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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Wigan Album

Billinge

11 Comments

JJ at work
JJ at work
Photo: Eddie Porter
Views: 3,283
Item #: 25596
This photo of John Jolley circa1955 was taken from Upholland Rd Billinge. The original ( much better than this faded copy) won a photographic comp. in Blackpool.
I don't remember which farm worked this field at this time.

Comment by: irene roberts on 2nd October 2014 at 20:27

What a lovely photo, and what beautiful horses!

Comment by: Dougie on 2nd October 2014 at 22:24

As a lad we lived across from a farm and remember things like this as if it was yesterday, I've been thrown on the horse back manytimes going back to the farm from the field

Comment by: Keith on 3rd October 2014 at 08:39

All my antecedents were farmers and tilling the land in this way was the "norm" - I don't know how true this is but I read that for one man to plough one acre he would walk 11 miles - my gt gt grandfather had a farm of 400 acres but also had 6 strapping sons to help and a few servants.

Comment by: Maurice on 3rd October 2014 at 17:58

It is true Keith,near enough anyway,the old plough did a 9inch furrow,4 to a yard x 70,nearly 11 miles.

Comment by: Keith on 3rd October 2014 at 18:47

Thank you Maurice, it's gratifying to know it wasn't an old wives tale - one of his 6 sons was my great grandfather one of whose sons, my grandfather also worked on farms. It was suggested that he was the "strongest man in Llanelli" -it didn't seem much to me when I was told what he did to earn this epithet - i.e. hold a bag of flour, one under each arm, and lift them clear of the ground - until I found out just last week that these "bags of flour" weighed 20 stone each.

Comment by: baker boy on 4th October 2014 at 00:07

bet he's thinking wish I had a tractor

Comment by: A.W. on 4th October 2014 at 10:08

Nice to see this, one of my earliest memories is off horse ploughs in UpHolland 50 odd years ago.

Comment by: Garry on 4th October 2014 at 14:34

Bet he wished he was a millionaire.

Comment by: Joseph on 4th October 2014 at 16:14

The horses are pulling a harrow to break up the ground and make it much more level for the next use.

Comment by: Tom1303 on 5th October 2014 at 13:18

Keith
It's priceless snippets like your gt. Grandfathers holding two 20stone bags under either arm that make this album page so great.

Comment by: Keith on 5th October 2014 at 20:02

Thank you Tom and its gracious comments such as yours that makes it all so worthwhile.

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