Chipping, Lancashire

Seedhill Cottage

The house in the foreground is known as Seedhill Cottage.  My family lived there from the mid sixties to late seventies. My father was the gamekeeper for the local shoot and water baliff for Whitewell area. My mother was the school cook at Dunsop Bridge. My sister and brother attended school in Dunsop. The family moved to Hellifield when the shoot closed in 1979. I've been back a number of times and it is still a beautiful place.

the old house

This is a picture of the house I lived in as a 8year old boy, I used to catch trout and eels by hand in the stream/creek. It was called the old mill house, to the left was the old bobbin mill. The driveway was directly opposite to the Bayley Arms.

Bilsborrow

My dad grew up in Bilsborrow in the house next door to the White Bull pub.    I spent many a happy day at my nanna and granddad's house.  My nanna used to be a cook at Bilsborrow Primary School and my granddad was a bus driver.  They were very involved with the community.   Our first born son is buried with my grandparents in St Hilda's.  I love the place, it is peaceful and beautiful.   When I visit to put flowers on our son's grave we always eat at the Roebuck.      

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 the surrounding district incl. the Horseshoe Bend and lots of other intersting places. Our cousins Barbara and Pauline Smith were friends of the Kelsalls and we went around as a group.
Later in life I used to cycle from Blackburn to spend happy days at Balderstone. My aunt and uncle are long gone, cousin Pauline lives at Mellor, Barbara is at Blackburn, Ken is also at Blackburn, I live near Wigan.