Wigan Album

My grandparents lived just a few doors up from there - any idea on the date?

The Woman in the centre with the white blouse, hands on the hip is giving the young lad the third degree.
I'd say he put some marbles in the tracks on the bend, and the tram did a waltz. ( Who's a naughty boy then) mind you he's had his first lesson in friction and gravity.

Beryl, the style of clothes suggest it is in the Edwardian era: 1901–1914

John.G. My guess is the clue to the culprit lies in the name atop the tram.

GW: You could be right, the old fire water, I bet that helped crash many a tram. And have you noticed they always try and blame a lamp post.
Sorry your honour, this lamp post jumped out of nowhere and hit me.

Dunville's Whiskey The Spirit of Belfast, born 1808 and reborn 2012. https://dunvilleswhiskey.com/

I've never seen it for sale locally, though D. Byrne & Co over in Clitheroe may well have it in as they do have a good stock of whiskies as well as wines.

I have a book by Robert Roberts who wrote "The Classic Slum". The book I have is "A Ragged Schooling" and was written around 1910.There is a reference to "Dumville's Special" in it where the author speaks of his grandmother drinking it through the veil which hung down over her face from her hat!

I always thought whiskey was spelt with an E from Ireland.not like on the tram.Google Dunvilles site and it shows on the bottles some as whisky and some as whiskey.Seems odd

The cheapest blend of Dunville's is their Three Crowns and is £36.85 and their superior single malt sherry cask is £159.50, if anyone is interested in having a swig or two.

Yes John, and I'm sure you'll remember those lists of ridiculous excuses that are sometimes given an airing in the papers; I'm sorry, Officer, I was thinking of the mother-in-law.

Yes Philip some are really weird, but I must admit if I was thinking of the mother in law I'd need a stiff Whiskey, but it won't be this Dunvilles, not at that price.

Irene - you are to be congratulated on your literary taste.
Both of Robert Roberts's books have a prominent place on my bookshelves.
They provide a superb picture of life for working people in the opening decades of the 20th century.

Mick LD....I have read "A Ragged Schooling" so many times I can almost recite it! When my children were small, (they are 43 and 39 now). I used to borrow it, in hardback, on a regular basis from Abram Library. Then one day it had disappeared and it had been sent to Central Reserve….I was gutted! A few years later it came out in paperback and my daughter, by then about 18, bought it for me. Then one day, whilst on holiday, I found a hardback copy in a Charity Shop in Whitby with exactly the same cover as the one I borrowed from the library for so many years. It is on my bookshelves and is still a joy to read. I have read The Classic Slum but I find "A Ragged Schooling" more homely. I'm so glad you like it too. (And I still have my cardboard library tickets although we no longer have a library in Abram..... There are some things you just can't part with!)

Irene I have sent for that book on your recommendation just now.. It sounds really good, I'll let you know when I have read it..

I do hope you like it, Veronica. I find it fascinating. It paints such a vivid picture of Salford in 1910.

Irene and Veronica - two other books well worth reading are 'Bright Morning' amd 'Figures In A Bygone Landscape', by Don Haworth, which tell of growing up in 1920s Lancashire.
Both books tell it 'how it was', and are also very funny.
Avaiolable online.

Thanks Mick, I'll keep those titles in mind, as I am just running out of reading matter. The book ' Ragged Schooling' plopped on the doormat this morning, so I'm looking forward to a sunny afternoon and reading it...;o))

Mick. I have put a comment on which doesn't seem to have appeared so I will repeat it, so if my comments appear twice I apologise! I have got the two books you mention by Don Howarth and also a good one by Walter Greenwood called "There Was a Time". But my favourite nostalgia book is When All the World Was Young by Edna Mac Cuish, set in the Bolton of her childhood in the twenties and thirties. Her very humorous turns of phrase never fail to make me smile....she had a natural talent. I know Veronica has a copy of that as I gave her my old one.

Yes Irene, a book to read again, I still have it. I am making a note of all these titles. Thanks to both...

I've read both the books you mention Irene, and thoroughly enjoyed them. I remember Edna MacCuish, as we were both members of the Lancashire Authors' Association.
Another book well worth reading is 'When Every Day Was Summer', by J.E. Bowman, who grew up on the Fylde in the 1920s.

That's not Bamfurlong.

Mick, I am so pleased you knew Edna Mac Cuish.. I would loved to have known her! I myself used to write for Past Forward, Wigan's heritage magazine. I'm not sure if I have read "When Every Day Was Summer", (the mind forgets!), but I've a feeling I have read it some years ago. The author and title sound familiar, as if I may have read it, but I haven't got it in my collection. I will certainly look into ordering it. I also have "The Penny World" and "Two Lamps in Our Street"by Arthur Barton, set in Northumberland, and "The Clatter of Clogs" and "Under the Lamp" by Paul Fletcher, which are a series of newspaper articles put into books, again around Little Hulton/ Bolton in the twenties and thirties. How lovely to find a like-minded friend on Wigan World. I do hope Veronica is enjoying "A Ragged Schooling". xxxxx

When Every Day Was Summer Ordered, Mick!.....I don't hang about! xx

Mick and Veronica, a more recent book is "Growin' Up in Lancashire" by Brian Carline....very funny in places! xxx

I have taken note of the titles and will be ordering them, plenty time for reading at the moment... Thanks again both xx

Happy reading, Irene and Veronica!

I'm really enjoying 'Ragged School' I was laughing my head off at 7 30 this morning at the dad and Jenny his poor wife! What struggles they endured, not to mention the drink! The building of the pigeon cote had me in stitches, reminded me of my dad!

Yes, that looks like Bryn Hall Hotel. Well then, I have to agree with my mate. It's not Bamfurlong, it's outside of number 614, Bolton Road, Ashton in Makerfield. These people put pen to paper without having a clue what they are talking about.

Bamfurlong I reckon https://www.streetcheck.co.uk/postcode/wn25ay
But hey, why split hairs, its a great picture

Barry, where Bolton Road changes into Lily Lane, there's a sign which says, "Welcome to Bamfurlong".
Here it is Barry :-
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.5064993,-2.6120876,3a,15y,54.77h,94.98t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sf9oPQmVZV4b5dmSQt12Drw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Take a look, Barry and you'll see why that accident didn't happen in Bamfurlong. It was well into the Ashton side.

The accident would have happened sometime in 1900 or early in 1901. The tram shown would travel from St.Helens to Atherton, the same route as the No. 1 bus serves several decades later.

The window directly above the DU was my bedroom window 620 Bolton road my Grandma lived next door at 618. It is very possible that some of my relatives are in this photo possibly my Grandma. If you look closely you will see 618 is a chippy that's my grandmas chippy.

So, Bolton Road it is then?

To clear up where this is we wrote our address a 620 Bolton road , bryn gates , Bamfurlong , wigan

It's fantastic to read the positive and kind words about the book written by my Grandmother. I'm glad it was throughly enjoyed as I sure Edna would have been thrilled to know too.