. Anyway I was walking to Jimmy Entwisles papershop to get my Beano and I found a brown sealed envelope which was a pay packet, I thought all my wishes had come true but being a good little saint I took it to the little police station on Manchester rd and handed it in. I remember the Sargeant on the desk taking my details, the pay packet had $25 quid in it, the Sargeant said if no one claimed it after 30 days it was mine to keep so long as I brought my mum or dad back. So after 30 days I dashed back with my mam to find that the pay had been collected but half a crown left for me, still never found out who it belonged to. Anyway a good Incers deed done.

I remember a story about the police station ont bar, we were going past there one satdi neet on the way to the top of the lane, when this chap came running out of the station, all perturbed, we asked him what was up, and he said, somebody had pinched his cockle bike from outside of the white un, and he would have to pay for it and the stock if he didnt ger it back, we heard later they found the bike near to the Labour club, minus cockles of course.

halsall ,(don't know if she'd want me to use her first name), said earlier that she enjoyed my Past Forward article about cinemas, and suggests it might be another idea to jog memories, so I will do the bit about The Bug. Here goes.....I only just remember The Doric Cinema in Ince, (known as The Bug for reasons we won't dwell on!), but my late brother, 19 yrs. my senior, (That's NOT our Colin by the way, Aitch), remembered it well and recalled our Grandma telling of the days when they had silent films, and a lot of elderly Incers couldn't read and would take a young companion to read the captions, and during the silence in a "jealous lover" scene, a wavering voice would pipe up, "Wozzee seh?", and the young companion would bellow, "'E sez 'e's gooin' t'porr 'im!".In my brother's day, the kids got in for a penny and a jam-jar, which the owner, Mr. Pennington, known to one and all as Owd Penny, sold to Teg's pickle-works. Once the "Penny Rush" were in their seats, Owd Penny went home, locking the front door and leaving in just the kids, the projectionist and the Chucker-Out, who was a former wrestler known as Cocker, (pronounced "Cock-Ker"). The kids at the front sat on long forms, and Cocker shoved them along with a clothes-prop with a rag on the end to make room for a newcomer; this resulted in the child at the other end falling off, but it was all part and parcel at The Bug, and no hard feelings. Once the picture started, orange-peel and apple-cores flew through the air like missiles; the villain was Booed and the hero received the deafening information, "'E's Be'ind Thee!" from a hundred Lancashire voices. One particularly rowdy Saturday, Cocker had had enough! He opened the exit-doors, which opened outwards onto a little alleyway, went outside and bellowed "Reight! t'lot o' yer, OUT!", whereupon two opportunist little lads jumped up and shut the doors, leaving Cocker in the alley and the kids on their own inside. My brother couldn't recall the outcome, but he never forgot the glorious pandemonium in The Bug on that long-ago Saturday Afternoon! Right Incers, any more tales of The Bug? Over to you.

oh Irene, thats made me laugh again, i dont remember much about the bug realy, even though we lived right near it. but i do remember the lady sat in the payment booth she always had a little dog with her. wonder what happend to her. the bit i remember you writing about was the boy that was "a bit slow" and the manager let him in for nothing, and someones sister said "tha's let im in fer nowt and my brothers dafter than im!"happy days. x.x.

I can't tell that one, halsall, as it's about a Hindley cinema, and this thread is Ince memories.....don't want to get told off! A relative of Cocker's manned The Bug paybox sometimes; I don't know if it was the lady with the dog, but she was very smart with beautifully styled blonde hair. Anyway, one Summer she was on holiday in The Isle of Man and a family from Ince were in the same boarding-house. During the polite, murmured conversation in the dining-room, with everyone putting on cut-glass voices, the little lad of the Ince family spotted the familiar blonde curls and bellowed "Ey look Mam, it's T'Bug-Lady!", much to her embarrassment!

beckett

Saw your old school foto this morning and put a comment on it,some of the lads I knew quite,but only by their surname,and one or two girls

