Wigan Album

I do realise that it will appear meaningless to 99.9 % of anyone who happens to be reading this, but a chap by the name of George Ashurst, who fought with the Lancashire Fusiliers in the 1914 - 18 conflict, ( to grace the débâcle with a polite name ), from start to finish, including Gallipoli, and miraculously survived the entire shebang, was born and raised within a hundred yards of where this shot was taken. I'm merely stating this fact in order that his name does not become entirely forgotten.

'On ya Ozzy. Bet he was called 'lucky' George post 1918.

Ozymandias - I always understood George Ashurst to have been born a little further away, in Tontine, on 3rd March 1895, and raised there.
I have read his fascinating memoir. My grandmother was a neighbour of his sister for many years.
To return to the man ‘directing traffic’.
Years ago, an old UpHollander told me that this man had what we now call ‘learning difficulties’, and thought he had to do this job. Sadly, a lot of people found it amusing and used to egg him on, even to the extent of giving him a white overall jacket to wear, whilst performing his point duty.
He appears to be standing outside the old Legs of Man pub, which was demolished in the late 1920s.

The buildings on the left were all demolished many years ago though all the buildings visible on the right are still there though much altered. The shop on the right was Baxter's and closed in the mid 1990's though had been run by the Parker family since the late 80's. The shop behind the railings on the left was Bryan's Chemist Shop which later moved further up Parliament Street to a custom built shop on the right (now the Indian take away). In the mid 1960's Bryan's Chemist moved to Hall Green and remained in the family till about 15 years ago.

You're perfectly correct of course Mick, Tontine was the place where George was born and lived for the earlier part of his life before moving to Wigan. Apologies for my error, but at least his name has been mentioned.

A friend who lives in Upholland has told me that his name was Peter? Winstanley, Known locally as PAPA

There was someone with nickname 'Papa Winstanley' Ron, but he only died in the 1980s, when he was in his late sixties.
When this photo was taken, he would only have been a child, if indeed he had been born.
There is always the possibility this man was a relation to him though. Nicknames sometimes pass down the generations.

Yes the PAPA WINSTANLEY you are describing was this man's son. My friend can remember Papa Jnr. and can tell plenty of stories about him..

Mystery solved, Ron!

A young Peter Winstanley once lived with his family in the famous Upholland ghost house.

Only just noticed there is another horse and cart coming up behind. What an evocative photograph of an English village. Not your quaint quintessential English Village, but it has a charm of it's own. Cobbled main street, corner shops, I bet everyone living there knew everyone else and their relatives, and what they had for their tea<g>

I'm just re-reading George Ashwoth's book about doing "his bit" in the Great War. it's marvelous to see whereabouts he lived at one time. The man was fearless especially in his dealings with 'some 'shirking officers'!

Footnote
George Ashurst
Apologies