Wigan Album

I am ninety nine percent certain that this superbly atmospheric shot is a view taken on Edge Green Lane Golborne, looking under the Great Central railway’s under bridge and up towards Ashton Road in the far distance. The photographer would be standing on Helen Street, and it would be imprudent to stand in the same place now and try to take a similar photograph I would imagine!

Believed to be taken in the very early thirties (note the gas lamp beyond the bridge) it shows a group of children and one dog. Some of the children and the hound have been identified on the accompanying diagram whilst some are still un-named. Perhaps someone on WW will be able to fill in the missing names?

Tommy Carty, bottom left is identified along with three of his siblings, sisters Ivy, Annie and Nellie. Tommy was born in 1925 and served in the Royal Navy either towards the end of the Second World War, or shortly afterwards perhaps as part of his two years national service. In the early fifties he married a local girl Thelma Kelly and they emigrated to Canada to try their luck in the “new world”. However whilst Thelma was successful in gaining employment Tommy found it hard to find work and they decided to return to this country.

Tommy Carty was tragically killed in the August of 1956 whilst working for a firm (Electrical Hydraulics) contracted to the M.O.D. Whilst working at the Royal Naval shore establishment at Risley, Tommy was handling a piece of ordnance when it exploded prematurely, leaving him with terrible injuries that would prove fatal. He would be just thirty one years old at that time. His only child, a daughter Susan, was five months old when he died and she grew up having never known her father, which is incredibly sad.

Tommy is buried along with his wife in the graveyard at All Saints Catholic church in Golborne.