DOES ANYONE KNOW

[BRUCE BENJAMIN]

Does anyone know what happened to RAYMOND HANCOCK, origonally from FARINGTON, he'll be about 70 years old, and the last I heard of him, he had posted a 'DOES ANYONE REMEMBER ME, on the FORUM a couple of years ago.

I have several photo's that would interest him, of times long ago and a mutual friend Denis Walker of Leyland, was speaking about him recently

[filmoss]

Did you get my message about Alec Taylor ?? I clean his windows in Fulwood and he knows you from back in the day around Slater Ln I have his E Mail if you want it !

[BRUCE BENJAMIN]

sorry I didn't get the earlier message, Wow!!!!, the reach of this forum always surprises me. I would appreciate Alec's e-mail, one reason being that I have photographs of among others,

The giant Sycamore tree,in Forshaws field, which, he Alec tought me how to climb, IT was my first proper tree-climb as a 7 or 8 year old. In the days long before all the childhood meadows were built on, with Balls small homestead sideways on to the road, just alongside his family home.

[brian]

I have just read your posting which mentions Forshaw's field. I have never heard of Forshaw's field and as it is my surname I would be interested to hear more.
Regards, Brian Forshaw

[BRUCE BENJAMIN]

Hello Brian. I am unsure as to where you live, however in the OLD-MOSS-SIDE area of western Leyland. Generally the 'parish' of St James Church on Slater Lane and Dunkirk Lane, and out to Long-Meany gate in the north, and then out to Bretherton in the West, and along Leyland Lane to Earnshaw Bridge,included several families of FORSHAWS,

St James community used to have 2 festivals, one named a 'WHITNESS WALK', when church parishioners walked around the parish, with brass bands, and LARGE BANNERS carried by stalwarts of the church, and whose support lines were held by younger people. finishing at St James School for tea and sandwiches,
The other was the MAY FESTIVAL, which paraded onlong the same route with BRASS BANDS with decorated horse drawn lorries, morris dancers, 10 little-nigger-boys in boot-black and gollywog cloths, MAYPOLE DANCERS (the late Mrs Nancy Cowburn was a great supporter and teacher) its own MAY QUEEN, of which Maureen FORSHAW and Maureen COWBURN and Gladys PRIESTLY are remembered, this also finished at St James school, with lots of dancing etc. on the wooden-platform laid down on the school field. A happy community/social occasion now 'long-gone'.

Along with the CHURCH CHOIR AND CHURCH LADS BRIGADE, which provided many of us young teenagers with a 'safe' place to start to socialize with are our contempories.

One FORSHAW I particularly remember was one of my 'big-girls' from St James school, living around Seven Stars, named Gladys, she will be aprox 71 years old today, her mum,a very nice friendly kind person in glasses, worked as a 'dinner-lady' at St James CE school from just after the war,

However the FORSHAW in question, was Mr Bob Forshaw, who with his wife,sons John & Leslie and daughter Maureen, was a tennant of MANORHOUSE FARM, whose cow-meadows extended from Southlands Drive in the East, (Edward Bridge and his mum,had his bakery/store on the Eastern corner of Southlands drive, with Mr Harry Parrs house across S/Drive on the corner.)

FORSHAWS fields extended West to Ulnes Walton, running behind the Church yard,

However, the 'Forshaw's field' I mentioned with the tree, was directly across from my mums house at 180, East to where Mr & Mrs Jack Wilson shared a house. directly across from the small cottage where Alec Taylors grandma lived, he lived behind with his family immediately behind the cottage in a small house. both of which are still there,

So the name, FORSHAWS FIELD, only applied to those of us who grew up on Slater Lane during the 30year 'time-window' of Mr Forshaws tenancy.During and after the War.

Not only was my first large-tree the sycamore, courtesy of Alec, But!!, the VERY FIRST TREE CLIMB OF ALL FOR ME, under his guidance, was a DAMSON TREE (only cut-down in the last 5 years) just on the Jimmy Bennets corner of his grandmas property,

I guess theres a bit more information than you need about FORSHAWS FIELD, but maybe the 'words' will ring someone elses memories

[Alan Marsden]

Bruce - re "Mr Harry Parrs house across S/Drive on the corner."

Are you saying that Harry lived on the north western corner of Southlands drive , which if my membory is correct was unpaved ?

