Wigan Album

When I was around ten, (early sixties), Central Wagon Works in Ince held their annual Christmas Party for their employees' children in this hall. I assume they hired it for the occasion. I can remember it as if it were yesterday; we always got a really good present.

Irene. Is this still an educational complex? If not, where do the students' attend now?

I think it still is, Albert, but not sure.

Albert, its part of Wigan and Leigh College.

It's now the Thomas Linacre Outpatient Centre NHS

Albert this is now called the linacre centre and is part of wigan infirmary
It is used to treat outpatients
sadly wigan grammar school is no more

No, this building is NEXT to the Tech,and on the same side of the road. The Linacre Centre is ACROSS the road and is the building that was the old Grammar School.

Is it not the old Grammar School that is the Linacre Centre. This is on the opposite side of the road. I thought it was part of the Tech or whatever it is called at present.

The Thomas Linacre School is now part of Wigan and Leigh College as Jimmy points out.
The outpatients dept of Wigan infirmary is over the road in the Wigan Grammar School buildings and has been renamed after Thomas Linacre????

Peter. So where do the students' get their advanced education?

This is not part of Wigan infirmary, The old Grammar school is the Linacre Centre medical outpatients.

The old ALMA MATER.. Sat in that hall every school day for five years and took my O levels in there as well. Happy days<g>

One of my proudest moments in that Hall. Every Friday they used to read out who had got detentions that week and when my name was read out for the third time all my year applauded. Great memory.

Three times in detention in one week meant, Detention that night, and one carried over to the following week, AND...... CANE off B.B with everyone listening outside his study for the WACK WACK WACK <g>

Wouldn't bet my life on it but I think at some time you had to go in on Saturdays for detention.

Now you come to mention it Sometimes I remember seeing some boys in the bottom class room, where they had the Detention class, On a Saturday when we were catching the coach, when I played for the School football team, when we played away .
I was only once in detention three times in one week and I came well prepared. Two pairs of underpants, Shirt lap tucked between my legs and my thickest grey pants. I think I got three strokes of the cane and I never felt a thing?
Now, when I regularly got the Gym pump off Robinson... Now that did hurt, No protection only a thin pair of gym shorts. I still have the word POLNUD tattooed on my arse.

Ron,we've both spoken of or time at The Thomas Linacre in the past.We had chemistry on Friday mornings overlooking Bill Brace's office ! The bottom line is(excuse the pun)I have felt the benefits of the excellent education I had there,all through life.Mr.Martindale used to tell us to use rhymes to remember information and I still remember "tell those young misses,5x aint 5 kisses,dy by dx hasn't got any sex and quarter pi d means nothing to me" I never did get the hang of calculous but I remembered the little rhymes.I use one today to remember my debit card number and I say "just a moment whilst I sing a little song !" It was a good place to be in the 50's and I couldn't have had a better education.Why was it destroyed ?

when i went to grammar school i can remember being in school play on that stage, we used to have lessons on both sides of the road

Robbo delighted in dishing out punishment with a gym shoe, usually on a young boys bare backside . He also lied to put lads through the cold showers, watching to make sure you went under the spray. I think he might have been locked up had he tried all that on these days !!!!.... As would several other so called Academics at the old Grammar School

I was in Toad of Toad Hall on that stage. I played Alfred the Horse. The lad who was the back end of the Horse almost collapsed when Toad jumped on him so I had to switch to the back and still speak all the lines (no nasty comments please)

There`s a Google map on :-
https://www.nhs.uk/Services/clinics/MapsAndDirections/DefaultView.aspx?id=1854
You can place the little man anywhere on the blue lines to see photo and move around.
Have tried to find a photo of the assembly hall in what was Wigan Grammar School now the Thomas Linacre Outpatients Centre (opposite the Thomas Linacre school). The part, which I assume the assembly hall is in, isn`t used by the outpatients.
See:- New Gallery, Wigan Grammar School.

Hi Dave Being one of the main stays of the Judo Club, which Martindale ran, I think I was a bit of a favourite of his. I was quite good at some of the aspects of Physics but could never remember those( I think 5) formulas to do with acceleration (I maybe be completely wrong but whatever they refereed to their were 5 of them) As far as Chemistry was concerned I was Hopeless. Could never grasp the valency thing or how to work out the resulting chemical symbol when two things were mixed together.

Acceleration due to gravity 32 ft per second per second..I can remember that.Mr Martindale was an excellent teacher,Ron and I thoroughly enjoyed physics.Regarding chemistry,you should have done what I did.It was about 4th year when I said to myself enough is enough."May I go to the Heads office"I asked the teacher.I took my chemistry book with me and knocked on Bill Brace's door.Standing in front of his desk I handed him the book."Open at any page"I said,"and ask a question"which he did."I haven't a clue what you are talking about" I said watching his re-action.He pondered then said"No more chemistry for you,Marsh,in future go to the library for these periods and I will arrange extra tuition in another subject".That man was good.

when i used to go to all saints school we used to have snowball fights with that school

I recollect the Thomas Linacre complex,and the Wigan Grammar School, were a real pain on night duty,in the late fifties,and early sixties, when on the park beat, the amount of doors that had to be checked, after checking the cricket club, and before checking Market Street, Mesnes Street, and all property between the two streets, and on each side. The miles you covered on foot. That beat extended to the factory at the top end of the park.

