Wigan Album

Evelyn, would that be your house at the end of the row?

This must be early 1950's no TV aerials on the roofs

It is Irene, and one of the boys sat on our wall must be my brother Arthur but it isn't clear enough.

Irene, I have spent many hours playing 2 balls on our gable end but if you happened to drop a ball on the cobbles in Patricroft Road during play you never knew where it would end up.Unfortunately one day the inevitable happened, I broke a window in Nellie Bromilows house(the house was down the street behind Annies chip shop)and my dad had to go and mend it.What memories--give me more.

Evelyn, didn't realise that the chimney stacks must have been dangerous you can see the steel braces holding them back connected to next doors

Irene ,me again, have you noticed the top of our wall is white. That was my job to "donkey stone" it and the door step. I didn't mind doing it, as young as I was, but whoa betide anyone who stood on my newly donkey stoned step.
Could you see any youngsters today doing anything like that?
But it didn't do me any harm.
And, I still to this day sweep the gutter out side our house because it is something my mother always did

We used to chant songs to accompany "two-ball".....Old Mother at Hindley Fair, Get some papers to curl my hair; Nebuchadnezzer the King of the Jews, bought his wife a Pair of Shoes", and skipping rhymes: Eeper Weeper Chimney Sweeper,and" Queen Queen Caroline washed her hair in turpentine".I'm sure you can add to these, Evelyn. Am I right in remembering that you had to step DOWN a step into Annie Blinkhorn's chippy?

In the 30s there used to be an advertising board for Wigan Hippodrome on the side of our house and my parents got 2 free tickets every week to see the shows.

John,
I don't remember those steel braces on our chimney but they do seem a little dangerous don't they.
Irene,
Yes you did step down into Annies chip shop and there you would find the well scrubbed wooden bench to sit on while you waited.Annie was always cleaning her chip range whilst she was frying.There was only a curtain that separated you from the living quarters where she lived with her sister Florrie. Florrie sometimes helped at the weekend but her main job was at The Empress Mill in Anderton Street.
They were two very nice gentle women.

Proof why you should always check your work.
In my 3rd comment please read "WOE BETIDE".

Glenys,
Tommy has had some wonderful photographs of Ince shown on this album and I would like to thank you for sharing them with us.

I agree with Evelyn. To those of us who lived in Ince, especially Ince Green Lane, they hold so many memories. Thanks, Glenys. I still live in hope of one appearing of the terraced row I grew up in, or the next row to us, with the corner shop.

Oh! its Woe Betide is it !! I thought the teacher were saying Woby Tide... I thought it was a boy who I had never met.. as in Woby Tide the boy who never does his home work..
Woby tide the boy who does not clean his shoes.

I used to think Good old Woby he gets away with murder..

You never fail to give us a laugh, Gerry!