Places   (Help with places, streets and buildings in Wigan.)

Took me a while to read through and have noticed my maiden name appearing.-June Mc Dermott,and I lived at 8,Reservoir Street,with a snappy little corgi called Toby.Phoebe was my mum (nee Fowler)and Bernard was my dad.My younger sister was Julie.I lived just around the corner from Billy G and Joan Martins back yard was opposite our front door.Miss Halsall was one of my friends.My mum did 'get coaches up' for the illuminations,very easily as her older brother Bill used to drive for DUDDY's coaches.I cant possibly write all I am thinking at the moment,so just a couple of items.Growing up there used to be a group of us who stuck together,myself,Joan Martin,Janet Bradley,Evelyn Aspinall,Billy Green,Tom and Barrie Southworth,Peter Draper.Peter used to live in the sweet shop opposite the top of Anderton Street,Tom and Barrie used to live next door to Joe Gaskells shop,Joan opposite ours,Janet in Union Street and Evelyn in a little drapery shop,opposite Smiths dairy.I can say that in my teens,my mum got a little job cleaning the offices at Smiths dairies and sometimes cooking in the canteen.I remember the cottages in the yard very well,but especially the Bambers.No-one at the dairy realised,but on a Friday night when the offices were empty,my sister and I used to nip across to partake of a wonderful deep bath.Well,it was better than the tin bath by far,plus we didn't need to fill the boiler for hot water.It was absolute luxury then.We had 1 cold water tap in the kitchen,1 mains electric socket by the middle door and an outside loo.Used to cringe going across the yard in the dark.So many memories.Playing in pickleworks yard and Brian Whittles pen,both places we shouldn't have bee in.Sliding down branch broo and going to Haigh Hall up the canal towpath and Borsdane Wood.Aunty Amy's shop window full of toffees,all sweating nicely in the sun.My grandad Edward Fowler used to have a big pen where the pickleworks ended up and had stables on it.He used to rag and bone around Ince,don't know if any of our 'oldies' remember.Anyway I am making myself stop here.Regards to Irene,Brenda and I think Billy and Stephen P.