I was in the stage crew for the Toad of Toad Hall production. Brian Abbott, from my year, was a brilliant Toad. He entered in Act 1 from the space below the stage. Mr. Boardman I think directed. He went on to be a Headmaster somewhere else.

Brian Our problem was we were fighting on two fronts. We had All Saints behind us and the Grammar School in front.

Someone named ???? Melling was Toad in our Production. Mr. Boardman went to St. Peters at Orrell. I think. He was part owner of Boardmans Gents Outfitters in Ashton.

Albert, most kids get advanced education at one of the sixth form colleges, such as: The Deanery, Saint John Rigby, or Winstanley, or at Wigan and Leigh College.

Broady, now you've reminded me you are absolutely right about Toad. I was wrong about Brian Abbott, he played another part,but he was the one who entered 'stage below' though.

Ladies and gentlemen, both the old Grammar school( Linacre Centre re Wigan Hospital as we all know) AND part of the old Thomas Linacre school are now BOTH being used as medical centres as from very recently. I started at TLS in Sept 1953 amongst the first intake of students, my very first lesson was German with Herr Gelling in the eventual detention room.

TLS merged into WGS in my second year and lost it's identity. But existing TLS guys were allowed to carry on wearing their TLS blazers, pullovers, ties etc. so later on we had cases where guys loyal to the TLS badge had clearly outgrown their TLS clothes yet insisted on still wearing them. Makes me laugh just thinking about it. If the merger had gone the other way doubtless I would have done the same.

When mentioning the original Thomas Linacre school, nobody says anything about the second phase (on the corner of Parsons Walk & New Market St) Which was "The John McCurdy Hall". It now seems to be the main entrance to the college.
I think, in 1954 when the Linacre first opened, we were amomng the first Nightschool students to be taught there, having started nightschool at Gidlow Sec Mod, in '53, & transferred to there

In my 3rd year at Linacre,Art,we moved over to John McCurdy in 3 rooms on the ground floor.Mr.Pey was the Form Master.This would have been about1956.

You are so right about Robinson. I used to hate cross-country runs as as I always ended up missing my train home after the showers, hot and always the cold! Mr Robinson and I didn't mix, at least not until the 6th form when I was able to beat him at Badminton , which I still play.

By the way Ron I lived at Prescot, which is just prior to Huton in Liverpool.

Great to have this huge response to this photo of the assembly hall at the Linacre.I think I was the only zoo keeper they produced and I can just imagine what was said when the careers master went back to their rest room and announced "Marsh is to be a Mahout".Bless 'em all including Mr.Robinson (I was a victim of the gym shoe at 20 paces),collectively they helped make me what I am and I will always be grateful.You did excellent,Mr.Brace.

My relationship with Robbo went the otherway, at first he was fine and then at a certain point he started being nasty to me and stayed that way until I left. I never knew why.

Dave and Ron: it's 60 years November since the Linacre opened. I thought it maybe a good idea to do a nostalgia article for the Wigan Observer. Could you both jot down some of your memories to use and email them to me? Thanks

The Architects brochure gives the following information. The foundation piling started in March 1951 & school construction work commenced in Feb 1952 by Leonard Fairclough Ltd. Completion was in September 1953 at a total cost of £232,275. The school was opened by the Queen on 21 October

Malcolm and Ron. I don't know that I remember anything that would be useful but I was there from the beginning in 1953 until 1960 so if I can help with your proposed article just ask.

I'll do that Malcolm.Len you must have started at Thomas Linacre about the same time as myself.I went into Mr.Clarkes class and learned what discipline was from day one.A nice guy though when you got to know him better.

I was in 1B. Mr. Austin was the form master as I remember.
Do you remember Daniels who got the cane for running into the head and cheeking him on the very first day! he got into the 6th eventually, though not without a few more run ins with authority

Morning,Len,I remember Mr.Austin very well.I think he was the first man in Wigan to wear nylon socks and he was most proud of them.We had him for English Lit.and it was the first time I heard my own voice when he brought a tape recorder into class.It was the size of a suitcase!
I was demoted from 1A to 2B (Mr. Hilton)as I came bottom of the class and I made lots of good new friends in the B stream.

Hi Dave. I went the other way to 2A. Do you remember my friend jackie Brown who remianed in teh B stream?

Hi Len I have put something on the site asking for info. on Jackie Brown but as yet no replies...

We did Easter concert with miss Simpson about crucifixion in around 1975 we all had little yellow dresses on and hear comes the song we performed to I would love to see it can anyone help.

When you look at this photograph, you have to admire the inspiration of the architect who designed it. For a utility space it was out of the ordinary - the suspended lights gave it a "modern state of the art look" but I bet changing the bulbs was fun! Always looked forward to the Wednesday morning period after break time when we had talks by representatives of industry to give us an idea of what jobs were available when we left school. I saw a presentation by Leyland Motors but never realised I would end up working here.

Took all my 'O' levels sat in this hall. Shirt cuffs ruined for ever L.O.L.