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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Wigan Album

St William's RC Primary School

27 Comments

Walking Day
Walking Day
Photo: Perkin Warbeck
Views: 3,036
Item #: 20457
Any memories of people who lived in the houses adjacent to the presbytery?

I think that's John Fleetwood in the foreground.

Comment by: irene roberts on 19th April 2012 at 19:27

Yes, I was born there in the little row behind the presbytery wall. If you stand with your back to the door of The Anderton Arms, (Long-Neck Pub), in Ince Green Lane, you are facing the red-brick wall of St. William's Presbytery. If you stood there before Summer 1971, you would see the upstairs windows and the roofs of these houses behind the wall. The houses were part of Ince Green Lane, numbers 75 to 85. This photo is, I think, just before my time; I was born in October 1952, and I would say this photo is late 40s/early 50s. A couple of the houses still had those small window-panes when I was growing up, but most had just four larger panes. My friend Mary Shaw, (now my sister-in-law Mary Roberts), lived at 75 with her grandma and grandad, Frances and Jimmy Shaw, her dad Joe Shaw and her brother and sister Pauline and Barry. The Grimshaws lived at 77; Doris was a dinner-lady at St. William's; her husband was Henry and they had four children, Irene, Carol, Frank and ,(I think), Brian. Tom and Ginny Johnson lived at 79, an elderly Irish couple whose name I can't recall lived at 81 when I was very small, Annie and Bill Grimshaw and their daughter Joyce lived at 83,followed by Marion and Lawrence Hoctor and family after the Grimshaws moved, and we lived at 85... my mam and dad Bob and Tizzie Griffiths, my Uncle Billy and my brothers Ronnie and Colin. Thankyou so much for this photo. That little row of houses has been in my mind but just beyond my eyes for so many years, and I have waited so long to see it again, and when I did, I thought I heard Eamonn Andrews saying: "Irene Roberts, This is Your Life"!

Comment by: Margaret Wall on 20th April 2012 at 00:37

Irene, I am delighted for you, I really am. I know you've been waiting and hoping for a photo like this for a long time. It's obvious from your comments that this picture brings back a multitude of wonderful memories from your childhood. I do know what you mean Irene, they were great times weren't they?!

Comment by: Gerry on 20th April 2012 at 06:57

at last Irene....I am so happy for you

Comment by: irene roberts on 20th April 2012 at 08:06

I know we get the odd bit of carping on here, but on the whole the kindness of people... of complete strangers... on Wigan World never ceases to amaze me. Thankyou.

Comment by: Nei Cain on 20th April 2012 at 10:47

Irene , you are so obviously made up it does the heart good. Well done Perkin. Better luck at the battle of East Stoke next time

Comment by: irene roberts on 20th April 2012 at 11:46

Gerry, I know this may sound daft as I'm sure you would have noticed, but I have printed the pic off and can see the people closer than on the screen, and the man holding the little boy looks like your Dad on the St. William's dvd you gave me. I'm probably totally wrong, but just have a close look.

Comment by: ttd on 20th April 2012 at 12:02

perkin, is it the same John Fleetwood who had 2 brothers, Bill and Peter.

Comment by: irene roberts on 20th April 2012 at 14:03

Thanks Neil; I had given up hope but it just shows...you never know what another Wigan World friend will come up with. We may get a pic of your Grandad's cake-shop in Belle Green Lane yet.

Comment by: Perkin Warbeck on 20th April 2012 at 15:39

ttd, yes I think John had a couple of brothers, they may have played cricket for Spring View.

Comment by: Bill F on 20th April 2012 at 15:52

The photo was taken about 1955.

Comment by: Maureen Andrews nee McGovern on 20th April 2012 at 19:21

Irene, that's made your day hasn't it..I would love to see a photo of my old Street as it was then,but I don't think I ever will.

Comment by: irene roberts on 20th April 2012 at 20:19

Maureen, how long have I waited to see this?.....Don't give up! What was your old street?

Comment by: Maureen Andrews nee McGovern on 21st April 2012 at 09:02

God love you Irene..it was the top end of Great George Street..Wallgate..I would give my left arm to see a photo of it..memories..memories.

Comment by: Graham Taylor on 21st April 2012 at 11:55

John's brothers were Bill and Peter. I worked with all three of them at British Telecom. John worked in Hindley Telephone Exchange for many years.

They were all top blokes and sports mad. Bill played football, cricket, rugby, and when he was too old to run around played golf or went fishing or bowling.

I was very friendly with Peter who was on the same staff as me and by coincidence left BT the same day as John. We had a joint leaving do in the Pear Tree pub.

Comment by: Gerry on 22nd April 2012 at 08:47

I don't think it's my dad Irene although my older brother was a Blondie but I do remember vividly walking down there in my wind jammer

Comment by: christine on 22nd April 2012 at 20:58

irene it was kenneth grimshaw not brian i have a photo of myself and auntie ginny at the back of grimshaws house about 1961 i cant put it on but i will ask my daughter

Comment by: irene roberts on 22nd April 2012 at 21:51

Hello Christine! Do you know. I KNEW it wasn't Brian when I posted the comment, but couldn't think for the life of me what his name was, even after living near him for so many years. I look forward to the photo. Any photo from my childhood is SO special.....so few of us had cameras. Thankyou so much for your comment.

Comment by: christine on 22nd April 2012 at 22:21

i lived at number 8 george st i can remember going in your house and you had 2 tortoises i was then christine robinson

Comment by: irene roberts on 23rd April 2012 at 13:51

Christine Robinson.....I don't believe it! I have a photo somewhere with both of us on it, and I think one of you in a walking day.....shall I dig them out and put them on here, or would you rather I didn't? Hope all is well with you, Christine.

Comment by: Maureen Andrews nee McGovern on 23rd April 2012 at 14:59

Christine, do you mean me or Irene..if you mean me I can't think where no 8 was,I did have one tortoise though.

Comment by: irene roberts on 23rd April 2012 at 15:10

Hello Maureen, Christine meant me.....the George Street she is talking about is George Street INCE; we knew each other as children.

Comment by: Maureen Andrews nee McGovern on 23rd April 2012 at 18:41

Thank you Irene.

Comment by: josie on 23rd April 2012 at 19:05

irene ,how lovely for you to see this photo after all this time i bet your heart skipped a beat when you saw it,im'e so pleased for you,i just wish like a few of us on here that i could see york st hr ince again my birth place x

Comment by: christine on 23rd April 2012 at 21:32

hi irene yea dig em out and get them on im fine thanks hope you are keeping well

Comment by: irene roberts on 24th April 2012 at 10:08

Christine, I can't find the walking day photo but have put two on of us children in the backs. Hope you can post the one you mentioned.

Comment by: christine on 24th April 2012 at 13:18

irene thanks for the pics of us as children it wasnt philip it was peter packingham the one i mentioned i am unable to put it on but ill ask my daughter to try for me

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