Memory Lane.

[Rasmo]

This is a short stroll along Preston Road from the North end of Standish around 1958, it's nothing fantastic but I'm sure it will make some of the 'Homepage Posters' smile and possible remember things from some of the things mentioned.

Nuttyslack gave me the idea when he said 'This is what we want' when posting about the photos of High Street. I hope it brings back some good thoughts and not to many bad ones, well hear goes.

A trip down Memory Lane or Preston Road remembered.

From the North of Preston Road we had Danny Balls Chippy, next to Langtree Garage, which sold National Benzone. At the chippy we would get a bag of chips for 4d and a shed load of fish bits (batter scratchings) for nothing, loads of vinegar and a smidgin of free gravy, heaven! We would see Brian Shepherd and Arthur Jones turning out for the evening dressed in the up to the minute Teddy-boy fashions, slicked back hair, white shirts with boot lace ties, knee length hunting jackets with velvet collars, spay on jeans, white socks and suede beetle crushers. There were lads a bit older than us trying to emulate the fashion guru

[Steve Bradburn]

Nice one, Rasmo!

[harold]

Yes very good Rasmo I remember the lads names (Jonnie Boyle, Ronnie Whittingham (My brother), Barry Wilding, Dave (Ned) Partington)you have mention from shevy secondry modern school

[celia]

You have triggered some memories. Do you remember down the hill from Langtree garage, Cyril Hatton's dairy farm and Lil's Cafe, Cyril was a lovely guy and delivered milk every day around the village. Lil's had a reputation none will forget. The chicken run! Do you remember the bikes trying to do the ton on Preston Road.

Langtree garage was the land of dreams when they were the only ones around here to stock the Renault Dauphine which was highly advertised when we first got ITV. They seemed such a dainty lovely car, used to go up there and gaze in admiration, eventually my brother bought one.

Stan Heywood did used to shout Apple Pieeeeee. No doubt of that one and do you remember when the paper shops closed at Christmas and Easter and there was another old guy who used to stand near the Wheatsheaf shouting heaven knows what. Perhaps it was some kind of code we never did manage to decipher.

Did you mention Robinsons shop opposite the Patrick, Tommy was quite a character, then there was George Fairhursts butchers at the corner where the butty shop is now. Wasn't it Margaret Chadwick had the butchers near Simms? Do you remember the Christmas when all the turkeys got nicked out of the shop the day before Christmas Eve? George Hertrich had the little butchers shop near the TSB that later became a green grocers.

Did you ever ask Marie Atherton for anything in their shop where Bargain Booze is now? The answer was always 'we av none'. She was very predictable.

You probably won't remember Baybutts was previously a big grocers, Rushworth and Draper, and the little shop next to the bank was Mort's Electrical shop. The wool shop across the road next to Joe Hunters was little Miss Kirkhams, she was always up to date with all the latest trends in wool and needle sizes even though she was quite elderly, the trouble was she had so much stock you had to hunt for her!

Middleton and Wood had an undertakers business between Chadwicks and the Post Office. Do you remember all those jars of toffees in the PO. Used to love working there years ago.

Never knew your Vince drove for the Farrimonds, only ever remember Geoff Dawber driving for them. Didn't know Mrs Talbot was your auntie either. She was a lovely lady and I used to spend many a happy hour in her little house in Cross Street with my mum when she used to stop by for a chat. Lovely lady who always had time to talk to everyone. They broke the mould.

[PaulG]

We would see Brian Shepherd and Arthur Jones turning out for the evening dressed in the up to the minute Teddy-boy fashions, slicked back hair, white shirts with boot lace ties, knee length hunting jackets with velvet collars, spay on jeans, white socks and suede beetle crushers.
There were lads a bit older than us trying to emulate the fashion guru

[PaulG]

You have triggered some memories. Do you remember down the hill from Langtree garage, Cyril Hatton's dairy farm and Lil's Cafe, Lil's had a reputation none will forget. The chicken run! Do you remember the bikes trying to do the ton on Preston Road.

Ohhhh yehhhhhhhh!!! the name 'Maggie Leyland" comes to mind

and the little shop next to the bank was Mort's Electrical shop.

We got our first radiogram from Morts on HP ...we used go to listen to raido Luxembourg every Sunday they played the top 20

[Wodin]

I have really enjoyed reading this thread. It's interesting for someone like who isn't from Standish originally. It's nice to get a flavour of how Standish felt. It makes the photos much easier to imagine as living breathing places. The reminiscences are hilarious (love the descriptions of the clothes - it proves that no matter how much we tut about what the teenagers of today wear, we all as bad!)

[29square]

well done rasmo with youre memory of preston road the shops are almost right and i think you missed a good few on the way up from langtree mary ellens in the ghost row albert traffords jimmy scholes lowtons turners bakehouse sid glovers benthams butchers mrs winnards joe hodson butcher and i think it **** and percy farrimond who were coal merchants was mrs southworth the lady in tranters chippy i bet im well wrong well yes i have missed harry woods tours or k enmore coaches which ever name is right thanks again for reminder of the days even if at the time we thoughtwe had it bad

[Rasmo]

By Gum
I never expected so many posts. I'd have put money on Celia and Paul adding to, but it seems to have opened a 1950/60 capsule. Thanks to everyone who posted.