I am still young enough to have experienced owd cockers wrath, and well remember the penny rush as we called it, I remember the old benches and the old back row bus seats in later life when you were doing your courting, the building still stands, but has been altered over the years,

the overall shape still remains, and I have said before when we didnt have enough money to get in, we used to sit at the back and listen to the saturday matinee, then off home galloping on our horses, wi our clogs clip clopping all the way home

aitch I went for coke too. But it was in Wigan. I pushed an empty pram all the way from Belle Green Lane/Manchester Rd/Darlington St, under the railway bridge and the gas works was on the left after you crossed Warrington Rd.
For a short time my father was a bus conductor and I remember having to meet his bus on Ince Bar to give him his jackbit and his tea which was in a white enamel can with a top that was the cup.
I also remember taking my uncles bets for him. I don't know the number, but I would guess it would be about 42, Belle Green Lane. You went down Earl St and turned left at the path that went along the backs of the houses, and the bookies was a shed in the back yard.

kenny , the boy was joseph bushell theres only one or two i cant name but know their faces, have you seen the 1957 dvd st williams walking day you wont be on it as you were a bit too young, i will look for your brother tommorrow,he is my age or there abouts ime 60 now( argggggg) cant beleive that. you must be a couple of yrs younger,i have asked many times for a photo of york st but no luck yet would love to see it ,me and my hubby go upt lane my sisters also just to have a look and remenis but you cant get to york st as was because of houses and gardens in the way, how dare they ha ha last time i went was a few weeks ago with my cousin gerry mawdsley, we went into smiths dairies and theres some empty cottages there shame just left.then we went to top of lane its so special to me although not quite same today . we went up canal gorgeouse!!!!! anyway on way back went down hemfield rd still not quite same, no bowling green or barons farm, or slaggy,but a lovely horse stables and short cut to morissons,while we were standing looking an old neighbour came out of her house ,brenda galvin we all had a good chinwag about old times, brenda lived at 10 york st accross from us there were 9 or 10 children lovely family ,as was all the wonderfull familys from (upt lane)

does anyone remember the temp on the bar in my day 60s it was owned by mr lance lucas, it was a beltin shop,he sold toffy ice cream, beverages,cigs,even condoms, there was a lit up red sighn in the window advertising durex,well i was about 14 then and ime not ashamed to say that i didnt know what they were,all my other mates were laughing including my now hubby but even he says he didnt know what they were ha ha,he said he was still playing with corgies and dinkie cars he he,i thought it was something to do with men having periods and ime not kidding!!!! anyroad when i was a bit younger than that i lived at top of lane and we had to go to church so i was never a church lover from being a little girl,our mam sent us with tuppence for the box but we sat on the step (kennys) till we saw them all coming home we spent our tuppence at mrs rosses on toffy eventually my mam took us to evening mass we only went because she took us to the temp and we could have hot choc, horliks, bovril,hot vimto,ovaltine, and more we sat on a little bench near the door what a great time we had if i could have one more hot vimto at temp ont bar with mam x

Lance Lucas' vimto lollies at the Temp were fantasic but his jubblies were too hard at first.

jacklaw,
He may have been a bit young, but douglas, who lived at no.30 in the 50's and 60's may well have been tainted by the shenanigans at the bookies shed at the back of no.42 BGL you've enlightened us about.
I don't think his dad and grandad would have bin so callous as to send their bets with him at that age..... but ya never know......
As good Christians at No 74 , we knew nothing of these nefarious goings on.

beckett

Is brenda married to Jimmy Galvin,I know Jimmy but not brenda,

There has been mention of Minnnies & Lilliesshops,but who owned the other shop a bit further up BGL past Francis St,on the same side

Is Gerry Mawdsley the las who does a bit of Geoerge Formby,because opposite the shop I have just mentioned there was Julie Mawdesley who I went to school with,she had an older brother but I cant think of his name,do you know who I mean ??

Peter and I used to go round with a duo, round the Labour Clubs/ Legions etc.,before we were married, with a group of friends. One of the girls was Julie Mawdesley, but don't know if it's the same one. She was a lovely girl, and very attractive. I remember the "Temp" on Ince Bar, and I recall when my brother Colin got married in 1961; he got a house in Ince Green Lane and bought some hardboard from Hesketh's Hardware shop; The Bug was closed by then and Hesketh's used it as their store-room, and Our Colin and I went with one of the Hesketh brothers to collect the hardboard. There is something very strange and creepy about a disused cinema or theatre and I can remember the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end, and the feeling of relief to get back onto the Saturday Morning bustle and noise on Ince Bar. It probably wouldn't feel anything like that now, but then it hadn't been closed that long as a cinema, and it was as if it was waiting in the dust and the silence for the music to start up and the people to take their seats. Fanciful I know, but I felt as if someone was watching us and I have never forgotten it.

