Wigan Album

the ackers family still live on clevedon , the first bungalow on the right as you turn into clevedon off billinge road, he still collects ground rent for that estate . i used to go to school with his son.

Derek
My mum's friend Bessie lived in Highfield View and my friend Gillian lived in one of the detatched houses along there

Bessie was my mum. Gillian would be Gillian Tyldsley who lived in the 3rd house (detached)down from Highfield View.

Gillian Tyldesley was in my class at Highfield. She is on the class photographs dated 55, 56 and 57.

Wow.. so Keith is your brother ???? I am still in touch with them every Christmas....

No! Ray was my brother. I have a twin sister Carole. Where did you live Tricia?

Hi Derek
I'm confused... I lived at Kitt Green until I was 10, then Billinge Road. The Bessie I know lives in Euxton and has a son called Keith (2 Bessies maybe ?

Me too. Where on Billinge Road? with your Great Uncle Bob?

lol ,no, Derek just up from the hospital, on same side, for a few years , then went to live abroad, then Euxton then moved around a bit more....

not sure but I think my old headmaster from St Paul's Goose Green lived in the last of the semi's Mr Richardson ... he was a lovely man ...

He lived in the first of the semis. His brother was Archbishop of York, if I remember correctly. He was very interested in the weather, got me interested and launched ny career as a meteorologist.

I went to Marus Bridge Middle School with a girl called Diane Ackers. I wonder if she is related to the family who owned the farm.

Tricia, yip, 2 Bessies. A Bessie Lea (Ley?)lived in the middle of Highfield View. I remember Keith coming to visit.

Hi Derek
Yes she was Bessie Ley .. not sure of the spelling. My mum knew her for ever and they met up again when they realised they were living round the corner from each other in Euxton.A tale too sad to tell here. Her 2nd husband was a friend of my dad's that he had known for ever. She is a lovely lady. Strange how these things happen.

When I was a boy I worked at Ackers farm with Tony Monagan. I have great memories of Mrs Ackers bringing us our dinner every day - fresh baked bread and boiled eggs! I can still taste it! Old Jimmy Huxley told us it was his birthday every month and we were daft enough to buy him tobacco every month - judging by the number of presents we bought him he must have been 150! he lived at the top of Queen Street on Billinge Raod. Fond memories............

my house

What a picture! I moved onto Clevedon when the houses were first built, I remember Ackers' farm still being there on the corner (or what was left of it) we used to go up to see the ducks etc. Yes, Diane came from the farm I also went to school with her . . . her brothers name has escaped me though . . John?
Derek, I am trying to get in tough with you re: the follow~up book to Founded On Coal

Joe, did Tony have a son Tony and daughter Sheila . ?

hi does any one have any photos of the other end of the terraces

Hello - we have just bought the detached house opposite what was Ackers Farm on Billinge Road. Can anyone tell me any history about the house or it's previous owners ?

Jonathan. The detached house was built by the Masseys of Massey Bros Bus Builders in Enfield St. They started as builders in the 1890s and built the County Playhouse in King St, the cinema on Ormskirk Rd, lots of houses including East and West Mount in Orrell etc. They then made good money making buses in Enfield St and later sold out to Northern Counties. One of the Masseys, Isaac, built and lived 5 down from you. Your house was occupied by the zTyldsleys when I grew up in Highfield View in the 50s and 60s. Mrs Tyldsley was a Massey.They sold the house to Ackers, the farmers when they sold their farm c.1966. Then Jimmy Ackets bought one of the new houses. Your house was probably built c.1920s. My mother's sister married Norman Massey.

I used to go to the farm to get eggs for my mum I was petrified each and every time because an angry old goose used to chase me We lived at 412 Billinge Rd