Wigan Album

Accessed by a covered entry on the left, 50 yards before Clifton Street

I read somewhere that Grayson's Yard was off Freckleton Street. But, today and for many decades, this would be Wigan Lane.
Was Standishgate longer in 1901 and part of it became Wigan Lane?
Were there two Grayson's Yards?

Ian, you may have read it on Stuff - Yards,

https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/stuff/yards.php

On there it does say that the location of Grayson's Yard is 14 Freckleton Street, but surely they'll have got the location wrong. The only yard that I know of along there is the courtyard behind Monument Mansions, and that had the name of Wright's Yard before the Mansions block was built.

https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=34117&gallery=WRIGHT%27S+YARD+off+WIGAN+LANE+&page=1

Cyril, possibly! Through life we come across a lot of information which stacks up in our minds.
I'm sure that I have seen photographs of Wright's Yard and read that it was where you said.
As you know, I cannot speak from experience when it comes to the above photograph and these yards.
Could Grayson's Yard have been somewhere around the flats area?
Cyril, what do you think?
I think that this is the most likely area as it places the yard at the top of Standishgate. Additionally, I'm sure that the small street which leads to the two blocks of flats is/was Grayson's Close.
If only we had a time machine.

Yes Ian, like on the photo which is now Grayson's Close and where Bradshaigh House and Mabs Cross House is, that's the only Grayson's Yard I've known.
Some forty years ago I talking to a elderly lady who said she lived in those yards and the area was then locally called the Folly.

You could once take a short cut through those flats, though at the expense of getting moaned at by the residents, now they're gated and fenced off.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.5516764,-2.6284843,3a,75y,76.38h,96.44t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sKGzUoj68Tyx4a-RcoeZwSg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205409&entry=ttu

Cyril, I delivered newspapers to houses in the Swinley area and I delivered a newspaper to one house in Grayson's Close; it was a small and very old terraced house on the left side as you walked up Grayson's Close and the person was an old lady. I was only a kid, so she may not have been as old as I thought. I remember clearly that she was small, quite frail looking, looked around 75 years of age, extremely polite and very kind. Many times, whether permitting, she would wait at the door for me to arrive with her evening newspaper. There were many times that I ran some errands for her, such as: going for some vegetables from Abbotts, some things from Close's (grocer's next door to Lawless's newsagency) and to other shops in the area. If it was very close, such as the butcher's or grocer's, I would leave my bike against her wall, the bag of newspapers at the side of her and run there-and-back to the shop. If it was further, such as Abbott's, I would cycle and if she wanted a few things, I would do the errands after delivering the newspapers.
Such happy times!
By the way, on the right side was an old works and, I think, it was a car mechanics' garage.

"Some forty years ago I talking to a elderly lady who said she lived in those yards and the area was then locally called the Folly."

Cyril, it was known as "The Folly". As kids, we played soccer and cricket on the tarmac area. I believe, we had a name for every place, such as: The Scroggs, Camel's Hump, Cherrycroft, The Hermitage, The Bowling Green (this was a piece of wasteland and not the pub), Little London, King's Hill, MarryBone (Marylebone), The Sevens, The Twenties/Twenny Bridges, Little Jungle, Fairy Glen, Devil's Canyon - and, mayn more.

Regarding the flats and Grayson's Close, there were two pathways and they were completely open to the public: no fences, no gates. There was one at the Wigan Lane side of Bradshaigh House and one at the Standishgate side of Bradshaigh House; both took you through to Grayson's Close. By the way, nobody ever moaned at us when we used the pathways. But, possibly, because they were open to the general public. I used those pathways almost every day, because I delivered newspapers (Monday to Saturday) to some of the residents in each block of flats.

Veronica, I cannot recall this are at the time but remember that she the flats where built one of the first families to move in where the Haywood’s. Their house in Douglas Street was among the first to be demolished.
Mrs Haywood was very house proud and had a ceramic Alsatian dog in her front window, she still had in her window overlooking Standishgate.
Ernie Haywood was a well known window cleaner in the town centre.
Simple pictures and other comments bring back so many memories.

I can’t say I remember these yards at all Colin.
But I have read a few books written by Melvyn Bragg of his early life up in Wigton Cumbria. He was brought up in a yard like this one. My favourite in the series was of the time his dad came back from the War and he had to be forced out of his mam’s bed! His dad was practically a stranger because of his absence during the war. It tells of the many ‘flittings’ the family endured until they eventually ended up running a pub. A great book. ‘ The Soldiers Return’. Melvyn Bragg.