Wigan Album
Wigan Parsh Church
11 Comments
Photo: Andrew Taylor
Item #: 25692
Such a shame all this tradition disappeared, must have brought people together. I remember the masses of people involved in the walking days of my childhood.
Helen. I certainly concur with your comment, especially when other large processions are catered for. Even in the large cities. I suppose it all comes under the banner of "Political Correctness," or such other terminology, that is now prevalent in our modern society.
I remember walking days! Getting new clothes and shoes usually a white satin shirt and mam making sure you were scrubbed up!
How I loved wearing my walking day dress..satin every time..a lady down Seven Stars made them for us every year..can still see it yet,walking up Wallgate and seeing my Mam and lovely little Irish Grandma with pennies in their hands for me,going to the Market Square where everyone sang Faith of our Fathers..lovely memories..such a pity today's children don't have that to look forward to and remember.
Albert, bet you wish you could speak your mind? So do I!
Agree with everything Albert says. I remember one of the joys of walking day was spotting your relatives in the crowd and gleefully accepting the half-crown they'd shove in your hand. Happy days!
If anyone wants to see the numbers that turned out at Holland Moor on Walk Sunday in the 1950's just go to ' walking days ' in album, there are photos of other places as well.
I'm a Wigan lad who moved to the other side of Manchester in the 70's.The council in my area are trying to stop walking days by imposing a £300 charge for closing the roads,and now we have to provide marshals as the local police will not attend as they did in the past.Another way of big brother trying to stop processions of witness.
I think the decline in walking days is not 'political correctness', more just the decline in church going generally. Walking Days are still active in the Warrington area. For anyone wanting to see old clips of walking days in Wigan around 1960 see the first few minutes of the video on Youtube linked here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmtvbAyy_dE