Photo-a-Day  (Friday, 1st December, 2017)

A lovely, clear photo. Sunday afternoons meant either Haigh Hall or Wigan Park, (we never called it Mesnes Park). You could sit upstairs in the café in those days and I knew, without knowing why, that it was a special place. Years later, I realised it had a "twenties" feel to it. I used to have a milk-shake or a glass of Vimto with a blob of ice-cream in it. The milk-shake was a shilling; "Ee, Bob, it's dear", dithered my Mam, but good old Dad came to the rescue..."It'll do 'er good, milk". I take my grand-daughter in now....the milk-shakes are no longer a shilling but the atmosphere is little changed, and a little girl, although she doesn't realise it, is forming memories that will last all her life.

Lovely memory Irene and glad you are passing it on to Edie!

As a child I loved dolls..still do..Id gone to Wogan Park with my Mam,put my little black down that my Aunty had bought me..when I looked down she'd gone..we were sat just to the left of this shot..never forgotten it but have since bought myself one.
I used to love the School Summer hols,I'd take the children to the park..Id sit and read a book while they played on the swings etc..apart from my little doll going missing,the park has lovely memories for me..plus Cliff and myself had a lovely time on the swings one late afternoon,until a man on a quad bike rolled up and told us to get off..spoilsport.

That is a lovely memory Irene.

I remember the park well, Easter Egg (hard boiled eggs coloured ) rolling down the slopes, the ice cream man on his bike with the big metal ice box in front of him, delicious ice cream.
Happy Days !

Irene vimto with a blob of ice cream what a concoction each one to their own enjoy .

My apologise for the misspelling and missed word,think I'm going to ask Father Christmas for a new iPad.

Maureen I don't know if you are familiar with the 'Toy Story' DVD's but your little story reminds me of them. I bought my grandchildren all the series of them - four I think. There is another in the making which I believe is the last one. They are brilliant and so funny.

Good picture by the way.

I wondered if you'd read this, Jim. It was fizzy Vimto out of a little bottle, not Vimto cordial. You used to be able to buy it in the chippy, too.

You could try leaving him a glass of Vimto with a blob of ice-cream in it with his mince-pie, Maureen, but you might have more of a chance of a new i-pad with a glass of sherry! What lovely memories this photo has triggered off.

Yes Veronica..I saw the 'Toy Story' film which I loved..Re the doll,Id always believed that my dolls toys etc came to life when I was asleep as a little"un and happened to mention it to my Daughter when she was small,she told me years later that she was horrified to think they would come to life..still don't know whether I slipped up or not..but I loved the idea.
Irene,love,if I thought that would work I leave him a bottle of whiskey.ha ha.
And yes,different photos of Wigan do stir up memories,and lovely memories too,I just love looking back on my childhood as I think most of us that contribute to this site do..so thank you to Dave and others for enabling us to go back if only for a day.

Only ever knew this as Cassinelli’s. It was just Wigan Park for me , never Mesnes. I have been chasing that taste Viimto I had in here ever since . Just not the same now . There was a special kind of ambience inside you never forget . How do you bottle ambience? Thanks for the picture Dave .
You and a camera are a wonderful couple .

Irene my parents had a off license on wood house lane late fifties we had chippies close by never saw that mixture you must have been posh and upper class to get those cocktails I doff my cap .

Yes, thanks Dave. I know some people think we should only comment on the subject and the quality of the photo on Photo-a-Day, but if that subject, eg: Wigan Park, brings back memories for us Wiganers, and we share them with each other, then surely that can only be a good thing in an increasingly impersonal world. Jim, the ice-cream blob is teamed up with Coke these days, and I believe it is called a Pepsi-Float!

No, Jim....I meant you could get the little bottles of fizzy Vimto in chippies then, but not with ice-cream in; that was just in cafes. I AM very posh and upper class.....we even have a bath to keep the coal in!

When I was younger we had either fizzy vimto and ice cream or lemonade with ice cream. Now I give my grandkids lemonade or irnbru with a large dollop of ice cream in it and they love it

Great line Irene, ‘increasingly impersonal
world’. So so true! Well said Irene!

Your mention of keeping coal in the bath Irene, has reminded me that we're just entering Garry's roaring coal fire and bottle of sherry season. I'm quite looking forward to the first mention of that actually, as for me, it's the winter equivalent of the first snowdrop, or the first reported call of the cuckoo. In fact, Garry's roaring fire and glass of sherry has come to epitomise Christmas as far as I'm concerned.

Ha ha,like that one Irene made me and the Mrs chuckle.

A lovely picture, it looks as if the sun had just broken through the clouds to highlight the ever patient soldier!
...lovely memories, too, Irene and Maureen. Thank you so much!

Although it must be lovely to have a nice roaring fire. Where would you find a Chimney Sweep these days -they must be as 'rare as hen's teeth'?

We had the chimney swept in 1999, Veronica, when we had our living-flame fire installed and I had to go across the road and watch for the brush emerging from the chimney. I saw a Sweep's Van in the build-up of traffic outside our house only a few weeks ago so they are still about!

When you think in days gone by they used to shove little lads up the chimney - failing that they would be sent down the pit! I bet its not cheap to have the chimney swept these days Irene and what about the mess in the living room UGH! I seem to remember my dad lighting newspaper and pushing it up the chimney _ i dont know whether that was to clear any blockages or what!

Veronica, there are still Chimmney Sweeps in Norfolk. You see their vans dotted around in the autumn when everyone is getting ready for blazing fires...& the odd glass of sherry no doubt !

I'm not surprised Helen, it's a bit like stepping back in time in lovely Norfolk with those stone -pebbled Cottages.

I know a local Chimney Sweep if anyone needs one :)