Wigan Album

Doh! I’ll have to go to Specsavers. If I’d read Ron’s posts I would have known they are not.

No, Keith.....if you go back to Ron's photos, there are titles over the top. The one showing the front of the house with the lady mopping is number 66 Poolstock Lane, and the one showing the rear of the house with washing in the backyard is number 38 Poolstock Lane, so quite a gap in between them. However, your colouring is excellent as always. I still hang washing out in my backyard, with the line held up with a prop!

I always hang washing out on the line Irene…I have no electric dryer and I don’t want one either. It’s very expensive to buy a wooden prop these days
In between £30 and £40 on the internet.! I have to put up with a tubular one made in China!

1 - there's no such thing as the "Poolstock Canal".
2 - there's no canal behind numbers 38 and 66 Poolstock Lane, or close to Poolstock Lane for that matter.
3 - there's never been buildings on both sides of the canal at Poolstock.
4 - it looks more like Pottery Road than Poolstock.

It says Pottery road on the original b&w photo Noaksey .

Peter made the props when we were first married, over 50 years ago, Veronica and they are still going. They are a bit splintered but still do the job and he power-washed them a few months ago when he was power-washing the yard and they came up like new!

Wooden props are hard to get believe it or not Irene. I looked online and the cheapest were £30. Hence my Chinese one which bends with the wind!

Bendy tumbler props are designed to stay in place even in windy conditions.

If it is Pottery Road, then it still might be that the washing belongs to the lady cleaning her front step. Just a thought.

Yes it was so ‘bendy’ it snapped and I had to buy another one. So much for quality …I would rather have a wooden prop.but not paying £30 Mr Byrne.

Find a timber yard.

Offer them a tenner to cut a clothes prop to the dimensions which you require.

Or alternatively , nip into the plantations and you’ll find loads of clothes props lying about all over the place .

And if you happen to come across one with an extra branch sticking out , you’ll have summat to hang your peg bag on an’ all .

No ! don’t thank me .
My pleasure .

I’ll see into that …there is a timber yard nearby…thanks very much Strangeloop.

If you insist on sticking to wood, then buy a bamboo pole, when bamboo is dried it is stronger than steel and can still bend Mrs Biggarditch.

Thats what I did Veronica.
They cut it to length and then cut a "V" groove on the top to hold the line up. Its only roofing batten so if there are any roofing jobs being done in your area you may get one for free.

Pottery rd surely.

What measurements did you ask for Rich if you don’t mind me asking?
I know Bamboo is as strong as steel Mr Burns as the Burma Railway bridges were built with it.

Mick is right about the bamboo option.

Long and thick bamboo stock not that commonly found though in UK.

Imported carpets sometimes wrapped around a bamboo pole, so retailers of imported carpets is a good place to try.

Irene,sorry to change the subject but I need a power washer ,my sons taking me to B&Q later on ..I’ve looked at them all,I’m wondering if those that don’t need electricity..where you put the hose in a bucket of water are powerfully enough,but I’m not strong enough these days to handle one of those…again.apologies for changing original subject.

Thank you for the advice regarding the bamboo pole Mr Scorchmarks . I’ll have to remember to get one of those the next time I visit Hanoi .

Maureen, Peter thinks the electric ones are much better, but we have a neighbour who swears by the "bucket" one. You've probably been to B AND Q by now as we've been to Wigan and only just got in, so you're probably already fixed up, but if not, ask your son and the B AND Q staff which they think would be best for you. They can probably advise you better than us. Hope you get fixed up, and also Veronica with her prop. (Send us a postcard from Hanoi, Veronica!).

Actually Irene that’s not me! But that’s a good ‘un.
My minds in overdrive as to where the scorch marks are.

If it’s a proper one you’re looking for Maureen , forget B&Q , as those Chinese made
Kärchers work almost as well as a little lad having a pee .

Get yourself down to Seddon’s on Plodder lane and buy one with a four stroke Honda engine and a geared water pump .
It’ll last a lifetime .

But then , I don’t suppose you have two or three grand going spare do you .

Irene,I’ve got a Karcher K2..my lads put it together..it’s not as big as the others..you want to see what it done to the dirty patio paving stones and the rest,it’s brilliant..am going to have a good do tomorrow ..sorry Ozy but I’m not as strong as I used to be..hence the smaller one.

Glad to hear you're fixed up. Maureen. xxxx

There are still a few houses, plus the business Elek Tek, backing onto the canal at Poolstock. They are on Poolstock, the road not the place. The old Labour club, now derelict, is on the canal side of Poolstock.

Yes Keith, there are a dozen or more houses backing onto the canal, and a car-sales too, but the Old Labour club stands on the opposite side of Poolstock, fronting onto the houses backing onto the canal and the electrical contractor's premises which is side-on to it.
Did that belong to Slippery Mick at one time?

John
The old Labour club, now derelict, is opposite Corporation Street and backing onto the canal.
My grandfather was chairman of the club, at that location, for 14 years.

John Noakes - the old Labour club, now derelict, is opposite Corporation Street and backing onto the canal.
So yes exactly as it says on the tin!

Yes, I know it, although that's the Old Old Labour Club. The Old Labour Club is on the opposite side, further along and that's also derelict. Is the Old Old Labour Club listed? I'm wondering why it's still there.

One thing for sure and you can put money on it, no matter how many old old or just old labour clubs there are, there won't be a NEW labour club.

There might be some Reform Clubs though Slippery.

The original poolstock labour club was on the canal side of the road. "the new labour club" later a chinese restuarant was on the opposite side towards st james,s church built late 50s early 60s

photo back of pottery rd looking at wigan pier. Veronica more likely Reform clubs than labour!!!!!

why was the old Poolstock Labour club not pulled down with the other property.

AH, Wigan Pier is/was on the Pottery Road side of the canal. The photo shows the back of Pottery Road looking at the building what housed 'The Way We Were (Wasn't)'.

sorry for the misunderstanding Mick ! the coal tippler is/was on pottery rd side of canal. Pier buildings on opposite side [the way we were]