Who worked at Brown and Haighs sewing factory

Who remembers working at Brown and Haighs down Chapel Lane Wigan .I worked on the mantle side ,the Xl room ,Juno room and the measure room .Jenifer Moss who used to be on Coronation street ,her dad used to work there.Any one remember

i think my cousin John MacEvoy used to work there

Hi Joany,.Seem to remember the name he could have worked on the suit side.That was the mens side of the factory.I worked on the ladies,Thanks anyway.

if it is the john macavoy i am thin
king of he lived in blackthorne avenue beech hill, many years ago he lost a leg in a traffic accident but he played cricket and football while using a crutch i think he moved to worsely mesnes, not seen or heard of him for many years

Yes it is the same John MacEvoy he died a few years ago

bonny, did you know the caretaker/odd job man I think his name was Harry Atkinson.

I used to live next door to a chap who worked at Brown & Haigs from leaving school until they closed. His name was Gordon, still a bachelor to this day, (won't mention his surname, as he is still going strong well into his 70's)
Also Jennifer Moss's dad, used to have a taxi to & from work, every morning, & evening. In '68, when I worked for Middleton & Woods, I picked him up quite often. Lovely chap (unlike his wife, who because of her daughters fame, thowt she were the queen of Wiggin)

Hi ART ,Did this Gordon fellow work in the cutting room , if he did i think i remember him .Mr Reg Moss was yery nice man only about 5 ft tall ,If he was that.He lived in Wigan Lane Standish ,his wife used to give elecusion lessons to children.

Hi coccium I dont remember a Harry Atkinson ,But i do remember a man who worked there called Harold Sharples he used to repair the machines for us .He lived in Poolstock Lane and he used to have a few grey-hounds ,he was always out walking them.I think i heard that he died a few years go

Dunno' which Dept Gordon worked in, but he was the type o'chap, always a smile on his face, very slim , curly hair (then)& rode a pushbike everywhere, as a matter of fact, last time I saw him was on his bike. Surname began with "E"
I think Reg Moss's house was 302 or 4 Wigan Lane, (Wigan, not Standish)

Hello bonny, my mother asked me to tell you that she worked at Brown and Haighs during the seventies abight in the canteen. Her boss was Miss Naylor and she also knew Reg Moss very well and a Mr. Scott. She also said that Jennifer Moss regulary brought old (but very expensive)clothes that she'd worn into the factory to be shared out!

Paul, I remember Miss Naylor, i think your mother got the seventies wrong,I got married in 1968 and they had closed then.Your mothers face seems familiar were does she live?,I live in Hindley Green ,but i came from Higher Ince.
.We used to buy tickets on Monday morning so that we could go in the canteen for our meals all week .If i remember rightly they used to charge us 2 shillings and 6 pence ,That is just over 12 p.in todays money,We had some good meals. Phyllis

Paul, Forgot to ask you was you related to the Nickolsons that live in Worsley Mesnes ?.My brother married a June Nickolson from there, sadly they are not with us any more.Phyllis

Hello Bonny, your right my mother said she used to work there in the sixties and she also remembers the meal tickets. My mother who is now in 87 lives in Fitzadam St just off the center of Wigan, but she spends most of the year over here in Switzerland. I have (had?) an uncle Frank who lived in Worseley Mesnes, is that the nicholson your referring to?

Hi Paul My sister -in-laws name was June,her fathers name was Jack and her mothers name was Linda .They lived in Poolstock Lane.Tell your mother that
she is very lucky to spend most of her time in Switzerland.I have never been there but I believe it to be very beautifull.Do you see a lot of snow there, I love snow.Phyllis

Hello bonny, no my mother has no recollection of a June Nicholson, but she does remember Billy Davies who used to live in the same street as Brown & Haigh's. Talking about snow, its snowing as I write and my son couldnt visit this weekend because of the high snowfall where he lives (Isteltwald), so no I for one do not love snow

Hi Paul , Yes i do remember Billy Davis ,7-45 am and you would see him cleaning the window sills i think he had the cleanest house in Wigan.I was visiting my uncle in Leigh infirmary 11 -12 years ago and who should be in the same ward only Billy. I felt realy sorry for him no vistitors and he had no buttons on his pyjarmas. I went over to him with a safty pin to hold them together for him .He died a few days later.I wish it would snow here.

hi bonny,does anyone remember my mum and dad frank leonard and margaret derbyshire?(peggy)they met while working there in the early 1950s.. would mean the world to me if anybody knew them, heres hoping!

I worked for Allan Leyland at the once Betty Bows in Wallgate. I was told that he worked as a cutter at Brown & Haighs before he started up on his own.

Hi there Rosie, Sorry but i don,t remember your mum and dad ,but it was a big firm I will ask some one i know who worked
there .Do you know if they worked on the mantel side or the gents.I only started working there 1958-1959,so they could have left before then. It was a very good firm to work for.

hi bonny,, think it was the gents side,my dad was a tailor if thats any help! pretty sure my mum left in 1954 when i was born, not sure when my dad left-i know he was a widower aged 31 and lived in scholes when he met my mum there in 1953. mum was 29 and lived in york st off wallgate not loads more info- long story!!

