| Farrington Park |
| Sandieh | As a child I used to play at Farrington park, next to St Catherines church, there were swings, and also a lodge at the bottom of the park were the boys went fishing,, I wonder is that all gone? [?] |
| skitzy | I remember the park well Sandie, it was our local play area, we used to go fishing in the lodge at the bottom of the park & climb the monkey tree in the grounds next door. I dont know if it's still there but I have many good memories of it.
Eileen |
| noel | quote:
Originally posted by skitzy
I remember the park well Sandie, it was our local play area, we used to go fishing in the lodge at the bottom of the park & climb the monkey tree in the grounds next door. I dont know if it's still there but I have many good memories of it.
Eileen
It's still there and not changed a lot. The major changer is the kids swings are fenced off and also along the right hand side a dog area is also fenced off. The hole in the hedge next to St Cath's is still there as are the 2 trees we used as goal posts nearly 50 years ago. A bit bigger now though, as is me. |
| anacortesdamp | If I remember it correctly, the fishing "hole" was actually a reservoir that held some kind of process or cooling water for Farington Mill, basically a big square "cement pond" as the Beverly Hillbillies used to say. I seem to remember that there was a swinging gate in the fence which gave access to the Lodge from the park.
It was a fair stride from the Cross, which was my stomping ground in those days, so we didn't go very often. I wasn't much into fishing then, am not now either!
Frank Damp |
| noel | Yes there were 2 lodges, the first with ready access had arm chairs and settees and the like in it, we still tried to fish though. The second was fenced in and still used to supply the mill in Mill St. |
| skitzy | Noel was the 2nd lodge the one right in front of the mill, next to the Stanifield close houses? I remember the one at the bottom of the park having a little concrete square at the bottom left hand corner, it had some tiny railings of which a couple had broken & we used to use it as a prison, at the back of the prison was a hugh drop where you could here water gushing, i'm surprised nobody fell down.
Eileen. |
| noel | Yes that's the one Eileen. Being a goody 2 shoes I never dare go into the second lodge. It was still in use then by the mill , was it Carrington's Mill?? I bet the signs still over the remaing bits that are left. |
| skitzy | I think it was Carrington's Noel. Was the mill demolished? if so whats been put in its place?
Eileen |
| noel | Yes it was demolished. The mill owner's house is still almost intact though.
Behind the <ex> mill is an industrial estate. I could send you a photo if you like. |
| skitzy | Thanks Noel that would be great, its hard to imagine what its like without the mill there.
Eileen |
| noel | The "ex-mill" is virtually opposite a house that my youngest son has been "doing up".
You might be interested to know that these mill houses are valued at around £80,000 now, and that's cheap locally. The youngsters are going to be in for a big shock if interest rates start to rise. I'll get the photo today on the way to the gym. I think I'll have to send it to your private e-mail address though, I don't know how to get photos on the web site, unless Martin can help. |
| skitzy | Thanks Noel my e mail address has been sent to you. Its hard to believe the house values, are they the houses in Mill ST at 80,000 pounds?
Eileen |
| noel | About that Eileen. I've sent you the first pic. Bet you're already glad you left England. I have 3 more to send. |
| skitzy | Thanks Noel it sure is an eyesore. I get homesick from time to time & would love to be able to spend 6 months in england & 6 months in Oz
every year. Our next trip over will probably be 2005. But my daughter insists she is going to live in Preston next year.
Eileen |
| noel | We always think the worst about England but it has it's pros as well as it's cons. I have a few more pics to send you, I'll try andreduce the file size though. That one was aboyt 250k and usually 70 is big enough for e-mailing. One thing about Mill st. that shocked me when I returned to Lancashire, it's one way now and there are cars at every house parked in a continuous line. I remember as a kid there weren't any cars there. People couldn't afford them. |
| Sandieh | Hi Noel, Dare I ask? could you send me the photos to if its not to much trouble ? I`d love to see how it looks down there. I`ll send you my email address. Thanks Sandie. |
| noel | Yes no problem Sandie. My new spam buster messed things up but I've managed to recover your address now ( you may have a post from me in a hotmail account, just ignore it) Photos on way will make you ever so glad you're out there and not here. |
| Sandieh | Thanks Noel, got them. I cant believe how it looks now, are the photo`s taken from the rear of the mill? its looks like just one building left, did`nt they ever fill the mill lodge in, seems strange just leaving it. Thanks again, Sandie. |
| noel | No Sandie the photos were taken from the front of the mill( stood just by the railway bridge.)
