Photo-a-Day  (Friday, 13th August, 2021)

A great photograph Dennis. Reviving many memories of serving there and of the Hindley police officer characters in 1959 - 61.

What a lovely building, and still with the blue lamp over the door. Reminds me of Heartbeat on the telly, with P C Ventress eating his butties behind the desk!

There used to be quite a few pubs around there Eric R. I imagine Saturday nights were interesting around the time you speak of?

Do they have smiling bobbies in Hindley.

Dennis - Yes - Hindley always had its characters.
Mick - I don't know what smiling bobbies they have around Hindley nowadays, but there was one or two around back then. I never met the ghost that was supposed to lurk in the upstairs corridor, wonder if that ever caused a smile? Is he still around?

I've always liked this building and often wondered when it was built and if it always was a police station, it seems out of character with its surroundings.

Eric R....he probably still lurks there. A friend of mine used to work in Lowe's of Wigan department store and there was a ghost, and when the store was demolished, apparently the staff at the bank which was built on the site where Lowe's had stood still saw her. She obviously intended staying put! Hindley had many characters back in the fifties and sixties....I remember some of them even though I lived in Ince. I won't mention any names but they were held in great affection by the kindly Hindley Community.

I feel a song coming on .

Please don't...poet.

Irene, I believe that the Castle Hill Police Station ghost is known about locally. Does any folklore specialist have any stories about who it likely was?

Poet, Look forward to reading your composure.

Eric R.

Thank you Eric , but I couldn't improve on the old Charles Penrose music hall song that the photograph brought to mind . Cheers

Poet, was it Blackpool or Southport that had the Laughing Policeman?

Its funny the window cleaners have not had that police blue lamp

Info on here about the ghost seen in the police station: http://www.hauntedisland.co.uk/huanted-houses/hindley-police-station-lancashire

I'm sure that there was a laughing policeman at Blackpool and a laughing sailor at Southport or vice versa.

There's definitely a laughing clown at Blackpool Dennis . An urban myth surely , but I was told the recording was of a genuine lunatic in an asylum .
I've seen the laughing Policeman somewhere but can't place him exactly . Perhaps in the funhouse . Also a riotous rummed up sailor .

Veronica the police station was built in 1845

No sign of decay either Peter P. I love stone buildings. It's marvellous for the age of it.

There was a laughing clown outside Blackpool funhouse with his son on his knee.

PeterP. Reference your comment to Veronica - 1845 and turbulent times for local coal and cotton? I expect that the upper floor of the police station would have been the residence of the resident senior officer for the district. A building built to last. There should be something in Lancashire Constabulary / Lancs CC archives as to why Hindley was endowed with such a fine building. VMT to all who have contributed to Dennis's excellent picture. My added interest - my maternal grandfather was born and grew up approx., 100 yards down the road at Twiss Court, Bridge Street, in 1880, and my paternal grandfather was born just over the parish boundary in Hr. Ince in 1872, both into coal mining families.

Cyril, I have typed out a answer to your comment. I am afraid something went wrong at this end. Will try to recover and send. Very interesting. At least I was right about the corridor, - there was only one corridor in that building and that was upstairs.

Best, Eric R.