I remenber Brown n Haighs I went to St Patricks and they made our dresses for walking day but i think they closed shortly after that I think it opened up again as a shoe factory

Hi all you Brown & Haighers.
I worked there from 1960 until it shut (not sure when that was). I worked on the Mantle side. Muriel Hitchmough was our overseer. She always seemed quite straight laced to me. But we did sometimes make her working day troublesome.
We would need no excuse to go drinking at the Fox Inn during lunch time, returning late. I must say at this point that I was only 15 at the time. How on earth we managed to sew in the afternoon I will never know.
At one time we had an industrial nurse and it wasn't unusual when it was someones birthday or at Crimbo, word would go around she was having a party in the medical room. We would find some weak excuse i.e. stomach ache, knock on her door, as it would be locked, go in, lock door again, and party.
Anyone remember Harold Sharples? I don't think there was one woman worked there he hadn't touched up. He got many a slap from me, but it didn't stop him trying again.
Anyone woman who knew him would not walk up stairs ahead of him, not wise.
I married someone who also worked there, been married 42yrs so we share a lot of B&H memories.

Hi James/Nora, any relations of Frank Beckett?
Fred

Hi Fred, (don't know where you got Nora from?)
My hubby thinks that Frank Beckett was his Grandads brother or cousin. He says that there was so many of them he doesn't really know for sure who was who.He also wants to know if you were their captain of the St. Jame's church lads brigade?

HI TO ALL BROWNIES MY FIRST JOB AFTER LEAVING SCHOOL I WORKED WITH HARRY ATKY DID YOU KNOW HE PLAYED FOR WIGAN RLFC AND GT BRITAIN IN THE 50s MY NAME IS JOE AND I USED TO BE CALLED THE BAND LAD B4 MENDING THE MACHINES I REMEMBER THE GIRLS USED TO SAY CLOSE YOUR LEGS BECAUSE I HAD TO GO UNDER THE MACHINES PLENTY OF STOCKING TOPS IN THOSE DAYS NO TIGHTS THEN THANK GOD HAPPY DAYS

DOES ANYONE OUT THERE REMEMBER WORKING AT PETER BLONDS FACTORY IN CLAYTON ST LATE SIXTIES EARLY SEVENTIES

Consec, When were you the band lad? Because I married
the band lad at Brown & Haighs, (obviously not you)
It is quite true, we did used to say that.

HI JAMES I WAS THE BAND LAD FROM 67 TILL IT CLOSED THEN I WENT TO PETER BLONDS

Harry Atkinson, used to be a labourer round our lathes, millers etc at Gullicks, Forge St workshop in '69.
He lived on the estate near Morris St club..Nice Chap

I mentioned Harry at the top of this thread,good rugby player and a cracking bloke.

I think Phyllis Dutson from Ruskin avenue worsley mesnes worked here. I used to live next door to phyllis, lovely woman.

juney,Is Phyllis any relation to Alan Dutson?

I printed this thread off for my sister Nora Yates she loved it, she worked there from leaving school in 1946 for 14 years latter her married name was Nora Scully

If its the same Harry Atkinson, .That lived on the estate near Morris St club. He had a Daughter very tall girl. I think she also died some time ago now. She was married to a old friend of mine.

my dad worked there, thats where he met my mum, does anyone remember bernard purcell and christine mcbride think they were there in the 60s

HI. All my wife worked at Brown and Haighs from leaving school until the late sixties she was Rita Lavin then, she had two good friends Jean Edwards and Kath Holden (later Jolley) there will be more to follow no doubt. Please keep in touch

My sister in law Kath Tootle/Heaton worked there.

My mum was telling me that she used to work there.. from leaving school in 1953.. until 1962.. her name then was joan dean.. she used to work in the trouser room... (bagging putting waistbands on ) George Schofield was her boss then.. and a lady called Nelly Whimby , She also worked with, Eva telford, Joyce hart, Edna hunt, Phyllis dootson...COCCIUM ..Alan was Phyllis son...,molly mc cann, Julie topping, and Kathleen draper. she says that they were great days then.. and all she did to get a start there was fill a form in and she got the job... (IF ONLY IT WAS SO EASY THESE DAYS TO FIND WORK SO QUICKLY )..

Hi Jeff Purcell. I worked with your dad at Brown and Haighs in the 60s, although I was a bit younger than him. At that time he was courting your mum. I later went to work at Burtons factory in Warrington after your dad moved there. Your Mum and Dad introduced me and my wife Anne, to a cocktail - Brandy, Lime and Soda.Regards - Kevin Rose.

hi kevin, did you go to their wedding in 66, its 21 yrs since my dad passed away

Should have started there inJan.'64, had an interview with a Mr Ellison to become a tailors cutter.I then got offered a job as an apprentice plumber and took that instead.Looks like I missed out on a lot of fun but I was still in my job when the factory shut for many years, so that evens it up a bit...

Hi Jeff. No I didn't. I wasn't a close friend of your Mum and Dad's. I got to know Bernard better after they were married when we worked at Burtons factory,Warrington.Did you go to St John Fisher school? I went there from Sacred Heart. I was captain of the rugby team the same time Kevin O'Loughlin was captain of St Thomas Moore - great rivals.I played for St Pat's ARL for a season in the early sixties - we won a cup.Give our best wishes to your mum.

I believe my mam and dad worked there in 1950's Bill and Marion Meehan -

My mum and her sister worked there in the 1950s - Joyce and Joan Blinkhorn, sadly both passed away now.

Hi Jeff
I remember your Mum and Dad very well. I worked with them at Brown and Haighs in the 60's. Your Mum was also in my class at Thomas Moore. My nee name was Hunter, she may remember me. We had such a laugh in that factory. We worked in the trouser room and our bosses were Nellie and Cissie. We sang our way all through the day, much to their annoyance.... Happy days
If you go onto the schools page you'll see the group photo.
Sorry to hear about your Dad. Give my regards to your Mum.