My Memories of Skem by Mel Davies

Memories of Skem
By Mel Davies

Me, a born and bred Skemer from the High Street, not as old as some (b 1944) but have a lot of thoughts and memories from the old place.
My mum and dad (May and Eric Davies) came from the old pennylands, and we had my gran living with us (Debbie Briscoe) renown from her time at the prater works and her wallpapering skills (even in her late 70’s).

The old place was great, and always loads to do with our home made entertainment.
I was the High Street ace at roller skating (with the metal frame and wheels) and the summers off schools were always hot, I can’t remember it ever raining. When it got very hot the tar on the road outside was always sticky and we used to make little “tar men” and stick them in the road to watch traffic come along and squash them! It would be considered dangerous these days, but it was in the late forties/early fifties so there wasn’t that much traffic around.

We used to do a lot of spud and pea picking in those days on the fields past the Horse Shoe and over the Moss. All for a little bit of pocket money and to help out at home.
I remember the pea wagons (tractor and trailor) used to come down the High Street from the pea fields on the way to the prater works. We used to hide at the side of Drapers Veg shop and dash out when the wagon was passing and pull off as many pea stalks as we could. We spend the rest of the day shelling the peas!

Behind our house was Ashwall and Wallcroft Street backed by a lot of chicken hutches and pig styles. We used to collect old bread and spud peelings by the bucket and take them to the small holdings and make 3d a time.

Whenever I hear the Glen Miller theme (In the mood) it takes me back to the Majestic picture house at the top of Sandy Lane. That was the music they always played before the film started and in the interval. What a posh place that was compared to “Billy Shaws bug house” down Elson Road. I think it cost 3d in those days for a front row seat (known as the buckets). On one particular performance the film was disturbed by a almighty crash as a complete row of seats collapsed backwards! On one occasion around bonfire night the quietness of the film was disturbed by someone outside pushing a “banger” through one of the ventalation grills! I remember that the toilets were at the side of the screen and about two lads went into loo’s and about six came out a few minutes later (they got in through an open window in the toilets)!

We had two areas of park (top and bottom) in Coronation Park. The top park has now gone but remember it had sand pits in and swings. I do remember Wee Barker (my ex’s uncle). You dern’t cross him or else!

I remember well the old Skem football ground being at the top of High Street, which doubled up as a field for carnival day and Silcocks fair. I also remember Ken Platt and Beryl Reid coming to one of our carnivals when we had a boxing contest on the field.

One day, I remember I was trying to jump over a barb wire fence from the football field into the farmers field – I didn’t quite make it and still have a scar at the top of my leg – that will always remain with me!

Then there was the biggest crowd in Skem when Elsie Tanner came to open the new garage in Liverpool Road. You could not move – folk everywhere!

I remember the gas lamp at the corner of Ashwall Street and Jubilee Drive. We used to play around there at night, and twice a day the lamplighter man used to come to light and extinguish the gas flame.

As kids I would say we were full of mischief, but never caused any real damage (well not much). We used to collect old film cuttings from Billy Shaws scrap bin at the back, wrap them in a bit of newspaper, light the end and post them through peoples letter boxes. This was the real celluloid and it did stink!
That, and tying a piece of string to letter boxes and pulling it from a few yards and scarpering! All good clean fun and we enjoyed our time of being kids.

I remember back to 1953, the Coronation, my auntie down Witham Road was the first in the family to own a TV. All the family and kids gathered round that little 12″ black and white set to watch in amazement!

Then there was Masons pop factory up Barnes Road and the little window at the side where we could take a mug and have it filled up with dandelion and burdock pop for a few pence. That was the real stuff compared with the “full of wind” pop today.

Not to forget Tommy Watsons ice cream cart (pulled by a horse). The best ice cream ever. Remember once he introduced the new strawberry flavour and everyone went mad for it. All was his own recipe and he sadly took it to the grave with him. He seemed to spend a lot of time “parked up” outside the old Skem Arms and had a lot of old fellows paying him a visit. Wonder if it was for his ice cream or to place a bet for the 2.30?

My mum worked in my early years at Brock’s Firework factory down the bottom of “slack brow” (Wigan Road). She used to bring work home as outwork. No wonder she developed arthritis in her hands through rolling firework cases with a steel pin! Times were hard in those days and every penny was important.

My Dad worked for the gas board laying and mending gas mains in the road. On many occasions my dad’s crew drilled through a water main by mistake and had to send for the water board to plug the pipe.
He also had a weekend job of going down to the gas works in Clayton Street and adjusting the flow of gas to to gasometer (remember that large up/down tank). I used to go with him and was fascinated by how you could control the height of the gasometer by adjusting a few small valves in the gas hut and hear the compressors and pumps starting up.

Memories of my first school – “Barnes Road Academy” as we lovingly called it. Pity the old place has now outlived its usefulness – what a tribute to the way schools were built. Memories of the teachers such as Mr. Wilson (headmaster), Mr. Chapman (music), Mr. Tilston (science – “Hitler”), Mr Cadman (general – “board duster thrower”), Mrs Thomas (general – my class teacher).

Memories of Skem Secondary Modern (now Brookfield). I used to be a prefect there. There was always resentment with other pupils since us prefects could use the front entrance, not allowed for the rest – they had to use the side door! Memories of other teachers such as Mr. Mason (woodwork), Mr. Bostead (art), Mr. Green (gardening), Mr. Nelson (PE – still around), Mr. Leach (general – still around I think), Mrs. Wooley (RI – still around in Skem), and Miss Beverley (well built – no wonder the boys used to go with her on bike rides!).

I remember the old water filled “pits” call number 3 and 4 and the “green waters” all around where the “coni” is now, and walking from whitegates to Ashurst beacon via the “bonk” – not a house in sight apart from a scattering of farm houses on the way!

Oh what a change to my old place – memories to look back on. I suppose, like a lot of old Skemers, the place will never be the same – how could they spoil it for us? If only they had left the old core of Skem the way it was, we could put up with having a new Skem around us.