Memories From An Ex Sankey Lad 1963

A Memory of Great Sankey.

I left Great Sankey at the age of 13, having lived at 37 Park Road with Mum and Dad and brother Chris, from the age of five. I initially attended Great Sankey Primary School on Liverpool Rd. I think where the assembly hall was across a small side road, and was where we had 'school dinners'. The only teacher I remember was Mr Neal, whom I had for two years. During our final year, we (the big kids) were housed in one of two 'new buildings' at the bottom of the playground. The playing fields were behind these new buildings. Only two incidents really stick from this time, one being a fire at a house opposite the school, and the other, falling from the front wall of the school onto my chin which still sports a scar to this day. I also remember a convent just up the road (towards Great Sankey) and opposite the vicarage. I later attended Penketh and Sankey Secondary School, situated in Hath Road Penketh - I loathed this school. My best friend in those days was Alan Litton, who lived at 37 Station Road, right on the corner of Belmont Ave( I think). I can also remember lying in bed at night listening to the jet engines being run up at nearby RAF Burtonwood (the Yankee base), and the sound of the trains which were only a few hundred meters away.
Alan was one of the few unfortunates to have contracted Polio in his leg, and was away in hospital for a very long time. Interestingly he lived next door to a red headed girl called Jennifer who also had Polio in one of her legs. Dad, was a foreman at Warrington Motor Co, the Ford dealers. When I was older about 9 or 10 I'm guessing, I would take the train or the bus (Crosvilles?) and meet him from work. I used to take Chris to the Saturday morning matinee at the ABC pictures situated right on the side of the Mersey, and sporting two feet of white foam courtesy of the Persil works. I also seem to remember that if you looked over the Mersey, written on the roof of a factory was the name GARTONS which when read backwards was 'snot rag' - so funny when you are 10 or 11!
I wasn't enamoured with Warrington or Sankey when I lived there. We moved when I was 13, to just across the boarder to Mid Cheshire. But recently I have found myself keenly interested in my place of first memory. I, these days live in Australia where I own and run a small business. I would love to read others memories about this place, at this time. Please contribute
Ian Fackrell, Albany, Western Australia.