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Photo-a-Day Archive
Photo-a-Day Archive

Photo-a-Day  (Thursday, 9th May, 2024)

Standish Girls School, Rectory Lane


Standish Girls School, Rectory Lane
Built in 1829 as a Sunday School and was taken over by the National School Movement.
The downstairs was used as an Infants School. It also incorporated Miss Mary Smalley’s School, founded in 1797.

Photo: Colin Traynor  (iPhone)
Views: 1,973

Comment by: Poet on 9th May 2024 at 06:46

We used to wee over the wall of the boys outside toilets .

The teachers when I was there were Miss Peet who taught me to read , Mrs. Cunliffe , Miss Hart in her duffle brown coat and Mrs. Bradshaw .

After the school closed , it became St.Wilfrid's Social Club and on the opening night the tables and chairs were still the little diddy ones I'd sat on as a boy .
A nostalgic picture Colin , cheers .

Comment by: Helen of Troy on 9th May 2024 at 07:23

What a neat building that is Colin.
I wonder if Mary Smalley was from Wigan....is it a common surname in the Wigan area ?
The mother of a friend of mine who lives in the SE was Grace Smalley & she came from around Stockport .

Comment by: Dick Dastardly on 9th May 2024 at 08:34

Poet , that's one of the greatest opening lines in the history of pad .

Comment by: Colin Traynor on 9th May 2024 at 08:52

The engraved stone tablet set into the wall above the third window from the left reads:
Standish Sunday School
Erected By Voluntary Contributions
Anno Domini MDCCCXXIX
''Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it''
Poet, I don't think this included weeing over a wall!!!!!!!!!

Comment by: Helen of Troy on 9th May 2024 at 09:18

Ooooo...... you are awful Poet !!

Comment by: T. D. on 9th May 2024 at 09:21

Wow! a G P O telephone bracket complete with porcelain insulators? Good luck btw to all Wigan telecom engineers currently looking for new jobs, due to the rapid replacement of the copper system to digital. Meanwhile the old school building has stood the test of time and looks fit for another couple of hundered years Colin. Good photo.

Comment by: Linma on 9th May 2024 at 09:23

My first school so many years ago.

Comment by: Colin Traynor on 9th May 2024 at 09:24

Helen, I know there is a village in Derbyshire by the name of Smalley on the outskirts of Heanor.
Also there is a Smalley Street in Standish although it didn't always go by that name, it is described as being an ancient lane shown on the 1845 OS becoming Bradley Lane. Leading to Bradley Hall about 1.2 km to the North East of Standish.
I don't know if either have any connection with Miss Mary Smalley, perhaps someone out there does?

Comment by: Veronica on 9th May 2024 at 09:35

It’s always a joy to me to see stone buildings they never look out of place. In fact they enhance the surroundings if anything. I pass one every day tucked away where I live built in the 1600’s. I bet John knows where I mean. Clue ‘Franny’ Lee.

Comment by: Veronica on 9th May 2024 at 09:37

Poet I recall little lads seeing who could wee the farthest! It’s what little lads did..naughty boys!

Comment by: Roy on 9th May 2024 at 10:02

Dave, been there done it, it wasn't a low wall either !!! My first day at the school was in the summer of 1945 in Mrs Peet's class, she was a brilliant lady.

Comment by: Phil Dribble on 9th May 2024 at 10:30

I bet you lot wouldn't get it over that low wall now. ;¬) Welcome to the club.

Comment by: Irene Roberts on 9th May 2024 at 13:24

When my children were at Abram Primary School in the 1980s they had a teacher who left Abram to become headmistress at that little school in Standish, and I did her a pen-and-ink drawing of Abram School which she said she was going to hang in her office at Standish. Funnily enough, they also had a teacher called Miss Smalley at Abram School, and I have a feeling she lived in Standish or somewhere very near there, but I have no idea if she was a descendant of the Miss Smalley mentioned above. I love old schools and old school playgrounds; they have such character, (and characters, especially Poet and Roy!! )

Comment by: John on 9th May 2024 at 13:29

Colin, Mary Smalley was the daughter of the rector of Standish, Edward Smalley. There are a few places in Standish named after former rectors: Bramley Court, Brandreth Place, Perryn Place, Hutton Street. So I suppose Smalley Street could have been named after the rector or his daughter.

Comment by: Colin Traynor on 9th May 2024 at 14:36

Thanks John, that information is very informative.
I did read recently that Reverend Charles Edward Bramley was Rector from 1956 to 1980.
The old school building now forms part of the retirement apartment block, Bramley Court.

