prata pickin

did anyone int standish /wigan area go prata pickin at ollertons farm in standish int 60iz.

I went at downallgreen it was fun

ya it was fun and end of day you earned 12shilling and when you got home your mother took it off ya.

we used to pick potatoes when we were kids thats till the farmer saw us he used to chase us off

remember gooin pey pickin
ate more than i put in basket

Never went prata pickin, but went stawberry pickin once in Parbold in '60s. Remember there was an Italian in charge of checking your baskets of stawberries at the weigh in, he used to throw all the little or greenish ones out of the baskets whilst having a paddy, shouting and obviously swearing and calling you all the names under the sun in Italian, and woe betide you if you put any in with the stalks missing. He always seemed to be finding some fault or other with me and my mates baskets and we got fed up with it so come dinner time we legged it, we only made a few bob, but we'd scoffed quite a few bobs worth of strawberies though. Yes it was fun but you got a stiff back next morn too which wasn't.

A gang ov us used to go strawberry pickin in burcough, and prata pickin as weel i think that wuz burscough ...Oh eye and peys gawd we was all fartin like troopers ont way home we had a great laff tho

used to go pickin spuds at waddy's farm, cocks lump! we used to wear A brat ( sack ) to collect the spuds and we used to have us baggin in't barn

went to burscough pickin loads people from wigan catchin train no trouble ever

my sister used to pick up the pea and potato pickers from Shevington to work on her farm in Newburgh. My partner used to potato pick at the Castelli farm in Standish.

One Shilling a day we got for picking pratas & it was bloody hard work but you got time off school, 1948-49.

Went pea pickin' in the fifties Burscough and Parbold,loved every minute and made some good money,plenty of fresh air,isn't it funny when you look back on your youth it was always sunshining,you never remember the rainy days.

We did every pickin you can think off
Off we went for the day with a bottle o water and some jam butties hard work but we didn't care as long as we got a few bob at the end of the day.

Sydneylass,when you think about it,did'nt we get to a lot of places on jam butties and a bottle of water.

no, but i used to go potato picking

Nit picking was popular in our school,it was usually done by the kids with purple faces(Gentian violet) and a piece of elasterplast over one side of their specs.
My prata pickin' was done on George's farm Ince common.

ee bye gum ure ded t'reet theyar lad, an wi med prata pie an miscellaneous prata jakbit, aye grand then ad gu eeet w ten shillin un ave a dozen paaants, un then chippy supper an t flicks an ave chenge out me shillin aye a did

We didn't come to any harm either mojim.
No fizzy soft drinks fer us except for a treat once in a while if me mam won at bingo. Dandelion n Burdock yum.

Done me fair share of nit pickin too xrh with six litle brothers and sisters, I think me mam had share in Suleo (not sure how you spell it)

I remember going pea picking in Parbold and burscough we used to go on the train from wallgate then the farmers would pick us up in trucks and take us to the field that was to be picked this was our annual holiday for many of us I loved it you used to get two shillings and six pence per hamper of peas or (twelve and a half pence) and sometimes we might get a cauli that we had nicked out of one of the fields thier was a big Irish man worked on the farm his name was Martin oh what memories these kids dont know there born my mam worked all year then in the summer we did this

went strawberry picking in the seventies in parbold think we got 5p a punnet

When we were kids in the school holidays we also used to also go and help on mi dads mates farm at Marsh Green, Mr Philbin. Some of you from that area might know the family? Apparently he went on to be one of the biggest pig farmers in Europe? Lovely family with very well educated kids, most of who went on to do very well in life. A smack in the face for those at school who used to tease them for smelling like pig manure and thinking they were the bumpkin farmers kids

Mr Philbin lived at Walthew House Farm, he used to come across to the Martland Bridge Inn almost every evening for a pint or (many). Nice big Irish Chap. I remember him well

Potato picking at Castellis dowm Arbour Lane, Standish; never ached so much the day after.

