Wigan Album

Very interesting but I don't know why it is on the site? It has nothing to do with Wigan

I appreciate your feelings Scaramouche, and your comment. To my way of thinking, many Wigan people have a distinct affinity with Blackpool, as can be seen by the numerous holiday photographs placed on this site. Sorry that I have upset you.

Albert in no way have you upset me, but if everyone uploaded images with no connection to Wigan then the site would be awash with photographs. Where do you draw the line? This is a site for WIGAN related images and information.

Scaramouche,I think that is very unkind of you to speak to Albert like that...no matter whatever Albert comments on is always interesting.

Albert is a Wigan born and bred man whose heroic and brave colleagues in the Police Force deserve to have that story told. Such pettiness when men have lost their lives upholding the law, and to what lengths they went to. A memory shared by a boy from Ince. I found it gripping and sad at the same time.

Thank you Maureen for your comments on my behalf. Scaramouche, in his deliberations is correct. This site is for matters associated with Wigan.
As in 1971 Wigan was still a division within Lancashire Constabulary, as was Blackpool, until Wigan came under the control of the Greater Manchester Police in April, 1974, I considered it loosely associated with Blackpool.

Albert, tell Scaramouche to do a Fandango

Albert S: You put in on site with pride, your heart as usual was in the right place. Scaramouche is technically correct about Wigan info on site, but we who have followed you with your posts on Wigan World, respect and treat you as an elder statesmen on this site. So for me Albert you carry on how you want to say it.
I’am sure Scaramouche will understand that in life not everything is in black&white and to the letter.

Very rude indeed.

I thank each one of you for your supportive, and kind remarks. I do understand though, why Scaramouche is making his point.

these people were so brave, but the death was caused by people relying on the police to protect their property. It is our own responsibility to secure our goods not to devolve it to the police, protection of life is their primary function

Albert, excellent photo and the information behind it too, very brave men to have given chase to armed robbers whilst being unarmed themselves. I agree with you that a great many Wiganers associate with Blackpool with days out and holidays and shall find this to be exceptional for a place they love to go and enjoy themselves, so yes I agree with you in posting this. Thank you!

Got to agree with Scaramouche It is a very interesting memorial to a brave man but it has nothing to do with WIGAN This is a site dedicated to Wigan. I don't know why people are getting all UPPITY about what he said. He wasn't being disrespectful he was just pointing out the fact that this is a WIGAN web site.

I can see Scaramouche's point of view but I would have no objection to the odd photo not being Wigan connected. Obviously if it happened too often it wouldn't be "Wigan Album" and Albert himself agrees with Scaramouche on that point. But Albert is such a gentleman and it is always a pleasure to read his posts. I do enjoy seeing photos of Wiganers on holiday in Blackpool on here as I love to see old photos of Blackpool in the fifties and sixties, but of course they ARE Wigan-connected because of the people being photographed.

Anybody who chooses a user name like Scaramouche shouldn't be giver the time of the day
Do what Mick suggested, tell him to do a Fandango.

Every one appears to be getting on at Scaramouche. Can some one enlighten me as to what he has done wrong? Only pointing out the fact that this is a WIGAN site for images articles etc etc relating to WIGAN. NOT any other town, who probably have got their own web site relating to their towns. Do these moaning people advocate that we put photographs on from every other part of the world as well as Wigan?

What people may not remember is, that at that time. Wigan Police was part of Lancashire Constabulary, having been so since the amalgamation of all the Borough forces which were still in existence on the 1st April 1969, into the Lancashire Constabulary. I was a serving police officer at the time of this tragic incident and was on duty at Wigan when the news filtered down from Lancashire Constabulary Headquarters, and believe it was vey hard to digest what had happened in Blackpool that morning, due to the fact that this was a very irregular occurrence in the police in those days. A contingent of police officers from Wigan Division, which at that time covered the old Wigan Borough force area, along with Ashton In Makerfield, Lower Ince Aspull, Standish, Shevington, Orrell and Skelmersdale, to form part of the guard of honour for the funeral of Gerald Richardson which was held at Blackpool Parish Church.
Yes Blackpool was part of Wigan, and Wigan part of Blackpool, and was made that way by the many thousands of Wiganers who used to take their holidays there long before the foreign holidays were on the scene. Couldn't beat eating fish and chips out of an newspaper from Pablos whilst walking down the promenade. Yes the good old days

Interestingly, just a few years ago, Lancashire Police opened the new police station in Blackpool and conducted an official ceremony where they unveiled a plaque dedicated to Gerry Richardson. His widow was the guest of honour. I believe she has since passed away.

If memory serves me right, Gerry Richardson is the last police officer of Superintendent rank to be killed on duty in the UK. Most police officers who have died in the course of their duties tend to be Constables or Sergeants. Very rare for a senior officer to lose their life as they don't tend to be the first responders to front line incidents.

Try telling all those on the sports forum who ramble on about sports teams who have nothing to do with Wigan

Albert,

There is a Wigan connection. The arresting officer who caught Fred Sewell, the killer of Superintendent Richardson, was Wigan born detective Joe Mounsey.

Yes Keith. He was the only one that made his escape. He was arrested at Leysdown, in Kent, by the Lancashire Constabulary police officers’. As you have mentioned Keith.

Well done for finding the connection.

Albert

Joe Mounsey was the senior officer in quite a few high profile cases throughout the 1960s and 70s. He was involved in the Moors Murders and in 1974 he became embroiled in the Black Panther case, when Donald Neilson murdered a postmaster in Baxendale, Lancashire.

At the time the news broke about Joe Mounsey arresting Sewell my appeal against a dubious radar speed trap booking would be landing on a desk in the police station. The appeal was successful and for that I’ve always believed it was more to do with the euphoria surrounding Joe’s success than the formality of the appeal process.

In 1939 Joe was living in Bolton Road in Aspull. His father, also Joe, was a police constable.

Ladies & gentlemen, thank you for bringing forward the interesting connection, in relation to Wigan. At the time of the arrest, in Leysdown, I was then serving in the Kent Police, many miles from Leysdown though. Folkestone.