Accrington Web - My early life in Accy 1946-68

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Re: My early life in Accy 1946-68

Good morning all.

JCB, I wonder how all those small businesses made a living but they must have done. Five bakers/confectioners in my area, we must have eaten a lot of cakes/pies! As far as I know Miss Caufield had nothing to do with dancing. She was the proprietor/headmistress of Central Preparatory School, a private school which must have been going sometime as I'm sure she taught my dad. She was like many headmistresses quite fearsome but fair. If I remember right she had short white hair, with a blue rinse. She lived on Owen Street and retired in the 60s I think. The school was quite academic - we read Macbeth in our final year! with a heavy emphasis on mental arithmetic and multiplication tables, probably like all schools in those days.

Retlaw, that's the first time anyone's called me an oik. Can't have been me throwing things over your wall, I was far too small and weedy in those days. Still am!

Littlepom your mention of drinking Vimto brings back other memories. Having lived down south for many years,they just don't get it, especially hot Vimto, nothing nicer on a cold day. Also Vimto lollies. For some time on my visits to Accy I would go to Trickett's cafe in the market hall and have pie and peas and a hot Vimto just to readjust to the north. Haven't been in the market hall since the refurb but I expect the cafe sare all poshed up now. At least being in Morecambe now, they know what Vimto is.

Re: My early life in Accy 1946-68

Having said in my first post that I find it sad coming to Accy these days, one thing that does strike me is its beautiful setting, surrounded by green hills and countryside. My cousin lives on the Milnshaw estate and I can stand in her front room and get a view right across town to Green Howarth and beyond, and see vehicles on a road to Burnley that wasn't there in my day.

Of course when we were young we never gave a thought to our surroundings apart from the odd trip up the Coppice, we were far too busy getting a life. But I do think the town has a lovely setting, plus the benefit of Pendle and the Ribble Valley and Bowland to the north.

Re: My early life in Accy 1946-68

Yes Susie you are right. I have come back home after living in Australia for 42 years. The countryside is beautiful. Lots I had forgotten about, but now I am seeing it in a different light. I have joined a painting class and we do all different scenes from around the the area. The Coppice of course has lots of memories. I used to take my children there to the park. Of course did go there myself in my younger days often with a boyfriend of the time. I am still enjoying seeing all the different scenes again and even went to the Illuminations recently. I think the time before that was about 1966 when my boys were younger. It was always a yearly trip before that. Hope you are feeling better and enjoying your Accy Web replies. I have lots of things to thank Accy Web for. My late brother Ian was an avid fan and he was the one who encouraged me to join. Of course I do not join in the arguments or discussions like he used to do.
Cheers. Littlepom.

Re: My early life in Accy 1946-68

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCB (Post 943244)

Hello and Welcome Susie .

That was an interesting account of your area in your younger days .

As to your question , certainly my area was well served by small businesses . I think most of the town was in those days .

Violet mentions a Miss Caulfield . Does anyone know if she had anything to do with dancing classes ? I recall that my cousin , as a schoolgirl , went for dancing lessons , and the name Miss Caulfield rings a bell . We used to go to concerts which the dancing school put on , possibly somewhere near the New Jerusalem church off Sandy Lane .

She was head mistress of a private school, next to Barns furnishings at the bottom of Cannon Street JCB

Re: My early life in Accy 1946-68

Wow Llittlepom coming back after 42 years in Australia must be a real culture shock. I never thought I'd end up back in Lancashire and we're only in Morecambe because my other half couldn't get any other job after being made redundant at 55 in 2004. He now looks after some equally ancient computers at the nuclear powerstation at Heysham. He is from Somerset and has never really understood the north, especially Lancashire culture. Funnily enough one of thefirst things I did on being back up here was go to the illuminations but it didn't quite have the same thrill. I just thought Richard had to see them but I don't think he was impressed. And Blackpool is so unbelievably tacky. I guess some things are better not revisited.

Thanks for your good wishes, yes I am feeling better but I'm afraid this Accyweb is getting a bit addictive! Anyway there's an extra hour to play with tonight.

