Wigan Album

I have a book about New Brighton in the 1950s and there is an advert for a cafe which actually advertises on its menu: "Bread cut corner to corner"! That must have been a sign of being "a bit posh"!!

Another good one Geoff.. I remember one time when we went, we were sat against that wall in the background, one of my brothers, was digging in the sand and found loads of change...pennies, thripenny bits, some sixpences.. It was a long time ago, 55/60 years, I have no clue as to how much he found, but for those days it was something...He's never been short of money since lol.....

Posh indeed Irene !
I remember going there from Wigan with my Auntie Mary & cousin Mary...by train ? Mary slip[ed on some rocks 7 broke her arm...blames me to this day !!
I went back there last year to see what time had done to New Brighton...wouldn't recognise the place, very posh indeed !

I used to love going there. There was the train journey to Liverpool, the ferry across the Mersey, & the sand which was great to play in. My memory of going just after the bombing is not so good, the ruins all the way down to the pier, & in the river so many wrecks sticking up. So sad.

Remember going to New Brighton in the mid 60s, the place was getting a bit run down by then. The old tower ballroom building had been on fire and would soon be demolished. If you dig down a few inches on New Brighton sand you come on black peaty stuff which is actually the remains of an ancient forest.

Hello Helen.I remember going with my class from Ince Central School. It would have been about 1961 or 1962 but I'm blowed if I remember how we got there. All our school trips seemed to be by coach so I assume we went under The Mersy Tunnel; I know people from Liverpool went by ferry. I only have very vague memories of the funfair and going on the Ghost Train with some friends and teachers. I can't recall if we had our dinner there so I can't tell you if the bread was cut corner to corner!

New Brighton was our school trip destination in 1945 and 1946 after the war ended. I was at Ince CE school. We went by coach through the Mersey Tunnel.

spent many a happy Bank Holiday in New Brighton. Train from Wigan to Liverpool, a walk down to Pier Head, Ferry over to NB pier, day on the beach watching the ships go by and then home after Fish and Chips. Does anybody remember the indoor Amusement Park and NB Pleasure Beach ? There was also the open air swimming pool. NB could easily equal, if not excel the old Blackpool in its heyday

I remember NB well but I don't recall anyone ever mentioning anything about an ancient forest - who told you that A.W?

First of all, what an excellent photograph of a long lost New Brighton. I also went there in my childhood, it was an adventure just getting there, the train, the walk through Liverpool then the ferry. The good news is New Brighton is starting to spruce itself up again and is worth a visit. I try to go at least once a year but its a good walk from the ferry landing so be prepared or catch the bus from the ferry building. Thank you for posting the picture.

As a child the walk from Lime Street to the ferry seemed to take ages, it's about three quarters of a mile. I can remember the bomb sites along Church Street and towards Hanover street, many were not rebuilt until the 1960's. I liked watching the Guinness Clock in New Brighton, quite a crowd would gather round it. No triangular sandwiches for me, my memories are of hamburgers in the Wimpy bar!ey1fz

I remember our Grandad saying he would take us to New Brighton inthe late 50s or so,we never made it due to money i thought anyroad during our sunday drive a few years ago we arrived at NB i wondered what it would been like in the 50s cos there was nowt worth talking about now.but last week i was in the musium of Liverpool and whilst watching a film of a funfair which i thought was Southport but in fact it was New Brighton full of life with loads of people havin a good time ,so even though our Grandad never got to take us it will be remembered as Grandads special place for ever.

It used to be a regular family outing for us in the late 1940's 50's, catch the train to Liverpool, ferry to New Brighton, paddle in the sea (Mersey) see the lighthouse, the fairground, tower. and boating lake, café for tea, a great day out. in the mid 50's I with some mates used to go on our bikes down the East Lancs road and cycle through the Mersey Tunnel, wouldn't like to try it now. I went a few years ago on my motor bike through the tunnel. It's worth a trip to see the change.

I remember the school trip to New Brighton from Ince Central school around 1965 ( two teachers I can remember going was Miss Melling and Miss Morgan).
It was a horrible day weather wise with wind and rain, but we went in the open air baths. I also remember the trip on the Royal Iris taking us from Pier Head to New Brighton, with kids either turning green or being sick on the choppy Mersey.
Best part was the indoor fair. I'd been to Blackpool and Southport fairs many times, but had never seen a waltzer ride or dodgem cars inside a building before. Perfect on a day when it seemed the wind and rain never stopped.

Jane, I read it in a history book about the Liverpool area. It seems if you go back 600 or 700 years or so the Mersey Estuary was a lot narrower than it is now, forests came right up to the shore. Members of my family lived in Liverpool before the war and visited New Brighton regularly, in those days they used to think the black stuff under the sand was a layer of old oil washed off the Mersey shipping,

John, Miss Melling was one of the teachers who took us on the Ghost Train but it was earlier than your trip; I left Ince Central in 1964.

Irene,I moved to the juniors in 1963 and left in 1967. Teachers I remember were Fairchild, Sherrington, Morgan, Melling, Ryder, and Heaton. There must have been another two, because each year had an A and B class. Our day school trips were Chester Zoo, ( twice I think), New Brighton and Heysham Head. I remember you couldn't take chocolate only boiled sweets. The school trip away was to Westward Ho which was very cold ( it was Easter and it snowed) which to be honest although it must have cost my parents a fair bit I don't have happy memories because of the weather.

John,in the infants I recall Mrs. Sandiford, Miss Ashurst,(who became Mrs. Johnson, and who I am now in touch with), Miss Oddie, Mrs. Robilliard, Mrs. Hill and the head-teacher, Miss Jones. When I went up to the juniors, Miss Pasquill and Miss Follet had joined the school as infants' teachers. In the juniors I remember Mrs. Clitheroe, Miss Morgan, Miss Melling, Mr. Fairchild and Mr. Heaton. I remember three headmasters in my time at Ince Central....Mr. Gerrard, Mr. Carswell and Mr. Lowe. It is amazing how a photo of New Brighton has brought back so many memories.