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Wigan Album

Birkett Bank

11 Comments

The Crispin Arms, Sunday afternoon 1952
The Crispin Arms, Sunday afternoon 1952
Photo: Keith
Views: 4,084
Item #: 31667
It’s the early 1950’s. The place, Birkett Bank, the pub the Crispin Arms, a beer house - euphemistically termed a “jerry pub”. It did not have a licence to sell spirits. The gentlemen, a happy band of men, had just left the pub around 2.30 pm when the pub closed for a few hours on a Sunday. The street on the right leading up the hill is Birkett Street.

About an hour earlier this group of some 20 men, could be seen marching along Manchester Road towards the first pub that was in the Wigan Borough, simply because on a Sunday the Wigan pubs were open for half an hour longer than those in Manchester Road which were in the Ince in Makerfield District. That pub happened to be the Crispin Arms which my parents tenanted from January 1950 until February 1956.

Apart from the convivial conversation between them outside the pub, and the brief pause for a photo which was taken by my father, they were no doubt contemplating their Sunday roast, which if they were fortunate enough to be married may well be awaiting them on their arrival home. No need to worry about drinking and driving, few, if any, had their own cars and their homes were well within walking distance.

As a 12 year old at the time it was fascinating to see all these men congregating, usually in one room in the pub, the Vault. As they had left the premises I rushed down to peep out of the Vault window to watch them leave (children were not allowed in pubs in those days). You can see my face at the window. I did not know any of them but I frequently heard references to them by my parents, always in positive terms.

Names that I recall are 1.Tommy Banks 2. Jim Gannon 3. Norman Rafferty (he kept greyhounds) 4. Bob Benson (worked across the road at Bulldog Tools) 5. Bill? Burgess (a miner I believe) 6. Jimmy Priest (I remember him coming into the back room of the pub one night (the living room) to make a draw for a raffle - no doubt illegal in those days - I also remember noticing that he was missing a tip of one of his fingers - possibly a mining accident, the kind of thing a child would notice with fascination.

We were only 6 years at the Crispin Arms but it remained an indelible memory all my life and I know my parents always looked back on the Crispin, it was their first pub, with great fondness. Today I live some 80 miles away and on the occasional visit to the area, it seems quite different with so many of the houses having been demolished.

Comment by: Veronica on 19th November 2019 at 00:12

They've enjoyed the traditional Sunday dinner pint that much, they can't drag themselves away and continue the banter outside. The older men, hands in pockets and wearing their flat caps - it seemed unusual if you saw them without their caps on, they would look completely different. I know my grandad did and he had a good head of hair. These photos bring back many memories, it's just like looking through a window in time - just like you are Keith.

Comment by: Philip G. on 19th November 2019 at 08:08

A good read Keith, and your six years at the Crispin a cornucopia of early impressions, . . . Owd Bob at No.4 appears to have been a bit of a chatterbox, doesn't he.

Comment by: Maureen on 19th November 2019 at 08:39

What a wonderful 'Moment in time' shot Keith...you must treasure it.

Comment by: DTease on 19th November 2019 at 08:54

The guy on the right looking up Burkett St as turned his back on the camera and missed his chance of immortality.

I bet all these men had rough jobs in engineering and mining but, apart from one old lad who is wearing a scarf, they wouldn’t have dreamed of turning out on a Sunday without donning collar and tie.

Comment by: john mchugh on 19th November 2019 at 09:35

I was born 1952 and I have a friend called jimmy priest will probably be his son he is about 68

Comment by: Veronica on 19th November 2019 at 12:20

Makes me wonder if the older ones escaped from some of the battles, such as Galipolli, the Somme and all the other deadly places. They would have had some stories to tell, I'm sure.

Comment by: Keith on 19th November 2019 at 16:07

I do know Veronica, that another regular at the Crispin, who is not present on this photo. A gentleman, by the name of Dick Prescott, was at Gallipoli. His comment about the battle was that as they waded ashore they were like sitting ducks in a shooting gallery. How he escaped being killed I'll never know.

Comment by: Veronica on 19th November 2019 at 20:29

There would definitely be a bond between the old soldiers wouldn't there just. I bet your ears would have burned listening to them Keith. I liked listening to old folk as a child, there was a lot of respect for them in those days. I wonder if Dick Prescott knew my grandfather as he was at Gallpoli as well. You never know.

Comment by: GeorgeB on 21st November 2019 at 16:36

Over many years I've heard a lot about Gallipoli and the great loss of life for our troops, with Winston Churchill being blamed for the catastrophe, without knowing much about it. That was until recently when I viewed a tv film about it all. Sadly it merely confirmed how terrible war is and the complete waste of life and horror that men endured. In eight months of fighting, with approximately 250,000 casualties on each side. The land campaign was abandoned and the invasion force withdrawn. It was a costly defeat for us, especially First Lord of the Admiralty (1911–1915), Winston Churchill (he was removed). The campaign was considered a great Ottoman victory but they, like us, suffered just as much.

Comment by: Veronica on 21st November 2019 at 17:48

I can remember watching Winston Churchill's funeral, I would be about 19 at the time, thinking why some people were not feeling sympathy that he'd died,after the way he led Britain through the war, but in Scholes he wasn't very well thought of I'm afraid. It was many years later I found out why he was called a 'War Monger'! Old soldiers never forget, especially those who fought at Gallipoli. I must say I liked his resounding speeches. - " We shall fight on the beaches..... We shall never surrender" etc.

Comment by: XPat on 21st November 2019 at 23:38

Are the High Gods bringing our new iliad to grief? At whose door will history leave the blame for the helpless, hopeless fix we are left in.
General Sir Ian Hamilton

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