Best wishes

Sue

Re: My early life in Accy 1946-68

Jaysay, I went to Miss Caulfields school and it was never in Cannon Strret in my day. It was in Oak Street Cong church buildings in my early years and then moved to Hargreaves Street behind New Jerusalem church. See my first post on this thread.

Cheers

Sue

Re: My early life in Accy 1946-68

Jaysay perhaps you are thinking of Miss Harker who had a dancing school in the area you mention.

Re: My early life in Accy 1946-68

Quote:

Originally Posted by susie123 (Post 943463)

Jaysay perhaps you are thinking of Miss Harker who had a dancing school in the area you mention.

Miss Harker had a dancing school in the old Bay Horse Buildings in Church St, that building collapsed one wednesday afternoon.
Retlaw

Re: My early life in Accy 1946-68

Quote:

Originally Posted by susie123 (Post 943018)

Having been confined to bed for a bit, passed the time reading some of the threads on this site and thought it was about time to make a contribution.

I grew up in the 50s and 60s and lived at various times in Owen Street, Queens Road and Whalley Road. My earliest memory is of the Festival of Britain procession on Queens Road so that would have been 1951. My grandad had a stall on the fish market, a family business since the late 1800s, and I remember going down town with my cousin on Good Friday and taking him his lunch in a basket. That was when the fish market was still in a shed.

It's always struck me, looking back, how many small shops there were in the area where I lived. Starting at the Whalley Road end of Owen Street there was the off licence at the top of Milnshaw Lane (still there) and Thornber's chemists on the corner of Knowlmere Street. My second cousin worked there, very long hours, and I used to go behind the counter into the pharmacy area where they had all the little drawers and bottles on shelves. There were also some rooms behind the shop, in one of which was a fireplace with a real fire also a gas ring presumably to boil a kettle. That shop became Everitts supermarket. Ernie Everitt used to sell fruit and veg from an open sided van round that area before that.

Going along Owen Street, on the western corner with Haywood Road was Gregson's, grocers, pies and ?bread. I remember taking a jug there to get gravy. Next block along Owen Street, north side was Sagar's cake shop - wimberry pies oozing with juice, such a local thing, haven't seen one for years. Opposite was Mr Nicklin's, newsagent and sweets, no shop front, just a converted front room. Going up Haywood Road, on the west side about halfway to the hospital was Mr Chaffer's bakers, and opposite was Leighton's greengrocers and Thistlethwaite butchers. On the northeast corner of Haywood Road and Garden Street was a Co op though I don't know what it sold and I seem to remember it closing down.

On the next street Aitken Street about halfway up from Owen Street on the west side was Mrs Hogggarth's, grocer, again just a converted front room, and opposite was Miss Clarkson's sweetshop. Then on Marlborough Road north of Queens Road in the first block on the west side was Susie's chippy, just a range in her front room. Susie was a big blonde woman. I've just looked on Google maps and there is a Sue's chippy marked in the same spot! The last two shops I remember were Cameron's baker on the corner of Lime Road and Marlborough Road and a greengrocer next to it. Then another chippy on the corner of York Street opposite Mary Mag’sschool, still there, used to take a basin and get a mixture, chips and mushy peas. This is making me hungry! And I always remember the steamy smell of the Dot Laundry on back Owen Street by the railway embankment.

This seems to me quite a lot of shops, especially bakers, in a fairly small area. Were other areas of town similarly well serviced?

My first school was Central Prep aka Miss Caulfields – she lived a few doors along from us in Owen Street and had taught my dad when he was a lad. When I first went around 1950 the school was in the Oak Street Congregational Church buildings, then it moved to Hargreaves Street behind New Jerusalem Church. I used to go home for lunch which meant trekking from one end of town to the other in the middle of the day as well as at the beginning and end. Although several of us did it in a group I doubt it would be allowed now without supervision! I then went to the High School 1957-64 under Miss Horne's regime and remember all the teachers mentioned on the High School thread, mostly with affection.

