Wigan Album

2H in your top pocket Barrie?

That's Victoria pit in the background

And if you do walk round there Barrie, it will be decades before you want walk round again !!

I rode round there last year on my mountain bike, it's fair to say on your next visit you'll find it very different Barrie. Great photo by the way

Philip, It was HB most of the time & still used to this day. July 1958 and according to a book I have on the Wigan Coalfields & Industrial Railways, the pit closed down during this month for good. The engine house shown recently on Album was demolished in mid 1990. In those days did the pits close down for the wakes holidays or remain working with staggered holidays. Wigan Holiday fortnight always started on the 1st Saturday after the 1st July.

My uncle "Chal" Charles, spent most of his working life at the "Vic", he had to walk from Blackrod (Little Scotland). Long days for him, but I think he enjoyed it.

I don't know what the pits had given come holiday-time Barrie, so I'm 'outa' there ... well, not entirely. Why not try a 4B, it'll give you almost pitch black and comes at a fraction of the cost of a seeping Sharpie.

My father in Law William Ashcroft worked at the Victoria Colliery until they closed it. He then went to Giant’s Hall.