Darwen, Lancashire

Nurse Training

I started my SRN training in 1973. In those days the Nurses' Home still exsisted but the view was obscured by the more recent additional buildings to the Infirmary, which included the Education Centre. However the Home was still well used. Some nurses still 'lived in' in this building but we all used the building too. We... [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... [more]

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... [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... [more]

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... [more]

Growing up

This is actually Withnell Fold. I grew up here from 1962 until 1977 when I left to get married. It was a fantastic place to live. My dad Terry West was a maintainence joiner originally, at Wiggins Teape paper mill until it closed. My mum Glenda worked for a while as a cook at the old folks home, which had been... [more]

MY TURTON AND EDGWORTH ANCESTORS - 1730

MY PATERNAL ANCESTORS CAME FROM TURTON AND QUARLTON, AS WELL AS SURROUNDING AREAS.

JAMES GARTSIDE OF TURTON MARRIED JANE ISHERWOOD OF QUARLTON AT BOLTON PARISH CHURCH OF ST PETER IN 1730.

THEY HAD AT LEAST 2 CHILDREN:
ELIZABETH/BETTY WHO MARRIED ARTHUR KAY IN 1750 AT ST PETER'S.
JOHN WHO MARRIED 1. AN ALICE (4 CHILDREN) AND 2. BETTY BROOKS... [more]

Helmshore 1950-1968

I was born in Musbury Road at the bottom of Tor Hill and spent 5 years with Tor as my back yard; my name is still chiselled in the rocks at the top. Anyone remember the Tor Mile race? In 1955 we moved up to 3, Lancaster Avenue, the first of the new batch of Council houses built there. I, too,... [more]