Login   |   Register   |   
Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Photo-a-Day Archive
Photo-a-Day Archive

Photo-a-Day  (Friday, 9th April, 2021)

Queen’s Head


Queen’s Head
The former Queen’s Head Pub in Aspull.

Photo: Dennis Seddon  (Sony DSC-WX500)
Views: 2,106

Comment by: James Hanson on 9th April 2021 at 00:03

I've heard it's a good indian restaurant and was recommended.

Comment by: Garry on 9th April 2021 at 04:36

I would much preferred it still as a pub, too many restaurants whether Indian, Chinese or what ever. We are definitely a society of "just eat". This was always a lovely pub clean and tidy.

Comment by: Walt ( North Yorkshire) on 9th April 2021 at 06:02

Thanks Dennis, lovely reminder of the area we once called home. Many, many years ago this was the "local" for us, lovely PaD.

Comment by: WN1 Standisher on 9th April 2021 at 07:54

Good capture Dennis, the trees frame it quite nicely. i've not been in since it's been a food establishment, what's it like ?

Comment by: Julie on 9th April 2021 at 07:54

Another nice pub which had gone and turned into something innapropiate not needed, and doesn't fit into this lifestyle today for a small village.

Comment by: Edna on 9th April 2021 at 08:31

Very good photo Dennis.You have not only got the pub in, but also the beautiful daffodils.

Comment by: Irene Roberts on 9th April 2021 at 08:57

What a lovely, cheerful photo of a Spring day. As WN1 Standisher says, the trees from a natural frame. I think we all wished pubs were still pubs but they are sadly closing down as times change, and I would rather see the building in use and well-kept, (as it seems to be), than derelict or demolished.

Comment by: Elizabeth on 9th April 2021 at 08:59

Very good photo Dennis.Enjoyed the food there when I went but would have preferred it to have stayed a pub.Still better than it being boarded up though.

Comment by: Gary on 9th April 2021 at 08:59

The old Methodist Chapel and school was next door - the hall was used for weddings, square dances etc but, being Methodist, teetotal - wedding toasts with Cidrax!
The number of men at these events who said they needed a stroll, get some fresh air, when the fresh air was in the bar at the Queen's Head was staggering.
My great grandad (decd 1940) was a regular in there - the Gregorys were Catholic- and he used to get the bus from thowd co op down Bolton Road, up to the Queen's Head.

Comment by: Veronica on 9th April 2021 at 09:01

Nice to see the flowering cherries just peeping in at the side..
not be long before the daffs are gone .. brief as it was, they certainly made an impact.

Comment by: David Barker on 9th April 2021 at 09:12

Excellently frame photo Dennis, and a little bit of the old railings from my old school ,Aspull Methodist School on the bottom right.
Stood there a few times with your David ,watching the Maroon Ambrose tipper wagons going past , when they where taking stone from the Delph Quarry, for the motorways, the drivers used to wave and give a blast on the horn, happy days ,great photo.

Comment by: PeterP on 9th April 2021 at 10:16

Nice photo could not place it at 1st. Like the pencil to denote a crossing what colour is the other pencil?

Comment by: Essex Girl on 9th April 2021 at 13:43

Thank you Dennis, for posting such a lovely photo of the former Queen’s Head Pub. My grandad Thomas Hulme lived at the Pub in the early 1900’s when his Dad David and mother Alice were the landlords. His brother William is named on the nearby cenotaph. It’s a shame it’s not a pub anymore but at least it is still standing and being kept in good repair by the present owners. Not been back to this area for a long time as I have lived in Essex for 40 years. Will keep a screen shot of your lovely photo.

Comment by: Rev David Long on 9th April 2021 at 17:11

William Hulme (Private, 26721, 5th Bn. Lancashire Fusiliers) died of wounds, aged 25, on April 14th in the German offensive of 1918, and is buried at Doullens. He was a clerk in the Electrical Dept. of Kirkless Works' Fitting Shop - so is commemorated on the Wigan Coal & Iron Co's plaque, which is now in Aspull Royal British Legion Club nearby. He's also on the Roll of Honour at St Elizabeth's Church, and on Wigan Cenotaph.

Comment by: walt (nth Yorkshire) on 9th April 2021 at 17:19

David, you reminded me of my childhood days at the Methodist school back in the early 1950s. Dennis will remember like me, the WIMPEY lorries that came past the school on their way to Westwood Power Station from the opencast mining at Red Rock carrying coal, those drivers also sounded their horns and waved at us kids looking through the fence. Seventy years ago now, where did the years all go !!.

Comment by: Dennis Seddon on 9th April 2021 at 19:55

I remember those Wimpey wagons Walt, they looked like monsters to us little kids. At that time they came down Haigh road to the Fingerpost and turned right onto Wigan Road (You could do that then without having to do the double somersault that you have to do now) any coal that fell off going round the bend was soon snapped up by the locals.
Seventy years Walt? It seems like yesterday. Do you remember the Bobby who used to come to the school with his ventriloquist’s dummy to teach us how to cross the road? “Look right” he said “look left and if nothings coming cross the road quickly” I still do it today!

Comment by: Angela on 9th April 2021 at 20:07

Peterp the other pencil is yellow, they denote a school crossing manned by a lollipop person.

Comment by: Dennis Seddon on 9th April 2021 at 20:09

Rev David, it’s over a century now since the First World War ended and yet there seems to be a never ending queue of descendants looking for information about the men who took part in that conflict. You seem to take a great interest in the local men and their families who served in that war and I’m just wondering if you yourself get many people asking you for information.

Comment by: Rev David Long on 9th April 2021 at 22:35

Dennis - interest in those who died in the World Wars has seen a resurgence over the past few years. The various wW1 and WW2 anniversaries have obviously boosted interest - but I think the sight of the bodies being brought back into Brize Norton from the most recent conflicts has perhaps brought it home to people that the names on the country's war memorials are also those of sons, lovers, husbands.
Yes - I get enquiries - but hopefully my work in helping to record all the country's war memorials will help folk access information directly.

Comment by: Mick on 10th April 2021 at 08:55

You will go down in history Rev for your work in helping to record all the country's war memorials.

Comment by: Essex Girl on 10th April 2021 at 12:39

Rev David Long, just read your post and appreciate the additional information about my grandad’s brother William Hulme. Have been dabbling into my ancestry over lockdown, but did not know about the plaque in the British Legion and roll of honour in St Elizabeth’s church. Keep up the good work recording the war memorials.

Comment by: Rev David Long on 10th April 2021 at 13:32

Thanks to digital photography and the internet, Mick, it's a relatively easy, if time-consuming, task. When Carol Littler was recording the local memorials with pen and paper and printed photographs, it was a much more long-winded job.
EG - if you put 'Aspull' into the IWM Search facility you'll find the memorials among the results: https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/search
Also, I've just looked again at his Obituary in the Wigan Examiner: https://archives.wigan.gov.uk/archive/first-world-war-records/wigan-newspaper-extracts-1914-1918/187740-w1918f14p260jpg?#prettyPhoto/0/ - and saw that he'd been more associated with St David's, Haigh than St Elizabeth's. I checked their memorial - and he's on that, too.

Comment by: Eddie Rowland on 13th April 2021 at 14:57

Hello Yvonne,I hope your feeling better now since your Anita moved down to Somerset,she told me
she was missing you a lot and Aspull still is a lovely
Place and always will be to me.
The photograph with the daffodils proves it.

Leave a comment?

* Enter the 5 digit code to the right of the input box. Don't worry if you make a mistake, you will get another chance. Your comments won't be lost.