I thought he lived in Paradise Lane , yet perhaps that's where his parents Lena and Syd lived !

[Spitfire]

Harry Parr lived in the converted barn on Cocker Lane (off Paradise Lane). There was an annex where the parents lived.

[Spitfire]

Bruce, Your reply to Brian brought back quite a few memories.
I firmly believe in giving credit, where credit is due and your efforts in organising the `games ` on the corner field (now buried under housing) were well deserved.
Your mention of Nancy Cowburn brought back fond memories. What a great lady she was. I remember playing for the `Lads and Dads` at rounders, where she (in her late 60`s) was belting the ball all around the field for the `Girls` team.

[brian]

Bruce, your posting stirred many memories. I am 64 now and from 1945 to 1955 I lived in one of the cottages on Dunkirk Lane, No.9, which was just round the corner from Mill Street. The cottages were demolished in the 70's or 80's. Gladys Forshaw is my aunty and she lives just off Cocker Lane. Her mother, my grandma, was the dinner lady at St. James school. I remember the 'walking days' and on one occasion I was one of the ten little nigger boys. I remember the wooden platform on the field at the back of the school and I remember once being part of the morris dancing. Between 1956 and 1964 I was a member of the St. James youth club. Nancy Cowburn was also a relation of mine. My grandma was one of about 12 Cowburn children, I think Fred Cowburn was Nancy's father. From 1955 to 1964 I used to spend much of my time at Tattersall's Farm on Paradise Lane. Norman Tattersall was the father with two sons, Keith and Brian, and a daughter, but I have forgotten her name. I used to help with the dairy cows and the harvest. Happy days! It was my grandma who married a Forshaw but there are lots of Forshaws in Lancashire and to my knowledge he was not directly related to your Forshaw. Thank you for bringing back some fond memories. Regards, Brian

[BRUCE BENJAMIN]

Well, well, who would have thought that my short 'homily; on Forshaws field would have touched such a 'wellspring' of memories.

However, the plethora of 'names' again shows, The Harry Parr, in the house on the corners of Southlands drive, (was NOT paved, and still isn't as I understand,) was a 'very-old' grey-haired man, (notable for us 'little-boys was the fact, that while his large-house blank-wall, was ideal for playing 'kick & return' with a 'casey', HE did not appreciate having his house bonging like a giant drum, and told us to 'clear-awf') His willow fringed 'duck-pond', favourite for small boys to splash stones into its 'ginny-grinteeth' covered surface, was according to 'local-lore' (of small-boys) 'bottomless;, of course this was disproved when they built a large detached house on the pond.

This Harry Parr, had a daughter named Marie, who was married at St James Church, to her childhood sweetheart, Brian Birket, whose mum lived next-door to my mum. And was a 'wheel' in the Leyland Motors foundry,(actually West Yorkshire foundries) long ago.

The Harry Parr spoken about from Cocker Lane, was I believe 'a driving school instructor' and is of a 'younger generation'

Brian's memories of Tattersall's can also be uprated, his daughter is Jean, a really,kind,friendly girl, a bit older than me, but always had a kind word for us 'little-boys', lives in what was Mr Entwistles detached, Accrington-Brick house just up from the river Lostock on Slater Lane, (does anyone know of any photographs of the pre-new-road, Lostock bridge when the river ran longside the road, before curving up-stream towards Dunkirk Lane,) where he had lots of 'free-range' hen-cabins, she is still a kind and friendly old-lady. Mr Norman ''Tattersalls Farm'', a slight mis-nomer for us who are 'really-old', as his FIRST farm after the war, from where he delivered milk by the ONE-PINT ladel, from 'kits' carried in his 'two-wheeled' horse drawn cart to Mr Alan Fords house, (he joined-on next-door neighbor to my mums) after the war, the horse, so accustomed to the route, would 'walk-on' to the next customer as Mr Tattersall hopped-off and took the milk to the door.

His THEN farm-drive off 'Fox Lane', almost across from the 'traffic-circle', the older detached bungalows now fill what was the 'drive-gap', led to his farm, which encompassed what is virtually the entire now notable WADE-HALL council estate. This long curving drive, could be seen from the 'top-deck' of a bus going past.

best wishes to all on the Forum