Photo-a-Day  (Sunday, 13th March, 2022)

I like that perspective, Mick. You can just see the bronze sculpture ‘Helping Hands’ in the background, by artist Sarah Brindley.

Spring is a beautiful time of the year.

Still plenty of crocus and snowdrops on display

Walmseley Park, (or Ince Park as we always called it), was huge part of my childhood. It had a hedge in those days where the railings are on the photo and green wrought-iron seats along the paths. There were beautiful rhododendron bushes and "Keep off the Grass" notices, and a "Parky" to make sure we obeyed! We used to take a picnic of jam butties and pop in a brown paper carrier bag with string handles. There were swings and a roundabout, and a woman who was a child still used to swing herself so high we were always afraid she would go over the top bar but she never did. Elizabeth will remember her. I recall a tap where we had a drink of water, holding our hands in a cup-shape under the flow. There were some smelly, crumbling old toilets, shadowy under overhanging trees where we used to frighten ourselves with tales of "bad men" and I can even remember the rude verse chalked on the wall! So many memories.

Irene. There were also tennis courts - certainly into the 1970s - although in poor nick by then. There was also a pond which attracted many small boys "fishing". Havent been there in over 40 years but like you a regular childhood visit.

Yes Irene,like you I spent so much time in here as a child,playing with friends.I only lived a few yards from here,on the opposite side going towards Ince Bar.I think the person you are thinking of was called Elsie Ashurst she always oozed so happy.Great memories.x

Same memories with Wigan Park Irene only difference was "Mon int Park wit Stone belly"..and the cafe of course...

That is a wonderful memory to tuck away Irene...loved reading it.
Nice pic Mick.

That's a nice photo from a good angle.

Do you remember the time when dogs roamed about all day on their own .
A golden age for dogs perhaps but a time of terror for us kids who played in the park .
'Rebel' was a Pitbull . The hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I saw him coming . Luckily there was a big slide with a hut on top of the steps which provided a haven when ever he appeared .
In the tennis court we played ' heading ' tennis with a football which was thirsty work in summer . We had a water fountain too and I remember drinking from it just in the manner Irene described .
There was a conical shaped roundabout with a pole in the middle which not only rotated but swayed in and out . You could make it 'clang' if you really got on going .
There were swings too until Rebel chewed through the seats , leaving the chains dangling bits of gnarled wood on each end .

Im glad you like it Joanne.

Sorry daft predictive text put oozed instead of looked !

DTease, our dog Vic used to roam like that, as did all the local dogs. He used to scratch at the front door to be let out and scratch when he wanted to come back in! It amused me to hear of you remembering escaping from Rebel by going up the steps to the slide... when my children were small there was a dog on Abram Park who used to take his turn with the children, climbing up the steps and sliding down the slide! Children and dogs have a wonderful affinity! Elizabeth, I had realised you meant that Elsie looked happy....she used to run errands for people and always ran everywhere....I can't ever recall seeing her unless she was either running or on the swings. I remember being in Maggie Scott's Chippy one day when I was about ten years old; Elsie was in the queue and it was her birthday, and she was as excited as a child. Some older girls asked how old she was and I will always remember she answered"thirty", as innocently as if she were seven. Everyone in Higher Ince loved Elsie. She was part of our lives.

I well remember Rebel Poet and seeing him latched onto a swing seat and someone set the swing going. He wouldn't let go though. The big slide was a safe haven but I think he eventually sussed the steps out too. Was the conical roundabout in the small wooded area behind the top goalposts ?

Sorry. I meant that reply to go to Poet! What on earth made me address it to DTease? I think I had just been re-reading the last few days' p-a-ds and DTease's posts had stuck in my mind. ! My apologies to both!

No bother Irene . DTs post do tend to stick in one's mind .
That's right WN1 . It got dismantled but the iron pole still stood years later .
Rebel went on tour all over didn't he , destroying swings at Ashfield , and some at Longridge and Langton Avenues .

Standisher the only reason I had 3 photos on run on PADs is because I went out and took 3 photos and sent them in to WW.
So stop complaining to you reject mates.

You certainly knew when he was around. He had a penchant for chasing after cars trying to bite the tyres, scary

Lovely memories of both Ince and Wigan parks, I remember taking my youngest son to Ince to skateboard in the 90s.

The pond in Ince Park at one time became to be infested with Signal Crayfish; which had migrated to there from the ponds at Amberswood - no idea if they are still in those ponds.

ahcawntspeyk commented about them on this thread.
https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/communicate/mb_message.php?opt=f1&msd=574809&offset=&subject=Killer%2520shrimp

and they're mentioned here, see Page 38.
https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Docs/PDF/Council/Strategies-Plans-and-Policies/Planning/Environment/Biodiversity-Ecology-Study/Wigan's-Biodiversity.pdf

Time paints over and changes the clothes,
Places we once knew, are different suppose,
Our memories imprinted, from childhood to now,
we push through the modern and back to when how,
we each had our moments, when the wind blew for me,
as we turn back to childhood , to the days we still see..

Who are my reject mates Mick ? Name them. Does it not occur to you that Dave OY had done exactly the same thing as you state above. PaD is a poorer place without him. Whilst we're chewing the cud, the chap you filmed last year stating you were keeping an eye on him in case he threw himself into the cut, was in the Brocket last Saturday, sat near us. He looked in fine fettle. How's London ?