Wigan Album

In January 1950 my parents Jack and Phyllis Bowen, became the tenants of the Crispin Arms, Birkett Bank, Scholes. A regular at that time was Norman Bibby who along with his brother Arthur (extreme right of photo), ran Clarington Haulage Company whose office was directly opposite the pub, now occupied by ML Cycles, part of which faced Darlington Street East.

The coach in the background of the photo belonged to their haulage company. Norman later became Chairman of Wigan Rugby League Club.

This photo was probably taken by my father, possibly in the same year of 1950. I cannot be sure, nor can I say where the outing may have gone to, perhaps Blackpool.

I have very little information to add since I can only recognise two of the men on this photo. The man 3rd in from the left (holding a beer bottle) is David Perry who lived at 1 Manchester Road, Ince in Makerfield with his wife Lilian, his married daughter Annie Fairclough and his son in law Horace Long who married their other daughter Lilian. It was Horace and Lilian’s son Eric, with whom I was friendly, David Perry was his grandfather.

Even in 1939, number 1 Manchester Road was a shop, described as a “Mixed Business” on the Census returns, it was still a shop in the 1950’s.

The only other person I can name is on the extreme right, he is Arthur Bibby, the brother of Norman - I was friendly with Norman’s son Harold and they lived in Darlington Street East with their other two sons, Walter and Norman both of whom were older than Harold who was my age.

All four of us attended the Wigan Grammar School, however, Eric who lived “just over the border” in Ince attended Hindley and Abram Grammar despite living just some 50 yards or so from the Crispin Arms.