Wigan Album

Used to go for endless walks up there with my grandad. Didnt this place used to be called the yo-yo and the big hills?There was an old shaft,I think, used to throw stones in and listen for it to hit bottom, never did hear it though!!!!

hi stuart the yoyo was to the left of the pic, the shaft is probably the on the left of this pic but as i recall it was always full of water. we just called it the tips never knew it as big hills but i am older so names change.as young uns this was our playground

I remember the tunnel There was a bend in the middle and you could only see the other side when you were half way through. I also remember an old building which was piled high with old documents. I wish I had kept a few there must have been hundreds of thousands all piled up in a big heap. There was also an old, empty, house, nearer to Winstanley. We called it the Chinese House, you had to climb over a big wall to get into the grounds. Must have been some important person who lived there.

hi ron the tunnel you mentioned iwas it the "darkies"? i do recall the building with the "documents magazines" in,was it near the stream? the chinese house? was it in the woods near to bottom end of foundry lane if so we always called it the white house, back end of todd,s haulage yard

Can't begin to say how many happy hours I've spent over on "The Tips" with my mates in the early 60s. It's strange how such a messy place can hold such good memories, but it does. Have you got any more pics of this area Tony - or around Goose Green of the same time ?

Yep your right It could be the White House..It was square shaped and I think the roof overhung all the way around? I remember you had to climb over a wall to get into the grounds.

Oh I remember climbing to the top of the big hill and getting stuck up there! You used to have to slide down it on your bottom, we used to be blackleaded! I also remember going to the 'White House' which everyone said was haunted. Do you remember the row of really old cottages going down to it? We got chased by an old woman dressed in long black clothes and shakin a brush at us, we were convinced she was a witch! Those were the days eh?

Seeing this photo brought back a lot of memories - I spent much of my time playing on the tips in the 70s. Any chance you've got any more like this as I would love to see them?

Spent many happy hours here in the 70s. The house I think was called The White House and was supposed to be haunted. Was never brave enough to climb over the wall though!! The field was called the Pony Field and they Used to play Sunday League matches there.

Please post some shots of the vally spent yrs over there on the bmx ?

I seem to vaguely remember playing over there as a kid in the late fifties. I remember a tunnel and hills. Is that May Mill and Highfield Church in the distance?

spent hours over them tips used to play inthe woods across the brook from the white house we had a swing over the brook also used to go to bluebell woods and don woods we used to pinch potatoes from jack lions farm and he used to chse us great days

Highfieldlass, I have a photo of the old cottages - will scan and post, with others.

its good to see these old photos again brings back happy memories when i was a child back in early 80's have you got any more?

if you look in the bottom corner you can see the yo yo with the top taken off this i think was done earley 70s because of the south wales slag heaps sliding into a school.

WELL DIANNE ,that's exactly were we used to go up to bluebell/don woods we came up to it from the owd clapgate lane,that same path which would take you up to baxter is were my dad and brother worked and could be seen walking home every afternoon, it would be between 1956 onwards when that was our play area, the "whitehouse" people refer to my older brother WILFRED who has just died January gone used to tell me he delivered groceries on his shop bike in the late 40s into 50s he always said at Christmas they would give him half a crown ,wow he would say I felt a millionaire back then. as for the photo itself , yes that was the old MAY MILL, HIGHFIELD CHURCH ON RIGHT IN FOREGROUND WHAT LOOKS LIKE A GIANT CONE WAS A WASHERERY FOR THE COAL, AND THE YOYO WAS INDEED IN THE PROCESS OF BEING FLATTENED WITH ALL THE OTHERS THUS RUINING OUR PLAY AREA,( NO MORE FIGHTING THE GERMANS, HIDE AND SEEK ETC, NOW TO MY AMAZEMENT THEY ARE PUTTING BRAND NEW HOUSE'S ON ALL THAT, NO WAY FOR ME THE AMOUNT OF SMOULDEING SULPHAR ALL OVER WAS AWFUL AND I HOPE I AM WRONG IS STILL UNDER THERE. BUT THEY WERE HAPPY DAYS DONT KNOW WHETHER OR NOT WE KNEW EACH OTHER DIANNE??????