Wigan Album
Mill Girls
16 Comments
Photo: Maire Greenall
Item #: 25590
Hi Maire, was the mill in Milnrow, and was the coach you used belonged to Finches from Ince?
It was in Milnrow but i think it was Bill Oakleys coaches
I had wondered about that myself......did they get taken by coach to the mill? A lovely photo!
Mi mam (Annie Hitchen) used to work in the mill at Rochdale, Fred Duddies coach used to take her and her work mates.
It was free travel and the wages were a lot better in Rochedale
Must have been a long day, bet it took them at least an hour each way to get to Rochdale from Wigan.
That must have been quite a journey to Rochdale in 1954. The M62 motorway was unheard of, so it's the old road through to Bolton, Bury, Heywood, then Rochdale on a coach that most probably would only reach 40MPH down hill and struggle up the other side. I presume 6-2 and 2-10 shifts, Maire . So a fair journey in the dark winter months.
It did take an hour each way we didnt do shift work we turned out at 6 30 and got home at 6 30 but if it was foggy or icy it was much later.
There have been many folk from Wigan working in Rochdale since WW2, if not before. My paternal family came from Wigan to live in Rochdale.I live in Rochdale. There have been buses and coaches transporting folk as recent to my knowledge into the late 1970's and possibly early 1980's to places like Turner & Newall Asbestos.
Marie. What was the reason you had to travel so far out of Wigan. Were the wages better, than in Wigan?. I recollect my mother travelling to mills' outside of Wigan, but I never asked her why.
The wages were a lot better in Rochdale i probably got a about£4 but in Wigan it was about £2 10.I think i got 7and6 spending money
Bolton, bury, rochdale, oldham burnley etc etc. where full of mills, every corner one was there.
We get more rain here closer to the Pennines than you get in Wigan. The damp conditions were better for cotton spinning and working cottin in general.
Marie 7s+6p you did well. I only got 5s pocket money.
Kathleen when the leccy bill was in i got nowt
Kathleen/Marie. In 1954, an ordinary airman/army private, national service, was four shillings a day, Twenty eight shillings a week. Granted, food was provided, and you were provided with a uniform, everything else you had to buy yourself, these were men between, eighteen, and twenty one. Fortunately I got a bit more extra pay, as I signed on to do extra service.