Wigan Album

Thanks Rodney for posting this photo. There are quite a few faces I remember. You spelt our surname wrong it's an A not an E.I contacted Peter and told him to log on to this site. He was in a fishing match when I spoke to him, he will never change. Lesley Owen is a Staff Nurse at Thomas Linacre in Wigan I was only speaking to her about 6mths ago.Sarah Fairhurst is a School Nurse in Chorley, the last time I was speaking to her.Catherine Rimmer is a manager at Asda, Newtown. Maureen Simpson is manager in the cafe at Golden Days Garden Centre. Do you remember Charlie the caretaker, everyone loved him.

Sorry about the spellings Olwyn ....thank you for all these updates . Yes, Charlie was a great character. Myself and Barry Fazackerley used to be there every morning from about 8.15 am helping him with his duties .... happy times. Often wondered what happened to Sara , as I have never seen her since leaving High School ?

Just logged on to Wigan World for the first time and spotted this photo I remember all the name but I don't think I have seen any one since leaving high school. Live in Preston now and married to Tony Dawson some of you might remember him from North Drive

Seeing the face of Mr Hughes brings back terrible memories of sad times at this school. He was a sadistic bully who beat not only me but many children remorselessly.
I attended All Saints a few years after this photograph. At this time he dragged children around the dinning hall by their ears before carrying out extended beatings merely for not finishing their dinner.
The example he set to other teachers led a few of them to exercise inappropriate forms of punishment. Whatever children achieved at All Saints it was despite him, not because of him. A truly awful school.

Hi rod, nice to hear you were thinking of me, I live in Newburgh now

Thanks for posting the photo Rod, brought back many happy memories, particularly of myself and Stuart Bimmy hurtling down Back Lane on a home made trolley without the benefit of brakes...I remember everyone in the photo...amazing...

Hello,
Yes i can remember some names, Peter Lyon used to live just up the road from me in Back Lane Appley Bridge, i think i remember Martin O’ Toole cutting his leg badly at school one day.Hope thay are all well.

Hi Derek, If I remember correctly did you used to practice archery on Dr. Shaws back garden? You were nearly right about the badly cut leg, it was actually my brother Michael when he was at Shevington Junior school. Such a long time ago now.

I’ve mixed memories of All Saints ....I remember Mr Mathews , Mrs Casey ,Mrs Butler and of course the headmaster from hell... Mr Hughes . Years later I watched the film Kes .....the headmaster in that film was just like Hughes. The man always seemed to be furious about something or other ....he terrified all of us . I can’t believe it was even legal to be beaten when we so young . My mother complained to him many times. Best memories are of the countryside around the school particularly Fairy Glen ......I wonder what it’s like now?

My sincere apologies to Sarah (Fairhurst) and Martin (O'Toole) as I have not checked on our School Photo for a number of years , and I had missed some of your most welcome comments placed on it . I retired from work in April 2011 , having been with the same family owned company since August 1976 and time just seems to fly by ! It is really sad to see some of the comments regarding Mr Hughes . Our class / school year was basically always the highest in age at that time , (1968- to the Summer of 71) and although he was strict he was usually fair with us . Seems like things changed in later years .Great to remember teachers like Miss Foggen & Miss Cornspeacock (?) , who must have been very young themselves at that time . I have happy memories of being introduced to the world of Narnia , baking our own bread and school trips to Speke Airport (now John Lennon) Speke Hall and the Ferry across the Mersey . Although the playing fields were not yet ready , we had some brilliant games of Rounders on the play ground , supplemented by Mrs Taylors (School Cook) fantastic dinners . In the next 18 months or so , most of us will approach 60 , which seems hard to believe , and I am just glad we were all captured together on this school photograph !

I also think this was a mixed school in many ways - but a product of the times. I rememberthe area well, too. I certainly recall a few of the teachers. Miss Casey gave me a thousand lines when she was sitting in for Bill Matthews' class in Junior 4 in 1972 ! I seem to recall being taught (!)'Copperplate' handwriting in the same year - I'm surprised they didn't use slates and stylii, or quill pens.However, I do remember a few of my contemporaries most of whom went to 'Shevy'.

Thanks for posting this great pic Rod. I remember you and nearly everyone on here. I lived at 19 back lane and started at the mission school appley bridge then moved to finch land when it opened. My birthday is October but somehow I had started school too early ..unfortunately had to stay at all saints for an extra year as most moved on up to high school mostly shevington; where I went followed by my two brothers. I think the girl bottom row on right is Sarah Booth my half cousin. I remember playing with Stuart Bimson building rafts floating on clay pit , swimming in appley bridge quarry. Most of the teachers I remember including mr Mathews , miss foggen ( saw her about five years ago in Standish) I also knew the hodges James, Mark and Sandra , Peter Derbyshire , max , Peter Lyon and James , Barry F , Janet lobb and her brother Trevor , Denis Whitney and brother Geoff , Catherine Surman , Mark Hughes and most on here. Pity I don’t have picture of year below which I had to stay in !!