Wigan Album

This was a proper Secondary Modern School. We went here from St Pat’s for Cookery lessons in a ‘state of the arts kitchen’ for that time. It was a really good basic learning of cooking and household tasks. Learning how to scrub down wooden tables and cleaning ovens and cooking utensils etc. and soaking dish cloths! It stayed with me all my life in how to run a kitchen. Even though anything I made I would eat half of it on the way home. The only thing I didn’t make was a Christmas Cake. I don’t think my mam trusted me with that. We always wore a hand made apron and cap made in School.I used to like going on a Tuesday morning every week. If I hear the word ‘Lanry’ I’m straight back in that Domestic Lab.

This photograph was taken well before I was born, but the school was still standing for a number of decades after this photograph was taken and it was an extremely nice building and a good school to attend with the right learning facilities, some conscientious staff and probably the right size of Secondary Modern/Middle School to be part of the school and to be known by your name and not just a number lost in the many numbers.
Sadly, it no longer exists as it was demolished about a decade ago.

I remember those cooking classes, Veronica.I also remember it being called Domestic Science.Were was the Science, in making Rock cakes, we used to think at the time.But! Veronica all my baking was eaten up on my way home, by you know who!! Because he went to that school, and waited for me to walk me home.

He must have been testing you out Edna before you got married if you could cook! ;~)

Left whelley 1957 love to know the names on here

Second from left back row Graham Norris then Ronnie Doran, Ronnie Adamson, Billy McKnight? Eric Roberts? Peter Smith, -?-.
Right end of next row girls is Pat Kelly.
First next row Albert Farrimond, fourth Thomas Shambley fifth Alan Jameson, end of row James Unsworth.
Girls sitting Doreen Sloan? third along Barbara Whittle, fourth Irene Sharples? sixth June Kelsall, squatting left Maureen Bibby.
These children would have been born in 1938.

They must have left whelley 1953 ,you left school aged 15 then.

That’s correct Tom, Christmas 1953.

Even though I went to Shevington Secondary, on the day it was domestic science the boys used to tag along on the way home to scrounge some of whatever we’d made.

Linda, how right you are, it happened at Gidlow Sec school even though the Girls building was separated from us boys. 4th year domestic science was a target for us. Our final year at Christmas, the staff arranged for both sexes to have a get together one evening with food, music and dancing. The teachers even taught us to dance correctly. The food was provided by the domestic science classes.
My elder sister attended Whelley during the late 40's.