Wigan Album

My Grandad lived in Victoria Road and his father had the pub at the top 'Old Kes's

My Dad John Walls,his dad Richard Walls, And his dad was Kes Walls,My great granddad.I lived at 8, Wilson St one row of houses off Victoria rd with Polly Allins shop a cross the end of our row. My mother as we called her not grandma Ellza

Iforgot to say it was my Great Grandad KES WALLS was the reason it called KESES and now its's owd KESES HE WAS THE FIRST LAND LORD

I was born at 6 wilson st parents Cliff & Nelly Eden first people i rember at no 8 were the moor family beaty moor always had a bandage on her foot.I rember Criss walls lived in victoria rd 2 doors from pollys shop

bert e - My grandma was born at 6 Wilson Street, Her mam was Evans too,

Hi Linda - we must be related - I think that your Dad Richard (Dick?) was my Grandads brother? My Grandad was Chris married to Mary and lived at 10 Victoria Road, my dad is Kenneth Walls (brother - Christopher - sisters Marion and Margaret)

hi
we lived at 2 wilson street i remember the lady with the bandage on her foot,the edens.the roberts ,kevin rickets from round the corner happy days

i remember you arthur simm i am berts brother cliff eden how are you still live in swindon

Hi Cliff
Good to hear from one of the other old timers mate, we have all got a good few miles on the clock now,i bet you dont remember saving me when i fell in the lake at the dingies on one of our many adventures, what a hero,swimming the flash and looking out for that big pike moby dick,swimming the the cut was a real feat then,mind you it would be now,great summers then, what have you been up to in the last 53yrs,i live in warrington ,been down to the old place a few times ,all gone but the memories remain,how is bert?are you in touch with any of the other lads? i dont know if you can pick my e mail address from this if not i will send it to you.
Art Simm

Hi Arthur good to see you on here its been a long time but you joged a few memories.Cliff keeps in touch with Mick Roberts sadly Trev died a few weeks ago.Not heard anything of Phill or Kev Ricketts.Hope you are keeping well.Bert

Hi Bert
Good to hear from you,but very sad to hear Trev has died,do you still live local to platt waz?what are you up to,still working or retired,i have gone on two days a week seems strange at first but after working since leaving school at 15 i think i have done enough,so i intend to try and enjoy the rest of it taking it a bit slower,but i keep getting tempted to go to the pub on my days off,bad habit to get into if you are trying to look after yourself,but still good fun now and then,i have two sons and a daughter,she was 43 last year that made me feel really old,if you fancy a beer sometime or a meet let me know it would be good to catch up with you,look after yourself Bert.
Arthur

My mum is another Walls from Victoria Rd. She's Dorothy and grew up at no 61 next door to her Grandfather's pub. Her dad was Jimmy Walls, married to Ethel. The pub was The Commercial, but always known as "Kes's" after her Grandfather. Kes was short for Christopher. Jimmy died in 2010, aged 97 - and could still remember who lived in every house in Victoria Road in the 1940s and 50s!

Interesting to find some one from Victoria rd plat bridge. I am tracing the Wilson family who lived at 61 Victoria rd in 1921 john Wilson was born there. His father john Wilson died at 52 Victoria rd in 1952. Mary ann was the wife of john the elder nee Dixon. Can any one help?

With respect the Walls family do have a long history on Victoria road. The Commercial and Kes are well remembered, but Kes was not the first landlord of the Commercial Inn.I have some photos to upload that may be of interest.

would be very interested in the pictures of the commercial, i did read somewhere that it wa once a winding house for the canal and that once the canal came down Victoria rd ? i think that I have seen somewhere an old map

debbie the canal was a little farther down from the pub at the back of victoria rd

Debbie. I have just uploaded some photos (for Bet, under Battersby) of people on Victoria rd in 1920's and 1930's. You may have relatives on them? Kes I believe was in the Commercial from the late 1920's. Zachariah Case was in the pub in 1925, according to the Wigan directory. Joeseph Woods was another previous beer seller in the Commercial (ref census 1911) We have a photo somewhere taken c1914 of Mr Woods on the steps of the Commercial and some of the locals in front of the pub, including Mr Battersby of 8 Victoria rd in those days.I believe he may have been related to Mr Woods wife (nee Marsh)

Berte e one of them players is your grandad William Evans he was the captain.

Zac Case who had Kes's in 1925 was my grandad. My grandma lived at 7 Collinge St but that was different side of family, the Kelly's.