Wigan Album

Oh! I do remember the small terraced houses. There is another photo showing them on 26492 with a young bunch of little scallywags playing on the opposite side from the man in years earlier,it's one of my favourites. The church of St Patrick isn't far away and Miss Hunt's toffee shop. I must save this! Thank you Ron for putting the photos on and the work involved.

Although a tight knit community, with people that were the salt of the earth. Would anyone ever want to go back to those days, and live in such dwellings?.

I remember a film called "Brigadoon" ( saw it at Scholes Pictures) starring Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse about a village in Scotland and the inhabitants that disappears and re- appears every hundred years. If only we could have that happening every now and again Albert! Just to have a wander, that would be my wish, to see the old folk especially! x

What a lovely thought, Veronica!

Flights of fancy Irene - just imagine If.... ;o)

Veronica,I absolutely loved that film...it takes you away to another world altogether.

Well it is said Maureen that the 'flicks' were a form of escapism and they certainly did that!

What a palaver having a bath, in a big tin bath, in front of the fire. A small pantry, with a meat safe, and shelves in it, also a slop stone, plus the occasional mouse, we had a good cat, named Dusty, a stray that wouldn’t leave us. He was full of dust, when we found him. The cast iron gas cooker was in the back room, where we mostly lived. The loo across the yard, that froze up in Winter, with a few spiders to keep you company. Happy days. ???.
,

Albert and the kids in them days were a lot healthier than the kids are today

I used to wonder why American films always had lovely kitchens with fancy curtains at the windows and white picket fences. This was in the fifties when everything seemed drab here. Even the cowboy films with the log cabins were nicer than ours, blue and white China all matching with great pots of hot steaming coffee. All our pots and dishes were thick plain white and they certainly didn't match! I think our dishes came from Adam's stores in Scholes, replaced every time a plate broke or chipped! Anything fancy went in a display cabinet never to be used! No I don't think, I would want to go back to that permanently. Those American films had a lot to answer for!

I've heard of the film 'Brigadoon' but know next to nothing about it, ladies, nor had I known of the American baritone Stephen Powell, at least not until I'd discovered him singing 'There but for You Go I' on YouTube one or two years ago - He certainly gives it his all.

Veronica, my grandchildren bought me an "All-American-Housewife-1950s-Pinny" from Disneyland this year, complete with frill all round....I look like "I Love Lucy"! xxxxx

Did I ever tell you lot about the time when sixteen of us were raised in a night watchman's hut in the central reservation of the M6 at junction 23 Haydock island ?
Blimey Albert , if you had a loo, then you must have lived in the stockbroker belt ....We had a petty , and thought we were posh as we had squares of newspaper from the Daily Mail hanging on a nail , whereas our neighbours at junction 24 had to put up with the Racing Post on a length of string as they couldn't afford a nail.
Farther up at junction 25 for Landgate however, well, that snooty lot used rolls of ' Bronco '. as he had a job on the council and got it for nowt.
Which reminds me,...be sure to tell your grandkids that If they ultimately fail to attain St. Peter's entrance requirements, then they'll no doubt spend the rest of eternity using ' Bronco ' ,....That should sort 'em out.

I love the old American films on Ytube if only to drool over the clothes and houses. We have always been behind the Americans for style in the 40's and 50's. I like the English films as well, especially the ones with well spoken dialogue.
Irene I used to go to a friend's house to watch 'I love Lucy' as we didn't have a telly at the time. I didn't feel deprived because my Mam took us to the Scholes Pictures ( first house) 2 or 3 times a week. Good memories...

Philip: just type 'Brigadoon' into Google it will tell you all about it - plus there was some magnificent dancing in the film, nobody could beat Gene Kelly. '
'Strictly Come Dancing 'couldn't hold a candle to him.

Thanks for your encouragement Veronica.
And the great Gene Kelly, eh, . . . I've heard of him alright; I find his actions to have been less 'jointy' than those of the great Fred. It's Gene for me (In a Showbiz way you understand.). Take care.

Didn’t want to make things too dismal, Ozy, so I put the loo. You had the Daily Mail, signifying an arrival. My dad had the Daily Dispatch, signifying a departures. Seems to have been more appropriate, given the circumstances. Another chore, was emptying the chamber pots. I remember in the war years some chamber pots had faces on the side of the inside. Hitler, Goring, Mussolini, etc.. One thing really stood out, everybody seemed happy with their lot. The whole neighbourly district, all had the same as each other.NOWT.

I had forgotten the chamber pots ugh! Now I know why some called them 'jerries'! Awful,no wonder people came down with illnesses and the damp in the houses even if we had 'roaring fires'...I wonder really why we look back with fondness, but we do.

Each other had same ,
more or less nowt ,
foggy days often
with prams all about .
Smells we had local ,
we folk knew about them ,
came from some factory’s
in our day back then .
the mills where quite near us ,
the slaughter house day,
just like the pits ,
of men when away .
We knew why left us ,
but hoped they’d come back ,
no matter what colour
or smell soap on back .
the fog tasted different ,
more lasting and deep
it left when it wanted ,
and paused at pit heep .
with cotton mills shrouded
it fell upon us ,
to ignore what should be ,
but do as we could .
You made read my horror
and repell to retrace ,
But I was once born here , my special ,
my people , .. MY ... Place !

It was typical of the British to retain a sense of humour during those dark days wasn't it Albert. Who else would come up with chamber pots with the faces of Hitler and his henchmen inside. Did they sell them on Wigan Market? Made me laugh!

The wall faces the conjunction of Hunt Street and Roscoe Street as they emerged on to Hardybutts, according to Old Maps of 1954.

Those streets are still there as well as Rupert St. - if I am on the bus ( for a change) I often look as I'm going past. Even the cobbles have been left alone. Can't help but be reminded of childhood days.