Wigan Album

Thanks for this photo, Irene, it brings a lot of memories back, but of the 1940s when I went to Ince Central, I can still see what was the canteen where we went for our dinners and Ince parish bowling green, which is still in the same place, albeit in better condition nowadays, its also good to see the row of houses from school street leading to Ince bar, I can still remember Mrs Shaws shop the first one after the 2 houses used by the school heads I think, again nice one.

Excellent photgraph Irene, and what you said about your Dad is lovely.

Does anyone know why the Infants playground was sunken or at a lower level than the surrounding land. Never thought about it before.

It is surprising how big the Empress Mill was, you can make it out at the top of the picture

The building at the side of the Empress Mill was Rappaports Sewing Factory

Hello everyone, and thankyou for your lovely comments;Aitch, I can just remember the old canteen as I started in the babies' class, (doesn't that sound homelier than "reception" or whatever it is now?), at the old school, and we had to walk in a crocodile to the canteen. Stephen, I recently went back to see the old infants'playground, but couldn't get in,(a sad sign of the times that schools have to be like Fort Knox these days), but I am told the playground is unsafe and no longer in use.

Rappaports was later renamed as Alligator

Hi Irene, Thanks for bringing back great memories of life as a child in the late 1940s in Higher Ince.We lived in Charles Street off Pickup Street..Now that was poor,but, so was everyone else.I went to Ince Central and knew your Colin and your dad.The School was then was off Ince Green Lane(School Lane)They built the new school on our playing fields.My uncle Tommy Chatterly lived facing St williams church and used to drink with your dad in the Longneck.Thanks again.

Hello, Alex, and thankyou so much for your reply. I remember my dad and "Tommy Chat"going to the Longneck for a pint.How amazed they'd be to know we were discussing them via "t'internet"!There is a photo of my mam and dad on the Platt Bridge photos, (under "places"). page, (they moved us to Platt Bridge when our house was demolished). The photo is on the last page and mam and dad are ...wait for it...in the pub!

Alex are you the one who lived in Greenfield Ave in the early 70s ???

I seem to be a bit at 6s and 7s here, is the Colin Griffiths the one who lived just beyond the walmesley in spring view, if so, I knew him as well

Alex,
Are you the same Alex Bolton who was a nursing officer at Billinge Hospital in 60/70s?
And before that did you work at Maypole Colliery for a short while.?

Hi aitch,...I certainly am the very person..I later went to the great Rose Bridge school when we had a fantastic rugby league team which I was never quite good enough to get a place on!!!!!!!!!

Hi Alex me and my family got your old house, and I am still there, last of the line in Ince, to late to move at my age, still enjoyed my time here, 36 years, a lot of memories, how are you, and family doing, I still have the old rent book they gave me when you had moved. and the same phone number, + 1 digit, still nice to hear you are still about.

I didnt have such a grand title Evelyn, but I was then a charge nurse.You may remember my sister Betty who lives in Australia...She is quite ill at the moment and confined to a nursing home in Melbourne..

Aitch, my brother Colin got married in 1961 and lived opposite the shop you remember , Mrs. Shaw's, (it was Jenny Flannery's by then). His wife Pat came from Spring View, just past the Walmesley, and Colin and Pat moved from Ince to Spring View in the mid-sixties, to the bottom of Taylors Lane.Sadly Pat died in her 40s. Colin now lives in Halewood near Liverpool.

Hi Aitch...Was your name Harold?? How nice to hear from you..Its been a long time..I am ok..Recovering from a major Operation..still married..Kids all left..plenty grand kids..
I waited ages for that phone and they wouldnt let me take the no with me..Happy days..

You got it in one Alex, I moved to the house from no 1 Heber street, and have been here ever since, sadly my wife died 5 years ago, but even with only 2 grandkids, I am kept busy, at present hampster sitting, they are in Turkey, till next monday, nice to hear from you Alex.

Sorry to hear about Pat Irene, but I sure remember them both, at one time we were all friends, I remember Colin getting married, I think he was the first of us, I married in 66, Iremember the house they lived in down spring view, unless I miss my guess, it was about the 3rd in the row of terraces after the walmesley, not seen him for a lot of years, Will you tell him that Harold Whittle says hello.

Hi Alex, good to hear from you again.Hubby Don(Armstrong) remembers you at Maypole Colliery and then in 1970 he was a patient of yours in Billinge Hosp.and has asked me to thank you for the personal service.
Yes I remember your Betty and I am very sorry to hear that she isn't very well. Hope she gets well real soon.

That is a really nice photograph Irene! I love these aerial views. I have a few old maps of the area and I like to match the building to the maps.

Just to clarify something, was the old Ince Central school where the open ground is just above where the present school is? To the left of where the Chemist is now?

Yes, Aitch, I will remember both you and Alex to Colin; what a small world we live in!

Hi, Dennis, good to hear from you again! The old school stood on the opposite side of Ince Green Lane to the open ground you mention. It was between Hook Street and School Street and when it was demolished "Central Flats" was built on the site.You can just see a glimpse of it on a walking day photo I recently posted.....the one where someone said it looked like Fred Alker's shop had a satellite dish.

Dennis, if you look directly above the shot of the new school, there is some open ground with 1 building on it, above that is Ince Green lane, and then above that is Central Flats, which is the site of the old school, hope this clarifies things for you

Hi Harold,
That open land you mention was the site of,Charles St,Ellen St.Scores of families lived in this tiny space of land off Pickup St.I wonder why Its never been built on?
Also I wonder if Irene may confirm that during the war an airaid shelter was on land off Pickup St and facing the old bakehouse.I noticed a few months ago that the land is used as a car park for some large lorries!!!?

Not a clue, Alex.....I was only born in 1952. Our Colin is a lot older than me.

Please can anyone tell me where the railway line crossed Manchester Rd? I believe there was a level crossing leading to the wagon works.

Hi Dave, if you go onto "places", then to "Ince" there is an old picture of Manchester Road crossing.I thi.nk, going by today's landmarks, it was around Branch Street which is not far past Varty's going towards Hindley.

Cheers Irene,found it!

love this photo, i was born in one of the houses in pickup st, lived there till i was 12, they were the best years.

hi irene i hope you dont mind me askig but do you have any pictures of farmer st i lived next door to betty fosters and remember margaret mc sorley at no 22i would give anything for a pic

jim12.....have only just seen this request, four years on!! Have just put one on but it is only a Timepix photo from 1951 when the Ordnance Survey man was taking photos and only the top of the street is seen from the church bridge. Unfortunately I don't have any personal photos of Farmer Street and the Timepix one is the only one I have ever seen.

Jim 12....it is on page nine of the photos.