Wigan Album

I used to go to this school

Lizziedownunder this your old school, say something.

Taught by Nuns Sister Vagilious (head of school) and Sister Angelous; Later by Tom Darwin ; happy days eh!

I remember Sister Virgilius, Sister Bernardine (who rulered my legs)and Sister Joseph. Plus a very nice teacher called Mrs Ashton(?).

Ithink we also had a Sister Veronica who was quite good at hurling the board duster around the classroom.Does anyone remember playing Sceevigh (no idea if that is the correct spelling)an elongated version of leapfrog against the railings.

Well what a great photo of the old school....Sister Angelus...Sister Virgilius Miss Brown ...got the cane most days for chattering from Miss Brown....I think Mrs Gaskell the dinner lady....linking arms with a whole lot of us in the play ground...mi mother said I've not to shift for nobody.....skipping ropes two balls against the wall....shining my penny on the bricks...me and my sister Jo walking to school in the snow and slush in our wellies...warming my feet on the big pipes only to get chillblanes .....walking out of assembly to that same music...icy bottles of milk....and long icy slides just about the full length of the playground...never having enough courage to go on them...My primary school days seemed to be a mixture of trauma and fun..and I still can't recall the name of that teacher that used to throw the board duster at me shouting....'Hayes...pay attention' .... :-)

What year did you leave St Maries Lizzie? I left in 1961.

What fantastic memories, Lizzie! I really enjoyed reading that. I was at a history talk at Beech Hill Library last night and a gentleman was asking about you, saying we don't hear as much from you as we used to, so it's good to know you're okay.

Hello Stan....must have been about 1962....went to John Rigby until St Peters at Orrell Post was finished...then left and flew to Australia in 1964.. :-)
Thank you Irene....yes I haven't been around as much....but still have you all in my heart and always will...it was a wonderful thing discovering all about my lovely Wigan again... :-)

Irene, Lizzie does a quiz on ww every night except Saturday.

Skeevie ? I don't associate this with leapfrog. Was it something to do with a form of hide and seek. You would form two teams one team would go off and scatter the other team had to round them up and put in the den usually the cross near the church. You could set your mates free by getting to the den and screaming skeevie. Great memories.

"Skeevie" WAS a form of hide-and-seek. It was short for Skilly-leevie", known to us Incers as Skilly.

The teacher that threw the duster was Tom Darwin. The teachers I remember was Miss Blackburn Miss Ashton Mrs Gallagher and the nuns Sister Virgilius and Sister Angelus . I came from Shevington and really enjoyed my school days at St Marie's.

Nadine B - would that be Nadine Birch - we were in the same class. I left in 1956 and went to West Park Grammar. Miss Ashton and Miss Brown took the two infants' classes, then it was Miss Blackburn, Tom Darwin (what a great guy!), Sister Angelus and Mr. Swift. Sister Virgilius was headmistress, a stony-faced soul who, once you got to know her was a delight. She took the 'scholarship'group - those who were destined to do the eleven plus.

Hello Dave yes It is Nadine Birch can't put a face to your name but then I don't remember a lot of the boys from then. I have a picture though of our class taken in the school yard we look about 5/6 yrs old and another one of a group in class were we look a bit older. I have great memories of my school days am still very friendly with Dorothy Ollerton do u remember her?

How lovely! Yes I remember Dorothy Ollerton, and I too have a class photo. I'm still in touch with Mary Walsh - do you remember her? If you like, drop me an email (harrison.dave@blueyonder.co.uk) and we'll talk some more.

I only went there for a short while most of what I remember was being caned for being late. A knitting lesson and was so frightened cos I had dropped stitches I hid it. Those nuns scarred me to death

lived away from Standish for 40 yr living in bucks grand ma to George ag4 christen birch was a friend

Yes remember it very well, I remember the nuns sister virgilious was scary always hitting you with a ruler. I remember Pauline Greer and myself hiding in the bushes at the bottom of the school yard whilst a Mrs Lawson blew the whistle for us to go back into class, we stayed there till next playtime thinking in our nievity that we wouldn't be missed. No such luck. Mrs Lawson stood us facing the wall all the rest of the day and that was after we had a good caning . God they would be locked up now
On a nicer note do you remember looking out of the school window at the cat ith window murial

Hi all,
Lovely reading your comments about the old school and the teachers. My grandad was Tom Darwin .. my dad also went to this school Bernard Darwin :)

Hi all,
Lovely reading your comments about the old school and the teachers. My grandad was Tom Darwin .. my dad also went to this school Bernard Darwin :)

Hi all, I went to St.maries from 1950 to 1965, just seen a message from nadine birch, who name I remember, just wodered if anyone remembers me.

I remember Alan Lythgoe - we were in the same class, but I left in 1956 to go to West Park. Some others: Billy Preston, Josie Platt, Joyce and Shirley Lowton, Mary Walsh, Richard Best, Melville Heaton, Colin Stanton, Susan(?) Perry, Nadine of course, someone called Christine with ginger hair. Seem to remember more girls than lads; wonder what Freud would have made of that? Peter Castelli (his dad owned the farm across from the school)

Hello… just reading all the comments. A mixed collection of memories, for sure! To be honest, my memories of the Old Saint Marie’s Primary School in Arbour Lane during the mid 1960s until it’s closure, and the very early days of the current school (until I left around 1969)… were frightful under the headmaster at that time, who was my father’s cousin. Today, some of those teachers would be locked up, and rightly so, for their physical abuse, and lasting memories. I do remember some very lovely female teachers, however. May they all Rest In Peace, as most would now have passed on. As an educator myself, ghastly experiences at the old Saint Marie’s have offered me insight into the vulnerabilities of young children and the detrimental affects of bullying and abuse. I left with my parents and siblings in the late 60s for Southern Africa, and then Australia. One day I would love to return to Shevington and Standish, as I do have wonderful childhood memories (aside from certain school experiences) of the country side and woods, my family…and my friends at that time, Pauline and June Greer!

I am Camilla Loveridge's sister and I can give testimony to cruel treatment toward her by Tom Darwin, my dad's cousin. I observed, in infant class, when he made her stand out in the cold, driving rain because our dog Mandy had followed us to school. He often shamed her and banged her head on the desk when she nervously bit the end of her pencil. He also abused her during final exams. I forgive my dad's cousin for his unkind ways, but I will never be party to the pretence that all was well at this school during the 1960s.
Tom Darwin visited us on one occasion in Australia and I think he was sorry, though he never said so. I am also an educator and recognise the profound effect that early abuse has on children.

Hi I remember Camilla who lived in the stone cottage on Shevington Lane. I also remember visiting your house before you emigrated. Nice to hear about you. Best wishes. Ann