S@S club downall green

Many happy memoties of this club.Any one else ever go there?.

Definatley .many moons ago!

Definatley .many moons ago!

I spent many a hour on the snooker table.

fireplace, you cant be so old, most DG:ers know it as t'Legion...

What about the Blood Tub?

All I ever knew it by was the S@S.Tommy Aspinal (rip) was the chairman

Remember it very well.
Happy Days

fireplace6899, "I spent many a hour on the snooker table"

Were you asleep?

hi fireplace i remember it very well me and my friends used to go in most nights when i lived up downall green .my father was on the commitee with tommy aspinall and all the restof them who started the legion at the big house i think it eas known as beech house memory getting a bit tired now .

THEY USED TO HAVE MAYPOLE DANCING THERE DID'NT THEY?

Nice to hear from you Bert.Never knew that about, how it started. Hope you can remember a bit more.

Hope you are keeping well.

that was only when we were drunk joe s brother and atki ussd to race round green in stead he happy days ,.

We used to go in at about 6.30pm, on a Saturday to play snooker.

we used to go in afternoons at weekend and at night loved itbut was alot younger then

Weren't we all.Taken to walking the dog now.

Used to play there on Friday nights in the early seventies.

saw Karl Denver and Brian Poole and the Tremeloes at the S&S good nights out.

Used to go every Saturday night,sit in the lounge with Karl Smith,Jackie Marsh and wives Remember Arthur Speakman[Red Un]on the door.I was also a member of the Legion Branch with Jack Greenall among about eight others

my frist time in the Legion was in 1952/3 to watch childrens hour in the front room Monday to Friday at 5.00pm, come on you old Greeners you must remember it ,

next was coming off afternoon shift from pit in 1957/8 the club closed at 10.30pm Summer and 10.pm Winter,but we still got a drink what ever time you got in off afternoon shift,

do you remember Bert & May behind the bar and the seats that Tommy and bambam's dad put in out of one of his old coaches,anyone remember the 3d fruit machine in the hall

CUM OWT ER THEER A FEW TIMES LEGLESS,SAME CRACK AT DRUM&MONKEY ALSO,HAPPY DAYS

there was three photo's taken round the green I can't find the last one of the old Legion it would be on the left of the second photo

I'm a bit surprised that more of you dont remember the original building that was the start of it all, and then the new part being built at the side of it.

I remember my Dad saying that right at the very start, they were only a handful of members, 5 or 10 perhaps. Can anyone confirm that?

hi joe yes they used to meet at garswood labour club. and village club .my dad was one of those first members. on the photo of the outing to pilling bowling club most of the original members are on it .have a look on north ashton /

Thanks Bert. I found the photo, and do remember most of the names on there, but sadly, none of the faces. Still, I wasnt very old then..

Last time i was in there, I think it was Johnny Waterworth that was the steward.

It seems a bit sad that the club only lasted two generations. What happened to it in the end? I know its not there anymore, but why?

U, J, I think it was a different generation comming along & as the old ones died off the young would rather have the pubs in King St, + money is always a factor, It was my second home untill i started couting & she wanted to go to posher places like Garswood Labour Club,

we used to go to garswood too.some good turns on.

You are probably correct there, bentlegs. It was only when I moved over here that I realised how valuable places like the Legion were to the community.

U.J. are you enjoying the Wigan world site 120 posts in under a month not bad that,also met some old friend and made some some new ones I hope it's bringing back some good memories for you,there is a photo of the old Legion on here somewhere

I remember the old legion. Went to a few wedding receptions there when I was very young and also remember when I was in the Girls Band we used to practice in the upstairs room there in the early 60s

Yes, Dougie, I am enjoying the site, and some of the topics are making me remember things that I have never thought of for years. All of them pleasent, I must add.

Must try to get back over soon, and meet up with you all. Perhaps as Trixie suggested a few days ago, we could have some sort of reunion?

Going back on topic, it would probably be a surprise to you all to read that clubs such as the Legion aren't legal here for a stupid reason...

theres a travelodge in wrexham..

What was behind the name. Soldies and Sailots club?.

Remember the club well, but only old enough to go in in late 70s, some names i knew very well, ken livsley, ronnie bold, brian clarence, arthur speakman, bernard lowe, brian eden, i think the stewards name at the time was paddy, a big lad with red hair, good times though, also remember the disco's on friday night.

