Wigan Album

I remember reading an article that said that the Rector at one time had cattle, maybe this was the field in which he grazed them. Drumcroon, the house on the corner of Mesnes Park Terrace and Parsons Walk has seen some changes over the years.

Great picture Ron

Thanks for uploading this.

I am assuming the photographer had his/her back to where the cricket club is now.

I believe the Parsons Walk college building was constructed in the 1950s if I have my facts right.

CJ

Cyril I remember cattle being in this field, I think it was sometimes used as a holding field for cattle on the way to the abattoire.

In the 1940's the Rector's field, as it was then called, was used for sports and other recreational activities at the end of our Church Walking Day (St. George's Church).
The Parson Walk building was not originally a college, it was the Thomas Linacre School providing a more technical education than the
Grammar School. It was built in the late 1940's while I was still at the Grammar School. An occasional Grammar School class was escorted across Parsons Walk to attend a class in the Linacre,
Drumcroon was originally Dr Talrwin(?) Jones surgery.. Mr. Taylor,the Grammar School Headmaster. sent me to Dr Jones when I cut my wrists on a window. Then 2 School Prefects walked me up to the Infirmary. Some time later, my mother got a Bill for 7/6d from Dr.Jones " For attention to Grammar School boy"

Norman, TLS was completed in 1953 i was in the first intake in September of that year. When 'they' talk about the Wigan Technical college building on Parsons Walk it is referring to John McCurdy Hall next door to TLS which as opened by the Queen in i954.

Gas showrooms and the old market also in the photograph

As Mr Cunliffe says, Drumcroon was Dr Talwrn-Jones' surgery years ago. His wife, Henrietta, also a doctor, was based there. As a small baby I had severe whooping cough. Basic antibiotics had just come out and she tested one on me. It was "kill or cure". Luckily (I think)it cured me.

We played in the sheep field about 1944 when there was noDD sheep in because the sheep were brought in at the weekend for the cattle market on Monday morning in Frog Lane. There was a pond in the field for the sheep. It was I think Kings butchers who ownend the sheep.Ian Mckellan father was the Director of the building of Thomas Linaker School.He showed us plan on the front of the school which is in raised bricks of different colour.