Padgate, Green Lane c.1955

Photo ref: P271001

At the age of 17 (now aged 90 ) I entered Padgate as a young lad for my basic training. The barrack room was long and cold with only two coal fire stoves in the room. We were a mixed bunch of young lads from various towns etc but we soon settled in to a routine. There were two Corporals in charge of our training, I can see there faces but now there names evade my memory, One name has just been ...see more

We actually lived in Orford in the 1960's very close to Padgate camp and we often used to walk through to Padgate where there was a nice pub and my Mum and Dad would have a shandy while my sister and I would have a lemonade and a packet of crisps. Afterwards we would go for a walk round and I distinctly remember some old wooden stocks which used to fascinate us. No one else seems to remember them and I am beginning to doubt ...see more

I started work for J R Ashall Ltd. in April 2nd1956 Easter was early that year and it was snowing as I reported their offices.I waited outside in the snow I was wearing hand me downs that was all except my under ware, I had not top coat I was cold and suddenly an apprentice bricklayer didn't seem such a goo national service lads doing their 13 weeks training. The job was replacing the wooded piers supporting the huts ...see more

I don't know if this picture relates to my family or not! I am a descendant of the Whitlow family of Thewall, in the mid 1700's onwards. There is a large ground stone in St Marys churchyard in Rostherne, about the first row and 5 stones back from the the church, with a lot of the names of lost ones (my uncles Harry and Mick went there in the 1980's). I would enjoy hearing from anyone related to this ...see more