Celia

I Do you remember down the hill from Langtree garage, there was a gang of bikers known as the "CHAFFS" we used to walk down to Lil's and ask the bikers to give us a ride to the traffic lights. The hill became fondly know as Sh****n Hillock as well as the "CHICKEN RUN" for obvious reasons.

Cyril Hatton used to deliver his milk to our house and when he collected his money on Saturday mornings, he used give Joanne and Neil 1p each and let them have a ride on the tailgate of his milk float to his next stop. He wouldn't be able to do that nowadays, the H&S brigade would have him locked up.

The stand-in guy who used to stand near the Wheatsheaf shouting heaven knows also sold papers outside Pendlebury's in Wigan, we used to think he was from another planet because we could never make a word out of what he was saying, no matter how long we stood there. As you say perhaps it was some kind of code we never did manage to decipher, I don't the Germans could have cracked that.

I forgot to mention Robinsons shop opposite the Patrick although I do remember it, more about Tommy in another post. Not to sure about Margaret Chadwick at the butchers near Simms, perhaps Rebecca might have some connection somewhere along the line?

I do remember the Christmas when all the turkeys got nicked and I know a few families who had a decent Boxing Day dinner that year; there were some rum Bu****s around Standish in them days.

I vaguely remember George Hertrich butchers and Joe Latham opened up later as a green grocer.

Marie Atherton, I used to think her daughter was gorgeous when I was ten. And when I turned sixteen, I couldn

[MC HAMMER]

Dorothy from the Toffee Shop, what a lady. I remember when I was younger and she was robbed or should I say they tried to rob her and she took the butchers knife to them. They ran before she could get to them. What a brave lady but I wounder what she would be charged with in this day and age. I remember visiting her in Billinge when she was ill too.

[Rasmo]

Arron Ashurst, he was the really handsome guy from Bradley a real life

[PaulG]

I heard a tale about Joe Carrington, apparently whilst walking down Bradley Lane after a night out on the town, four blokes jumped him and ten minutes later; Joe emerged brushing off his coat, none the worst for his experience.

Yep that sounds like Joe..I remember one night after a session in the Catholic Club..[ne]The Patrick.... well maybe its best if I keep that one to myself..

I see Ned fairly regularly, your name is on the list when I see him again..

Say hello from me Rasmo and if he can remember what the fight was about let me know,..Ned was a decent bloke.. he may have a tale or two himself to tell..

[celia]

29 shares a good few memories with us as does McHammer. Dorothy Gleave, what a lady she was and her husband was so lovely, I think she was the boss in their house! She really could tell you all the gossip in the village, including the wrongful stuff about yourself, when folks didn't have a tale to tell they often made one up and when those things were going about Dorothy would tell you as she hated anyone being the innocent object of gossip by malicious people and there were a couple of them around the Preston Road area in those days.

I had heard the turkeys got sold in the local pubs that Christmas and didn't the cigarette machine outside the post office get robbed around the same weekend and disappeared from existence. I know I was very upset when I couldn't get any ciggies when the shops were closed.

The hill you refer to with the naughty unprintable name is actually the other side of where Lil's cafe was on the Coppull end. Something to do with the old toll gate at the bottom on the boundary. Which of course brings in the toll house and old Pongy's ghost again.

Mrs Talbot, I remember her bungalow range and the piano, but how often she had it tuned I don't know, it is very very difficult to keep a piano tuned in a room with a coal fire so close to the metal strings. She got my mum to play for her a couple of times when we there. She would sit there with that thick leather apron she had to keep her dry when she was working, she looked quite comfy on that chair near the fire with a little wry smile as she listened to the music. Lovely lady and there was always a cup of tea and a cake when you went to visit.

Rasmo, Rasmo, you didn't know me that well did you! I never did have crushes on the action men of this world, don't you remember how I disliked Ray Nelson for always being number one in all the street games we used to play. he really got up my nose and I delighted in out-playing him on the piano at school, one end of term at St Maries, he was always top in everything, what a nuisance. Ian Aspinall the super sportsman of the village, cricket, rugby, he excelled in everything and had the looks to go with it. He had married my old friend Gill Taylor long before I started to work for his mum and dad. Not guilty, no crush, sorry! I liked people who were gorgeous but didn't know it. Wimps of this world there is hope for all of you! Women don't always like the macho types.

[Rasmo]

Celia wrote:
Rasmo, Rasmo, you didn't know me that well did you! I never did have crushes on the action men of this world, don't you remember how I disliked Ray Nelson for always being number one in all the street games we used to play. he really got up my nose and I delighted in out-playing him on the piano at school, one end of term at St Maries, he was always top in everything, what a nuisance. Ian Aspinall the super sportsman of the village, cricket, rugby, he excelled in everything and had the looks to go with it. He had married my old friend Gill Taylor long before I started to work for his mum and dad. Not guilty, no crush, sorry! I liked people who were gorgeous but didn't know it. Wimps of this world there is hope for all of you! Women don't always like the macho types.

Only joking Celia, I think it was Robert Cheetham

[celia]

Rasms you really are asking for a clip around the ear, don't walk around the village alone, some mad old bird may get at you, especially when I do that walk around Standish I appear to have won, may even get Harold to bring his camera to witness the event.

There are those who would quake in their shoes!