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higher ince

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Walmesley Arms Hotel (Ince Bar) first old folks party
Walmesley Arms Hotel (Ince Bar) first old folks party
Photo: Jack Lawton
Views: 7,607
Item #: 23743
Walmesley Arms Hotel (The White House), Ince Bar. The first annual old folks party held on 24th Feb 1960. Back row first left, Ann Hilton, and back row extreme right husband Tom Hilton.

Comment by: Kenny on 31st July 2013 at 15:41

Ince Bar, a name I'm so familiar with from all those years ago but can anyone tell me just where it was? Lower and Higher Ince yes, but cannot place Ince Bar.

Comment by: irene roberts on 31st July 2013 at 15:42

I grew up in Higher Ince and never knew The White House was really called The Walmesley Arms!

Comment by: irene roberts on 31st July 2013 at 18:21

Ince Bar was just about where Ince Green Lane met Manchester Road. In days long past, it was a "toll road" where vehicles had to pay a "toll" to be allowed through. There would actually have been a "bar" across the road which would have been lifted on payment to allow them to pass through. There was also one on Ladies Lane in Hindley. and believe it or not, there is STILL a toll-bar on Warburton Bridge in Cheshire! You have to pay 12p to go through the barrier, (or "Bar"), or you can pay 25p for a day-pass.

Comment by: Albert. on 31st July 2013 at 19:48

I thought the only Walmesley Arms was opposite Taylor's Lane,in Spring View. You live,and learn.

Comment by: Bill on 31st July 2013 at 21:57

My mother met my father while she was a barmaid in the White House,about 1940.
She always talked about the landlord and landlady,I really forget their name ,but Marsh comes to mind.
Irenes dad and pie pea would have sorted it for us!

Comment by: Rev David Long on 31st July 2013 at 22:14

From the 1925 Ince Directory (see under 'Stuff')", for Manchester Road:

[HUMPHREY STREET]
193 Walmesley Arms; Wm. Joseph Clucas, victualler
195 Horse Shoe Inn; Elizabeth Wareing, victualler
[BELLE GREEN LANE]

Comment by: irene roberts on 31st July 2013 at 22:16

You certainly do, Albert! I know The Walmesley Arms in Spring View and yet hadn't realised The White House in Higher Ince, where I grew up, shared the same name. A relative of my sister-in-law used to play the piano in The Walmesley Arms in Spring View. Her name was Clara, I believe.

Comment by: irene roberts on 31st July 2013 at 22:22

Bill, my friend Neil Cain's grandad ran "Pie Pee's" pie shop in the 1930s and 1940s, when it was Cain's. My Mam always called it Cain's as did many old Incers, even after Peter Ashurst, (Pie Pee), took it over. It sold the most delicious pies, as any Incer will recall!

Comment by: broady on 1st August 2013 at 00:06

Bill,Would the Marsh you mentioned be any relation to Monica Ainsworth. I think her Maiden name was Marsh and I have a niggling feeling she once mentioned her parents had a Pub.

Comment by: Neil Cain on 1st August 2013 at 11:19

My old granddad from Holt Street used to laugh about a woman who tried to talk posh and would call the pub the Wermsley Orms

Comment by: irene roberts on 1st August 2013 at 11:59

That's priceless, Neil! My Aunty Mary used to put a posh voice on at walking day, and would say to people, "Oh, 'ello, hit's very naice to see you.....hisn't it 'ot?" ! And I recall my friend Pat's mam saying at Southport, "Just look at those boys clodding stones!".

Comment by: Bill on 1st August 2013 at 12:37

Broady,no different people,I remember Bill Marsh ,Monica's dad ,he was the landlord of the Rose Bridge Inn,the first pub on the left over the cut bridge from Ince into Wigan.

Comment by: Kenny on 1st August 2013 at 14:45

Thank you very much Irene for your helpful explanation - much appreciated.

Comment by: Neil Cain on 1st August 2013 at 14:48

I think a family named Stephens kept the Rose Bridge Inn about 1900. The girl married into the Higham family that kept the Cases Arms across the road

Comment by: incer71 on 1st August 2013 at 21:58

royces gym there now

Comment by: Josh on 1st August 2013 at 22:30

Anyone know the name of the guy standing at the back, in between the two ladies, he's wearing the jumper - he has the look of a Burgess about him.

Comment by: irene roberts on 2nd August 2013 at 09:14

I had a childhood friend in Ince, Pat Burgess, and she had a brother Colin, but that isn't him. I didn't know any other Burgesses.

Comment by: Bill on 2nd August 2013 at 10:55

The chap with the pullover was the landlord,forgot his name as well!

Comment by: Stephen on 2nd August 2013 at 13:48

If the date 1960 is correct it could be tha landlord was called Mercer. A mate of mine was Kevin Mercer and his dad had the pub in the early '60's

Comment by: Maureen on 3rd August 2013 at 05:52

Irene..after my Dad passed away,my Mam's neighbours took her to a club somewhere in Ince,the secretary or whoever was on the microphone as they walked in,and my Mam heard him say"And all thoose who've not paid their subscriptions'll be scrut off"..it still tickles me even typing it out...brilliant.

