Wigan Album

Description like poetry .
Just as it was . Best feeling in the world putting old clothes on .
Well said Ron .

Very good photo.I am wondering were exactly is the "Valve" Ron. Is that St John's Church in the background, in Church St?

RON, having reached the time of life when there is more to look back on than there is to look forward to, the one regret that I have is that our generation failed to pass on to the following generations the freedom that we enjoyed as kids.

Edna the 'VALVE' is short for TRIANGLE VALVE whose factories were opposite this piece of land. I went over there last year and found out that at the top part of this stretch of land there are now houses!!!on what was a farmer's field. It only seemed like yesterday we were in that field pinching potatoes to make chips, during the summer holidays .Whilst are parents were at work. The church is St Mathews i.e. Highfield church, and the buildings are Pemberton junior, and senior schools.

DTease My grandparents lived in Toogood lane Wrightington in a row of houses, out in the sticks. Just one bus a week, on Saturday it went to Croston and returned a couple of hours later . To get to their house we had to get off the bus, just passed what was the HINDS HEAD pub on Mossy Lead road at a bus stop called the PEACOCK. so named because there was a tree cut in the shape of a Peacock in a garden, and walk over 4 or 5 fields to get to their house. Every year I would go there for 2 weeks in the school holidays (after I had returned from our seaside holiday) .which I spent fishing playing on Wrights farm with the boy who lived there Generally mooching about.in the fields and woods. My grandparents didn't have a TV I;m talking late 1950;s early 60's and at night before going to bed, I would listen to the radio . then went bed about 9.00pm read a book on fishing or Biggles In particular one fishing book I remember was called 'MR CRABTREE GOES FISHING' a Daily Mirror publication about a man taking a young boy fishing the illustrations were in STRIP form with text, and then slept like a log up at 7.00 a.m When my kids were about 10-12 we had a ride passed the house where my grandparents had lived and I pointed out to them where I spent 2 weeks every summer.. There response was "THERE ARE NO SHOPS" "WHERE YOU NOT BORED?" Enough said.

Ron, what a lovely story about you as a young lad, and what a shame our children can't see the fun we had without technology. I remember my husband having "Mr Crabtree goes fishing" he used to take my sons fishing when they were young.He loved that book.. Precious memories, thank you.

the only electronic item i got as a kid in the 50's was a torch for christmas ,which i used to search for german bombers in the night sky. I wander what the kids of today if thats all they got in their chistmas stocking

Well Ron everything you wrote is a mirror image of myself. I attended Highfield Infants first from 1952 to 1955 then a brief gap we moved from ormskirk rd to a new house on worsley mesnes estate,so i then went to ST. James, poolstock lane. I sat my 11 plus there and just failed grammar school with half of one point, so i was back to Highfield secondary modern from 1958 to 1962 ,i actually left school at christmas ii=back then children used to l eave Christmas /Easter /Summer .but RON you are spot on i would peddle down billinge rd turn onto little lane ,along warrington rd ,down st.pauls ave to the end left onto walpole ave i used to come for my dinner i would call at the chippy ,then back to school my mother worked all day at eckersley's cotton mill my father down the mines at quaker house mine ashton , as you say when got home straight into owd jeans and out playing soccer they were truly happier times than they are today .The season's were autumn soccer and rugby ,spring cricket ,summer tennis down at Alexaber park newtown , in those days we had nothing ,we found our own enjoyment and most of all we were happy i just love thinking back to those times with a tear or two in my eyes,so thank you for bringing lots of happy thoughts of my childhood with that photo which i will treasure thank you ...

The only "electronic" thing I got was a battery DAN DARE RAY GUN. Wish I still it had it It's worth a fortune these days<g>

Dan Dare’s sidekick was Digby from Wigan.

This picture was taken in 1980.

DTease, yep he was and Dan Dare's spaceship was named after Digby's aunt. 'ANASTASIA' I recently bought 500 Eagle comics from 1952 - 1962. I don't think I will live long enough to look a them all <g>

As I recall, RON the artwork in those Eagle comics was somewhat above the ordinary.

The main artist was Frank Hampson from Southport. There was an exhibition in the Southport library all about the Eagle comic, last year. . I liked the centre spread of schematic, working, drawings showing various Trains, Cars, Ships, Aircraft, etc etc which I had all over my bedroom walls Masterpieces in their own right. I've now got 600 more to pin up <g>