Wigan Album

Is that Tommy Cunliffe on the drums, (Cloggy)

I only know it's Jim Lewis on the piano (my dad). We used to live in the house next to the drum, we left the area in 1972.

Ged,
It certainly looks like Tommy. I'll ask Johnny when I see him.

I used to deliver Sellars pies there in the early 70s

I've never known why it had that strange name. Can anyone enlighten me?

Is that the Eric Winstanley the Fitter that worked at Plank Lane?

Sorry Winder, there are a few of us.

Another great photo Ann. I didn't know yr Dad played the piano.x

The Drum and Monkey wasn't the official name. I was told that people called it that because before the club was built there was a pub on that site with the same name. I looked on Google and there are still a few pubs around the country called The drum and Monkey.

Where was (is?)this pub. What was the official name.

I think the official name was North Ward Labour Club, no idea why it was called Drum and Monkey. It was on the corner at the junction of Nicol Road, and Bryn Road, same side as the chippy on Nicol Road, the round house used to be on the other corner.

It was also known as the blood tub...as many fights took place there.

The blood tub was Ashton Labour club,now the Presidential

There must be two blood tubs then.

No there was only one Blood Tub .Ashton labour club near the telephone exchange

Thanks for the info, Ann

I have no memory of the Drum ever being called the blood tub, if it was it must have been post 1972. My memories of the Drum are: bingo nights, club entertainers at the weekend (Johnny Meadows was my dad’s favourite), one arm bandits, weekly trips to Atherton baths for the kids, the annual trip to Southport, Christmas parties and Easter Bonnet parades.

Ann, Joe Hankinson on the drums. (the blood tub) drum and monkey.

The Blood Tub, to me, was Ashton Labour Club. Ashton wasn't short of Labour Clubs, besides the Blood Tub and North Ward there was Old Road Labour Club and Stubshie.

Remember the labour club opp HL Gorner show room....on Wigan Rd..I can't think of it????? anyone help.

Gary thank you, I don’t remember Joe but I remember the Drum wasn’t known as the blood tub before we left the area in 1972. Check out photo - Album, places, Bryn – Old Drum and Monkey - this is the clientele I remember using the Drum - not exactly your drunk brawling in the street type. There was also Bryn Labour Club on Wigan Road.

the man on the drums looks like my friends dad norman whittle from Hindley in fact I think it is him,he played at variouse clubs in the seventys well could have played in sixtys as well but I only knew him in 70s .

Bryn Labour Club is definitely in Bryn. There is no boundary between Bryn and Ashton (who would know?). If there was a boundary I would say it was Nichol Rd, The Drum was on the Ashton side so I would call it Ashton. I lived round the corner from there in the 1970's and never classed it as Bryn.

Kenee , I think you’re right even though the Drum was North Ward Labour Club Bryn – geographically it probably was in Ashton-in-Makerfield. I have no idea where the boundary is. I was only young when we left the area and as a child everything we did was in or around Bryn - school, church, shops etc. the only thing we went to Ashton for was the market. So it always felt like we lived in Bryn.

The drum and monkey was originally a pub of the same name The North Ward Labour Club was originally on Wigan Road mear to gorners garage but moved to the drum later on. The Labour Club was started by my grandfather and his friend both of whom were Labour Councillors in Ashton Mr North and my grandad Ward thereby giving its official name of North Ward Labour Club. My Dad and his brother went there nearly every night after work uncle wilf worked in the pit at golborne and my Dad started off as an apprentice plumber for Ashton UDC. Memories of that place still fill my heart with joy its just a shame that its now a block of apartments.