Wigan Album

I could never understand why that building was 'pulled down' . Is the building next to the Convent still there?

Veronica.The building next to the convent is still standing. It was StJohn's CYMS Club.

I thought it was Jack- on odd occasions when I have been to St Mary's I seem to remember it.

Veronica Wigan Councils, present and past have ruined the town as we knew it. Can you imagine how many 1 bedroom apartments you could get in that building?

I know Ron. I remember at walking days the nuns would be practically hanging out of the windows waving and bowing their heads to everybody in the procession. The nuns we had at St Pats came from there. The most famous one was Sister Lucy. 2 very sensible girls escorted them to the Convent every day- needless to say I was never one of them! That building would have made some beautiful apartments. Unless it wasn't correct to have them in between 2 churches! Who knows!

The CYMS building had another entrance at the side. A Miss Fenn held Ballet and Tap classes inside on Saturday mornings. My mam took me for some lessons, I think she was trying to turn me into a Shirley Temple lookalike - which was never going to happen, I recall all the ballet positions even to this day- but all the other little girls wore soft soft red leather ballet pumps and I wore white pumps ( one had an hole in it). I can remember the concert she was putting on for Christmas and my mam was paying weekly for the costume. It all 'fizzled' out just like the curls in my hair from the 'rags' she had put in the night before! It was a great pity because I was forever leaping about in the house!

I really enjoyed that memory, Veronica....beautifully written!

Thank you Irene - very kind of you. It's funny how really early days are remembered - I was only about six. Another thought occurred about the Convent building. It may have been owned by Liverpool Diocese and not Wigan Council as many Catholic schools are owned by their Diocese. But it is still scandalous that it was demolished.

There are plans currently with the council to build sheltered accommodation on the site of the convent and also on another block around the back.

Ron

Thank you for that. Oh happy days. Sorry it's gone.

I read what you wrote, Veronica, about Miss Fenn and it brought back some memories. We went to her school in Platt Bridge,the school was held in an old billiard hall or Methodist hall at the bottom of Walthew Lane not in Wigan. Mum persevered for a few years however as I have no co-ordination I must have looked like one of the elephants in Fantasia when we put on our dancing displays! The hall always had an oily smell about it and as I grew older I realised that indicated the presence of mice!

I would have been the same Grannieannie- no natural grace, but they needed the little 'elephants' for cuteness as they always stole the show. My interest in ballet however, never wained as I would draw them all the time. Even today I have a ballerina done in pastel which I did a few years ago hanging on a wall. Miss Fenn would have spotted the 'naturals' and she must have made a good living - she seemed to hold a lot of classes all over Wigan. Happy days!