The lodge has been covered by industrial units. And people wonder why I get so angry about how my country is "progressing" . |
| Sandieh | I cant believe it looks like that now Noel, I just had another look at the photo`s I can imagine now where you where stood, I wonder why they left the old mill building standing? was`nt there a shop straight opposite the mill entrance at one time maybe a bakery? and over the bridge was where the tanks used to be lined up behind the fence, we used to walk down a path and come out at Centurian Way, my elder sister was friends with a girl called Beatrice who lived in the cottage beside the railway line,I think she died from TB when she about eighteen, Centurian Way was`nt there then it was just a lane, I remember being taken to that cottage as a very small child. |
| noel | Bill Hawksworth has some wonderful photos of the area before it was developed. I'm afraid I accidentally deleted the ones he sent me but would love another copy Bill if you're reading this. They were taken in 1951 before the Tank Factory was completed. The path still runs between Carr Lane and Centurion Way but even this is now overgrown. There is a hairdressers shop still opposite the old mill entry, I think I have a photo and will send that also. It is quite frankly though a dump!! |
| rocketmanjohn | Farington Mill was called 'Dewhursts Mill' in the 1960's, my wife worked there as a winder until we got married. I'll never forget the smell of cotton,it is so strong. I once visited and was surprised at how ancient the machinery was, all stood on wooden floors and driven by unguarded leather belts from an electric motor, the overhead line shafts were still in place but unused. These were often driven by water wheels in earlier times, which is why mills are often next to streams and rivers, but were converted to steam power in the mid 19th century, eventually getting electric power at the beginning of the 20th century.
John |
| Sandieh | Hi Noel,After seeing the photo of Mill St and you saying it was all one way streets now, I cant help wondering what its like in the morning when people are going to work, most folk have cars these days, are there any traffic lights at the top of Mill st to let people out on to Stanifield lane? that was a busy road when I was last there. Thanks John, you answered a question I had about why the mills always had lodges beside them, do you remember Brook mill,? I used to take shortcuts home when I was at Leyland Methodist school and one was a passage beside some houses there was a large locked gate you could peep through and see the lodge for Brook mill. Sandie. |
| skitzy | I'd love to see the photo of Mill St Noel, if you could let me have it. How do you get in to Mill St now do the cars have to go down Crown or Woodville st?
Eileen |
| Karen | Me too please Noel.
My father was born in Mill Street.
Mr and Mrs Pemberton ran the shop/bakery at the bottom of Mill Street.
Their daughter Dorothy is one of my dearest friends and was a guest at my youngest, P.J.'s wedding last month... Dorothy and two of her brothers live here in B.C. Canada.
Ciao Karen |
| noel | Well to answer all 3 , of course you can have photos. Karen I don't think I have your email address. If you send me a e-mail to neckton@blueyonder.co.uk I'll get some sent along to you. Eileen also and Sandie I'll send one that shows how the traffic gets out the top. No traffic lights. They've narrowed the exit to half the size it was. The cars have to go down Crown St or Woodville st both of which are one way. Therefore anyone in Mill St. is going to have a heck of a lot of traffic passing their doors early morning. I helped my son to do his house up and I found the traffic noise disturbing. Also passing people . Another modern thing , there are allegedly a few druggies hanging around as well. John the belt driven motors were also a thing of the old BTR/Woodville Rubber plant on Golden Hill Lane. The early morning start up was quite something. "Everyone clear" sort of thing. |
| skitzy | Thanks Noel. Is the old Conservative club still in use? We used to live directly opposite it at no 71.
Eileen |
| rocketmanjohn | Sandieh
There are 2 things I remember about Brook Mill, nothing to do with cotton though. Leyland Paint used part of the mill to store paint and it set on fire, it was amazing to see cans of paint exploding through the roof and going like a rocket with a tracer behind it. The other was that B & R Taylor's used the canteen as a drawing office, there was always a smell of old fat and the place was freezing cold, it was mid winter at the time. We were all given a paraffin heater each which we used to sit on to keep warm, also we wore woolly gloves with the fingers cut out while we worked. Sounds a bit Dickensian, but was actually good fun, once we trimmed our wicks in a morning and got the heat flowing.
