Wigan Album

All your old photos are really good Helen, especially the ones abroad - you've had a fascinating childhood

dk, I could bore you to tears with pics of my childhood in India & Lancashire but that said even now they are fasinating to look at...even to me !

Your sister looks more and more familiar with each pic I see. Can't say I recognise any of the others, except maybe the second right, possibly Mildred Smallshaw, who lived on Martins Lane.

Ellen, I found a homework book of my sister's the one that you had to say how much time you had spent on a certain subject, it then had to be signed by your parent etc. According to this one she was in class 1A, Nelson. No year date unfortunately but would think it was her first year there, 1949 ?

Helen, That would fit, timewise. My first year was 1951,I was born in 1939.---Oops,I dated myself!! Mildred Smallshaw was about two years older than me.

Ellen, doing my sums again, Anne must have started the Grammar school about 1950, she was born in August 1936...she was the one out of the 3 of us that was actually born in England, at Swinley Road, Wigan. I remember a good friend of hers at Upholland Grammar, Yvonne Baxter who lived down at the bottom of the road opposite the Lyric Cinema in Upholland. Yvonne's family moved to Devon later & we went to her wedding. Another friend lived along the 'Ormskirk Rd' opposite Chequer Lane, Holland Moor.

Helen, Sorry about the gap in answering; I have been a little under the weather and not feeling like "interneting". I remember Yvonne Baxter very well. I think she was in my 'A'Level English Lit. class.Also,I delivered Christmas Mail in my last two years of school,once at Norley Hall and the second from Upholland--That route went from the Vicarage, down College Road to Roby Mill then around the "back way", finishing at Lafford Lane.That meant I delivered at Yvonne's house, almost my last stop!

Helen, Just took another close look at the pic. Could the girl to Anne's immediate left be Elaine Wilson,who lived near Abbey Lakes,next door to Mr.?Smith, Math teacher. Elaine was also in my A Level English Lit. class. I'm also sure now that the one next to her,on her left is Mildred Smallshaw.

Ellen, fancy you knowing Yvonne Baxter, the other face I seem to know is the 2nd to the right of my sister. I remember a girl who lived near Chequer Lane was having a party....girls only...as you did. There was a sort of small barn next to where she lived & I remember going along there with Anne & some of the other Grammar girls to clean it up, I was not invited to the party though ! There was a pub along the road as well, can't think what it was called. The lady on the far left in the dark cardigan was their French teacher at Upholland Grammar.
Sadly my sister Anne did have a very long life, she was only 34yrs old when she died.

I think the pub you mentioned, if it was just past the Chequer Lane/Ormskirk Road intersection, was the White Lion.I had a very good friend who lived in Garnett Lees farm, which was at the bottom of the lane leading off Ormskirk Road opposite Chequer Lane. Sadly she died at only 13, following surgery to remove a brain tumour. I don't remember the female French teacher, although her face is familiar. My French teachers were Professor ?Mulhen?;A peppery Belgian Gentleman and a short rotund gentleman whose name escapes me. Sorry to hear that Anne died so early in life. These discussions must be bittersweet for you.

Ellen, its just nice to ' talk ' of times gone by & I love remembering people & places of Holland Moor & Wigan...they made such an impression on my life.

Helen, It is indeed really nice to share memories from so long ago.I have been fortunate enough to have found two of my closer friends from UGS and have been in touch with them recently. One lives in Ayrshire, the other stayed in the Upholland area, actually Roby Mill. I love living in Canada and am now a Canadian citizen, but after almost 44 years, still think of Upholland Moor as "home".

Hi Ellen,

Just read your message, from 2010. Along time ago.

Eileen was my sister. Sadly I never knew Eileen or any of her friends. Would be lovely to hear about her.

Many thanks

Regards

Jacqueline