Wigan Album

Thank you Aubrey for posting this picture, insignificant I am sure to others , but hugely important to me. How time changes things. I respectfully beg to differ that these buildings are .. well I,m sure you get my drift, better than once was. Thanks again Aubrey

It's actually Wigan Newspapers Limited, Aubrey.
The printing and publishing plant started to produce newspapers around 1984, when The Wigan Observer and Post and Chronicle amalgamated after United Newspapers (the parent company) closed Woods Street and Brock Mill. Apart from the Observer and Post, other newspapers were produced their, ie the Wigan Leader and Reporter group and many north west titles under the united news group. Two Goss presses were installed in the press hall under the name of Central Lancashire Printers, and the machines were quite busy running day and night. Not much action there these days. Our newspapers the Observer and Post went on to be printed at Broughton printers, at fullwood, and today printed at News printers, at Knowsley. Who knows what will happen next, well, you never know in the newspaper came.
Thanks Aubrey two great photos.

Click item number 24515 into search (at the top) and see one of the two Goss presses at Martland Mill, around 1984.

Thanks Colin, I can hardly believe I typed the wrong name on both photos when I had the photo in front of me.

I'll let you off, Aubrey. lol.

The field where the bus is passing, is Arnold Clarke's motors.

The Wigan Leader, a rubbish paper, didn't last long.The Wigan Post just gone up in price again, if they carry on the'll price themselve's out of busness.

Aubrey. "Seems we are both suffering from the same complaint".

The link below is to a photo on the Album (Places, Marsh Green} that I took in the early 1960s at Stonehouse Farm, it is of the same area but more to the west from where Aubrey took his photo. Beth I cannot comprehend your comment on these buildings, I would rather have kept the farmland and rural view than a view of an area now covered over with bricks, concrete and tarmac. The field where the buildings are once grew swedes, beets and cabbage that were sold locally.

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=1505&gallery=Marsh+Green&offset=0

Thanks Cyril,
I moved to Marsh Green in 1964 and have witnessed a vast change around Martland Mill Lane, commencing with the extension of Scot Lane to Woodhouse Drive. The changes have given employment to a large number so it is not that the changes have been all bad.

Hi Cyril, sorry if you misunderstood my comment as I agree with you entirely. This is the area I grew up and my memory and that of my friends is of this open countryside where we played as children. I could get lost in this area now whereas before I could walk it blindfold.

It has changed vastly around there hasn't it Aubrey, thinking about it maybe Beth was meaning Walthew House Farm aka Joe Philbin's, if you remember it stank to high heaven and yet the family whom lived there couldn't smell it as they'd become used to it, the farm and buildings were a bit ramshackle too, it was always good for having a walk around there as that area and the clay quarry was teeming with wildlife back then and great if you wanted to go bird spotting, but as happens we just took it for granted, but like you say a lot of local folks now have employment on their doorsteps.

Cyril,
I used to visit Owd Joe ( Ainsworth) who lived in a 2 up 2 down cottage that belonged to Walthew House Farm. If I remember correctly his house was left standing after the farm closed. He certainly was a character. I also used to visit Ned Topping at Cuthbert Scott Farm, further along Walthew House Lane. His was a dairy farm and he provided Heinz with their milk.

You've brought some good memories back Aubrey, I remember owd Joe he had some good pear trees in the orchard at the back of his house, we always ended up being chased out of there by him, there was two horse graves in there too, apparently they were buried by the Formby's when they lived there, there was a stand pipe in the front garden of the house and the water was always icy cold, even in the summer months.

This link from the Album - Work - H J Heinz Kitt Green has some excellent and interesting comments about this house and the also farm, it has a photo of the farm barn interior.

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=3&id=8393&gallery=H.+J.+Heinz%2C+Kitt+Green&offset=60

Thanks Cyril,
I have now looked at the Heinz reference and found the photo of Cuthbert Scott Farm. I should have mentioned the difference in farms, you knew how dirty Walthew House Farm was, not just because of the pigs he bred, just plain messy, whereas Cuthbert Scott Farm was always kept clean and tidy. As clean as any farm could be considering there was a large herd of cattle there. Ned also bred a lot of turkey's for Christmas.

It was Aubrey, though we never called it by its name it was always the white farm. Philbin's untidy, yes, very, and always lots of rats scuttling around the ditches, though the family was okay and always said hello in a strong Irish brogue. Do you remember Mr Jolley the watchman at the brickworks, he would often be seen walking around or having a chat in the quarry workers cabin which was at the side of the path that led from Marsh Green to Walthew House Lane, his son also posts on wiganworld.

Cyril,
No I cannot recall Mr Jolley. I do remember Owd Joe stirring the pig swill at Philbin's farm. The family were always friendly. I think one of the sons became a dentist.

Yes Cyril, we called it the White farm also . Think we called the lane , the brick road or something. On this lane was my favourite tree which me and my friend would climb. We would giggle and laugh at the fact the passersby on the lane could not see us. Opposite was a Field of gold , so Stings song of the same name , always makes me pause. Lovely memories...

Amazing how a photo can stir up memories, i grew up on the Marsh Green estate and recall spending most of my youth with my mates exploring the area from the brick works/clay pits/ kings wood/porters wood in fact the Douglas valley out to Apply Bridge. Too many to write down. Will leave with one though, Camped out in Kings Wood but left during the night because didnt want to see the ghost of the white lady and horse or Red Cloggs.

Red clogs now that's a story screaming out to be told

Dont remember this being a bus route,could that bus be on it's way to Whitley to pick us loony marsh greeners up ?