Pisolivadi, I am completely untainted by what was going on at 'back of 42 BGL.
I do remember blokes playing 'pitch n toss' up those backs though and also at the top of BGL when we were walking home from Sunday school at BG school.

There used to be a electric sub station at the bottom of those backs on Earl St.
Pisolivadi (who was older than me and should have known better) and I were writing naughty words on it one day when Paul Faulkeners Mam came past and caught us
'Wait 'till I see your Mam' she said and walked off home.
I was kackin' misen all day after that just waiting for the hiding I would certainly get from first Mam and then Fatha when he found out
God bless her, she never told on us

Paul Faulkener was in my class in the infants at Ince Central, and there is a pic of him on the class photo under "schools", (the one with 47 comments).

Irene, I was in Pauls house one day when his Mam came home for her dinner (from TEGs) and told his elder brother David that she had got him a job there and he was to start the day after. I think it was very early in the school holidays and I remember David not being too pleased.

I'll bet he wasn't! But how different it all was, Douglas; you hardly needed to go out of Ince to find work, and certainly not outside Wigan. There was Teg's, The Wagon Works, The Empress Cotton-Mill, Eckersley's Mill in Wigan, The Co-op,The Council-Yard; pit-buses ran to the local mines, and there were shops and sewing-factories all around.

Irene, you are correct.
I left school in 1970 and walked straight into full time work at John England Engineers. I could have gone to Heinz or Leyland Motors but I think our names were drawn out of a hat and we just got a letter in the post telling us when and where to start.

kenny,brenda and jimmy galvin are brother and sister and the shop was clara's but there was another couple of shops even further up past the prince on corner of prince st was mosse's, there was one in tank st, and one at other end of york st think it was amys ?and sharples was accross from bgl side of your house,julie mawdsley is my second cousin and she has two brothers terrence and james he went to austrailia,gerry is my firs cousin and yea he plays the euk and hes the president of the george formby society, his dad and my mam were brother and sister.

I went back up Ince today and did a bit of research for this marvellous nostalgic thread.

My mate, still resident in God's Little Acre, reckons Tom Whalley ( of Pet Shop fame ) had the Temp before Lance Lucas.

He also revealed the injured Jackdaw he brought back from a Rose Bridge school trip to Hayling Island was killed by a White Alsation, name of Kim Crooke.

Not just any alsation, mind,... a white 'un. The murderous hound.

)

beckett

I'd forgot about the shops further upt lane,Moss's I think was a dark green colour outside,and the one on York St,so many in such a small area,and how could I forget Sharples right across from us,last i knew of Julie she was living around the Barnsley St area

douglas

Going off your post does it mean I could have been sent to Heinz welding ????

I had an email off John T this morning,he said he had been reading this Ince thread,and says that Gaskells shop had him actually smelling the parafin,and they had a dughter who went to school with him,I'll find her name again later

Kenny, from what I remember we were taken to visit various factories ie Heinz,Leyland Motors etc.
We filled in application forms at each place and then just waited for a reply.
Of course, you could also apply for jobs yourself elsewhere but it seemed 'the norm' that you would get the nod from one of the places visited.
You and I obviously drew the short straws

Yes, it was Whalley's Temperance Bar before Tom Whalley went on to run the pet-shop. He had a son, Christopher, who I think attended Ince Central.

Mention OF the Sharples by Josie. Were they somehow related to the famous Wigan and GB rugby player Jonnie Lawrenson originally from Bryham Street?

i would often be sent to the chippy on the corner of russell street or if i was feeling extra fit i would go to the one down petticoat lane
either way it was a pain
i remember moss`s shop, the lad that lived there was a biker also remember mulveys and alices shop further down belle green lane.
the papper shop owned by mr. morris, i used to be a papper lad there until he sacked me for not turning up.
if i remember corrcectly Mr Morris played in a group called the Robins

peter 48 i remember mollys at bottom of petticoat lane the counter was massive id a job see over it then again abet ad struggle now ha ha chippy when the two owd women ad it then crookies mam and dad then couple of others then our jimmy ad it not long tho then the church ont corner jim bennet bought it turned it into a house then vals at top bithels firday neet chippy neet watchin cracker jack arguin who was goowin mi mam wouldnt let me go a kept losin money ha ha ha me and r stey carry mi dads glass bowl wi tay towel wrap round it dont see that now

