I remember

Marsh Green 1964 - 1966. Philbin's Farm across from, now a distribution centre - Gus's, sprung up . We fed his snorting, smelly and dirty pigs from a huge battered boiling caldron over a wood fire, filled with leftover local school dinners and chucked out stale bread from Rathbones bakery. He'd give us five bob which we'd spend on 5 Woodbines, a box of matches and a bag of midget gems. Over the fields just south of Heinz at the east was the brickworks, with a flattened pyramid of stock bricks that ran for about 200 yards, (184 metres). We built a hut right in the centre, it had steel corrugated sheets for a roof and random bricks thrown over the top so completely camouflaged. Spent hours and hours in it listening to radio Caroline till the dark hours. My first girl friend was a girl called Janet Woods and I was too 'shy de shy' to make any headway - only kissed her once, which she quite rightly complained to her girl friends; disappointing, I know and it still haunts me to this day. Those days, sadly it was always the guy that had to make the first move - changed now hasn't it? Who says you can't be in love at 14 years old?

Marsh Green 1960's

I used to find it funny watching the pitmen jumping off the buses at top of Library Street save them walking back up Library Street sparks flying trying to stop

i still wear my clog boots with irons and hobnails. i enjoy clattering about and hearing things getting crushed under them

My grandad was james(jimmy) skidmore, he was the last knockerup in hindley. He lived at 9 lancaster rd hindley and was always up at 4am to get ready to get neighbours up for work. He passed away age 60

when my family visited relatives in Wigan I loved playing in the street with the Wigan kids in the cobbled streets with the river Douglas along the side, I can just remember a few street names, Ferguson street was one of the styreets where the football stadium now stands, visiting relatives, Uncle Tommy the wrestler & his son Michal, my cousins Frank Richards and his dad Uncle Bill. My Irish uncle Paddy Ryan, his son worked as a fitter In the Heinze factory as he grew up. They pulled all those terraces down moving many to the new Marsh Green where we often stayed with my aunt Rose & uncle Les Ashby, this is where I met my first love Susan Pownall, both about 16 years old at this time, never knew what happened to her but often think about her, visiting relatives spread all over the Wigan area, Pemberton, Hindley Robin, I miss those old days in Wigan my sister did go to the northern Soul at the casino, I have so many good memories of wigan. Even to take a van full of pickets to my aunt Rose`s house for a cup of tea after picketing in 1984, listening to Mungo Jerry in the Beer Keller, Wigan is a important place in my heart & my life Les. .

I used to stay with my auntie (Rose Hastie) at 63 York Street way back in the 40’s and I well remember the sound of clogs on the flags stones outside my bedroom early in the morning I just loved everything about my time spent there and from time to time I go back there as my cousin violet is buried there, and I always pop Back to York Street and although the old back to back houses are long gone there are still the odd thing left to remin£ me of some very happy days

My grandad is the last knocker uper lived on castle hill hindley is name George Skidmore my grandmother Gladys my mum Joan Collins grandad died in 1971

I remember Walter Richardson he use to live two doors from us in Levens Place Higher Ince. We lived at number 15,he lived at number 11. Went we needed ours shoes fixing my mum was say go to Walter and ask him how much and went will they be done. Something he did them there and then and you follow him down the garden to the shed. My mum would always tell to say please and thank you. A kind and nice man.

I remember my little brother Paul was wearing clogs to St William school and that was in the 1974 or 1976. We there both in the infants. He was the last year to wear them. Because if the children got into a fight,the harm they could do. Only a few children still wear them.

I turn 50m this year but there were still people wearing clogs in Wigan when I was little. There was a clog maker, I think in the Old Arcade, who specialised in making clogs for polio patients. Some very old people still wore clogs. Just bought myself some and am learning to clog dance.

I Remember my dads clogs and my mum washing hes black cloths covered in coal dust .

I have a memory which i assumed was false of living in Foxholes Rd and hearing the mill workers go by in clogs in 1956. Were they still wearing clogs then?

I remember sitting in Joe Martin's shop next to the Co-op at White Hirse (Bolton Road) watching him make a pair of clogs from scratch and measuring the contour of the clients feet just by the feel and touch of has hand on the sole of the foot.

