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Album Contents

Wigan Album

Hankin Family

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Grandma and Granddad Hankin with Grandchildren Mint Court Mid 1950s
Grandma and Granddad Hankin with Grandchildren Mint Court Mid 1950s
Photo: John A Hankin
Views: 1,963
Item #: 20787
Grandma May and Granddad Ernie Hankin outside Mint Cottage, Mint Court Scholes in the mid 1950s. I'm not in the picture but some of my cousins are. I can't be sure who Granddad is holding, maybe Ian Southern, Grandma is holding Rose Puckering I think. David (Sammy) Southern, Sandra and Christine Hewitt are shown, but girl with hand in front of her face could be Lynn Hankin or Karen Puckering. I played at Mint Cottage for many years when growing up in the 50s and early 60s being the eldest grandson enjoying every minute. It was like an adventure playground. Granddad kept chickens and pigs and maybe goats as well as the occasional horse. He grew all his own vegetables and made root beer. I remember the kettle was always hot and the teapot always kept topped up. Grandma was forever moving the furniture around sometimes on a daily basis. Great days. It was a terrible decision to demolish Scholes and it ruined the lives of many of the people brought up there.
The chimneys shown in the top background belong to the houses which ran down the side of Mint Cottage and were parallel to Coop St. Does anyone remember the name of the row of houses?
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Comment by: vicky on 10th June 2012 at 13:19

Lovely photo and description, where was mint cottage? and whats there now?

Comment by: JohnAlan on 11th June 2012 at 15:21

Hi Vicki, Mint Cottage, Mint Court was on the left just off Scholes about 100 yards towards Whelley from the public house The Balcarres Arms on Scholes/Molyneux St (now called The Earl of Balcarres I think)and which is the only part of Scholes still standing apart from a small number of house built in the early 1960s in Gasckell St off Scholefield Lane and Vauxhall Rd further down toward Scholes traffic lights. Molyneux St is just a turn in off Scholes now with no houses on it. What was once Scholes Conservative Club until it burned down a few years ago is approximately where Mint Court was. The road up to Longshoot Health Centre is just a little further up and there is still remnants of the cobbled path that ran down the side of Mint Cottage down to what was Regent St. If you look on the old street plans of Scholes I recently uploaded (under places-Scholes) you will be able to find it.

Comment by: Jem Glover on 12th June 2012 at 21:30

John I think the name of the street that ran parallel to Coop Street had the name Primrose Hill.I remember taking potato peelings to one of the houses in exchange for a few sweets,the peelings being for the pigs that they had in the back.I think the name of the family who lived there, may have been Markland.I lived in Longshoot in the 50s,then moved when the old weavers cottage's that I lived in Were to be knocked down 1960.

Comment by: JohnAlan on 13th June 2012 at 15:25

Hi Jem, yes I am sure you are correct thanks. I do remember now it being Primrose Hill as people used to refer to the area of Mint Court as that as well. Do you remeber the removal brothers Eatons I think they were named from that area? When we moved from Whelley (Wright St) in 1967 to a new house in Beech Hill dad asked them to flit us (there's a good owd Wigan word) around May time it was. "Wi cawnt move thi then it's Whit Wick Eend" So we moved the week after! I can see them now with their flat caps and old van. My Sister-in-Law Kath Stokes (nee Snailham)mother's maiden name was Glover from the Scholes/Whelley/New Springs area. Jane Glover married a Connolly then when he died she married again to Joe Snailham. Could you be related

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