Wigan Album

i think the ambulance station was behind that cottage before it moved to glebe close glebe ?

Used to work at Ashfield House late 60's. Bert Ryding lived at the cottage. As children we used to buy a ticket from him to use the tennis courts.

a day at Ashfield house was a treat in the mid fifties always had a good picknic there

I am currently researching the history of Ashfield House and any information, stories, memories etc you all have would be very much appreciated. I am in contact with the old caretakers son as he visits our restaurant. Its fascinating what i have found out so far but its the small details that I think have the real value and I would love to collect all this information before its too late.
Thanks for reading and I hope to hear from someone!
Katie - Ashfield House Hotel

How sad to see our old home in such a state. It was a big, lumbering building: big rooms, no central heating, poorly-fitting windows but a great place to live. Dad (Ashfield House caretaker)was proud of his beautiful rose garden and would spend hours after work passing the time of day with folk going to and from the Park. Place became derelict after mum and dad retired in mid-1980s. Mum still lives in Grove Lane. Sister Pat lives in Sheffield and Janet in Siena, Italy. Me? I stayed close to home in Euxton and Wsthoughton..

I always remember the rose beds in and around Ashfield, always immaculate and well looked after. The front lawns to the house itself were like billiard tables, the council seemed to take a real pride in their appearance. No wonder we scarpered when the park patrol turned up to stop our football games on them. Sad to see them in the state they are in today, pity the restaurant didn't take them on when they opened instead of fencing them off. Happy times back then.

Learned to ride our 2-wheeled bikes on the lawns at Ashfield.

My Mum told me she used to work at Ashfield House before school cleaning out the fireplaces,I think she wouldn’t have been older than twelve,she used to live in Collingwood St.She also said the family were moving to Salisbury and wanted her to go with them(I don’t know if they did go but Mum didn’t her Dad wouldn’t let her.Ive lived on the Isle of Wight for nearly 50 and very rarely get back to Wigan and I have 2 brothers who live there,one in Standish and one in Standish Lower Ground.My uncle Harold used to run the Wheatsheaf pub.By the way my Mums maiden name was Garner,my husband is also from Standish they used to live next to the cricket club in Green Lane.Hope this has been some help to you,Yvonne Best

I lived in Longridge Avenue and often played on the fields and surrounding area, for us it was an adventure playground rolling down the banking around the Lawn, playing football or tennis. we would set off in the summer holidays with a jam buttie and a bottle of water and spend ages around the grounds.
But I loved to talk with the caretaker and his wife they were so friendly and encouraging and I knew Malcolm their son.
The house was also where the dentist was based, they frightened me as a young kid of about 12 years old I went for a check up and was told I needed a filling so go and sit in the waiting room, as soon as they shut the door I was off up the road and never went back .
but I loved playing around Assfield so many happy memories
it is welcome news that the hall is in good hands. harry