Y'know how kids now have ipods and ipads and stuff. Strange, but true how we in Ince got endless entertainment and satisfaction from a Wally Kay's gas mask.

pisolivadi, that's if we hadn't already spent up at 'Penny Cake Shop'

reet gary
i can imagine you losing the money and thi mam not being too pleased.
i think two sisters had the chippy name of gibson and they used to sell rag puddings deffo not hollands
i well remember your kid having the chippy and turning it into a reet good house, i bought his lads trailer off him when i was demolishing me garage
they were grand days back then werent they

Any memories of Ince Green Lane and surrounding streets? I know there was a thread started but it seems to have come to a stop. Maggie Scott's and Ernie's chippy? Milner's Dentist? The shops......Jenny Dwyer's, Fred Alker's, Connie's, Little Amy's? The characters......Johnny Rutter, Tommy Connor, Ciggy, Clapper, Persil? (No offence intended, they were great characters who were a part of our lives and are remembered with great affection.) The Little Jungle? The Little Alley up the side of The Long Neck? The Clinic?

Doesn't anybody have memories of Lower Ince?

I lived there until I was 9 and can remember lots about Mount View and going to St Williams school but not enough about the general area to provide any interest.

I didn't know about the Bug and still haven't worked out where it was. I do remember going to the Regal with my mum on Friday nights, First House as it was called. My grandparents went to the Second House and every Saturday morning I had a mixed bag of sweets,left overs,or more likely,specially saved. I still love Fry's cream bar but it's not as good as it was then.

I remember the haunted house in Westwood Cemetery and walking to buy flowers from Mr Holmes in Westwood Park ( where you could walk through to the canal). We went to play in the pipes and other building materials when the cooling towers were being built - wouldn't get anywhere near a site like that now, but then it was adventure and fun. My friend from Mount View then was Eva Barrett who had a cousin Florence.

I learned to ride my bike riding round 'the cornfield', up the bit of Westwood Lane after the bridge and then round, in what seemed a big circle, past an area where there was an echo. I had forgotten about this echo until I visited the area about 20 years ago when my mother and I walked along the canal from Wigan and tried to find our way to Mount View. It was very overgrown and I went one way and she went the other which meant I shouted... and I was right back to being 7 and hearing my voice come back.

My mother used to talk about soldiers on the bridge during the war and how she felt a fool when they shouted in the dark,'Halt! Who goes there?' and she replied 'Friend'. I think she and her friend Phyllis Brown/Bowen had often been dancing the night away at the Emp!

i was born in lower ince and attended brittania bridge school, i also wwent to the chapel in james street, i remember we used to have gala days when we would go through the tunnel under the railway and play games in a field full of cow plats,
we used to go there in the summer, loads of us kids would go and we`d take sugar butties and bottles of water, we were easily pleased them days, i also remember a bloke called tommy who used to walk with the aid of 2 sticks,
i lived in lancaster street and across the road from us was the toffee shop, i think withingtons had it but not sure.we would play round harvey street and round the backs we were quite safe to go out at night then i also remember the dairy at the bottom of harvey street
our local doctor was dr duffy and the local nurse/midwife was nurse Tew who lived in freederick street
earliest i can remeber of her was when she turned me upside down and smacked me backslde lol
i also remember the trains over what we called the blackie wall my grandad used to shunt wagons there.

Kath, I don't know what years you lived in Lower Ince, but my friend has vivid memories of a big alsatian dog that used to hang around Crow Orchard Motors.His name was Major. My friend's Auntie, Sarah Langford, lived in Crow Orchard Terrace. My teacher in the Babies Class at Ince Central was brought up in Westwood Terrace and has fond memories of The Regal and of playing in the cornfield. Her name was Margaret Ashurst, later Margaret Johnson when she married Harry, and they lived in Burgess St,. which has been demolished not that long ago. She later taught at Britannia Bridge.
Peter48, I wonder if you knew my Auntie and Uncle, Alice and George Parkinson? They lived in Frederick St. then Cheltenham Ave. Sadly, both died young leaving a family of six. Whether you or Kath remember these things will obviously depend on how old you are.

