Wigan Album

english electic 40045 OMG sat mornings will never be the same again grrrrrrr mega mega beast ggggrrrrrrr

The building in the street where the locomotive is passing, to the best of my recollection, was the accomodation building for overnight sleeping facilities for railwaymen needing that facility, between their stretch of a long journey. You can see the spire of St Mary's Church just to the left of the mentioned building,and the building further to the left, is possibly the " Old Hall Hotel" I forget the name of the street,but it was the next street after Shed Street, on the Wigan side. My school friends' Dennis Martlew, and John Benson, lived in the street, I can't remember the name of. At the extreme end of this street,was a road that led down to Spring's Branch. I am relating now to the 1940s. I remember the Italian prisoners' of war, came up to that street, for some sort of relaxation, they were working somewhere down the Branch. As scoolboys' we used to have a chat with them, they were quite friendly. I never saw anyone guarding them.

Remembered the name of the street. Morris Street.

I was born and bred in
Spring View. My dad was a driver at Springs Branch for over 40 years. This picture brings back some lovely memories. Even now if I smell diesel or oil in the fresh air, it reminds me of when my dad used to come home, in from the cold. I once rode on the footplate of a steam engine my dad was driving at the back of our house when I was very small. It must have been one of the last ones. I think it was going to the wagon works. All lovely memories. Sadly only Springs Branch and the Old Hall is left of Spring View now. It was so much nicer back then, and I dont think its nostalgia that makes me think so. It was nicer.

The building behind the loco was the Barracks, we had our MIC (Mutual Instruction classes) in there every Tuesday, it was the place were overnight footplatemen stayed till their shift the next day, and the Old Hall was were they quaffed a few before turning in for the night, Morris street was the street leading down to the booking on site, the street is still there but the Barracks and houses are long gone,

Just a comment about Morris Street, I seem to remember that there ws a shop on warrington road just before you turned into Morris street, if my memory serves me right the shop owner was found one morning dead, he had fallen into the fire and died there, I could be wrong but I have a recollection of a tall thin man who lived there, I think that was the one, can anyone verify or dispute this memory for me

Aitch. You are correct, there was a toffee shop on the corner ,as you say. I believe this is one of the reasons the Italians' came up, from down at the Branch. When I said we chatted to them, some could speak a little english, but nearly all the time we had to get by with a kind of sign language to comunicate with them. That strange big shadow ,showing at the the end of the street, mystifys me. There was no building there a the time I am relating to. Across the road from Morris street was a long row of terraced houses, and Mrs Carter's fish & chip shop was set amongst them, on Warrington Road. At the extreme back of them, was Ainscow Street, then a patch of land, then a number of allotments,then the council tip, then the Clay Hole pond, then farmland, farmed by Mellings, which stretched to Manchester Road, Higher Ince/ Hindley. It maybe some sort of photogaphic shadow, but I am not so conversant with photography to come to any conclusion.

There were 6 houses in Morris Street according to the Ince directory of 1925/6, they were mostly inhabited by rail employees of one sort or another Albert, the opposite side had one dwelling numbered 2, and named as Spring Bank lodging house, Proprietor Mrs Clara Wilkins (Matron), so the shadow was probably the last house before the turn for the Branch, I like you dont remember houses down Morris Street but definitly used the The Barracks.

As you say Aitch, there were six houses opposite the the large railway accomodation building. Dennis Martlew, that I mentioned, his dad was a railway man,and he got a new position on the railway, at Carlisle, and when Dennis moved, so far away, it was as though he'd emigrated. I remember feeling quite down,about him moving.

You are quite correct Aitch, I know the bloke's name but can't think of it,his wife ran the shop she wouldn.t let him handle any money because he would spend it on drink, I think he was an ex railwayman, it was alleged that to get money for ale he would take cigs from the shop and sell them cheap to get cash!

the shop keepers name was Florie Fowler her husband was George Hill a driver at Springs Branch

I lived in the view in 1940,s till 1968 the shop (256) warrington road was on the corner of Morris st and was run by Mrs fowler and there family as far back as 1920,s

If I had concentrated a bit more on the photograph I would have realized that the shadow that I refered to, is the end wall of the six terred houses. Talk about being a "duck egg"

does anyone have a photo of hay wood street or railway terrace my family the aldreds lived at no 15 haywood st before moving to farmer st ince in about 1951

My family lived on Morris Street in the early 1900s. Dad was born at number 11 in 1909. I think it was the end house down by the railway.