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Wigan Album

St Catharines church

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St Catharine's Football and Cricket Teams and Members of the Recreation Club 1925
St Catharine's Football and Cricket Teams and Members of the Recreation Club 1925
Photo: JohnAlan
Views: 4,774
Item #: 21175
Taken at St Catharine's Recreation Ground in 1925 the Recreation Club also know as St Catharine's Institute provided a meeting place for teenage boys and young men of the parish and stood until the late 1960s early 70s when it became unsafe and had to be demolished. There were two snooker tables, dart bords and a soft drinks bar in the main room and a smaller room with table tennis table. I used to attend nearly every night as a teenager in the early 1960s. I remember Keith Hough in charge of the bar and the record player. Hits of the time like Bobby Vee's Take Good Care Of My Baby, Frankie Vaughan's Tower of Strenght and Green Door, Helen Shapiro, The Everley Brothers et al being played time and again. There was a good atmosphere and snooker, darts and table tennis competitions held regularly. I see a guy around Wigan and Ince Morrisons a lot but I cab't remember his name. I will stop him next time I see him. Great days those were, nothing like it now!
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Comment by: Alan Baldwin on 6th August 2012 at 14:16

My father Harry Baldwin,played football and cricket for St Catherines at this time. I have a gold medal"West L.L. D.Div 1928" Winners St Catherines.H baldwin which, I think is for cricket. and two silver medals.One with just his name on and the other " Wigan S.S.Lge.1923-4.H Baldwin." which I think are for football in Wigan Suday Schools League
My family have other connections with the youth club as we had a temperence bar in Scholes !946/50 which was the "Watering Hole" for the youth club members. They called it the Shandy Gaff. There is still a number of them out and about.

Comment by: Alan Baldwin on 6th August 2012 at 19:10

Further to my previous comment my father appears to be in the cricket team,as does his brother Jack I think he is the one with the pads and stumpers gloves and Uncle Jack behind him third from the right of the players. In 1925 my father would have been 18 and Jack 19/20.
I have a picture of him in his whites on the Rec,with the "top place" chimneys behind him.I will submit this shortly. He often referred to the work done by the men of the parish in the creation of the recreation ground.
I believe the hut was an Ex-Army hut from the first World War.There was quite a number of these sold of from Lathom Park near Burscough and it is possible that is where it came from.

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