Wigan Album

That's a similar building to Belle Green old school canteen, in Higher Ince.

I can picture it now having my dinners in this building. No problem with school dinners I loved them. When I was in the last form of the juniors I would be 11(TOP MISS BARTON's class)Me and another lad, Steven Bland,every Thursday would take the school dinner money to the post office at the bottom of Enfield street. Mainly in Half Crowns as that is what it cost for a weeks school meals. What two 11 year old lads could do if someone had robbed us I don't know? but those were different times.

I had a similar job at UpHolland village school in the late 1960s, Ron.
On Thursdays, another lad and I were sent out with all the bagged up dinner money coins, and we had to go round the shops in the village, and get them exchanged for banknotes.

Every day my husband Don Armstrong and Bob Aspey had to switch on the main switch so that the necessary equipment was ready for use when the canteen staff arrived.

At the enclosed entrance on the right I had my first smoke. I'd be about 12yrs at the time, sick as a dog. Remember the food arriving in big silver metal containers cooked in the Wiend, one of many places. Was the corrugated roof asbestos I wonder??

School dinners cost 5/- (25p) a week when I started school in 1964. By the time I went to secondary school in 1970 the cost had gone up to 10/- (50p) a week. Does anybody know what they cost now?

They had a similar building to this on the field on Brindley street. Courting couples used to kiss in the sheltered doorway (we're talking mid 1960's) us local kids used to run past shouting comments at them. Other things was to pick some wild flowers and throw them at them as we ran past shouting 'here's some flowers for your wedding' as a 6 / 7 year old it was funny. A second, similar sized building adjacent to the canteen was a big kitchen - where they cooked a lot of meals to send out in trays to schools in the area in their special vans. I loved the smell from that place when they were cooking Irish Stew ... my favourite. We also used to dare each other to look in the swill bins --- very smelly. It was like one big playground! I grew up on Brindley street.

EEE by gum that really brings back memories for me I attended highfield from 1957/8 to 1962 I enjoyed the grub and even asked was there any rice pudding left we used to mix it with jam and stir it up,the h/master was George Proctor,MR.SUDWORTH,MR.GASKELL,MR.SEDDON MR.HEATON MR.LONG, THEY were good days I still don't know why I played truantcy for about 3/4 months got mi dad's signature
off to a tee, got caught in th end, and the infant's school is still there today a bit lower down happy days, trouble was we did not know it,

I attended Highfield School from 1957. I remember having dinners in the canteen very well. They dished up proper food in them days not the stuff that is served up to the children today.

We had a similar building at both my schools in Liverpool, and the school my wife taught at in Warrington also had one. We called ours the 'dinner centre' - perhaps someone older might remember when they first appeared at schools. Their look suggests they might have been a wartime introduction - to expand lunch-time provision for the children when so many mothers may have been involved in war work, and so not able to be at home to provide lunches. They might also have been able to provide canteen facilities for a neighbourhood if families had to evacuate their homes after bombing raids.

Golden Bear, What is your name? We would have been at this school at the same time, great to hear your comments

Up until 1953 I went to Warrington Lane school and I can remember going to a similar building, somewhere in the vicinity of where St Pats rugby ground is, for our dinners.

It looks like the original corrugated asbestos roof's been replaced.

A.W: School meals are nothing like the one's from way back, it's all about nutrition & value. There is price & food options to suit everyone, also children can take packed lunch. No child should have to spend more than £3 a day and most schools have a meal deal for £2.20 - all staff are entitled to the same as children.

The one at Pem Senior was exactley like that.
Puts me in mind of the prunes they made you eat.

At the time I had my dinners in the 40s it cost 2s(10p)per week. Still got memories (and smells) of those meals.

Evelyn., nice to read that Don is ok. Don used to sit behind me in Dicky Duster’s maths class, along with his friend Billy Charnock. Don was teachers favourite as he always got a shiny new nib for his dip pen.
Please give him my best wishes.
Harry Gladson

Harry, Don was so pleased to hear from you. He has never told me that he was the teachers pet.!!
He remembers you both trying to improve the dynamo lighting on your cycles and evenings in the snack bar at Union Bridge.He is very well and sends his regards to you.

It’s all coming back. I remember this building so well. I also remember Dicky Duster very well. He gave me the worst caning I ever had after catching me pitching a garden fork. W e used to spend many of our maths lessons digging the vegetable patches (no wonder I’m thick). My dad told me he was his teacher as well, and he knew not to cross him.

Hi Harry and Don, good to hear you are both ok...We had some great times at " Highfield University ", remember the singing lessons in the hall with Charlie Sandham when everyone deliberately sang out of tune?..Great memories...Bob

As Ron Hunt I also used to take the dinner money to the post office with my friend Christine. That would be 1957/58. The lady in the post office used to give us a threepenny bit each which we spent in "uncle billys"

Hello Duggie, hope you remember me.Are you still drumming.

It's a miracle we're all still alive - what about Health and Safety!

reply to SYD sorry for the delay,how does alan winstanley 1
sound??

Beautiful memories of this dinning hall. Skipping across to get dinner, hoping that they had Jam Rolly-Polly made with Suit pastry for sweet. It used to stick to the roof of your mouth and last for the rest of the day. Plus the very friendly dinner ladies. xx