John
|
| noel | quote:
Originally posted by skitzy
Thanks Noel. Is the old Conservative club still in use? We used to live directly opposite it at no 71.
Eileen
Yes it is. My parents used to live at 58 looking right down Mill St. |
| Sandieh | Hi Rocketman, I did`nt know much about Brook Mill, I seem to remember you had to go to the top of one of the streets to get in, or was that just the office? I`m trying to think who B&R Taylor were?
was`nt it during the 60s that a lot of people from Brook Mill went to South Africa?. Sandie. |
| rocketmanjohn | Sandieh,
If I remember correctly, Brook Mill was on the same street as 'The Palace' [sic] cinema, I only worked in the canteen which was the first building at the top of the street on the right.
B & R Taylors was an engineering design office on Sandy Lane, it occupied the first few terraced houses at the Eagle and Child end. Ace Forum contributor Alan Marsden worked there at the same time as me and we've relived a lot of fond memories in the last few months, I havent seen him sinse the mid 60's. There were some fine engineers at B & R's and a lot of rogues, I credit my time there with giving me the knowledge to pursue my career for the following 40 years. It was a great time, I would'nt have missed it for anything.
John |
| Bill Rigby | Farrington Park. For a moment or so, I had to recollect where itwas and then I read about the mill lodge and it came back! I once was returning home from school in Preston and as we passed the park, a huge haystack in the park was ablaze. Even though most of us got off several stages later - myself at the gasworks, others in Towngate - we all got off to watch the conflagration. The fire brigade arrived and got to work. One of the items I recall were the mice that ran wildly in all directions as the heat and smoke forced them out of the stack. This would be anywhere from 1943 to 1946, though I would guess at 1945. Anyone recall the haystack fire? |
| Sandieh | Hi Noel and Eileen, I`m sure both of you must have known some girls I was friends with they lived on Stanifield lane, the Parker girls Irene, Jean, and Maureen, I think Irene married Jack Anderton. Mary Hibbert who lived in Mill st, she emigrated to California, and Val Baker who lived in School st. Sandie. |
| noel | Hi Sandie, yes I knew the Parker girls. They lived at no. 40 I think. Mary Hibbert, is that a relation of Barry Hibbert? Do you remember the Gorses? My parents were very friendly with them. |
| Sandieh | Hi Noel,Mary Hibbert had a brother Jack and a sister, dont know her name. I new a Sandra Gorse, would that be her family? |
| skitzy | I dont recollect the Parker sisters Sandie, but the name Mary Hibbert rings a bell. Did you know the Manley's I think they lived at 17 Mill ST.
Eileen |
| Karen | Thankyou Noel,
I got the photos you sent ... my hotmail wouldn't open them, so I forwarded them to my Yahoo email address and that opened them ..
no prob.
Ciao Karen[:D] |
| noel | Yes I've noticed that about hotmail, and yahoo. You get a message saying something like "attachment not saved" and there's nothing there to open. Looks good Mill St. Doesn't it? Answer in a word of 2 letters, the vowel being o.<bg> |
| steve.w | i used to live on kew gardens which gave us excellent access to the park i think.
by way of an introduction my gran used to run the roebuck, and my mum and dad ( and later step dad) ran the chippy near the pub on your way into farrington (sorry i am no good at remebering road names) i also later lived on mill lane/street with my gran.
i was born in 1960 and left leyland in 1980 |
| noel | Stanifield Lane? In which case it could be Boundry St. or the one at the top of Crown St. There is a Mill St. and a Mill Lane. The street is off Stanifield Lane, where I photographed where the mill used to be. The Lane is of Croston Road and consists of a few semis backing onto the moss. It's probably Mill St. I would guess. Welcome anyway Steve, you have the same names as my nephew. |
| Sandieh | Hi Steve, Welcome. Was your Gran who ran the Roebuck Mrs Waterhouse, I had my wedding reception at the Roebuck in 1963 and I`m sure it was Mrs Waterhouse [:)] |
| Sandieh | No Eileen I dont recall the name Manley, Mary Hibbert was blonde rather curly hair, loved Preston North End, and often sang with local bands, I think she married someone in the RAF then they emigrated to California, another friend of mine was Julie Coates, her mum had the hairdressres on Stanifield lane> Sandie.quote:
Originally posted by skitzy
I dont recollect the Parker sisters Sandie, but the name Mary Hibbert rings a bell. Did you know the Manley's I think they lived at 17 Mill ST.
