Wigan Album

There was an Ashton-in-Makerfield Festival held every year in the old Ashton Baths in Morden Avenue. Most schools in the area entered musical ensembles of some description. St Oswald's Roman Catholic Primary School in Liverpool Road Ashton had a band under the auspices of Sister Enda. She chose the band and allocated which instrument each child would play. Cymbals, Drums (boys only here), Triangles and Dulcimers where the order of the day. It was well noted the cleverest was always the conductor. Mary Quinn remembers everything was played from memory - practices were each lunchtime until the band was note perfect... The dress code was white shirts and maroon gymslips the girls and white shirts and black short pants for the boys.

Conductor: Peter Cunliffe

All rows left to right:-

Front Row: John Gorman (drums), Angela Chisnall, Mary Quinn, Pat McHugh, Ann Southworth, Mary Edwards (Deceased), Sheelagh Flynn, Ann Dean, Marianne Higgins (Deceased), Sheila Gaynard, Marie Woods, Kathleen Mc Dermott.

Second Row: Gerard Hayes (Deceased), Brian Roddican (Deceased), Brian Topping, Michael Pilling (Deceased), Winifred Ward, Christine Donnelly, Eileen Flynn, Eileen Ketley (Deceased), Pauline Clark, Sheila Spencer, Kathleen McHugh, Maureen Quinn, Margaret Bruder, Angela Chisnall, Lillian Prior, Celia Collier, Janet Ogden

Third Row: Kenneth Draper, John Jennion (Deceased), Bernard O'Brien? Margaret Lythgoe, Ann Rouke, Josephine Mullee, Eileen Murtagh, Ann Burns, Patricia Arkwright, Ethel Eccles, Barbara Clark, Harry Dixon, James McPhail, Tony Haslam, Kevin Gibney

Back Row: John Prior (Deceased), John Ashton (Deceased), James Bligh, Tony Doyle, Edward Hayes, Ruth Touhey, Patricia Carney, Frank Bullough, Michael Kelly, Robert Smith, Terence Cusack, Joseph Maloney.

Names were researched by Mary Smith (nee Quinn), Sheelagh Garner (nee Flynn) and Tony Haslam. As far as we are aware the names reflect a true likeness of the persons on the photographs. We apologise for any which are incorrectly identified/spelt. If you have any comments or suggestions please contact Tony Haslam 01942 201571 or e-mail tony_haslam [at] blueyonder.co.uk