Shire horse wooden covered in cart to stop splash,empty yard toilets weekly what a stink no water closets then, 1930s terraced houses

1930s Large family all the lads had clogs with clog irons we called the irons COAKERS, IRONS not allowed In cotton mills due to the amount of dust gathering under weaving machines, early morning clogs heard through PRESTON even knocker up wore clogs, AH MEMORIES

Just googled 'Sparking Clogs' after listening to 'Matchstalk Men' LS Lowry song, and found all your wonderful stories. My Mam & Da hailed from Sth Shields pre 1950 & we so loved their stories about the snowy country, when we grew up in New Zealand. Thanks for the memories everyone.

i can remember going down to haigpit with my grandad & me nanna & mam becouse i like watching the cages go down and up again and when miners came back to surface you can hear the clonk clonk by with there heavy duty clogs and now its shut down and what a shame to

I wore 'sparking' clogs to junior school at Standish "because they are good for you", said mum. I hated them because they hurt my ankle and cut into my heel. But they were great when it as snowy and icey and you made a slide.

I remember when my Gradad used to visit us he always wore clogs and they had brass nails all round the side of the foot of them he used to shine the clogs and nails those where his best clogs for going visiting.

I can still hear my uncle, Ellis Parkinson's clogs on the bricks laid down to form a path at the backs of our house in Albert Street, Newtown (about 1953). He was coming home from the pit. It meant I could go around for a chat and a laugh, as we only lived next door but one.

I have no memories of clogs but all of yours have given me loads of ideas for my class about Lowry tomorrow with Spanish Kids of ten and eleven Thankyou all so much

I remember wearing clogs for most of my apprenticiship when i served my time as a plumber for local Wigan builder Harry Day.I would have been in the early 70s and i had them made in wigan but i cannot remember where.I remember running through Makinsons arcade one evening in order to catch my bus home to tontine when i went straight on my back side because of the metal bottoms of the clogs sliding on the flagstones.Hapy days.Does anyone still wear them.?

I remember getting a pair of red cloggs from Walter Hursts in Hindley when I was about 3/4 years old they fastened with a strap across the top of the foot with a little red button, they were supposed to be the best thing for your feet them days.

I remember my mum and aunties walking down the backs of our houses in loch street in their clogs, on their way to the bakehouse, early in the morning

i was born in wigan with many miners in my family - i am desperately trying to get hold of (or buy) some USED cloggs for an exhibition i am doing about mining. I know it is not a memory but the exhibition will unlock many of those i hope - any help greatly appreciated - they will be in a book too! tanya@bobodesign.co.uk

i remember the clogs sound of miners going up giants hallroad about 5.30am.then the siren sounding later to signal the cage was up

I remember skating on the brickcroft pond nearly every winter on the way to and from st nat's school, platt bridge,in the 1940s .skating on the inside edges of our clogs we could get a fair lick of speed ,always made sure of new irons for skating season with a visit to the Co-oP CLOGGERS

I remember the "Knockers-up", men engaged to tap at upstairs windows in and around Corporation St. Poolstock, they used a long pole to tap at an upstairs bedroom window to waken the occupants in time for day shift work at the mill.

I remember the miners clogs from the maypole on park lane abram

when we had slaves

i am from a family of seven sisters and two brothers;a lot of people will remember my dad,John AT ONE OFTHEBooth ex miner ,regular at the clubs at Pemberton also my late brother-in-law Brian Yates was M.C at club. my grandfather Bob Wilson of Chestnut Ave Whelley was a clog-maker

i came to bolton in 1941 from shropshire with my 2 brothers and mum and dad, he had got a better job in the town, i was almost 10 yrs old times and times were hard, my memory was brought back to me many years later when at the White Horse in Westhoughton i heard Vera & Garry Aspey sing and dance a song called "Clitter Clatter" which is the sound of clogs on the streets, as a 10yr old i heard those sounds made by it seemed to me at the time 100s of mill workers making their way down the cobbled Hough Lane on their way to the 3 United Thread mills plus 2 Bleach works in Eagley Bottoms. A sound that we will never hear again, but i was priviledged to hear it.

