Wigan Album

AAH, grand photo is this, when I was a small boy in Aspull (70 years ago now) we caught the bus from Wigan home. At the bottom of Ivy Brow where the cottages you mention are the road took a dog leg which brought the bus almost to a standstill especially if something was coming the opposite way, the rest of the ride up the Brow was almost at walking pace the buses being very under powered back then. The gable end was were Jack Walsh's shop was, one of those open all hours type of shops. The cottages were demolished so that the road could be straightened out and raised so the climb was less steep.

This is an interesting photo. Would I be right in thinking that the Colliers Arms would be just off the photo at bottom right?

My parents had a house built in 1962/3 on the plot of land just behind where the cottages are and next to the last pair of semis. What a wonderful photo to have. I was just 6 years old when we moved in and we lived there until 1980. Such very happy memories. Thank you.

Also brought back lots pf memories from the 1950s and 60s as we aught the bus later drove in a car) from Scholes to see my Mums relatives in Aspull. I seem to recall that a gentleman in one of the houses on the left side had a steam traction engine which sometimes would be outside. Please ley me know if my memory is correct. Its amazing how the same memory seems to be like yesterday and at the same time, a very long time ago.

My paper route in the late fifties

What great comments everyone and glad to have brought back memories. DTease you are right, Colliers just below. All well before my time but very interesting historical comments especially about the road being straightened and graded. Thank you all for comments

Thanks for this picture. My Aunt and Uncle and family, lived in the left of the extreme right semi detached house.

Quite amazing to see not a single car in this picture and the road looks to be more of a track! I'm sure it was still a main route out of Wigan. There was actually another pub just a few hundred yards from the Colliers that was the same side of the road and more or less beside the canal. Does anyone knows it's name & roughly when it closed?

AAH, if you pass that was today just past the Colliers Arms you can still see the route of the old road bending left. You can also see evidence of the road being raised. I don't pass this way much these days only occasionally but there are lots of fond memories of how it used to be.

Chris, the pub you mention was the 'Packet House' also, more or less opposite that was the 'Bridgewater' pub, at the top of Ivy Brow was the 'Ivy' though I don't remember it ever being anything else but a big hose something to do with Gafney's builders I think.

The roadway on Ivy Brow was all cobblestones at one time. and very hard for dray horses. I can't remember the date that Ashphalt was laid down, much smoother for pushbikes etc; the advert on the gable end was for a small shop that sold everything and had a strange entrance way from the pavement. Hard to explain the arrangement.
The large house at the top of the Brow was called the "Mount" as far as I know was privately owned until some years later was a building company office.

The cobbles were still there in the early 70's, I remember going that way by car to Scholes when I had my son- he was born in 1970 . I remember the old terraced houses as well which were pulled down later. It was so old fashioned - I loved that part of Aspull.

It's me again. Does anyone remember the Saw Mill, it was behind the packet House, I used to go there for saw cutting for my Rabbit Hutch. It was really old and noisy.

Ken R, I remember the saw mill but it had been closed for several years before I came across it when a young boy. There was a big house about halfway along the building if you remember, it had a bell tower I think or was it a clock tower presumably to call the workers for their shifts.

Ken/Walt I think the big house you refer to was opened in the 1970s by a gentleman go was the chief Music advisor for Schools in the old Wigan education authority, but I September his name.

Ken Walt . Sorry typo should say occupuedc

I really must stop typing on my tablet while on the bus. Damn typos and predictive text "occupied"!!! And "remember" not September. PS I was having another think about the man with the traction engine. On reflection I think it was much nearer to Wigan on Whelley just about opposite to where the Alexandra pub (the hole in the wall ) used to be. Looking at Google maps it says there is a Tesco Express now where the pub used to be - is this right?

Carolaen don't worry about the typos they make me chuckle and furthermore it makes the brain work trying to fathom out the right meaning! I had my wedding reception at the Alexandra it was a lovely venue in 1969 and quite popular. It was highly recommended and the meal was lovely, but we didn't stay the whole of the time because every body went to the Conservative Club in Scholes. I don't think anybody was a Tory though!

Ken R - your aunt and uncle weren’t by any chance Mr and Mrs Grundy were they? Mr Grundy was ex police and they had Major a retired police dog? They had a couple of sons I think that the youngest was called Walter?

Anne, I knew Walter Grundy from my school days in Aspull late 1959-62. I can't remember which house he lived in but it was here about. I remember Mrs Owen living in the houses opposite. Also Barry Walsh working in his dads shop on Ivy Brow, had a Ford Thames van that was a mini mobile shop selling fruit plus a few other items of groceries. Oh such fond memories !. AAH, have you any more pics we would be interested in ?.

Hi Anne,
Yes you are correct Walter was my uncle.
I have informed Bill(son) about the item and will let him make comments if he wishes.
Anne, tell me more.

Hi Ken, sorry but don’t have a more to tell really. Remember that old Mrs Grundy ( well to a 7 year old girl in 1963) she seemed old - probably only in her late 50s/early 60s - well she was quite a decent baker and often let me have a piece of whatever had just come out the oven. But my main draw was Major that old dog seemed huge (and also got treats from the oven!). Our house backed on to those of Mr and Mrs Grundy and their neighbours Alan and Joan Houghton and if I could hear Major in the garden I’d be round asking if I could take him for a walk. I had such lovely memories of them.

I beleive that The Ivy mentioned in this thread was known as "ivin" - my ancestor was living there in 1851. Was The Ivy a pub does anyone know, or anyone have any photos of it & where exactly is was. Thanks !

Anne and Ken R I live on High Street and have done for the past 30 yrs moving here in 1991 Walter and his wife still lived on High Street at No 28. I have fond memories of Walter and his war stories :-) whilst renovating my house he used to lend a hand in return for tea and biscuits Mrs Grundy finished up almost blind in her later yrs. Sadly Walter secumed to illness and died in his early 90's BUT what a guy and yes Mr's Grundy baking was sampled be me on occasions Brilliant photo AAH sadly things have changed some what and not for the better unfortunately

This is for Cathy Shepherd. I have been researching my family tree and also had ancestors living at Ivin in 1851. My 3 x gt grandfather was John Alexander Shepherd, builder and his sons James amd William both bricklayers lived nearby. Are these your ancestors too.

For Valerie Fielding - my Shepherds are not the John Alexander branch I'm afraid, although there were so many Shepherd families in this area, I'm sure they would be related somehow. My ancestor at 33"Ivin" was Margaret Shepherd, born 1822 in Dukes Row, Aspull & living at 33Ivin in 1851 as a lodger with her 6 month old son William. I'm still trying to find out exactly where Ivin is.

I have been reseaching my family and found that my Grandma had emigrated from Ireland.(Catherine Gorry). I knew her as a small boy when she lived in Little Lever). She lived at The Red Lion on Haigh Road and married John Winstanley also of Haigh Road. They married at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and i believe then lived at Ivy Brow. This would be circa 1912/13. My father was born in 1914 and later moved to Yorkshire, met my mother and settled in Leeds where I was born in 1950. Dad was also John (Jack) Winstanley and worked for Pilkingtons then transferred to engineering in the war. We used to have some friendly banter about rugby league as he was a lifelong Wigan fan and I have always supported Hunslet. 1965 was special. Reading about Aspul helps me put together my lineage and although a proud Yorkie I have a soft spot for Aspul. Thanks for the stories.