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Great Harwood
Great Harwood photos
Displaying the first of 3 old photos of Great Harwood. View all Great Harwood photos
Great Harwood maps
Historic maps of Great Harwood and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Great Harwood maps
Great Harwood area books
Displaying 1 of 16 books about Great Harwood and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Great Harwood
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Lancashire memories
Sunny 1950''s Sunday Mornings
I have many memories about the old St Mary's Church. Until I started thinking of them I realised that I have not got one involving a rainy day apart from when my Grandad was buried in the churchyard. He was laid to rest with his younger brother who died in the First World War and my late Grandmother. I still visit the grave from time to time.
Both I and my brother were baptised at the old St Mary's. I still have the photographs. They look like a snapshot from another world now.
I remember walking down a sunny Burnley Road from Enfield with Daddy dressed in his best camel coloured and belted gaberdine coat, as we made our way to the later morning Mass. I can still smell those warm and dry dusty summer days. My hat always seemed to be blowing off and he had to chase after it. "Carry it until we get to church" he'd say. Mum stayed at home with my baby brother... Read more
Coopers And Booths
My Great, Great Great Grandfather, William Booth, used to push a cart up and down the streets of Clayton le Moors with his son John Booth, selling shellfish. He was known as 'Muscle Bill' and his son, 'Oyster Jack'. (This is actually a memory passed down from my ancestors to my 3rd cousin.)
They lived at 'Old Sparth House' from around 1895 onwards. William died in 1900 age 79. Most of the family married and brought their children up in Clayton le Moors. A few emigrated abroad. Robert Booth to Australia, Ellen Booth married Charles Battersby and moved to Canada. John Booth's daughter Luciana Booth married William Cooper from Great Harwood at All Saints, and my Grandfather, Robert Cooper was born in Lower Barnes St, Clayton le Moors.
Luciana used to stand outside the 'Forts Arms', as a young girl, with a tambourine, handing out hymns.
Clayton le Moors
Hi, does anyone have any information on a grocer's shop or a draper's shop which was situated at numbers 2, 4 and 6 Sparth Road? I've recently discovered that my great-great-great-grandparents owned these properties, any info would be appreciated, thanks. Jackie
Memory of Brockhall Hospital
I arrived in Brockhall hospital in 1970 from Mauritius to become a 'Subnormal Nurse' as it was known then. I am still baffled how I managed to reach Brockhall with so little knowledge at the tender age of 19 years. I am not sure whether I was amongst the youngest Mauritian. I was very scared, but very excited to be accepted to train to be a nurse. I was taken to my room in the Nurses' Home. It was such a thrilling experience that I can still recall, of smelling the gliterring steps of the staircase, the smell was so beautiful and nice like the smell of an apple. As soon as I was introduced to my room, I thanked God that I was about to work and train to be a nurse. I will never forget this day of magic and achievement. This was where my life started. I have achieved hundred and hundreds of things in my life to date. Thanks to Brockhall Hospital I am a nurse,... Read more
My Brothers' Years at Brockhall/ Calderstones 1973/90's
My memories of Brockhall are with my adopted brother who was placed there to give my mum a rest. I remember Lilac ward, Sunflower ward was a main one my brother was placed on. I remember Mr Buckler and Nurse Maiden, it broke my heart to leave my brother there and I have pictures of us going to see him. I remember my mum taking me the first time on the train and having to walk down a long lane to get to the hospital grounds. As we came from Bury it was a long day and we didn't get home till it was dark... Then there was a little bus put on once a fortnight from Bury bus station which would pick up any families wanting to go visiting there. Brockhall will always stay in my mind as that was the place that took my big brother away from being a young girl and it still hurts now... The only good that has come out of it closing is... Read more
Mature Student Nurse.
During 1980 and 1981 I was, as indicated by the memory title, a mature student. My memories are, first and foremost, of a very rewarding time as a small cog in a caring environment. Making many friends of both staff and residents. In later years I went back a time or two, even when Brockhall closed, and I was saddened to see the Wards I was seconded to, Ivywood, Sunflower, and Iris, closed. However, the welfare of the residents was the objective, so the move to the various communities was put in place. Now only a few photographs and memories remain. Most of the staff lived in the East Lancs area, but there were quite a few of us from Wigan. Should this be read by any of my fellow students who were somewhat younger than I. (How does it feel to be mature?) My best wishes to you all. Cliff Andrews.
The Place Where I Was Born
I was born in Whalley, in the second cottage opposite the Catholic Church in the Sands, in December 1924. Next door to us was Mr Sutton who was well known around Whalley for his ice cream. He used to stand outside the abbey gates with his ice cream and he always had raspberry vinegar to put on top of the cones. I went to Whalley C of E School. Mr J Chew was the headmaster, Miss Edith as we knew her was my kindergarten teacher, other teachers I remember were Miss Forster, Miss Baxter [ who I was in Love with], Miss Roberts, Miss Dyson. I was in the church choir when I was 7, also the Boy Scouts when I was 11, and a bell ringer, when I was 14. In 1932 my parents opened a greengrocery and wet Ffsh business in Park Villas, next door to the Post Office where my grandfather was the Postmaster. In 1935 for King George's Jubilee the Whalley Scouts camped on Kemple End... Read more