Comment by: Gerry on 3rd August 2013 at 09:08

Stephen, Kevin mercer is on one of my st Williams walking day photos..they did have the White House for a short whils and Kevin's grandad had the imperial.. Kevin moved to leyland I think then I lost contact with him....weer. Et owd pal...

Comment by: Albert. on 3rd August 2013 at 14:52

Maureen. I don't know as to whether it was in the same club, or not, (No names, no pack drill). I recollect the concert secretary making reference to a future get together for pensioners', saying "There will be ham sandwiches, and chicken butties". Another good quote he made, when something went wrong on the stage. "We'll soon gerit fettled."

Comment by: Maureen on 3rd August 2013 at 15:01

Brilliant story Albert..weren't they characters then..and life was very simple and good..don't you think..I love hearing stories like these..people putting their haitches where there aren't any.

Comment by: Gerry on 3rd August 2013 at 20:20

Don't get me started with concert secretary's... I've heard them all.

The artist for next Saturday is pinned up on the notice board
There is a note in the gents that says wet paint......this is not an instruction.

First prize is a diving suit....sorry. A divan suite.

Comment by: Maureen on 4th August 2013 at 08:12

Gerry..brilliant story..have you any more like that.

Comment by: irene roberts on 4th August 2013 at 19:14

Maureen, Gerry, Josie, Neil, Albert and all my lovely friends.....my brother Ronnie once told me of a club in Ince where the compere said, "And the next dance will be a snake dance". "What's a snake dance, Mister?", asked a little lad who shouldn't have been in. "It means aw yo' lot wot's snaked in can snake eawt!" replied the compere.....my grand-daughter Edie and I often hold pretend "concerts" and she never fails to include the snake-dance and goes into fits of giggles!

Comment by: Maureen on 4th August 2013 at 20:51

Irene...priceless...some of this alternative comedy should take a leaf out of their book.

Comment by: Gerry on 6th August 2013 at 08:31

The next dance will be a Quakers dance..........twice round the floor then round the back for your oats...

Comment by: Gerry on 6th August 2013 at 08:38

We'd like to present Arthur with a little momentum of his long service
Anyone barging to the front of the queue will be ejaculated from the club
If yer not quiet durin't bingo well bring singer back on

Comment by: Gerry on 6th August 2013 at 08:45

We have a lovely range of beers wines and spirits, a great selection of cigarettes and cigars and if you like gambling you can have a pie...

Hilda has made some excellent sandwiches there's ham, pork chicken.. And the tongue sandwiches speak for themselves....

Comment by: Maureen on 6th August 2013 at 12:34

Brilliant.

Comment by: broady on 6th August 2013 at 16:04

I was in a Labour Club one Sunday night and the President came on stage in a sombre mood and said "It gives me great pleasure to announce the Death of ???????? a long time Member of the Club.

Comment by: Albert. on 6th August 2013 at 16:27

Gerry. You comment on club secretaries comments', and script. I've seen some in the old police occurrence books, before the coming of the computer age.1,"Mrs Brown has made a further complaint about youngsters' kicking balls up, and down,her back passage" 2,"The horse that dropped dead in ------- Street, has been carted off by the Knackers'". It is always a case, of think, before you say, or write.

Comment by: sarah dennis on 19th August 2013 at 14:16

Is that what is Robinsons Antiques now? My nan Betty Blinkhorn was a barmaid in a few of the pubs in ince

Comment by: irene roberts on 20th August 2013 at 15:43

No, the pub where Robinson's Antiques is now was The Royal on the corner of Manchester Road and Pickup Street. The pub in the photo was actually on the crossroads at Ince Bar, where the gym is now, opposite The Squirrel. Was your auntie a relative of Annie Blinkhorn who had the chippy down Ince Green Lane?

Comment by: terry halsall , western australia. on 14th September 2013 at 13:26

irene I always wondered why ince( bar),I knew about ladies lane ,or was it stoney lane then being a Toll gate you could still see the evidence in the building sticking out into the roadway till it was modified,ah cains pies I can still taste them I remember a que forming outside as they opened, if you arrived too late they could have sold out am I right?

Comment by: Ken Tarpey on 24th April 2014 at 17:54

The landlord was my uncle, Walter Ryan, landlady was Bessie Ryan. Walter is on the back row with stripped jumper and Bessie is to his left wesring glasses.

Comment by: kathleen Lewis (nee Hilton ) on 4th October 2019 at 18:59

My grandma and grandad and the lady on the back row next to Tom Hilton is my auntie Evelyn Connelly nee croston

Comment by: Julie Davies on 18th November 2022 at 17:51

I love looking at the photos of yesteryear and I was belly laughing at the "snake dance". Love the Wigan accent.

Comment by: K topping on 15th January 2023 at 19:11

The lady in the centre wearing a dark coat with a broach is my grandma. Mary Alice Gaskell nee west. She was born in 1891 and lived most of her like in higher Ince in Bolton st off rose bridge and then west st, moving there just before the war when the houses had just been built.

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