kenny.that shop called clara's well the surname was woods i couldnt think of it yesterday and how did they all manage to keep going with all those shops in sutch a small place but they did,

jacklaw, just looking at your comment about tony mann and sylvia,well sylvia is one of my best friends since we worked together in ince about early 80s her partner was roy corner who she split from , and is sadly now passed away sylvia was not the oldest tony was think she was third child in family she has 4 children and lives in hindley with her partner steve,its nice to see her house, i thoug ht it was next door that was the start of the walking day dvd at the tarpys but i didnt live there although i spent some time in lea way in my youth i mated with anne dutton she had a sister sheila and ime sure her mam and dad had the conk once ? please correct me if ime wrong .

kenny,what number on belle green lane was your house only i love looking at who lived there before ,was your address frances st or belle green lane? as i love to look on wigan directory it tells you who lived in the houses in ince in 1925 its dead interesting a man called j o,,hon byrn lived in our house it tells you what theire job was even soz thats john byrn what number did you live in frances st and what was your official address ha ha just interested was it frances st or bgl.

beckett

I see sylvia now and again,she works (part-time) in the sunbed place in Whelley,it's her daughter's I think

As for BGL,we lived at No 183,then there was the corner(steps) and in Francis St there was No 1 which was never used(the old outdoor serving hatch was in there)but our other door was No 3
So it was both BGL & Francis St

Beckett, Tony is married to my cousin Doreen and is still pottering about, there is a couple of photos of Tony on ww somewhere, a football team I think, Sylvia I remember also, as well as Roy Corner and his elder brother Jimmy, Jimmy had the railway pub in platt waz at one time, but I remember them mostly from when they lived in Christopher street.

Irene - I was born in Mount View in 1942 and lived there until 1951 when we moved to Horwich.

I'm afraid I don't know any of the people you mention. I didn't know where Crow Orchard Terrace was so I got out my ancient street map and it was round the corner from Wilding Street where my cousins Brian and Lawrence Morris lived. If I'd seen a big alsatian I'd have run a mile.

The map, which must be from c1972, has adverts , which include
Quo Vadis (Fred Finch Coach Tours) Moat House Street
Two-In-One Boutique 158 Warrington Road - it has a poem!
Murray's Printing Works Humphrey Street
Speakman and Jones Humphrey Street
W. A. Salter Chemists 7 Ince Green Lane
James Sutcliffe & Son (Foods) Pennington Lane - they supply top quality blast frozen tripes, cowheels and elder, as well as dripping,tallow and neatsfoot oil! Sutcliffe's Tripe is the best.
Grundy's Ince Bar Complete House Furnishers
Crow Orchard Garage- proprietor H.Kirkwood. HP on the spot!
Westwood Garage proprietors N. Bolton and E. Farrimond.

I do remember a teacher who lived in the house/vicarage? opposite Westwood Cemetery. I think she taught at St Mary's School and might have been the Vicar's daughter. I remember her because she walked with her hip stuck out at a funny angle to balance her big, heavy bag!

beckett, Dutton's, thats another name I remember but I can't quite picture where they lived. I think it must have been on the left hand side as you came from Anderton St. Sorry I can't confirm if the Duttons had the conk.

Charlie Dutton was the steward at St Bills club and also was the landlord at the conk for a while.
Tony was the eldest of Charlie and Annie's kids,and then Sheila and Anne.
Jack it was on the left and they lived near to the Tarpeys.

As you can see I don't post that often on here but I felt I had to make some comments on this fantastic thread. As a born & bread Incer who has not lived in that area for nearing 40 years this post has brought back so many great memories of my mam & dad, my family & my old mates most of whom I am sadly no longer in touch with. Memories in some cases I had forgotten I even had. I've had a few giggles & some tears reading these posts & remembering my own experiences growing up in what for me then was a safer nicer world. just to mention a few of the places that brought back these memories like the Empress mill, tripe works, Devils tunnel, Jack come tomorrow, Dr Hyde & the dreaded Milners dentist, Annie Cappers, Cains pies, Black tank, Entie’s paper shop, Gaskells (I can still smell the paraffin!), Bithells shop, Ron Leighs, Maggie Greens, 3 Corners, The Bug, Gibsons chippy, etc. My thanks & gratitude to all you wonderful people who have contributed to this thread that has made this now "getting old man" very happy. My best wishes to you all.

