Wigan Album

I think this must be the house that burned down about fifty years ago.
Until recently you could still see the foundations.

I remember the house on the photograph, it burned dwon in the mid 1960s, I believe an old man sadly died in the fire.

I was a member of the auxiliary fire brigade when this cottage burned down, the man who lived there kept all his old newspapers in piles and that was one of the causes for it taking hold like it did.

Bank Brow was the only hill in the Wigan area that I could not get all the way up on my Phillips cycle fitted with a 3 3 speed Sturmey Archer gear when I was in my teens in the 60s

It's that last 50 yards that does the damage,Peter.

To me this is " Bonk" brow, renowned as the most difficult hill around Wigan with a dip part way up and two bends, which restricted any acceleration. Stone wagons from Appley bridge quarries simply had to start and stay in bottom gear.
It is straighter and not as steep with the dip reduced as it was.I have a friend whose present address is Top Ot Bonk

Wonder what the same picture looks like today. No doubt lost into memory . So valuable pictures like this. A world gone by but not forgotten.

My Auntie lived at the top of the bank brow. I can remember my cousin ringing the fire brigade. I was about 7 at the time I can remember it as if it was yesterday.

Hi Jimmy, I am looking into the cottage on Bank Brow and would like to know when the cottage burnt down. If you were 7 when it burnt down may I know the approximate year of the fire. Many thanks

The cottage was lived in by Henry Leigh Hickson,he was a piano tuner.It burned down in 1966 when henry was in his 90's, there was no electricity in the cottage and it was generally believed that an oil lamp probably caused the fire. I remember looking through the ruins shortly afterwards and seeing what remained of a grand piano and a top hat in perfect condition!

My grannie was always on about on top of the "bonk"