Originally Posted by talentedbutslow (Post 631093)

Puts hands up to Cashy......platform tickets were the greatest invention ever.....Preston was the fav.....but went to Crewe a few times spotting trains.....Bless me Father........for I have sinned........:)

Originally Posted by West Ender (Post 626440)

.......when Moscow Mill was a working cotton mill and St Mary's School was opposite - next to the T A barracks? When Stanhill Ring Spinning Mill and its chimney dominated the West End skyline? When steam trains pulled into Accrington station? When Thwaites Road was an isolated link between West End and Oswaldtwistle? When every stone-built building in Accrington was jet black from industrial pollution? When Boots and Woolworth's had counters with girls behind them taking the money? When nearly every street corner had a shop? When Accrington market was, mostly, in the open air and a pair of "nylons" cost 1/11d? When trams went from Blackburn to Church Commercial and the pantographs had to be changed over by the driver or conductor with a very long pole? When barges full of coal still worked the Leeds-Liverpool canal?

Well you must be bloody old then, like me. :D

Originally Posted by cooinda (Post 657254)

Yes remember all that, I went to St Mary's primary on Moscow Mill street, lived on James street at the time, opposite railway street, all gone now, a shame.

Originally Posted by beechy (Post 659711)

the elderly chap, way back, used to walk round
accrington with a handkerchief up to his face
had no nose :(

Originally Posted by katex (Post 659712)

Remember him Beechy,didn't he always wear a trilby too? Was very sad for him, always wondered what had happened.

Originally Posted by cooinda (Post 659715)

I remember him well, and yes he always wore a trilby, I was told he had been badly disfigured in a fire, something to do with the war. I also heard a story that he had been in the RAF and was shot down and was burned when the plane crash landed.
He was very sad, but one person who knew him was a friend of my mother who at the time worked in Cavendish Woodhouse which was on Blackburn Road. She was told that he was very aware of his appearance, but he refused to talk about it.

Originally Posted by cashman (Post 659729)

in them days it was just "Cavendish" i think the Woodhouse was added later, used to go in wi me mam, she bought all her gear from there, must have met yer mam cooinda, yeh used to go upstairs to pay yer weekly.:D

Originally Posted by cashman (Post 628464)

i love em as well west ender, who besides cashy used to get a platform ticket at accy station n go to preston trainspotting, was great if ya never left preston station, did it dozens of times, a great day out fer a lad.:D

Originally Posted by Eric (Post 660856)

I did it ... never got caught .... do remember seeing Mallard come through Accy, seeing an A3 "streak" was a rarity .... train spotting ended with the introduction of diesels ... no character, no class .... :( Anyhow, it was great fun; and with platform tickets at twopence, cheap too .... take along some spam sandwiches with lots of HP on them, and a thermos of coffee, laced with my grandad's scotch (he wasn't a big drinker, and it took him weeks to notice) .... it don't get no better:theband:

Originally Posted by jaysay (Post 660947)

Looks like you were a proper little anorak, Eric:D I remember the Mallard coming through Accy too, In my younger days remember going train spotting down at the twenty steps, opposite Blythes, used to sit on the wall and watch the trains all day, lost interest when diesels came in.:(