Early Years In Hindley

A Memory of Hindley.

What - no memories of Hindley? I was born in 1935 (nee Pennington) at a house in Liverpool Road, just up from the Strangeways Pub (The Paddock). The area was called Navvies' Lump, and although the address was "Liverpool Road", the road was in fact still known as Stoney Lone. Grandparents (Winnard) lived next door. One of my first memories is of being carried, in my grandma's shawl, down The Fold to Strangeways Farm in order to look over the wall into the bull-pen to see Billy-Bull. He belonged to the dairyman at the farm, Billy Eatock, aka 'Billy Splutte'r (always in a hurry). Another fond memory is of waiting for him to drive down the back-alley in his milk-float, dispensing fresh milk to his customers from huge milk-cans into their jugs. But what interested me most was seeing his horse! I was told that he had a remarkable relationship with this horse. He'd let it go, complete with float, and say "Go as far as Robber's Row (on the way to Platt Bridge) and then turn reind", and, going the other way, "Go up to t' robuts (traffic lights at the Bird) - ne'er mind t' red leets"

We emigrated to Hindley Green in about 1938/9, but I still visited Hindley to see my relations (and often spent my long summer school holiday there). By 1945 I was at Hindley & Abram Grammar School - lifting my bike over the footpath stile outside The Grange (the stone remnants were still there last time I looked) and riding down Billy's track to Liverpool Road for tea with grandma.

The Grammar School, sadly, is gone (how lucky we were to have such a chance of a good education - equal to any public school). Thanks be to God the building remains! The sports fields and Pavilion were superb, and the gym was "state of the art", and the school had it's own tennis-courts. I was so lucky! During some lunchtimes we were hooligans - we went out to play "tick Rugby" on Park Lane with the lads working at Intack Farm. Other lunchtimes we ran down to Leyland Park to play on the swings and the "banana slide" (bumper). And that continued till I was about 15!

And, school-days over and now working for our livings, we used to ride our bikes from Hindley Green after work to play tennis on the Leyland Park courts!

However, what amazes me most about Hindley websites is that I can't find much reference to Hindley ARP (Air Raid Precautions in WW2). Hindley Home Guard - yes - Hindley ARP - no! My grandad, Harry Winnard, was a member - they were brave men! Regularly called out to the enemy raids on Liverpool - and some of the experiences he related were horrific! Like finding a whole family sitting round their Christmas tree - all dead from the blast - and the tree intact! I have a photo somewhere of the squad lined up outside their HQ on Hindley market square. I'll fish it out and send it to you

Incidentally, a few years ago I was giving a lift to an old Grammar School acquaintance - down Liverpool Road. Hindley. She happened to mention that she had been trying to find details of her ancestors, who had lived in Hindley - Stoney Lane - but she could not find out where it was. I said "This is it!".

Meanwhile, where the Dole used to be, there was an area known, when I was a little kid, as "the piggy field" - only men and boys (sadly) allowed to play "piggy". The game (something akin to poor-mens' golf) was known in Co. Durham as "Knur and Spell".

Hope this might motivate some ex-Hindleyers to put in some memories...I have a load more.

I'll send you the ARP photo and some Raynor Park photos when I find them and scan them in.

Will check through the site further - I've only just found it!

Edna Booth