Wigan Album

Brill pic - keep them coming.

Is that St Thomas's church on the right hand side ?

I would say so Sandra as it was just further up than St Josephs church which you can also see.

Good to see a glimpse of Caroline St,with St.Josephs and St.Thomas's church.The Wallgate fans will love this photo,thanks for showing,Peter.

Just had another look at your photo,Peter.The signal box was quite a landmark from the York St. area.The shop in the foreground in front of St.Josephs was Wally Mills betting shop on the corner of Wallgate and Caroline St.

Just beyond the signal box going south on the right side, is where we used to spot on early summer evenings. We'd go down Great George Street and climb up the high wall on to the steep banking; the signal men never minded as we were relatively safe from the track. Happy days in 1965...
More photos please Peter.

What a fantastic picture!!! The lines to the right of the siganl box served the old platforms 9 and 10. 9, was dual up and down. 10 was down (north). You can actually see the canopy and signal light of plstform 10 on this photo. The platform was well on to Wallgate bridge. There used to be a nice pic of wallgate in the 'Cherries', looking towards the bridge from the south. You could see the last light on the platform, it looked like it was standing on top of the bridge!!!

Again, lovely pictures and memories

This a great photo. My grandad was a signalman in No.2 box, he worked his way down from Boars Head to Whitley sidings then No.2

I worked in this Signal Box in 1944 ,With Jim Seed,After this I became the Youngest relief Signalman in Railway History Actually I could be called on to work at least 12 different Boxes at anytime of day or night.

I worked in Wigan No 2 signal box for six years from 1961. Actually I got Seed'ys job when he got promotion to Wigan No 1 Box. Just to enlighten you. The two lines behind the box were carriage sidings which could hold about 5 coaches.
At the end of these sidings stop blocks were placed overlooking Wallgate Box way down below. One day a driver on engine misread the signal I gave him from platform 8, and travelled along this nearside line, crashing into the stop blocks, finishing half way down the embankment.
Fortunately, the driver and fireman did not receive any serious injuries.
I myself was a Relief Signalman in Liverpool, Widnes, and Wigan, before going into the new box in Warrington in September 1972, this when all the signal boxes on the main line closed. In all the Warrington box replaced 64 boxes, making 160 signalmen redundant. The complement in the Warrington box was 13 signalmen when it opened, but this was increased a couple of years later to 15.
In all I trained and worked in over 80 different signal boxes throughout my 47 years on the railways, retiring in 1994.

Sorry Albert you have got some names mixed up here.
Jimmy Seed was in fact Billy Seed! Jimmy Peel, is the other signalman. Wigan No 1 Signal box boasted three signalmen on duty for twenty four hours continuously. Billy Seed, Jimmy Peel and Reggie Clements were the three signalmen on my turn. Reggie lived in the Beech Hill area. Don't know were Jimmy or Bill lived.
Later I worked in No 1 box, as a Relief Signalman and there was regular signalman named Harry Davies, from the Westhoughton area and he always wore Wellington Boots when on duty, but no socks.
I asked him one day why he didn't wear sock's, his reply. "It saves the wife washing them them"!!!"

Peter. I worked in this box for 7 years from 1962, and would like to put it into a book I have written. Are there any objections?

Tony Cook did you work with my dad Walter Stretch? He worked some of these boxes and there was a Tony Cook around then didn't know if you are the same person.

Hello Barbara,

Of course I knew your Dad Walter, and worked with him for many years.
When he worked in Standish Junction Box, George Clarke, Horace Davies, Cyril Peers etc used to go for a drink in the public house near the Parish Church at lunch time every Friday when on Night turn, for a good old chin-wag.

I live up here near Blackpool now, but have kept in touch with all the lads at Wigan, and they all come up here to have reunions, the last one only the other week, and Walter, always comes into the conversation.
I recall visiting your house in Hindley on many occasions and knew your Mum quite well, also your brother who was a Policeman.
Your Dad was on the same turn as me, so we were always on the phone with each other.

Incidentally, I have written a book about my railway experiences, and funny enough, your dad is mentioned on several occasions in it. (It is due to be printed in the next few weeks.)

When you lost your dad, I was able to come to his funeral, because, he was what I call a true friend, and he was liked by many of his work mates, that's for sure.

Lovely to hear from you.

Kind regards,

Tony

Hi Tony thanks for getting back to me it as been along time since you came to our house and us to yours. It was Coppull if I remember. We recently found some photos that you took of us over 50years ago our Pat was only a baby. Glad you are keeping well I have seen George Clarke a few times. Let me know details of your book and I will look out for it. Best wishes Barbara

Hi, Barbara,

Thanks so much for getting in touch.
A lot of things have happened in the last 50 years, that's for sure.
I did live in Coppull, but moved to Orrell, then Warrington, and finally to Thornton Cleveleys.
If you recall I had two daughter's Loraine, who lives in Fleetwood, Jackie, now in Blackpool, and Tony, who sadly died in a motor bike accident near Wigan in 2004.
Recently, Tony's wife Lynne traced my family tree back to the 1700s, only two years ago. During her search she found out my father, who separated from my Mum in 1934, tried to find my brother and I during the war, and was told we had all been killed in the May blitz on Merseyside in May 1941.
He went off and remarried in 1946, and had a further two sons, whom we only met 18 months ago at a big reunion up here.
Well, my brother and I are still here, myself having (Wait for it) 22 GREAT GRAND CHILDREN.
I could write another book (This is my Life.)
When my book gets printed I will send you a copy.
You can always get in touch at tony.cook75@yahoo.com if you wish, to give me any news about your family etc.
kind regards, and thanks again for making contact.

Tony

Hello Tony, remember me box lad at wallgate in 65, Sigman Bickershaw, Westhoughton & Golborne Jc 66 - 72 then Westhampstead Midland with Dave Borshik. I'm trying to contact Cyril Peers any contact with him?

Hello Gordon,
Of course I remember you, and I can put you in touch with Cyril Peers. He was up here only the other month.
Get in touch by e-mail. We have a lot to discuss I'm sure.

Kind regards.

Tony

Further Gordon, I remember you at Golborne Jct, I relieved you when I was a relief signalman at Wigan, and David was in Golborne Station box. How is he doing. I've read his book.
My e-mail address tony.cook75@yahoo.com get in touch.
By the way I am a young 84 now, and still got plenty of hair.
Hope you are keeping well.

Tony