Wigan Album
Pemberton
14 Comments
Photo: RON HUNT
Item #: 33060
The only time I went in there was when me and my pals had to go there with our dads. When were were caught twice in the spate of 1 hour "playing football in the street" . We got caught one Sunday afternoon, and the BOBBY took all our names and addresses On the Sunday night he came around to all our houses and told our dad's they had to go up to the police station with us on Monday evening. I can remember it as though it was yesterday, all lined up in front of the Chief Constable, who gave us all a good telling off, and in future to take note of what the policeman told us. He had caught us playing in our street and told us to go and play on Triangle Valve. As we were walking up Smethurst Lane, on our way to the "Valve", we were passing the ball around and he came around the corner and caught us again.
These days to get taken to the police station you would need to have committed a PROPER criminal offence.
No drug dealers in those times, nor drunks sitting in St John's cemetery. The Old Bill didn't have much to do in those far-off halcyon days, only chase after innocent kids. There were a couple of local constables who were particularly hard on the local kids and they won few friends for being so. My memory is of one certain one who chased a gang of us on his bike for nearly an hour. We outfoxed him and he gave up, thankfully. We were a good bunch overall and didn't deserve the hassle. He eventually retired and disappeared from the face of the earth much to everyone's relief.
When I was at Pem caravans the police station had a metal plaque on its wall, showing the measurements of one yard and one foot
In the early sixties, Pemberton Caravans always acknowledged the Pemberton bobbies, at Christmas, the Newtown bobbies may have also been so favoured. So much water has gone under the bridge, I forget.
I seem to recollect that there was a coffin making workshop, at the bottom of Woodford Street. Always treated you to a welcome cuppa. A coffin would suffice as a table.
Albert, Eric Rigby and his son Rex would have acknowledged the Pemberton bobbies, so they would turn a blind eye when they went speeding up Ormskirk road
Mick. Obviously as you were well connected to Pemberton Caravans, I was not so privileged to know the governors of the firm personally. Best wishes. Mick.
Many years ago, 1962/3 I was on duty, and I was in Pemberton Police Station. Across the road from the station there was a dry cleaner’s.
A very, very angry lady rushed into the police station , in a loud voice saying. “ Look at these, look at these, absolutely disgusting”. She was the manageress of the dry cleaners. She showed me five or six photographs of a man displaying selfies of his manhood. They were in the trouser pocket of a chap that had taken the trousers into the shop, for dry cleaning.
Searching through ‘Archibald’s Criminal Pleading’, and ‘Stones’s Justices Manual’, the inspector, sergeant, nor myself could find anything relating to a crime having been committed. Whether a civil offence had been committed, remained in her domain to seek out. Definitely Mick, nothing in the, ‘Town Police Clauses Act’.
Made my day, that, Albert! You must have some tales to tell!
Thanks Albert That's were they went Problem solved. I've been wondering about those photos for 60 years...
Lommra Greener. You must have forgotten. When in the police station for the reading of the riot act by the inspector, the culprit was asked to tear the photographs into pieces, which he complied with.
a place many members of my family have been escorted into over the years.
I think I might still have the negatives???
Lommra Green. You assume correctly. To resume an action replay, I have no doubt by now, they certainly would display negatives.
big Amy used to be in this policestation, my late father in law Tom Tudge was a policeman there too, i think he was in married quarters there but unsure.