Wigan Album

Perhaps 1920's, Ray.

Some of them look to be wearing scout uniforms.

What a great bunch of kids. That's when kids could do their own thing, no stupid rules and regulations.

All the album photos are interesting but now and then we see a true gem...like this one.

Is Bird Street in Hindley, if so, whereabouts was is it?

I agree with Mick, doesn't look like I remember the forties!

Bird St Higher Ince maybe.
Think it looks more like 30's to me, or even earlier.

Bird Street is in Ince. I would date the pic 30s/40s.

Is it an orphanage? I tried to google, but nearest I could find was actually on a WW message board, someone asking about an orphanage her parents visited at Xmas, she thinks located past Mesnes just under a bridge in a terrace house? And not Billinge. I dont think these kids' lives were all "fancy-free" either judging by the look of them.. Perhaps the scouts were there on a mission to help out that day?

No, I think it's just children who lived in Bird Street; people had huge families in those days.

Just to add, having had a look just now, I think it is 70 Bird Street on the google map. Looks like the doorway on the right has been bricked to make it narrower now. Most of the other doors on the street are double doors.

No adults allowed.
Except for the 2 peeping out of the window.

a brilliant picture Ray my dad comes from ince Parliment street and he told me about not having shoes to wear but now i can see the poverty thankds

Looking at the bottom right hand corner it looks like the kerb has a radius on it suggesting the house is on a street corner. Currently number 70 is mid terrace, but then again the houses could have been renumbered. Also the windows on this side of Bird Street are wider than the typical ones of this era and also have a curved brick header course above them.
The houses on the opposite side (on the left coming from Manchester Road) have narrow sash windows and don't have the curved brick header course
Looking at the photo it could be at the junction of Bird Street and Hook St. Old Ince Central School was located in Hook street and this group could have been photographed outside of the school.
When did May Queen and Whit Walks start. Could this have been in the aftermath of such an event ?.
Wherever and whenever it was taken its an absolute gem. Would like to see more if any exist

The words Bird Street added to the plate/negative suggest this photo may have been taken by a professional or semi professional photographer.
Some used to go out and visit streets like this and ‘pass the word’ to get a group of children congregated, for a photo, in the hope of selling copies to parents etc, for a few coppers.
I’ve seen numerous instances of this type of photography relating to other Lancashire towns.

What a fantastic picture,I would not like to disagree with Irene but I think it was late 1920's.

i love this pic,i think its probably bird st ince and just look at most of them in clogs,the kids and theire dress and poor looking state remindes me of a pic of my mam and uncle that i have and theire clothes and clogs look from same era and my mam was born in 1918 and on the photo she looks about 9 so it would be the 1920s her and my uncle wouldnt look out of place on this wonderful photo.

I'm sure thats Alan Atherton under the word "Bird", A bit more hair on than he has now though!!!!

found this is my mum in laws family and others in bird st and anderton st in ince. she says it is 1925 or 1926 she is mary appleton then on the front row 5 in from the left. also her sister lillian appleton (next to her but younger) she also identified 2 more of her sisters; anne appleton, edith appleton and her couson sally appleton. some of the others are leslie croft, harry smith, lily hunt, dolly blackledge, maggie maggs. mary appleton is 93 now living in hindley, she had 8 sisters and 1 brother

I relatives that lived at 22 Bird St during that time that were Howards, have only info dont have any idea what they look like so sad tho any of these children could have been theirs.

the girl to the right of the one with the striped top is elisebeth johnson ne brown born 7 12 1917 and looks to be 9 or 10 making it a 1927 photo taken opposite n0 18 or 20 bird st i lived at no 22 lizzie was my mam

My mum Margaret is on the front row 2nd from the left. She lived at 104 Bird Street. Mum was born 1924 so photo circa 1927/28/29 ?
Now more names have been added I can share with mum who is now 98

My mum Margaret is on the front row 2nd from the left. She lived at 104 Bird Street. Mum was born 1924 so photo circa 1927/28/29 ?
Now more names have been added I can share with mum who is now 98