Eileen
|
| noel | I know a Susan Manley aged fiftiish plus a bit, she used to live down Mill St. |
| skitzy | Noel, Susan was the eldest of the Manleys, she would probably be around 57 now, Gordon was next & then Sheila, Geoff & Ruth. Geoff would be coming up to his 50s by now I think.
Eileen |
| skitzy | Hi Steve, I remember you when you lived in Kew Gardens, the back of your house led to the Lambert's driveway, I used to hang around with Barbara Lambert & I seem to recall you having a sister called Jane.
My sister used to work for Arthur at the chip shop on the corner of Crown ST.
Eileen |
| skitzy | Sandie I remember the Hairdressers, Edna used to cut our hair when we where kids, She sold her business to one of her staff members, I think her name was Linda.
Eileen |
| andy01 | I have many memories of Brook Mill and the Palace Cinema.Used to live in East Street.Spent many a happy hour on the cricket field ajoining the mill.Saturday mornings were spent at the cinema, used to help tidy up afterwards and get free crisps for my efforts.On Sunday mornings the Methodist School Boys Brigade would wake us with its bugle playing.Also spent a lot of time on Farington park,fishing in the 'Lodges' etc.etc.As regarding both Farington and Brook mills,my mother(and her brothers) worked at both during her working life.I shall never forget the smell and sound of the weaving sheds. |
| steve.w | sandieh,
thanks for your reply. yes the mrs waterhouse who ran the roebuck was my gran. i think i may start another thread somewhere on here just on the roebuck as it holds a lot of memories for me. i imagine my mum and dad my also have been working on your wedding reception - i was three in 1963 but i think they spent a lot of time working for gran but i am not sure of time lines etc.
my gran outlived both my dad vince ( who died in 65 when i was five) and mum nora (who died in 72 when i was eleven). from all accounts my gran was a remarkable person. i have a great picture of her with tom finney!!. apparantly a few roebuck regulars in the 60's will remember me as the kid who used to bash away at a beatles drum kit in the room where the entertainment was.
the 'arthur' mentioned in eileens post was my 'step dad' - or the person who according to my gran ' conned your mother out of all her money' !! |
| steve.w | Hi Steve, I remember you when you lived in Kew Gardens, the back of your house led to the Lambert's driveway, I used to hang around with Barbara Lambert & I seem to recall you having a sister called Jane.
My sister used to work for Arthur at the chip shop on the corner of Crown ST.
Eileen
Eileen - thanks for that reply, needless to say i cant place you exactly ( having said that i am struggling to find barbara lambert in my memory bank !! - i think i suffer from goldfish memory syndrome !!!!)
I do indeed have a sister called jayne, she is doing very well and is happily married and has a wonderful son called jake, and she is living in er...leyland!!!! ( having been away for many many years)
as for my 'step father' aurthur with the chippy on crown st, i have happy memories of when mum was alive and they were running the chippy together, i am still to have my ' boy named sue' type reunion with 'arthur' - but i think he did pretty well out of his relationship with my mother - as i recall my grand mother neer ever trusted him and seems to have been proved right. but i was only young and do ot know the full story, though the thought of him some how makes me hit the keyboard a bit harder !!
but there were many good times at the chippy - i can rembember jayne and i would sleep there on a friday saturday night cos it was such a late finnish.... :-) happy days |
| Sandieh | Hi Steve, I do remember the little boy who played the drums at the Roebuck in the 60s, so that was you? you were very cute.!
I`m sure I was reading somewhere that the Roebuck was one of the oldest pubs in Leyland.
Does Arthur still have the chippy at Crown st? my sister Greta worked there for years until recently.
I`m trying to remember Lamberts, did they have a shop? I keep thinking of an old greengrocers shop at the bottom of East st, but I think that was George Blundells. Sandie [:)] |
| Thornley | We lived in Crown Street from 1979-1987 (approx), and I'm sure the man who owned the chip shop was called Arther. Could it be the same man? I think the chippy is now a kebab house!
Vanessa |
| noel | quote:
Originally posted by Thornley
We lived in Crown Street from 1979-1987 (approx), and I'm sure the man who owned the chip shop was called Arther. Could it be the same man? I think the chippy is now a kebab house!
