Wigan Album

I'm not entirely certain where Cookson's farm was situated exactly, but I have a vague recollection of there being a farm on the corner of Heath road and Princess road, directly opposite the Eagle and Child pub. Would this be the one ? If it is the one that I'm thinking of, then it was just up the hill from the Millstone pub at the corner of Druid Street where my mate, Johnny Baldwin used to live, at number 12. This address is burned into my brain as I always used to to give it to the police whenever I got into trouble......If it is the same place, then I believe.....,there's that word again......, I believe it was a pig farm and they suffered an outbreak of swine fever in the late 50's. I believe the place was razed to the ground in the early 60's.... That's if it's the same place that I'm thinking of, of course. If it isn't , then completely ignore this post.

Regards. Ozy.

Can't ignore any of your posts' Oz' and you're certainly on the right track here. Google Images gives a smashing picture of two toddlers on Ashton Heath with your buildings shown in the background. You might like to see 'Ashton Heath Brian Unsworth'.

Thanks for that Philip, I had a look on the site that you recommended and found it very interesting. I realise that I'm going off topic here, but that's something that I tend to do quite frequently and I make no apology for it. The Dull Pick , or The Collier's Arms, to give the place its proper title is mentioned on there, and that was the pub of choice as far as I was concerned. It's long gone now of course and the land that it occupied now forms part of the car park of the Bay Horse. I can remember four landlords at that place. Tommy Disley in the 60's, a right character if ever there was one, followed by Jimmy Goulding and his wife Alice, Jimmy being another oddball character. What is it about pub landlords ? Stan Adamson from Landgate was the next tenant, I think his wife's name was Alice also if memory serves. I've actually got a photograph of myself and Alice taken outside the pub. I'll root it out soon and put it on here. Stan's daughter, who's name escapes me for the moment and her husbandand Billy Gough were the next and possibly the last tenants. Billy was a good mate of mine and is a really cracking chap, although I haven't seen him for years. I think the place was owned by the Burtonwood brewery, in fact I'm pretty sure it was as they used to sell Forshaw's 69 stout, a particular favourite of mine at the time. Unfortunately, the place was overshadowed by the more upmarket Bay Horse next door so the decision was taken to close it and send In the bulldozers. I'm not sure of the exact year that they flattened the place, sometime in the late 70's possibly,......... Dommage, mais c'est la vie n'est ce pas?

Regards. Ozy.

Glad you found the Ashton site interesting, Oz'. I've whizzed through the site once again and still can't find mention of the sword? reputed to have been found many year's ago on the heath - maybe it's just an old wives tale, though. Your 'going off topic' piece is fine, but you shouldn't be too concerned about the mystique surrounding pub landlords; you're allegiance to The Collier's Arms, and the hospitality you received during four different periods of its management completely outweigh the need for scrutiny - the die has been cast favourably. I'll bet conversation - with you at the helm, in The Collier's would have been enjoyable, reaching fever pitch the moment someone 'got the cigs out' or, maybe, even lit a pipe. Looking forward to you uploading the picture of yourself, as does David Roberts; he's been waiting over 150 years for this moment and was recently seen setting up his easel at a pub near you. Thanks.