johnt54

Dont be a stranger owd lad

Remeber the Squirrel,me,you & granite,3 brown & bitters,hoooowwww much 46 1/2p,them really was the days

yer more than welcome john, owt us keeps our memories of Ince alive is aw reet in my book, and mines bin oppun for 72 years, only moved once, I did 6 week down Platt Waz, "Mersey Road in 1967", but thats another story, any one else owt fot add, its nor ony abowt BGL, or even IGL, come on memories please.

aitch

I remember me very first "gill" it was in't 'thimp,I was 15 and still at school,landlord never flinched when this lad,who was actually 17,asked if I fancied a swift 'un

The little hole was my first introduction to beer, Id just turned 18 in 1957, 6 of us gooint pictures decided to see if we could ger a drink, 4 of us did, 2 no chance, I wont name um as they are still around, but that became our local, but we never fancied the Park across the road,always The Amberswood, supped quite a few int thimp too in its later life, I could tell a few stories about that place, I wonder how many remembered when it got raided one sunday afternoon for showing blueies, and when it was raided for serving after time, with apologies to an owd mate of mine who finished up wi my ale in front of him while I was playing pool, he was fined I wasnt,

Kenny, I remember those Saturday nights we had in the Squirrel well. A few in there then onto the Cases, Crispin & then into Wigan. Beltin times eh? My first legal pint was the Park with my dad, it was a Sunday afternoon & I remember sitting down & being taught how to play five & threes. My dad's mates kept buying me pints of Wilsons bitter. By the time we got home I was sozzled out my brain & my mam went ape at my dad. "First time you've took him out & look at the bloody state of him" I can hear her now god bless. Great times.

i spent a lot of time int little jungle lr ince opposite manley.now up for sale.

I remember the wagon works (well the section nearest Manchester Road) started making steel shipping containers the sort you see everyday all over the world. At one time a load of foreign trucks (think they were from Iran or somewhere) were parked the length of Ince Green Lane waiting to collect new containers. The place was full of foreigners who could speak of word of the Queens English

Kenny/Johnt,
Didn't we used to (after playin for double77) start in the Squirell then get a taxi into Wgan and drink that funny green stuff int' Beer Keller before goin' on to the Casino. The night then ended in a walk home after getting a Chinese to fuel us up.

We did the same never had chinese, but went in Sweaty Bettys a few times, but thats in Wiggin, this is abowt Ince.

Kennny/Johnt
Remember one of the Taxi drivers was one of the Trelfalls (not sure of spelling)
Billum maybe

dougls

If we didnt do the crawl to Birket bank we would get a taxi,and the "green stuff" wait for the spelling...chartruese,gos when I think about what we supped in them days
I think the cab mon was Joe

Well hello johnt, former firebrand gullicks shop steward. Glad to hear you're on top of the soil, mon. Last time I bumped into you, was in the bar of the Falcon Hotel Stratford on Avon. When would that've been?

Lygoe's Windows: I know no-one would 've wondered what happeened to 'em , but I'll tell y'anyway:

Lygoe's pawn shop on the Bar was just past the Temp on the site of the current post office.
When it stood empty awaiting demolition, my mate Ste W decided Lygoe's big plate glass windows wee so bonny they'd be better reconstituted as a giant fish tank, and so were duly liberated.

The tank dimensions were such that it had no chance of fitting through his back door in Belle Green Lane and the whole job was designed , welded and erected in the back kitchen.

''I towd ya it'd owd wayter and not leak , dinta.... Oh ye of little faith'' he shouted to his wife in t'front.

What was that bang?' his wife shouted back, moments before 300 gallons of water cascaded towards her.

I told him, 'Crime never pays.'

Hi Bill, Long time no speak. The Falcon meeting was 1989, September I think when we were down one weekend looking at houses in Worcestershire as I had to move with my job. We did move down that December. From there I had a job move later on with the same company to Canada. Still a firm socialist mate but a quieter one one now I have mellowed with age.

Kenny / Douglas - Believe it or not I actually visited the place they make Chartruese about 10 years ago whilst working in France (south of Lyon) & these monks offered me a free tasting session. No bloody way I said, than mean green stuff had given me one bad head too many!

douglas,
Least said soonest mended about bowt'n today,eh.

It was worse than the summer '65 sunday afternoon , being blamed for settin' fire to that generator lorry on Silcocks Fair behind the Legion when we'd bin playin' three-pops- in for hours in your back yard..... You're still me only alibi.