art he was one of mi old dads best friends you probably know him too everyone called him Big Jim "nice big Irish chap" too

We used to get an early train to Parbold in the 1950's.A lorry would be waiting to take us out to the strawberry fields where we would spend the day picking and eating strawberries.You were given tokens at the weigh in which couldn't be cashed until the end of the day so there was no early finishing for us poor little lads.

i went to valentines farm at appley bridge every year during school holidays, it was hard graft but loved every minute. farmers wife used to bring us a brew and it had a lovely taste. kids these days should do it to earn their own money. oh happy days

I still go pea/strawberry picking near Parbold every year but now instead of them paying you

you have to pay them but not for the hundreds you eat in the field

jj

we used to get up at five o/clock in the morning to catch the early train to go picking at burscough and parbold in our school holidays, when potato picking the farmer also made me load the ruddy full sacks of spuds on the moving trailer and pick them as well! (coz i was a big lad he said) i was well knackered when i got home. great days though.

In Pemberton we all got picked up in Queen street at front of Annie Morleys house by pey waggin it took us to Parbold we picked strawberrys peas and spuds.

Picked at Winstanlys farm Downall green,he used to sing <hear we are again ,happy as can be all good friends and jolly good company> as he drove the tractor down the line digging up spuds, we never had time to be happy (old slave driver) Good days though

only went once worked all day and finished up with 2 shilling slave labour

I went potato picking in the late twenties early thirties but didn't earn the twelve shillings per day.at the end of the day we all had bad backs. The only good thing about it was at half way through the morning the farmer's wife came with loads of coffee then back to back breaking work.

used to picin spuds at orrell back of orrell rugby club don,t remember name of farm they ve biult houses on some of the feilds now and they wernt happy days we were pow fagged at the end of the day

hiya greenfingers was it edge hall farm in orrell

it may well of been not sure if it was or not i know that was the name of the lane , don,t know name of farm thore, long time ago

machines have taken over no need for prater pickers now

I remember going 'prata pickin' at Greaves farm in UpHolland - picked spuds for a week, when it came time to be paid, the farmer told me he couldn't pay me because I was 'too young' !
So my mother went to see him, he still wouldn't pay, but he grabbed a chicken, cut its head off and gave it to her

prata pickin with my mum and half the street in the 50's at Rigbys farm in Worsley Mesnes. Happy days

The strawberry farm owned by the Claytons has now closed as they have retired.

Susie q,
I went pickin at Rigby's Farm in the 60's but they had moved to Abram by then. I think the son, Arthur, still keeps the farm going.

Hello Broady. Yes as far as I know the son Arthur is living at Abram. My stepson had cause to meet him last year. He seems to be a bit of a recluse though just him and his animals.

Broady and Susieq,
Where is Rigby's farm in Abram? The only Rigby's farm in Abram I can remember was knocked down years ago .It was next to the Congregational Methodist church which is now a Roofing Firm. There's a Bungalow where the farm was.

Will see what I can find out and let you know.

It is just past the Dover on the right hand side before you go up Swell Brow. The bottom field runs down to the Finney Bridge at the back of the Dover.

Hiya Bill,
I know which one you mean now. I think it's name is Aye Bridge farm

Spot on Phil.

picked spuds for freddie ollerton george and jem glover gills baldwins at coppull moor it was hard but worth it we even went on strike at baldwins for a day over pay would you think at 13 years old great times in standish late 50s and 60s

Oops wrong thread.

Yes, went potato picking at Bamfurlong Hall Farm with a couple of friends in the 1960's whilst still at school.It was absolutely back-breaking. Didn't go again

Was that Walton’s??

We went potato picking in West Lancashire. Always hard work but good fun.

I do remember my mate and I, David Hopper from Norley Hall, going pea picking over near Winstanley and we filled our backpacks with peas and got caught by the farmer.

He took all our peas of us and sent us packing.....

Good fun, or what????

Yes Broady, it was Walton's Farm. Their eldest daughter, Annette, was in same year as me at school.