Memories of Skem’s past by John McCarthy

Memories of Skelmersdale Past
By John McCarthy

This is the poem/story John read out at the Lancs evening October 2004 at the old Comrades Club.

This is the story of two old Skemmers who married in the 1950’s and emigrated to Australia. After 50 years they came back to see relatives and remember old Skem. When asked what they thought, this was their reply “The old town is not the same. They no longer have a train along with the Town Hall, a police station and a fire station, They have all gone.

So we walked further on up Sandy Lane but soon felt pain, Noreen Shaw’s, Dicky Barbers and Hulmes Chippy have all gone too, along with Milly Tootles pie shop and a bike shop.

We walked further up the lane and I said to Mary “Can you remember where was Meadow Dairy? Was it near Blackledges and Swifts Cake Shop or further up near Hutton and Lowes?”

We walked across down what was Ellison Road, trying to remember the Co-op where my mother used to shop. She used to go with Auntie Lizzie. They only shopped there because they paid a divvie!

We looked across and Mary said “Oh, I wonder what happened to Billy Shaw’s. I noticed Mission Sunday School is no more so we decided to look on the Park. I never saw it look so grim and starker when it was looked after by Ernie Barker.

Back we came to Sandy Lane where Taskers, Bobby Birches and Pye’s furniture shop used to be. Top of Sandy Lane is now called Westgate. I noticed there is a new Market Gate and further on was Lily Whalleys, Lambs Chemist and Nancy Hart’s and right on top were two chip shops. I looked across the road and said “it’s not looking very majestic.” Mary’s reply was, I thought ironic. What she remembered was going up the Masonic to the Three-penny Hop where she learned to bop. What I remembered was getting all excited going across the road to watch Skem United. They had two or three players from Bootle when it was managed by Jim Tootle.

Then down High Street looking for this and that, but all we saw was a lot of flats. Rigby Street is no more, but further down we saw Barnes Road. I said “lets go to the top where Charlie Mason made pop.” I said to Mary “do you remember?” She replied “of course I do you silly old fool! It’s only across the road where I went to school.”

Back down to High Street and down to Pennylands, I remember when I was just a boy going down to Union Street and Penny Street and up Old Lane where we used to go swimming in Dickys Pit. Mary said “what, you used to go swimming in Dickys Pit! The water always looked like it was full of – mud.” But we all found it very good, and only across the road stood the spud Factory.

Back to High Street, by the Derby Arms, we walked on down to top of Slack. I asked Mary “what do you remember, looking back?” She said “I remember as a little girl, I always had a dream, of having some of Charlie Baileys ice cream.”

I said “Do you want to go and look on Elm Bank?” She said “Yes, of course” and so we walked on down,but all we saw was the Concourse, a police station and a library. So we made ourway back to top of Slack. And as we walked up the hill I said, “just look there!” Kids here must gain some knowledge because now there is a Skem College – something they did not have when I was a lad
We eventually came out on Church Road and walked on down past the Parish Church down to Stormy Corner. I said, “look there’s Endowed School.” Mary said, “Yes, I’m looking, I remember going there to learn cooking.” “And us lads were not allowed to shirk, we went there to learn woodwork!” We walked on down past the Tawd Vale. We met a man, I think he thought we came from Mars. When I asked him where was the Seven Stars, all he did was point a finger up to the sky! I think he expected us to fly.

Back again up School Lane, houses and roads on the left and right, Mary said “If we are not careful we may get lost.” I said “Do not worry, with a bit of luck we will soon see Teddy’s Ruck,” but we did not. So further on up School Lane to the top, then down Clayton Street, down to the bottom of the Lane, and onto Ormskirk Road I noticed the Railway Pub is now called The Roundabout. You can easily see why that came about! On past Taylor Street to Bromilow Road, it was always called the Pads when I was a lad. We walked up to the top and came out on Liverpool Road, just opposite Whitemoss Road.

I noticed The Engine Pub is now called The British Legion. For that there must be a reason. Further on Wesleyan Church and School have gone. On again, past the Knowl Brow, Mary said “Do you remember Rosbottom Terrace and what it was like?” I said “Yes, I remember, but what it was like I find it hard because it is now a graveyard.” On again past St Richards School and Church on up to the Horseshoe, “I have been in there for one or two.”

Returning again down Liverpool Road up to the top of Swifts Fold I see the Mission Hall still standing. Somebody must have shown some understanding. Then over the footbridge looking for Moss Street, Cross Street and Potteryfield. But along with Shoe Company, it’s all gone!

We have nowhere else to wander on, so if there are any names and places I have failed to mention, it has not been my intention.
At our age it is easy to forget, but one thing we will always remember without fail is growing up in SKELMERSDALE.