Vanessa
Arthur Wiggins used to run the chippy in the late seventies. He used to work with me at BTR on Centurion Way before that.It's still a chip shop, nota kebab house, in fact no kebabs on the menu.
This is the chippy I said served Fish Chips and peas for £2.20 Friday lunch time. ( normal price £3.30
|
| skitzy | I remember your mum Steve. Barbara Lambert lived at 84 Stanifield & the shop they had was at the top of Mill ST on the corner, no 61. Stanifield they sold fruit, veg & fresh fish.
Eileen |
| steve.w | I remember your mum Steve.
eileen. thanks for that if you ever find the time to jot down any memories that you have it would be fantastic to hear them no matter how irrelevant they seem to you. you can always email them to me - ewokred@hotmail.com.
thank you
|
| steve.w | Hi Steve, I do remember the little boy who played the drums at the Roebuck in the 60s, so that was you? you were very cute.!
thanks for that - oh how times change - i am far from cute now ha ha |
| steve.w |
[/quote]
Arthur Wiggins used to run the chippy in the late seventies. He used to work with me at BTR on Centurion Way before that.It's still a chip shop, nota kebab house, in fact no kebabs on the menu.
This is the chippy I said served Fish Chips and peas for £2.20 Friday lunch time. ( normal price £3.30
[/quote]
thats right he did run it in the late seventies i was still in leyland at the time ( getting into all sorts of unmentionable trouble at belgrave rd).
we didnt have much to do with arthur once mum had died, i went to live with my gran on mill st and my younger sister went to live with relatives (mums sister) in barrow in furness.
i think arthur probably did quite well. I do have fond memories of walking up to the chippy when mum was alive, and me inviting all my mates for a cheap saturday lunch in the chippy.
i wonder what became of aurthur
Kew gardens was a great place to live - i still have gravel under the skin of my knees from learning to ride my bike there |
| Thornley | Noel, I stand corrected[:)] I drove past there last night and it is still a chippy.
Vanessa |
| noel | Steve I last saw Arthur in 1987 at a caravan site outside Longridge. He was a member of the club there. I was visiting from Wiltshire with a view to moving back up north at the time so it was a bit of a shock seeing somebody you'd known from way back. Vanessa, Fish Chips Peas on Friday lunch £2.20 remember. <bg> |
| skitzy | Do you remember the 6 penny mixture Noel?
Eileen |
| noel | [:D]quote:
Originally posted by skitzy
Do you remember the 6 penny mixture Noel?
Eileen
Oh yes I do. Chips were 4d, mixtures 6d and fish 8d at Mrs Worrals.
Thanks Eileen, you made me feel very old.[:D] |
| Thornley | Noel, the fish and chips sound good, the price even better[:D] But unfortunately I work to far away[:(] Maybe one day when I have a Friday of I will get there.
Vanessa |
| Thornley | I could really do with someone to proof read my e-mails, that should say OFF not of. Grammer never was my strong point[:(] |
| noel | quote:
Originally posted by Thornley
I could really do with someone to proof read my e-mails, that should say OFF not of. Grammer never was my strong point[:(]
It should be too as well Vanessa not to.[}:)] But never mind the grammar, it doesn't matter amongst friends. I make my share of spelling mistakes. You can incidentally correct your posts by clicking on the box with the pencil in it ( middle one I think)
That allows you to make any corrections neccesary.[:)] |
| Spitfire | I quite often find myself right-clicking on a word in forum and expecting a selection of spelling options to appear as in Word etc. No Martin - I`m not asking for a spell checker in here, but hey - wouldn`t one be nice? |
| Thornley | Thanks for the correction Noel. I suppose the real answer if for me to consentrate on one thing at a time[:)] Then maybe I would notice my errors. I always seem to be trying to clean the house, use the computer and read some vital info[:(] No wonder I can't improve my grammer, I don't have time for grammer[:D]
Vanessa |
| noel | Like I say Vanessa it doesn't matter one iota. However if you do wish to correct use the box at the top of your posted reply, the one with the pencil and paper. I never correct mine. Too many adulterations of the English language particularly the spelling.
Two words that particularly annoy me are "nite" and "center". Also the ToysRus ( can't do a backwards R and La-Z-Boy which I would pronounce La zed boy. ZZTop were always Zed Zed Top. S'pose it's going to Balshaw's when it were a proper school. |