Wigan Album
Orrell
11 CommentsPhoto: Rev David Long
Item #: 30752
A pint of bitter please, half and half.
Better let nondescript houses than leaving an empty building to rot and become an eyesore for ages.
Correct Dave. Or demolish it and do nothing as per The Stork at Marsh Green.
It wasn't always empty...
Back in the 1970s I remember seeing buses leaving Wigan town centre to "Kitt Green Old Engine" (think it was the 611 back then).
I sometimes wondered what this mysterious "old engine" was and why a bus would go there. Now I have the answer, and presumably the bus stop in front of the pub in the picture was its terminus.
My late little brother and I, used to sometimes sit on the front steps to The Old Engine pub in the early 1960's when we lived on Cambridge road. We used to catch the bus from outside there to school to St Josephs initially, then to St Cuthberts. Sad to hear the pub has now gone, and probably Orrell Royal British legion club too which was just over the road ? As kids we even did daft things like run across all the lanes of the then newish M6 . Traffic was very light in those days. days.
The old engine in question was a stationary one, used to pump water from a mine
Back in the 60's this was the first place I ever had chicken in the basket and they gave you plastic gloves to wear while you ate!
PETER BARKER , would that brother be Christopher Barker ?
If so , he was a classmate of mine at St. Cuthberts.
Yes mate, my late little brothers name is Chris. There is a pic of him (and others) doing his First Holy Communion at St.Cuthberts on this very website.
Do I remember that in the 1950's this pub was a red brick building? I have a pretty good memory but have no recollection of this white exterior. We used to ride on 'the little bus' from Orrell Post to Standish to visit my uncle who lived on Church St. and the bus passed the pub. The number of houses that have been built at Orrell Post, Gathurst and Shevington
since those days is unbelievable. Google maps are an eye opener!