Fireplace S+S stands for Services and Social club and not soilders and sailors as people think, this is because if it had been alled Soilders and Sailors they would have been restricted as to just the services people being members. Prior to being the British Legion it was owned by Bruce Magill who was a manager at Pilkingtons and a small part of the house was occupied by Jackie Green. Also twice a week Dr. Jones held a surgey in the back part of the house for the downall greeners. His main surgery was in Gerrard St. Ashton this was a large stone house near Cromptons works. Beech House was later financed by Sid Littler (of Bryn Hall) and became the British Legion. What a shame this impressive old house and orchard had to be demolished. But we did manage to salvage some stone lintels which we still have and a stone step which we use in the garden. We also have a photo of Beech House.

Woodi could you upload it please I have uploaded two round the green showing Billinge road, been looking on here for one that was uploaded of Beech house(Legion)but couldn't find it

hi just found the thread about s&s club my first post remember boxing day charity concerts in the club everyone in room had to :do a turn or throw money into a sheet at front of stage. i lived in d/hall/gn.from 1955-68 but was born in brocstedes ave in 1945. i once dressed up in drag and did a strip for a laugh at one of these concerts.

I remember the s&s,but to young to go in .When I was old enough I went out of town.Had to get away from my brothers and everyone knew my dad.No fun for me.

i remember the charity parties on boxing day nights. i remember arthur shaw one year stood at the front of stage asking you to knock his hat off. he always wore a trilby.he was one of the founder members.happy days.

Not to mention the charity concerts that were held on the odd Wednesday night....I remember one in particular!

welcome mojohess to wigan world i think i know who you are .are you one of my old neighbours.[;w]

hi bert saw you last year with the parcel remember?

Is she married to your old next door neighbour.

trixie you are not quite near yet

Oh sorry your joe then josie's brother?

The people i remember from my era are,the late Tommy Aspinall,Kenny Tabener, Brent Atherton,Jack and Enid Marsh,Ather Shaw, Jimmy Witherington, Marie Whittle, Kathleen Flynn,Kevin Atherton.

hi uncle joe banged into david atkinson in ashton and he was asking about what happened to arthur. was it true danny mac had told him.so i said i would askyou later .he sends his regards .

does anyone remember gorden and milly they were always in the s&s they were my inlaws

dianne what was their last name?.Bert will know.

kitts

the name rings a bell.Like I said Bert will know.

hi dianne i knew gordon and millie very well they lived in rectory rd.gordon did a lot of m c ing in the legion and when it turned to the s and s they were friends of my father .i think millie was related to the lowe family of birch grove.

Bert, the answer to your question was heart attack. I'll tell you more details around it offline.

hi joe it was just david asking and a few more no need to go into details not our buisness.

Bert, as I remember, you were all a pretty close group, so in a way, you all have the right to know, especially when ther was never an obituary put in the local papers.

Didn't North Ashton brass band practice there in the 50s an` 60s

Hi Dianne, nice to hear from you, not seen you post for a while, hope you and stu are ok, will never forget gordon & millie, class act those two and was very good friends of mine, gone but never forgotten gee i wish we could turn clock back.

The Band did practice at the S&S.

not been on for a while millie and gordon were a class act thanks for that

i remember stuart kitts was the dj. it was brill on a friday night i made loads of friends @ a gang of us sat together every week. i remember you bam bam.

s&s best fri nights out,disco & a live band good old days.

They used to have strippers on during the mid 1970's

Hi likul, thanks for your reply i am wondering who you are now, are you going to give me a clue, did you live on the estate.

im married to stuart he still has a lot off the records he used to play i play them every now and then brings back good times lol

That's great dianne, stu had and played some classic records then, good old days.

no bam bam i didn't live on the estate. i'm a foriegner i used to catch 2 buses to get to s & s

no bam bam i didn't live on the estate. i'm a foriegner i used to catch 2 buses to get to s & s

You'll have to give us some more clues, we like guessing games on here...

2 buses.he could have been your neighbour joe.

Thats true enough, but on the other hand, most places were two buses away from the S&S. We had to keep the refugees out of DG, you know!

Abut he lives nearer than you NOW.

(I JUST FOUND OUT)

Timewise, most people live closer than I do now....

I think janet lives the farthest..

I'm back on my dongle by the sea.

I'm sure that England has moved closer to the US though over the years. 27 years ago, the scheduled flight time from here was 1 1/2hours. Today its 2. Travelling time then (driving plus boat, excluding rests) took 22 hours, today its 35....

Have you never thought it's you gettin older +slower.

when were you last here?

True enough.

Last time was for the funeral in February, that involved 4 hours flying time!

Planes must be saving on fuel..or go slow.

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Bruce McGill, 77 Beech House, Spindle Hillock, Ashton in Makerfield. Mechanical Engineer, Maintenance Foreman at glass bottle manufacturer.