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Balderstone
Balderstone maps
Historic maps of Balderstone and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Balderstone maps
Balderstone area books
Displaying 1 of 16 books about Balderstone and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Balderstone
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Balderstone.
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Living There
As a young boy I used to stay at my aunt's house in Commons Lane. It may well be the house pictured? During summer school hols my brother Ken and I were often taken by our 'mam' on the Ribble bus to Mellor Brook, from where we had to walk to get to auntie's house, probably about 3 to 4 miles. The whole outing was someting of an adventure as often we were accompanied by mam's friend(s) and their offspring.
In good weather we could run ahead and play in a small wood until the grown ups caught up. If we were only going for the day the time sped by and the reverse journey could be tiring, and we were glad to reach the Millstone pub to wait for the bus. Lemonade outside for us kids and stronger stuff, inside, for the grownups.
If Ken and I were to stay for a few days this was great, there were some lads, the Kelsalls, and they showed us much of... Read more
Lancashire memories
Pheasant Beating
I spent many a Saturday, walking the woods of the tower, beating sticks and making noise.
After a good 8 hours trudging up and down slopes and in the mud, they feed us a bowl of bad stew and beer. There was always a joke about who got the only piece of meat. I was the lucky recipient once, had to eat it quick tho.
I remember all the shooters in the next room having a meal and trying to catch a glimpse of the glamourous life, thru a crack in the door.
Not an old memory yet, but it will be eventually.
Front Page News
My nannie was born in Higher Walton, Catherine Hawker. When she was 6 or 7 she was in the paper for stealing a shawl and pawning it to feed her brother as her father had to go to sea. I want to find out if there is any chance we can get that paper, can anyone help?
Childhood Memories in Blackburn
My first school was St Michaels and All Angels in Whalley New Road. We all had to have our gas masks over our shoulders and hang them up on our own little peg. I can remember we all had school dinners, I don't think we paid, we had no money. Also all the very young children had a sleep for a couple of hours in canvas beds so we had to creep around. My father Harold buck and his friend Edmund kept pigs, so they came after dinner to collect the food that was left over to feed the pigs, they called it pig swill. I used to hide when they came. There was a wall at the bottom of the playground with a big drop on the other side down into the brook(Blackwater), we would climb down sometimes, cross the brook and go up the other side to the Tizer where soft drinks were made. Also on the same land was a big lake we called Granny Green Teeth,... Read more
School Speech Days
When I was a pupil at 'Blackburn High School for Girls' we used to go to Blackburn Cathedral for the morning sevice on Speech Day. In those days the Cathedral was dark and dismal with masses of dark wood and lots of box pews. I particularly remember walking over what I believed were graves - scary to an eleven year old! We always sang the hymn 'Now Thank We All Our God' and I always associate that hymn with the Cathedral. The modernised, light and airy Cathedral is a joy to visit and bears no resemblance to the Cathedral of my schooldays. I was so delighted to find your photos of the 'old' Cathedral's interior looking more like my memories to show to my children.
Infirmary Memories
My first memory of the Infirmary is when I was four years old. I had my tonsils and adenoids removed because I was very, very deaf. After the operation I could hear but it would be many years before I learned that I only had hearing in one ear. When I was six I had another operation to remove a tumour from my neck. It was a long procedure and I was an in-patient for six weeks. I had my seventh birthday while I was there! At that time the 'New Wing' had not been built and we children used to play outside. There was a large grass slope which we used to roll down and have great fun. At the age of nine I fell over and broke my leg requiring a plaster cast for six weeks. I refused to walk with it and my mother shortened the long brush to make me a crutch - no wonder she had... Read more
Shopping Days
This photo is as I remember Church St when I was a little girl. I had three younger brothers and when Mother took us to town she often went into Woolworths. We were told that if we became lost we had to find the weighing machine. It was huge and stood near the doors. She said that if we waited there she would find us. I don't remember any of us ever getting lost in the store. We also were taken to the toilets facing Woolworths doors, which can also be seen in this photo. It was always fascinating having to go down below ground level to the toilets. It is so sad that it is all in the past now.