I used to go to the Arcs on Knowlmere Street on a Saturday (that offy on Milnshaw Lane came in very handy for illicit drinking!) On Fridays it was Whalley Road Congregational Youth Club - we lived opposite it at the time. I remember getting ready to go there one Friday when we heard the news of JFK's assassination. I also remember going in a coach to the Cavern in Liverpool one afternoon to see a group from Accrington. Having checked the 60s group thread I guess that must have been the Scorchers. I also went to the Majestic ballroom (Con club) on occasion, used to love Lionel Morton and the Four Pennies, also saw the Merseybeats there. Also went to the Meccas at Blackburn and Burnley where I saw Freddie and the Dreamers. And I used to go to the folk club at the Stanley Supporters Club where they used to have some really big names. I still like folk music today and prefer to listen to those acts than any of the modern ones.

Looking back at all this I wonder how I had time to do any school work but I did get some A levels and in1964 went to college in the great metropolis of Preston leaving most of this heady social life behind. Then in 1968 I left Accy for good and have lived in all sorts of places since, from North Carolina to Morecambe, where I am now. I come back for the odd visit but to me the town ain't what it was and it makes me sad.

Sorry for rambling on but maybe some of this has stirred other folks' memories. I look forward to finding out.

All the best to whoever reads this

Sue

I also used to go to the Arcs on Knowlmere Street on a Saturday. Thats the first time I met Willie Hart. he used to rock and Roll with two gals at the same time.
Billy Baron and Jimmy Fielding used to do the one man stomp with a load of guys round them. Billy Athis used to try and join in but was about as good as me. Went up Whalley Road Congregational Youth Club few times with two school mates of mine. Eileen Stanton and Eileen Kenyon. Had a crush on both of them. I remember the Friday night I was in the Odean with my girl freind at the time Maureen Wallace when we heard the news of JFK's assassination. They put it on the screen. I also went to the Majestic ballroom (Con club) on a regular basis with my mates Bob Burnside and Jazz Moores. Spent most of the time in the bar. Lionel Morton was a regular in the bar. and I was there when the Merseybeats were there. Stood at the front with my girlfreind at the time Janet Kenyon.
I also left Accy in 68/69 and been away ever since. Live in Kent and now retiered.

Re: My early life in Accy 1946-68

Quote:

Originally Posted by susie 123 (Post 943454)

Jaysay, I went to Miss Caulfields school and it was never in Cannon Street in my day. It was in Oak Street Cong church buildings in my early years and then moved to Hargreaves Street behind New Jerusalem church. See my first post on this thread.

Cheers

Sue

Well I know there was a private school at the bottom of Cannon St near the junction with Church Street and it was still there in the 70s because they had a nursery there too, I used to take my partners little lad there

Re: My early life in Accy 1946-68

Add my welcome to Susie, it was so interesting although I only remember the coffee in the Blue Dahlia!!.

Talking about dancing schools, does anyone remember Renee Cosgrove's dancing classes, first at Accy Con (downstairs if I remember correctly) and then in her house up Fern Gore.
There was just one boy dancer and I can't for the life in me remember his name. It must have been in about the late 50's

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCB (Post 943244)

Re: My early life in Accy 1946-68

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mog (Post 943532)

I remember both Eileen Stanton and Eileen Kenyon
Eileen Kenyon was and is still a good friend. Her and her husband (Steve Clarke) have just come back to live in England (Blackpool) after living abroad for a while.
I also grew up with Billy Baron, me on Lime Avenue and him on Cherry Crescent. What memories!!!

Re: My early life in Accy 1946-68

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mog (Post 943532)

Just seen the name Bob Burnside and talking about crushes, I had one on him! What a small world!

Re: My early life in Accy 1946-68

Willies still knocking about Mog, (living down Clayton last time i spoke) :)

Re: My early life in Accy 1946-68

Quote:

Originally Posted by sm_counsell (Post 943538)

Just seen the name Bob Burnside and talking about crushes, I had one on him! What a small world!

Bob's mum and dad , Bob and May Burnside , were my next door neighbours .
Aye it's a small world :)