Photo-a-Day  (Sunday, 24th August, 2014)

Nice pic Neil....a few thundery clouds around....cheers!!!

I just love that dark gloomy looking sky.

Looks like its going to have a shower so it will do the garden some good.

Now, THAT'S the type of photo for P-A-D. I remember when this was the only road from Scot Lane to Martland Mill in the fifties. The road ran from Scot Lane around the pub and by the old brickworks, up along the embankment past Harry Hortons Lodge and the other pond, over the tracks and down into Martland Mill. Back then there were about three cars a day using the road...!!! The remnants of the road are still there if you look closely.

Thanks for this great pic, Neil. Good 'un.!!

The sky doesn't look too quiet.

I went to school with someone who lived at Martland Mill farm, which was on the top right of this photo.

Yes Fred, this was one the few roads that went over the L&L and the Douglas. From Woodhouse Lane (not Woodhouse Drive) over the L&L then a small humped-backed bridge (single lane I think) over the Douglas then to Scot Lane (before its present extension) then on to Marsh Green/Newtown/Pemberton. Not suitable for lorries which would have to go to Seven Stars or Gathurst, which has a 1 in 7 going to Orrell.

my step daughter lives at the house,standing alone, at the very top of this road, called ricstan villa. previously it was a cattery and boarding kennels

Not suitable for lorrys who came up with that information, when there used to be buses and farm tractors pulling there trailers coming over it.

In a the field on teh Crooke side you can still see the old safe weight load written on a big stone block.

Neil; The humped backed bridge over the canal was single file. I remember this bridge well as I was on my motorbike travelling from Wigan and turned left onto the bridge. It had been raining and the wooden planks on this bridge were wet and my motorbike slid and spun round, at slow speed fortunately.

Shame really, the street looks tidy apart from the garden..far right.

Good photo.threatening sky.

Yes Ernest, you right, it was the canal bridge humped and single file, got my bridges mixed-up and it was definitely not suitable for the loaded lorries that I was driving.

I too came off my bike on that wooden planked bridge Ernest, I've also seen cars slide into the backs of others on the icy cobbled slope of the Woodhouse Lane side, I'm sure there was a metal traffic sign showing the safe weight limit as 2 ton Mick, even Hill's haulage lorries (whose yard was behind from where Neil is stood) would go via Martland Mill Lane and Scot lane and not over the canal bridge.

The farm was Waring's, he was the brother of the owner of the dairy, the grocers and the chip shop on Woodhouse Lane close to the bridge, can't remember his first name, but he looked like a buddha with a bald head and red fat smiling face.

Ernest. I too came off my motorbike around Martland Mill, but it black ice, the bike just slid from under me and we slid side by side for about 50yds as a Corporation bus was coming towards me, nothing broken.

You should all ride motorbikes to the conditions. Ken..riding a bike with ice about is asking for trouble.

Hi Fred, Read your 08.56 comment. I've been on Google Maps looking what this area is like now. I remember the Lodge - that is how we knew it. You got to it via the red brick road, again as we knew it, passed Kings Wood. Think there was a little lodge or pond wasn't there? Been looking at comments on Wiganworld about the Clayhole which was beyond Kings Wood but again we simply called it the Quarry, which it was with swamps etc. Thanks for the picture Neil took me back and gave me a starting point. A huge amount of jobs must have been created with all the industrial buildings there now. Memory Lane for me guys so just ignore me..

the house at top of street Ricstan Villa was named after Richard and Stanley Waring who lived there, the farm at one stage was lived in by the dennet family there was also a shop to the right (out of view)called mathers
opposite hills haulage

i lived here from 1954 up to 2002 in 3 different houses

Hi Anteater, that's interesting. What did you move across the street, next door, up the road in that period? Did your family live here as well? Oops , sorry I'm being too nosey, forgive me. Sounds an interesting story you have to tell.

I had a lover in that road.
It was a wonderful time. So many memories. Thanks.

hi julie sorry for delay in reply had a busy week i was born at bottom on left near white van at my grand parents, lived there till my mum and dad bought house about halfway up then when i got married we bought house a bit higher up stil all on same side i still go there quite often

Hi anteater, Hope you don,t think I,m nosey.
So interested in your story, get back to you
Take care

Hi anteater, sorry for the delay. I just love stories like yours, how families grew up and in
your case in this street. Not surprised you go back as it not only holds your history but your families as well. Can I ask how you feel when you go back and walk pass the houses you know so well. Do memories come flooding back?

hi julie answer to your questions my parents still live there so i do go there frequently but they come to our house as well also quite a few of my facebook friends live there, it is odd when i go past my old house and see things changed that i put so much effort into, there are a lot of new families living there now and not as close a community as it was but maybe thats an outsiders view ps.i dont think your nosey thanks for your interest

Hi anteater, the reason I asked so many questions and why your story so caught my eye is because it was a reflection of my own growing up. When you say it is odd going past a house you put so much effort in , what I suspect you mean is it's heartbreaking . I know it was for me. As regards community I could talk to you for hours on this as to what we had and what exists now. Negative I accept but I strongly feel we have lost , if not all , a great deal of what was. Not wishing to sound completely past it, we looked after each other in those days, we were all in it together, we grew together. You didn't,t help because you were better but because your neighbour was just like you. We were all in the same boat together. Anteater, as you will have gathered , your story has been of great interest to me, it paints a picture of community. Maybe I have become one of the outsiders you mention . What a thought for reflection . Thank you for sharing your story we me and others within this forum , took me back to a world I once knew.

hi julie sorry for delay in response but i have had a busy week early starts and late finishes at work.our lane still had class differences like on the right side they had phones cars and central heating before us but when we were young we thought nothing of it as we still had fun like climing over their garden fences from top to bottom (we just had privets).i have lots of stories like these that may be forgotten forever unless people like yourself shows interest to bring those treasured memories back to life, did you grow up in similar era as i did and in wigan area thanks. steve.turbo268@gmail.com

Hi Steven, Yes, I was born and bred in Wigan, it will always be my roots. I moved to London to find work. My mother worked in the cotton mills, my father was a cabinet maker in Hindley. Our back garden Steven was a triangle 4x3, we had basically nothing, but we did have privets like you. There were no class differences in our day Steven because we each had the same, nothing in truth. If a family had less there was no ego of better just a wanting to help one of your own. Yes, I bet you,ve got some stories Steven, but , though I am greatly interested in each of them, maybe sadly I am repeating myself and chasing memories I once knew that no longer exist . We can't ,turn.back time can we. Thank you so much Steven for sharing your stories, so interesting. I wish you and your family well.