Before it was light and I was lying in my cot, I used to hear the sound of clogs echoing down the cobbled street. The sound. like an approaching army, used to pass under my window then recede into the distance. That street was Chapel Lane, Poolstock and I must have been about two or three years old. We had a tin bath hanging down the "entry". I remember such a lot from that time of my life. I also remember going to main road to watch the Wigan rugby team on some kind of victory parade on an open top bus. That road was at the top of our road and had "The Penny Window" corner shop there. I have tried to find the street in this past year but I can't. I know it must have been pulled down.

I well rember glogs, because I only stopped wearing them when I retired 15 years ago. I used to work as a plumber at H J HEINZ and I found glogs to be the best footware for me, even when HEINZ brought in safty footware they allowed me to buy clogs with steel toecaps

I was born in cemetery road lower ince in 1939 and i always remember during my early years the sound of miners clogs three shifts a day , clattering down the road to Ince moss colliery,never dreaming that I would become one of them in 1956.

I read with interest about clogs. I would be interested to hear if anyone has any clog dance memories and could e-mail any of the steps.

I remember Walter Hurst in Hindley in the 80's........was still going then and the shop was really old inside, loved going there! :)

I used to wear clogs in the pit they were good for your feet because your feet did'nt sweat and while working on my knees I could sit on my heels

speaking of clogs when i were a lad i joined st andrews chior springfield when i turned up for the sunday service in my clogs with iron soles i was asked to leave because of the noise i was making i woudnt care i only joined to get a free egg breakfast at the church hall after the morning serviece i will forgive but never forget

Les, I don't remember clogs but I do remember doing the "mucky daddy".......

I REMEMBER THE EXCEL BAKERY IN MARKET STREET HINDLEY WHEN WE WOULD GO AND GET A LOAF OF BREAD AND FILL IT WITH CHIPS IN THE WINTER

it was either wilf or tommy pickle off great george street wallgate was our knocker upper you could hear his cloggs on foggy morn which we called a peasouper anybody remember him & margaret works at the bottom off wallgate facing woodyard it was a sowing factory ,every corner of wallgate had a pub starting at miry lane was star inn /queens/ then picturs they called penny scratch/ then grapes hotel i cant remember the names on the other side near melburne st can any else think off them

Doing the "mucky Daddy " on a makeshift winter slide at the top end of Sherwood Drive Pemberton, clogs would slide you for what seemed like miles. My dad would repair our clogs himself as he had a "last" ... anybody remember these ?? ( iron thing that looked like something from the isle of man with different shoe sizes, he used these to attach the clog irons and fix the leather tops to the wood soles. My mother would say they were the best things ever for training and protecting your feet and she was right. After jumping off The back of a bus at the end of Scot lane I had to dive to the opposite curb to avoid a car, it didn't happen , the front wheel went right over the side of my foot, guess what? i never felt a thing, the driver was ashen faced and couldn't believe it . I liked my clogs after that

I remember the lady conductress on the Red Ribble coach buses used to wear clogs with irons on. I always wondered how she remained standing when we went round a bend.

I do remember Walter Richardson of Belle Green Lane in Ince. When my younger brother Anthony was three years old, he started having pains in his legs and didn't want to walk anywhere. Our parent took him to see a specialist who wanted to put calipers on his legs. My father refused and shortly afterwards took him to see walter. Walter looked at his feet took some measurements and made him a special pair of red lace up clogs with irons on the bottom. That did the trick. His legs grew strong and healthy.

My Granddad use to be a "knocker up", I remember him getting up at the crack of dawn and setting out on his bike. Then every Friday night or Saturday morning he'd take me round with him while he collected the money owed. His name was Robert (Bob) McSorley, and we lived in Greenfield Ave, Ince. Does anyone remember him?

I remember taking horses to a farrier,from the cws in spring gardens to be shooed. It was in the middle of Mesnes St. this was 1946

I remember watching my dad mend his own clogs he used to stick match stalks in the holes where the nails had previously been then nail the new irons on My mother had the rubber ones. Dad made the canal barges in Meadow Lane and mother was a weaver at Enfield Mill.

I remember having my clog irons replaced at Billy Mellings Newtown during and just after the war. I used to sit on a bench in the shop with my little legs dangling whilst my clogs were repaired. When i ran home with my new irons on I would make sparks on the pavement (flags) and often catch my ankles with the new irons and make them bleed......Does anyone remember walking in the snow when your clogs built up huge pads of hard packed snow ? ...I was about 6ft with bleeding ankles when I was 7 years old... wonderful memories!