I con remember going in the squirrel after playing football on a Saturday afternoon. Doors were locked but the place was packed. This was when the pubs shut in the afternoon. On a saturday

I con remember going in the squirrel after playing football on a Saturday afternoon. Doors were locked but the place was packed. This was when the pubs shut in the afternoon. On a saturday

yer repeating yersel agen Peter

must be gerrin reet owd and senile aitch
ive done the last few from me blackberry and the buttons dont do wor a tell um
lol

Pisolivadi, your secret is safe as long as you keep up the payments
I thought it was a case of mistaken identity anyway.
Wasn't it the other BG
Having 2 BG's in BGL was an accident just waiting to happen

Who has heard of the old bet that went around many years ago, that you couldnt start boozing in the Crispen with a thimble full of ale and visit every pub to The park, doubling up at each one, I was told that nobody ever did it, as there was 18 pubs in total without going down any side streets,(the rifleman and shovel)

never heard that on Aitch but I do know that for every pint I drink nowadays I seem to p.ss 2 in return.
Do other Incers suffer this affliction

I used to do, but changing to a couple of glasses of wine instead, cured that problem

Does anyone remember what that building used to be that's In Lord St, joined on to the doctors surgery ?

It was the warehouse for all the Mortons shops in the area, I think there were about 4, 2 on the bar one over the Rose bridge across from the pingy, and one down Ince green lane, where the road divides into Manley street and Ince green lane

my dad brian winstanley used to go in ince central and rose bridge he lived on windermere rd. his family was the brown family. his dad was jimmy winstanley and married dorothy brown in 1946/7, just before my dad was born but they didnt stay together long

to Aitch do you remember the Corcaron family on Island row in the fifties......

Hi Graham, I do remember the Corcorans, Ian was the lad but I dont remember the girls name, they lived in the last house of the row, first was the Rigbys, then Mrs Vernon, then the Fosters and then the Corcorans

kenny. i have been looking on the ince directory for 1925/26 and at number 183 belle green lane it says a mrs harrington grocer and provisions ,DLR i presume that means something to do with selling beer and spirits?someone on here may know,and you say you had two numbers on the lane 183/185 well theres no 185 listed ? and on frances st you lived at 1 and 3, and well it starts at number 2 a mr charlie staff labourour, then its 5 samuel holcroft collier how amazing it is to know this , there must have been some changes over the years to the houses ? i wonder how this has happened and why ,but i would love to know what was your official address ha ha.

beckett

We always used 183 BGL,to be honest,I just thought the corner door (steps)was 185,and Francis St,as I say the first door was never used by us,the next was the door into the kitchen,of all places,next door No 5 was the Holcrofts,later occupied by the Marsh's,their children were John & Carol,both older than me,
No 7 Brighton's
No 9 Woods
No 11 Burke
No 13 Nasseer
after that it's a bit hazy,I'll see if our Ronnie can shine a light on the rest

kenny, your probably rite as maybe the numberes were altered over the years, i dont remember holcrofts moving, i remember some of those neighbors ,dorothy melling,the etocks margery and william,the owens,mark burk and his mam who had no nose and she wore a white square of lint over where her nose was do you remember her ? the boltons, the mackdonalds,cant think of more just yet.and there was a barracks at the bottom of york st on corner with frances st it was a salvation army once and later a garage or something my sister pat was on about doing a painting from memory of york st as we cant get hold of any photos atall,somebody must have a photo surely, my uncle frank mawdsley died on wedenesday he was 80 and very well known in ince, he was born in york st then lived at 207 belle green lane my grandmas,it was a couple of doors from prince ,i could go on and on ha ha.

Kenny, found the old pic of the corner shop (Harrington's) in Wigan History shop, or whatever new fangled name they now give it. It is in the Ince ring binder under pubs.

Josie, what number York Street were you in?

beckett

Great,two more names to add to the list,Owens,& McDonalds,I do remember them,I was also trying tothink of familys on the other side of the street,then you pop up with Bill & Marjorie Eatock,and next door to them,do you remember a lady we all used to call her "singing Martha" Oh and right facing us was Kathleen Aspley

I dont recall the barracke,it was only ever a transport garage that I can remember

flaggydelf

That's good news,I must try to get and have a gander at that soon

flaggy delph,i lived at number 9,on same side of minnies shop,