Login   |   Register   |   
Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Wigan Album

Douglas Valley

17 Comments

Douglas valley.
Douglas valley.
Photo: Veronica.
Views: 3,706
Item #: 29986
Taken on a bridge over the River Douglas, in about 1960, quite close to ' The Camel's Hump '. Does anyone remember this bridge?. Does it still exist?. I realise the area has changed a lot over the years, but can anyone identify this precise spot as it appears today?

Comment by: tom on 12th December 2017 at 19:39

the area behind the photo was called the little jungle ,there was a path from bottling wood over the bridge upto coppel lane it was a shortcut to wigan lane

Comment by: GW. on 12th December 2017 at 20:13

I'd say it's the bridge between beauty and regal.

Comment by: . Ozymandias . on 12th December 2017 at 20:13

I could be way off here Veronica, as I don't even come from Wigan, but to me, it looks like the bridge that used to cross the Dougie at the bottom of Maloney's brow and the bottom of Coppull lane, before they built the dam. There used to be two bridges actually, and I'm talking about the lower of the two which is now long gone. The other one, the pedestrian bridge leading up to the steps, was reinstated several yards downstream from the original one. ( it all sounds a little bit complicated doesn't it? ), Widdrington road and Wigan lane would have been behind you, Bottling wood and the plantations would have been to your left, the former site of Sutton mill would have been to your rear and slightly to your right, and Whelley hospital and Scholes would have been in the general direction in which you appear to be looking. I hope that's crystal clear, but I could be wrong of course, I quite often am in fact, but let's just wait and see eh?

Comment by: . Ozymandias . on 12th December 2017 at 20:55

I've changed my mind, is that allowed?. I've turned around 180 degrees, and although I still think it's the same bridge, it seems now that we're looking up towards Maloney's brow. Directly behind you Veronica, would have been what are now the current premises of Wilcox, the potato merchants, and you would have been looking more or less directly up Coppull lane. Stay tuned however, as further changes may well be imminent.

Comment by: . Ozymandias . on 12th December 2017 at 21:19

I'm back again Veronica. If you look at item #: 28777 on the album and read the comment by Dave Stephens, I'm reasonably sure that you'll agree this is the bridge that you refer to. This bridge no longer exists by the way.

Comment by: Veronica on 12th December 2017 at 21:33

It's 1963 as I was still at school in 1960. I think I am facing towards the hill going up to Wigan Lane.

Comment by: Thomas(Tom)Walsh. on 13th December 2017 at 00:37

Tom ,your bob on the little jungle in the background, I think that was the site of the old Bottling Wood, there are some old photographs on the site . Veronica a lovely photo.

Comment by: tom on 13th December 2017 at 13:18

veronica st marys rugby team used to play on a pitch right at the side of the duggy thats were you looking

Comment by: Veronica on 13th December 2017 at 14:21

Thats right Tom - I remember the open land. As kids in the school holidays we would go on the 'Camel's Hump' and play roly poly down the hill. I barely recognise it as it is now - I shouldn't have gone to look!

Comment by: DerekB on 13th December 2017 at 21:00

As a kid at St.George's school on every Friday afternoon we were taken to play football on the land adjoining what we called the Camel's Hump. As I recall the pitch went either uphill or downhill according to your point of view.

Comment by: Ian on 14th December 2017 at 23:23

You are facing the "scroggs" as we used to call it when we were kids. At the back of the scroggs was Widdrington road. At the back of you is the little jungle.To your left would the Whiteheads which was at the bottom of camels hump. You are looking up at Coppull Lane in the direction of Wigan Lane.

Comment by: Ian. on 15th December 2017 at 00:19

There were two bridges at the bottom of Coppull Lane.
One crossing the River Douglas to take you up to Whelley ( Bradshaw Street ) and the other one that took you in the direction of the Plantations.

Comment by: Veronica on 15th December 2017 at 09:45

Its the bridge that led to the plantations then. Often walked to Haigh Hall from the Greenough St end( that's in heels and carrying my handbag!). On a Sunday afternoon.

Comment by: DTease on 16th December 2017 at 19:27

Dearie me, Sunday afternoon at Haigh Hall in the early sixties, as teenagers we were there every Sunday afternoon. Someone would have a "Trannie" and we listened to "The Top Twenty". Was it Allan Freeman who ran the show? "Hi there pop pickers, at number one this week..."
It was all an excuse for boys to meet girls and girls to meet boys.
The boys wore their best posing attire, black suede shoes, blue jeans, blood red shirt (collar up of course) and hair plastered down with Brylcreem.
The girls wore their hair piled up on the top of their head ( how they kept it there with no visible means of support was a mystery), stiff petticoats to make their skirt stand out and Stiletto Heels.
The ritual itself consisted of three passes.
In the first pass, the girls would walk past in two's and the boys would preen themselves like frustrated Peacocks looking for a challenge. The girls went by pretending not to look but secretly weighing up what was on offer. If they saw anything they liked they would circle around the Hall and come round for pass number two.
On the second pass, the boys would be looking to see if they got a smile from one of the girls. For the boy who was lucky enough to get a smile that was his cue to think of something to say in order to accidentally on purpose make contact with the young lady when she came around for the third time.
Haa yes, Sunday afternoon at Haigh Hall in the early sixties, when the heady smell of your Brylcreem melting in the hot sun and running down the back of your neck mingled with the sweet aroma of the sugary water that the girls used to stiffen their petticoats ( Please God don't let it rain )
Melting heads, Bouffant hairstyles, Sugary underwear and Stiletto Heels that doubled as lethal weapons if you overstepped the mark. How can the Internet compete with this?
Ha yes, I remember it all so very well, and all so very fondly.

Comment by: Veronica on 17th December 2017 at 09:45

You've hit the nail on the head Dtease. It was lacquer that made the hair stay in place. Looking back that was an awful hairstyle. It took 2 years for my hair to get back in condition afterwards. Even my feet suffered in later years from the shoes! Of course you don't think about that at the time such is the folly of youth! I would go back in an instant if I could!

Leave a comment?

* Enter the 5 digit code to the right of the input box. Don't worry if you make a mistake, you will get another chance. Your comments won't be lost.