Earlestown memories

[dennis 09]

I was born in Oak avenue in 1939 and lived there till 1963 and though I moved to Somerset I still come back to Newton a couple of times a year at least, and can't help being struck by the changes i find each passing year. I have a memory of a large house at the Wargrave road end of Fairclough st between there and the railway line where there is now a car park i was taken to this house to get a new gas mask whether for me or my sister i dont recall but it was a red "Mickey Mouse" one and if you breathed out hard then it produced the biggest rasbberies ever. Does anyone remember this house? I also remember at the other end of Fairclough steet next to a cycle shop might have been Simpers or Jack Carter's not sure which a long house or terraced house set down below pavement level and knew it as a "common lodging house "well thats what i was told and it was 6 old pence a night for a bed and 2 old pence to sleep standing up leaning on a rope line. whilst i am in the same area there was a blacksmith / farrier on the corner of King street and Duke street. I think that Newton was a wonderful place to grow up in with such a diversety of places to play and explore. I have only just discovered this site and visit at least once a day, and keep having my memory jogged about people and places. I think it is a great pity that most of Newtons history seems always to have been suppresed my dad always said it was "poor but proud newton "
I think this a brilliant site and i for one am hooked, I just keep finding out more and more and have my memory jogged.

[neileen]

hi den09,it would have been jack carters bike shop, and if you enjoy this site to recall your youth wait until the photo gallery is back up and running, there are thousands of pics on there, it will take you a day at least to have a mooch through them all

[Podstar66]

Hi Dennis, and welcome to the site
Here is a photo of Susan Forshaw's Lodging House at the top of Fairclough Street:

Susan Forshaws Lodging House-1.jpg

and here is a photo at the other end of Fairclough Street, showing the railway crossing:

Fairclough Street Crossing.jpg

and this is a photo of Earlestown Signal Box No.3, with the station masters house, I think, on the right.
You can see the mill on Fairclough Street, and the backs of some houses at the bottom of Fairclough Street in the middle of the photo.

Earlestown Signal Box no3.jpg

Pod

[dennis 09]

hi den09,it would have been jack carters bike shop, and if you enjoy this site to recall your youth wait until the photo gallery is back up and running, there are thousands of pics on there, it will take you a day at least to have a mooch through them all

Hi neileen thanks for jogging my memory i couldn't rember which bike shop it was, sounds like i will be here for ages when the photo gallery is available

[dennis 09]

Hi Dennis, and welcome to the site
Here is a photo of Susan Forshaw's Lodging House at the top of Fairclough Street:

Susan Forshaws Lodging House-1.jpg

and here is a photo at the other end of Fairclough Street, showing the railway crossing:

Fairclough Street Crossing.jpg

and this is a photo of Earlestown Signal Box No.3, with the station masters house, I think, on the right.
You can see the mill on Fairclough Street, and the backs of some houses at the bottom of Fairclough Street in the middle of the photo.

Earlestown Signal Box no3.jpg

Pod

Hi podstar and thanks for the photos you hit every mark but can't see the house as i remember it seem to think it faced wargrave road and the door was up a flight of steps but it was over 60 years ago so i might be wrong. I do remember standing in the cold waiting for those gates to open and if i'm not mistaken the was an elderly lady killed on the crossing sometime in the early 50s thanks again for the pics, evenmore memories stirred up now

[Podstar66]

There was an old post a while back, that had a view looking from the Curzon roof, that showed the line crossing Wargrave Road, and Wargrave Road itself. It just might be on that photo.
Maybe Steven could find the one I mean ?

Pod

[tom.w]

Hi Dennis 09.The blacksmith you talk about was Bob Pope.He was my wifes Great Uncle & was at the corner of Prince Street & King Street,Tisdals is there now....

[terry687]

Hi
The photo is on page 11 of the forum under the heading Wargrave Road Mineral Line Crossing, there is another photo on the forum Page 8, of Earlestown Station that just about shows the houses opposite Wilf Hughes shop, I remember these had steps up to the front door.

[dennis 09]

Hi Dennis 09.The blacksmith you talk about was Bob Pope.He was my wifes Great Uncle & was at the corner of Prince Street & King Street,Tisdals is there now....

Hi tom thanks for putting me right i knew it was one of the two steets behind the Curzon I used to stop to watch him on my way home from patterson st school ( the long way ) i can still recall the smell of hooves when he tried the shoes. thanks again.

[dennis 09]

Hi
The photo is on page 11 of the forum under the heading Wargrave Road Mineral Line Crossing, there is another photo on the forum Page 8, of Earlestown Station that just about shows the houses opposite Wilf Hughes shop, I remember these had steps up to the front door.

Hi terry thank for guiding me to the photos, problem is i keep finding interesting stuff on the way and wander off down all sorts of paths all of which awaken more memories of the time i lived in newton. Thanks again

[dennis 09]

There was an old post a while back, that had a view looking from the Curzon roof, that showed the line crossing Wargrave Road, and Wargrave Road itself. It just might be on that photo.
Maybe Steven could find the one I mean ?

Pod

Thanks pod i found the photo ok not sure if i could see the building i think i remember but after 65 years my memory could be playing tricks.

[mike59]

Hi Dennis, and welcome to the site
Here is a photo of Susan Forshaw's Lodging House at the top of Fairclough Street:

Susan Forshaws Lodging House-1.jpg

and here is a photo at the other end of Fairclough Street, showing the railway crossing:

Fairclough Street Crossing.jpg

and this is a photo of Earlestown Signal Box No.3, with the station masters house, I think, on the right.
You can see the mill on Fairclough Street, and the backs of some houses at the bottom of Fairclough Street in the middle of the photo.

Earlestown Signal Box no3.jpg

Pod

Some great photo's there Pod.
I'm intrigued with the pic of Fairclough St crossing, any date ?
And more interesting, where would the photographer have taken the shot from. I can't seem to identfy the
buildings to the left, in the background.
Would be good to hear other peoples thoughts.

Mike

[terry687]

Hello Mike The buildings behind the advertising hoardings on the left were Harry Horridge's Joinery workshops and yard, part of at that time a fair sized Building Contractors premises. They used to manufacture doors and windows in the workshops for their own use or bespoke orders,one of my mates fathers worked for them as a joiner. The photo would have been taken with the Station to your right King St to your left.

[mike59]

Cheers Terry, didn't realize Horridge's was so big way back then.
So therefore the street lamp on the left, would be the around Houghton St area, the photographer would be shooting in the direction of Wargrave Rd, standing just inside the other gates, and the railway guys heading towards the signal box.
Any thoughts.
Mike

[terry687]

Hello Mike
Yes, He would be going to the signal box side, the NCB Office was on the Fairclough St side. The lampost would be at the bottom of Fairclough St. as per the line of Horridge's buildings, Horridge's was between Fairclough St. and Houghton St. with the entrance in Houghton St. The original roadway of Houghton St. is still there, opposite the Off Licence. Also don't forget there were two railway lines that crossed the road, one that swung around the back of Wilf Hughes Pet Shop and one that went straight across to the Curve Station on the Warrington side passed the signal box, hence the little bridge over the footpath from Earlestown Station to the Curve.