Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 24th January, 2015)

Love cemetery photos...so much history ...think one of my grannies is buried there...nice photo John...cheers!!!

Ince old hall top left,had some crackin neets in there int 60s.

I love visiting this place. So much to see

I really like this. It gives a sense of quietness and peace, and almost of Time standing still, which I suppose it does in there.

Sorry John, I know it's a cemetery, but what are we looking at!

It looks like your looking at the back of half a gravestone, it would have been much better if you could see who was buried there.

Sorry John, my post doesn't sound respectful, at 10:19.
No comment on this post, sorry.

Garry, I don't think we are meant to be looking at any particular gravestone or building. It is just a peaceful view of Ince Cemetery, a place where a lot of our families are buried. Being an Incer, (although from Higher Ince), it means a lot to me, and the two chapels, shocking state that they are in, bring memories of Sunday afternoon visits there in my childhood, but every eye on Wigan World will view it differently.

Irene if you want to see Ince cemetery you can see it here

http://youtu.be/oGlMUa3fTFA

http://youtu.be/2mzEPTVGUXA

And here

http://youtu.be/it03lVW59xM

Bad focus on the camera John!

Its a shame there appears no sexton about to supervise the maintenance of this cemetery.

Another council cut-back!!

Me as well, alan lad!
The Vaqueros were the resident band when I went.
Bus from Up Holland to Wigan and another out. Walked home many at time. One Xmas caught in a snow drift!!

Giovanni - as I lived in St Mary's Vicarage overlooking this cemetery for 16 years I can reassure you that it is quite well looked after. The only internments taking place there now are of people being buried in existing family graves. There are simply too few to justify having a resident grave-digger or sexton - so a crew which digs graves in all of the Borough's graveyards arrives as and when necessary.
A grass-cutting crew comes on a regular basis, and they also clear away the Autumn leaves - so it looks as tidy as you might hope.
The one thing I would fault the authorities for is the condition of the boundary walls, which have been left to fall down to a large extent.
As far as the chapels are concerned - it is very hard to justify spending money on them, important though they are as probably the earliest example of the public works of their architect, Alfred Waterhouse. With no call for them as cemetery chapels, with no utility services, and having graves right up to their walls, what present-day use could they be put to?
Their best hope would be for someone to come along and offer to dismantle them stone-by-stone to be re-erected as part of a 'Grand Design' elsewhere. It seems a pity to let them decay where they are until they become too dangerous to leave standing, and they get cleared away to landfill.

Thankyou, Mick. Giovanni, I'm not sure if the hazy look hasn't been done on purpose, but whether it has or not, I quite like it. Whatever possessed you to come to The Old Hall from Upholland?

I agree with Reverend Long. I used to draw Wigan Cemeteries' attention to the walls, pointing out that vandals hsd easy access,but to no avail.How long before the Council say the Chapels must come down for safety reasons. We all know that is what they want.

Thank you Rev for educating me!
Irene
To answer your question....the music, the beer and of course the girls!! The lasses in Up Holland were too studious!! LOL

And maybe Giovanni, there's nowt like the Old Hall in Up-Holland!

Thanks for your comments. The cemetery is special for me because so many of my ancestors are buried there, mostly in unmarked graves. Giovanni: the soft background focus is intentional - some like this kind of image, some don't. Irene/Rev/Neil: I also think it's bad the way the cemetery is relatively neglected cf. other parts of town, especially the chapels.

John, I suspected the soft-focus background was intentional; somehow it lends itself to cemeteries and quiet places. Giovanni and Garry, now I can imagine Upholland being quiet in your younger days, (I am not going to be so rude as to ask your ages!), and could imagine you going to Blackpool, (or even Wigan), for a more lively atmosphere, but Lower Ince?! I am an Incer myself, as I rather suspect Garry is, and fiercely proud of it, but I can't see it as a place of excitement for two lads! Or am I missing something?......the plot thickens! (To all Incers, this is only a leg-pull between Giovanni, Garry and myself; no offence whatsoever intended....just a bit of fun).

Yes Irene I am an Incer, born in Westwood not far from what was the Old Hall. The place was great, especially Sunday nights with live groups. It has/had large rooms much bigger than any pub around ideal for singing groups. I use to think people came from all over Wigan to see me. lol. As for excitement, well just like today it all depends who your with and what music you like. Rock and Roll was the craze at that time.

It hasn't took long to chat up Garry again LOL.

Irene
In 1965, when I was 17, there was the occasional dance in the church halls, Labour and Conservative clubs in Upholland and Billinge. But for regular music, the Old Hall was ace!
Other than that, spend all night and alot of money feeding the juke box!

Furthermore, Irene
I did with some mates go to the Empress Ballroom and the Casino later, Blackpool Mecca, Crawford Rooms, RATT and various pubs in the town centre. Always keeping a sharp eye for the police sergeant and constable!!LOL

jgreene
Thanks for your explanation!

Alan, I have "had words" with Garry a few times before now, and no doubt will again if he says something I don't agree with, but once I have said my piece I put it behind me. Life is too short. Garry sometimes gets on my nerves and I have no doubt I get on his, but we say our piece and move on. Actually, we have had some nice exchanges on photos on The Album; it is just on Photo-a-Day we seem to clash.

Thankyou, Giovanni. You have surprised me about The Old Hall. I am a bit younger than you, as I turned 13 in October 1965; if I had been a bit older I might have known of the good music reputation at The Old Hall, as I didn't live all that far away, in Ince Green Lane. When I DID start to go out dancing, a couple of years later, it was to The Monaco at Hindley. Glad you have such good memories of The Old Hall. I pass it nearly every day.

Irene
Next time you pass it, pop in and toast my health!! LOL

irene...You never ever get on my nerves, believe me.x

Thankyou, Garry! Giovanni, The Old Hall only opens when they have guests staying. I could never understand why it was sometimes open but more often than not closed when I passed by on the bus, and without any kind of set pattern. Then a friend of mine was doing some family research and booked in at The Old Hall as it was handy for the cemetery where she needed to search for graves, and found she was the only person staying there. This was some years ago, but she was looked after very well and was served a lovely breakfast in a huge room, all on her own. I have heard they sometimes have foreign students to stay, and when I pass by in the dark and the door is open, it looks so cosy, but more often than not it is closed and in darkness. How they make it pay is a mystery. I will say "Cheers!" to you next time I pass, which will be tonight, as I am going to my son's in Springfield to babysit.

People used to come from miles around to the Old Hall in the mid 1960s, it was a great place for entertainment. The Vaqueros played there in 1965 and Oggie in 1967/8. Most nights were good but when there was trouble the police carted them away sometimes filling three vans!

Thanks Irene.

Irene...the soft focus is refered to as Depth of Field....works really well in this photo...cheers!!!