Wigan Album

A regular scene and description, thanks Keith. Did the Crispin have a Fishing Club ??? There was one in that locality that did. I recall sawdust and spitoons in my Aunt's pub in the 40's and she only had a licence to sell "Ale and Porter " No spirits. Did that apply to the Crispin ??

Keith I think I spent a New Years Eve upstairs in the Crisping playing with the children who lived their while my mum and dad had a drink downstairs. I remember walking up Birkett Street to Birkett Bank Terrace. It would be around 1955-58.

Keith,is Jim Priest in the photograph the man who later kept The Fleece in Scholes?. The reason all the men may be outside at this time on a Sunday could well be that if they went a matter of yards to say the Bay Horse ,just in Ince hence out of Wigans boundry the served half an hour later on Sunday afternoon, a similar anomaly happened later on a Sundays , Wigan Pubs couldn't have music , whist across the way they could play music to there hearts content !.

Good picture Keith. I remember the radio shop but I had forgotten that it was called "Meadows". I recall going in as a kid and seeing mysterious glass objects called "valves". Back then, if a radio stopped working, it wasn't binned but taken to a shop to be repaired.

I can't recall AB if there was a fishing club at the Crispin, but certainly the Crispin was only licenced to sell "Ale and Porter", no spirits. These pubs were referred to as "jerry pubs" for obvious reasons, outside loos, middle of the night, freezing conditions etc.,

Hello Maggie, all I can tell you is that we left the Crispin Arms in February 1956, so who knows, perhaps we knew one another all those years ago. Mind you being a "shy individual" it would be more likely to be my more outgoing sister Anne, who you may have come across.

Tom, I remember Jim(my) Priest very well. He was always very smartly dressed and one feature I recall, he had lost the tip of one of his index fingers. I also recall he organised a sweep or draw of some kind in the pub, quite illegal of course, so that he had to go into our living quarters to make the draw, just in case the "old bill" made an appearance. Sorry I don't know if he later kept a pub and my father is no longer around to ask, although it's only 4 years ago since he passed on aged 93.

I remember those days as well John, in fact we bought our first TV set from Meadows shop. Unfortunately, for us children, it wasn't for the family it was a business investment. In 1951 it was a novelty and it was placed on the Vault bar and was extremely popular, especially when the horse racing was being shown. As the betting slips were being written and handed to the bookie's runner a careful eye had to be kept on the opposite corner of the street, where Bibby's Offices were, since the bobby on the beat would tarry a while there and perhaps apprehend anything that looked illegal. As far as I'm aware it never happened but caution was always the byword.

Forgot to mention Tom, that a fair number of these men had probably come from the Bay Horse. It was a regular and very welcome sight for my father, to see, every Sunday, a column of men marching purposefully down Manchester Road and heading directly for the Crispin, the first pub over the boundary that they would meet. Here they would enjoy that extra half hour of "leisure", everybody was happy.

Come on Keith and Tom, which way WERE they marching for the extra 30 minutes boozing on a Sunday, were they going to the Crispin in Wigan or the Bay Horse in Ince, my money is on the landlords son, Mr B.

Rest assured Roy they were marching TO the Crispin, my father had the pint pots lined up ready.

Keith.Thats what I call a good landlord.

On thjng is certain, they were, coming out;there is no way they would have stood together long enough for a photo if they were going in, unless;the first one in, paid.

Just in case anyone thinks we had only all male trade, we did have lady customers but they tended to be with our evening trade. I can only recall two names, Rosie who was a regular in the snug and was a partaker of snuff and Mary Derbyshire, of Birkett Street, who sadly and much to everyone's shock and dismay passed away aged 44 in 1954.

Keith, I think most pubs had a Snug with an Ena Sharples,Mini Caldwell,clientelle drinking milk stout.From your description The Crispin was a typical local pub ,