Memories of old Skem by Allan Kenyon

Memories of Old Skelmersdale

Those were the days!
By Allan Kenyon

Ok, born in Ormskirk Hospital then rushed to a house in Upholland to get on with my new found life, the address was 2 Peace Lane (no longer there now but ran next to the labour club there).

From there they moved us, must mention now I’ve got a sister and a new brother to 377 Ormskirk Rd, walking distance to Tawd Bridge, and plus Kenyon’s Fish & chip was there (never went hungry). Just loved eating cold fish the next day, my aunt owned it I was young and thought it a thrill to get a piece of cod wrapped in news paper, or if I was lucky it could have been the BEANO or the TIGER.

Then I was sent to Digmoor Primary School, educated I think at playing Conkers, NEVER DID GET A 99er! God the things we used to do to get (or believe to get) those things hard, soak them in vinegar then cook them, had to keep and beg Dad to keep the coal on the fire, my 99er WAS geting hard in there, thank you for Nutty Slack and the Guys who dug it up for us The MINERS.

Skelmersdale to me was a bike ride away, once I’d got one. Now this Bike purchased at RAINFORDS I believe with my Dads hard earned money, I soon found out, and my friends also could be used to our advantage.
Ok, after watching the LONE RANGER not sure if it was before or after BLUE PETER and eating our tea after school as fast as we could we were ready. So we all would meet at our secret place that everyone knew about, and then plan the AMBUSH. We had the fastest bikes in town, two of them had 3 speeds and on with a derailia.

Off we would go down Ormskirk Road, start at the chippy down the hill to Tawd bridge past the pub on the left (was it called the Tawd Pub?) just past there by the way ON the same side of the road was a place that used to (the best way I can describe it was) recycle paper. Well now we have to peddle up the hill, our destination is the Fireworks

(think it was BROCKS), now help me here WHAT was the pubs name across from the Fireworks Factory? (it was the later Fox and Goose).

Now we’d hide our getaways, and climb up the hill where the railway once ran, we had a good view from here and we could see our prize in time for us to run down the hill, fire our steeds up and attack. THE GREAT PEA TRACTOR ROBBERY; we would attack it like the red Indians without the bow and arrows but with skill, ripping and pulling those juicy pods away from the trailer before those peas could make it to the POTATO FACTORY or PEA FACTORY. Then we would eat some of our bounty and then go home and explain to Mum AND Dad “Hey look what fell of the Pea Tractor”.

GOOD OLD DAYS. We didn’t know what crime was then and certainly never did or thought of what kids do nowadays, we had harmless fun well I hope we did.
OK (ice cream) TOM WATSON I think his name was, Horse and Cart. Used to start of in Upholland then work his way down Ormskirk Rd, I think he went as far as Sandy Lane. I can remember those 99’s a chocolate flake stuck right in the centre.  It has been good remembering some of the past. I had some good times growing up in and around there, I used to live on Clegg St later on after primary school and know and remember a lot of people there and I now live in Canada.