Wigan Album

Was Blundell's a slag heap?

The "mountain-like" slag heap on the photo was called the Yo-Yo. Does anyone know why? It was cleared in the 60's to allow the building of the houses in the Clapgate Lane area of Goose Green. The whole area was a network of railway lines belonging to the colliery.

Its the site of the old, derelict, Pemberton Colliery.It covered most of the area , bordered roughly, by Billinge RD,Little Lane, Foundry Lane,Lady Lane, and Warrington Rd. Goose Green.

Was this location generally known as Todds?

Blundells were the owners of Pemberton Colliery - A Liverpool family I believe.

Todd's were a heavy vehicle firm (cranes, wagons etc). Their premises were to be found down Foundry Lane. I am not sure how long they were on the site but they were there long after Pemberton Colliery had closed and could very well have been using some of the old colliery buildings. My uncle worked there for many years maintaining Heavy vehicles.

My father was born at the bottom of Enfield Street and he used to tell me that there were always fires on this slag tip. When they were really hungry as kids they would steal potatoes from nearby fields and cook them on the fires.

Todds plant hire and tippers were based down Foundry Lane, they had blue livery vehicles. Another HGV firm down Foundry Lane were father and son, George Jones LTD, they sold used HGV vehicles in the 1970s, it later became a car scrap yard.

The site remained intact for a long time after mining (extraction) had ceased: it served as a railhead, weigh-in point, washery, screening and grading facility for coal trucked in from the many open cast mining sites in the area. (1950's)

well chuff i am very surprised you are still alive you say you used to put spuds on the fires,i used to see these fires every day i went to school (highfield) the reason you see is this there was so much sulphur coming from the fires you 'd have been a goner in no time ,hope your ok!!!!!

the slag heap in the photo is ,little yo yo,the big yo yo ,is to the right of the photo out of sight in goose green.

I've put some more photos on, one of which shows the big Yo-Yo !

In the 60s I, and my friends, used to "play" on both Yo-Yos. Not only did we climb them, we used to slide and run down the sides. I was told that there could be fires internal to the heaps but I never saw any evidence. However the surfaces of the heaps could unstable (which was helpful if you sliding down). You can see the evidence of an unstable surface on the left side of the heap.

Alan, It was my father who cooked the potatoes. In those days you had to eat whenever and whatever ...... makes a mockery of the children supposedly in poverty today!!

He did die at a relatively young age though, perhaps the sulphur did get to him.

We refered to this slag heap as 'the tip' and the other (out of sight one) the Yo-Yo

this brings back memories of childhood as i lived at foundry lane next to shool house

Hi Chuff
I worked in the garage from 1980 till 1992 in between driving plant, i just wondered if i knew your uncle. When i was there it was Bert Taylor and Arthur Tayior who i worked with, both now sadly past away.

In 1968 I lived in Crestwood Avenue. I caught the train to work in Liverpool from Pemberton Station. Winter was a challenge as I took a short cut through the slag heap tracks and over the rail tracks to the station hoping someone had the stove going! Coming home, more than once, I fell asleep and ended up in Bury.

that's not the yo yo it was known as the tip