Wigan Album

Another cracking photo from a great paper and great photographer, Ian Lambert.

I always loved that view from the top of Parbold Hill especially seeing a glimpse on the horizon of the sea glittering in the distance. The Observer photos were always the best.

Lovely photo. We sometimes go to The Red Lion at Newburgh for our dinner and that view doesn't look much different today. What type of car is the one coming up the hill please, Gentlemen of Wigan World? It looks like our "Dorothy", (our 1959 Hillman Minx) but I am no expert. Peter will know but he's out at the moment.

It's one of the 100 series replacements for the sit-up-and-beg Ford Popular and Prefects. Difficult to see whether it's a 100E or 107E etc.. The Ford Anglia going down the hill appears to have a stop light not working.

Thankyou Rev. I love the old cars and love to see the odd one on the road today. If we are out in "Dorothy", we tend to get a wave from other people driving old cars. I know the name "Popular" and "Prefect" but am not an expert at recognising the. although I know The Anglia as my friend's Uncle had one in the 1960s.

Rev David Long is right, Ford Popular/Prefect range 3 speed gearbox and in those days struggling to master Parbold Hill as many cars did in those days.
The three cars going down the hill two Ford Anglias one at the front and one at the rear, in the centre possibly MG sports car. Irene, Dorothy will look more like the later Hillman Minx on the Wigan Town photo of Rev Long.

The first motor that I ever owned was a 7cwt Ford Thames van , based on the motor car in the shot .
It had the 100E side valve engine in it , and you could hardly hear it running on tickover .

As Colin has stated , it only had the three forward gears , plus reverse of course .

What Colin hasn’t mentioned however were those annoying vacuum wipers , which gradually slowed to a full stop when travelling uphill , then went like the
clappers going down the other side .
The vehicle had no radio ( obviously ) , no heater , and no windscreen washers either . so on a long journey , it was advisable to carry a Fairy liquid bottle full of water then stick your arm out of the window and squirt a bit onto the windscreen periodically .

I paid a bloke from Fishponds near Bristol £55.00 for it in 1967 and he gave me a fiver back for petrol .
I sold it for 25 quid a couple of years later when the head gasket blew .
Happy days eh ?

It's far to say, that if you were to revisit that same spot in 2023, the landscape has hardly changed. Parbold & nearby Newburgh are two villages that have not (yet) been spoiled by over development.

CJ

Good photo could have been my first car 100e engine ford pop it had a struggle to get to the top of the hill ,great memories .

Does anyone know if Parbold Hill has had cobbles on it. I have either dreamt it, seen a photograph or have actually seen them.

Parbold hill did have cobbles, Philip. Item number 4721.

Thank you Colin . It was the photograph that I saw. I ve been sat by the ice cream van looking at the view today 21/1

Parbold Hill, the spire of the nearest church is Anglican, and the other further down is Catholic. There are good views here from Liverpool across Southport to Blackpool, and on clear days the Welsh and Lake District mountains. One notable landmark is the concrete water tower near Ormskirk and its parish church that is unusual with both steeple and spire.