Wigan Album

My Dad worked here when the photo was taken.

30 April 1965 it ended its days at ince......no I'm no rail expert I just put its number into google and up popped the info.

http://www.railuk.info/steam/getsteam.php?row_id=11370

Worked here all April,and just into May,1958,after demob from the R.A.F. Certainly made a mess of my hands, and creased my back,with the spade work, shifting the remains of the furnace fuel. All for under £7.00, per week.One absolute benefit. It was beautiful weather, the whole of the month. At that time, they were only cutting up railway wagons.

I wonder if you met my Dad, Albert? He worked there then. His name was Bob Griffiths.

Albert:

Just to provide some perspective, for those who did not know 1958.

Your £7 in 1958 currently represents:

£128.00 using the retail price index

£320.00 using average earnings

Irene. Having only been there a short while, I didn't get to know workmates properly. I worked with another two mates, one drove the tractor, and we loaded the cart with ash that had accumulated over a long period of time, and dumped the ash in a different location,on the outskirts of the wagon works. The tractor driver, I believe lived in Chapel Street, Lower Ince,or a nearby street.

AP. The reason I had to get a job quick.I had lost all my demob money,taking notice of my mates,at Manchester Races.

Hope that the brevity of your stay there was a result of you quickly finding something that suited you more. Is it not always so? When you have some cash, there is always somebody who knows better than you how you, how to spend it.

AP. It was a stop gap really. I was awaiting notification from Wigan Borough Police, as I had gone all through the procedures. I joined that force on the 15th,of May.

correct Gerry april 1965

i like the smiley face on the engine

I disagree Sue, it had an evil face, so we burned it up. lol

you could say aitch "you wiped the smile off it's face" LOL

Were these locos nicknamed 'Jintys'?

Many of these type of engines were painted blue and renamed Thomas the tank, one in steam not too far from here at East Lancashire Railway.

ap just to comment on your comment about anybody knowing 1958 well I did I was born in December 1950 and I like your comment about the money at that time and what it would be worth today ,its amazing ha,when I started work in 1966 I only earned £4.odd at metal box westhoughton ,I had to get up at about 5.30 to get washed dressed and breakfast, get to ince bar catch bus and still have to run like mad to make it for 8.once my friends and me turned 16 we had to go on shifts so that was it we had to look for summat else, my aunty Doreen asked for us a job at rapps in ince our interview was how old are you av you done sewing before, lol nooo , start Monday ha ha, cut a long story short the money thing me and my friend were in wigan one night and we walked down that arcade on market st you could go into the market inside of this arcade it had half way down a revolving door I think ? anyway me and my friend walked down there one night and I found £7 a fortune to me, my friend said lets go room at the top lol as if we'd ov got in ,but I knew I had to tell my dad coz I dernt not, £7 was a lot of money then and my dad took it to police station and they said if nobody claims it in 6 weeks its yours,well nobody claimed it so I got it and what a good time I had spending it clothes from c&a me and mam went to gorners café for 3 corse dinner silver service and still had pleanty left for toffy n pop n crisp, so £7 pound wages in your day must av been a fortune how cum you only did a short time there ? .

Josie. When I said, for under £7.00. It was probably more nearer the £6-00 mark. I was twenty four at the time. I have made a comment previously, Josie, as to why I left after such a short time. When I joined the police, the wage there was only, just over £7-00 per week . I had received half a crown more when I was in the R.A.F.,and also received my keep. At the time I was single. Hope you are keeping well.

I`ve just sold a GRAMPUS wagon plate on Ebay for my cousin who worked at Doncaster Plant Works. The buyer from Barry by tain and gave us a card he being the MD for the company. They have 2 Grampus wagons and are deperately looking for another so if anyone has one to sell I can put you in touch.

i was born on 1st june 1949 and me and my family lived at 32 George St, That was one of the main routes into the wagon works. There was 5 of us in a double bed in the front bedroom and weekdays the workmens clogs would wake us up as they went on to the 6.00 am shift.There was 10 of us in that little terraced house Mark,Brian,Janet me (james)George, John,Graham, my mother and father and my Maternal grandad James Patrick Fagan. Happy days !!!

Some of the rail lines are still there.