Comment by: John (Westhoughton) on 9th May 2024 at 14:53

Good solid building Colin may be of interest yesterdays comment.By George,Veronica you may be talking about a building that has a thatched roof…..by the way around 1966 I recycled cardboard etc that was normally burned at lostock mill and sold a small lorry load to Franny when he first started with the waste paper business £35 worth,he had a building/shed facing your friends house down Victoria street,he was in partnership for a short time with Peter James that lived maybe where your friend lives as I delivered milk there whilst working for Jim Whitelegg farmer 63/66 small world.

Comment by: Veronica on 9th May 2024 at 15:22

Yes there’s some new builds down there now John- little friend Irene lives opposite in the quaint cottages. The other quaint cottage is still owned by the James family. The cottage you mentioned with thatched roof is no longer thatched. Aren’t there some grand buildings hidden away in W/H..? It was a ‘ Nail Maker’s’ cottage. It has a blue plaque there now due to the WHG.-

Comment by: John on 9th May 2024 at 15:31

Thanks Colin, having checked what I wrote earlier I find that Miss Mary Smalley was the rector's niece not daughter. Sorry for the fake news!

Comment by: DTease on 9th May 2024 at 15:59

Poet and his mates had a contest to see
How far and how high the best one could pee
Poet came last ‘cos completely by chance
He had entirely forgotten to undo his pants!

Comment by: John(Westhoughton) on 9th May 2024 at 16:25

Veronica that’s very true and must be donkeys years since I was round that neck of the woods and no cycling allowed now,but you may well of seen me last year clearing Jim Tongue’s shoe shop as I was in and out of Victoria street with my car and trailer and I’ve known Franny’s brother Trevor since early teens.

Comment by: Elizabeth on 9th May 2024 at 16:37

Yes Veronica,I agree,there are some lovely buildings hidden away in Westhoughton.

Comment by: Colin Traynor on 9th May 2024 at 17:00

John (Westhoughton), Sorry John, I always appreciate your comments but i’m a bit mystified by your last contribution.
Thatched Roof, Victoria Street, Peter James? Doesn’t ring any bells.
Am I missing something or just out of the loop?
Cheers, Colin.

Comment by: Poet on 9th May 2024 at 17:06

Delightful DTease :-)
Next time I'm going commando .

Comment by: Veronica on 9th May 2024 at 17:14

You may have got your ear chewed off John with little friend Irene for parking down there. Folk go down there thinking they are safe - but they aren’t…..
There’s a lot of history around W/H Elizabeth..what with the Luddite's and Co. Not forgetting cow’s heads rolling about. ;o))

Comment by: Irene Roberts on 9th May 2024 at 17:53

DTease, that was hilarious!! You have cheered me up! xxx

Comment by: Gill on 9th May 2024 at 18:17

This has been a most entertaining PAD, thanks all. Love all the comments and info. The boys did the same at my junior school, it was pretty horrendous if you forgot and stood on the other side of the wall!

Comment by: John (Westhoughton) on 9th May 2024 at 18:26

Colin your probably right about the loop as I was just answering a few of Veronica’s comments,but if you look at a comment on yesterday’s PAD you may be interested,sorry but I read all comments but sometimes it’s far to late to reply that day.

Comment by: John (westhoughton) on 9th May 2024 at 18:57

Luckily I never parked on Victoria street for more than a few seconds Veronica as I reversed to rear of the shoe shop.

Comment by: T. D. on 9th May 2024 at 20:18

Good one DTease. Laugh.. I thought my subligar would never dry.

Comment by: DTease on 9th May 2024 at 21:24

What did the Romans ever do for us T.D.?
Under pants that’s what!

Comment by: T. D. on 9th May 2024 at 22:25

Indeed DTease. Friends, Romans, folk of Coccium. Lend me your necessariums and... dry subligaria! .

Comment by: WN1 Standisher on 10th May 2024 at 07:44

This was our infant's school before we moved to the new Junior School further down Rectory Lane. Whilst at the Junior School, a new Infants School was built next door before this one closed. The Church Lad's Brigade had the upper rooms and I remember some of the rooms being used for band practice by a local brass band. The St Wilfrids Club opened on the ground floor before it shut to become part of the Bramley Court complex. The youth club was demolished at the same time. I remember most of the teachers named above and also Cannon Bramley, who was a lovely fella.

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