Wigan Album

'Granite Setts': I had to buy some a wee while back, they cost a fortune these days. Like so many others, I grew up calling them cobblestones. The Quarry Products supplier corrected me: "It's not cobbles - it's Setts that you want"! Glad they did, or I would have been stuck with a wagon load of unusable stones.

I think you may be right. I think that the building at the end is St. Catherine’s school.

A haunting photo I’d forgotten how long the street was. Wonder what those little piles are on the kerbs…can’t be the horse’s
droppings surely.

Went out with a boy from that street we learned to dance at The Court over The Ritz.

It is the Platt Lane end of Linney Street,near the bottom, the houses could be the Garvin's and the Stringman's

Veronica, those tufts look to be moss and grass growing between the flags, also the houses on the right side have a look as if they are empty, especially with tufts growing beside the doorsteps too, those tufts and the litter too wouldn't be there, I'm sure, if folks were still living in them, comparing - the left side of the street does look to be a lot cleaner as if they are still occupied, were the residents of the streets moved out in sections at a time prior to demolition?
The owd Steptoe's are always around too and on the lookout for any scrap to purloin, and that somehow miraculously finds its way onto the cart.

Yes I think you’re right Cyril. I remember when houses in the streets were empty on one side at that time . It wasn’t a very nice atmosphere. Especially coming home at night. It was very eerie.

Looking at those houses as they were - they don’t look bad at all. They could have been improved and brought up to date.

I doubt if the houses were empty before the Council vandals demolished them
Nor can I believe Dolly Garvin and Martha Stringman would have neglected their pavements
It is a wet day or there would have been a few folk on their doorsteps

I walked those streets regularly, especially going to Sunday school and Cubs plus beetle Drives and social events etc in the Platt lane Mission, and had friends living in those very houses. The houses were very poorly built compared with say the red brick ones along Darlington Street East.

I did some house demolition in Scholes in early 1960's. I do not recall the street names.

The structures were surprisingly rotten. Once the load was relieved from the brickwork, eg roof gone, you did not need any tool or equipment. You could simply push over sections of brickwork with bare hands!

think the first opening on the right is a entry its different from the rest they used them to get to get to the back yards

Yes Tom, and I've heard tales of some who wanting some fun would go down those ginnels into the yards and give the petty doors a good banging when someone was in them, and every area seemed to have their own mischievous gangs playing tap-latch or tying neighbours doors together, swapping neighbouring gates around or putting the For Sale signs into someone else's garden and a host of other tricks.
In the link is what they got up to in West Yorkshire during those dark autumn evenings of the 1950s.
https://pasttopresentgenealogy.co.uk/2017/11/03/mischief-night/

the street looks more like chancery st the building at the bottom has the same spire as st pats church

I beg to disagree Watchalot, I think I must be older than you… . Chancery St with Hardybutts at the bottom wasn’t as long as Linney St. There were 3 streets ran into the street from the left in my memory. McCormack St, Higham St and Anderton St. also the steeple of St Catharine’s was more central at the top with the clock in view.

Veronica I am with you. It's not Chancery St I walked up and down Chancery St every day going to and from St cats school. There is a very good picture of the street at Item #: 20379 on this site.

Great photo. I love the ‘Lowry’ style figure crossing the road in the background

Yes I knew you meant that photo Carolean. The two little girls in the centre were my best friend’s sisters they were un-identical twins. The lady watching them was their mum. Maggie Cunliffe neeRourke. It’s quite a famous photograph from a Lancashire Magazine. You can see the rise going up towards Scholefield Lane. Where the children are is the end of Higham St with “ Sally’s” shop on the corner. If you remember.

Veronica. Yes I made a comment on that photo about the dog which could have the Sally and Bill Bretherton's dog but more likely to have been Mandy which belonged to Dave and Audrey Shawcross who took the shop over. My parents were friendly with both lots of owners and we once went out to Prestatyn to visit the Brethertons who had retired to there. Happy days

I seem to remember an Alsatian dog but not sure. I remember the new people too. There was a young woman who also worked in the shop when Sally was there I can’t remember her name but she was really nice.

I don’t know the street at all, but it’s a lovely view and the cobblestones look great
I’d bet it was a close knit community where every body knew each other and outsiders were viewed with suspicion by the local Matriarchs who kept an eye out while donkey stoning their door steps.
Although many of the properties had become worn and weary (I hesitate to use the word slums) I doubt that the spirit of community that existed was as bit by bit the residents were dispersed to the far flung council estates.

The houses looks much better than those silly looking maisonettes.

veronica st catherines church was behind the photographer and linney st ran into platt lane and there was no building like that in platt lane as on the photo i used to walk down linney st every day going to whelley school in the 50s

I know it was behind the photographer and the other end of Linney St. Watchalot. Sorry if you misinterpreted my post.
I-was referring to another photo mentioned with St Catharine’s at the top of Chancery St. on the famous photo with the little girls skipping in the street.

Ps it is Linney St looking towards Platt Lane. You said it was Chancery St looking towards Hardybutts but Chancery St wasn’t as flat as the above Linney St. there was the grave yard behind St Catharine’s church with the stone wall around that will still be there today. Therefore St Catharine’s would be behind the photographer. Frank Orrell stated it is Linney St.

I was born at 45 Linney St. went to StCatharines school and church. Belong to the girls GFS, At walking day I sometimes carried the GFS banner and sometimes would walk with the walking day barrade, I was one of four children. We all grew up to work with our hands at various places around Wigan. The emigrated to Australia. While visiting South Perth hospital I couldnt beleive it when a voice called my name. And it was Eileen Martin who had also lived on Linney St and had also moved abroad. Not such a small world.

Remarkable story Dot, by comparison this may or may not not be so much of a coincidence but I also was a pupil at St Catharines school and in my class was a certain Audrey Hesketh, any connection? I know Hesketh is your married name, nevertheless I just wondered.

Sorry no relationship to me. But I had heard of her name. I did send some school photos of my class at St Catherines. Also some of Whelley school. Did you also go to Whelley ?? I also put a photo on of the bomb shelter facing our house

Hello Dot, only just seen your comment. I went to the WGS but quite a number of my classmates did attend the Whelley school. I also posted my class photo from 1952 on this album and Audrey is seen on the back row, 3rd in from the right. The title is St Catharine’s, Wigan and the number 344, it was over 17 years ago. Best wishes.