The Band House at the corner of Wigan Road and Armoury Bank is one of Ashton's oldest buildings and was originally the band house (and armoury?) for the Ashton-in-Makerfield and Garswood troop of the Lancashire Hussar Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry, formed in 1848 as the unofficial successor to the Loyal Ashton Yeomanry Cavalry. It was quite dilapidated in the seventies and used by the local Oxfam Branch for storing and distributing charity furniture. - David McKendrick "I fondly remember the building as 'Dickies'. During the sixties, it was the local meeting place for the motorbike lot (the Coffee Bar Cowboys) of which I was one. We would meet in Dickies, have a hot Vimto or two then we would be off on the bikes to 'Lill’s Café' on the A6 north of Standish or we would go to the coffee bar in Hindley which was known as 'Mothers' and of course many other places. Although there was no drink drive laws then most of us never touched a drop of alcohol when we were on the bikes and I never heard anyone mention drugs. How times have changed. The other coffee bar, at the top end of Gerard Street, was called 'Rickards'." - Vic Greenwood "I know it was pronounced Rickards, but was it not spelt 'Richards'? Maybe not. It was a bit upmarket for us, anyroad. As teenagers, we used to meet in the El Toro ('int thElt') which was a real 60s classic coffee bar with a great juke box. Then they started letting us in the Eagle & Child, Angel (fluorescent disco lighting) and finally the excellent 'Hinge', with pints and pasties available at the push of a button on the seat back." - Phil "Ashton Baths was opened in 1910 and only lasted just over six years before the pool was closed and covered. Apparently they couldn't stop the water leaking away. After covering the pool, it held 1,000 as a public hall and was very popular as a dance hall and meeting place up to the 1950s." - Phil "Ashton pubs From Baines History of Lancashire 1824, the following pubs are listed. Interesting to see how many survive the centuries. Gives a certain reassurance to us beer drinkers :) VICTUALLERS Angel, Timothy Turton Bay Horse, Richard Occleshaw Britannia, Thomas Crompton Fleece, Abel Pennington Gerard Arms, James Speakman Goldon Ball, Benj. Lowe, Cross Golden Lion, Samuel Maskerry Horse and Jockey, Jas. Woods King’s Head, James Knowles, Edge green Lord Nelson, Wm. Birchall, Seneld green Ram’s Head, Thos. Pennington Red Lion, Geo. Liptrot, Seneld green Red Lion, Harry Byrom, Park lane Red Lion, Hugh Whittle Robin Hood, Peter Welsby White Lion, Rebecca Crooks" - David McKendrick "When I was 11 my Dad became the caretaker of the baths hall and we lived in the flat over the entrance. It was very large. When the bath floor split with mining subsidence and all the water drained out, the council put a wooden floor over the pool. The hall was then used for dances, five-a-side football, badminton, council elections, etc. In 1969-70 a USA soul group had a no. 1 hit with "Something Old, Something New". A nice chap called Mr Carson brought them over and they performed live at the baths. There was a massive space under the floor and the council started to store stuff there. It was a case of "out of sight, out of mind". The councillors came and went over the years, and the stuff was forgotten about. Then a young skally moved there (me)! Our Glynn and I searched every inch, and after one year the council said "Under the floor needed emptying", so they could store all the ballot boxes and voting booths for all the north west. Empty it we did. They even paid us to do it. I was on the council pay list already, as I helped the pensioners to clean Ashton market and used to pull the plastic skip on wheels for them. BINGO - JACKPOT. It was full of stuff from the Second World War, and before it. Hundreds of gas masks, air raid wardens' metal hats, anti-gas cream, safety posters, loads of solid silver ARP badges. The list was endless. The old hired out swimming costumes as seen in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang were there. We took a few samples on the bus to Kay's Army Surplus in King Street, Wigan. They liked the stuff but thought, "How in hell's name does a 12-year old kid get hold of all this lot?" After a long phone call to my dad they agreed to do business with us. We were loaded, so we took the next delivery by taxi as we could get more to them. There were three safes under the floor, and after a lot of hard work we opened the backs like a tin of beans. They were full of silver swimming cups from 1880 to 1903, but my dad gave them to the council on Bryn Street." - Gareth Hughes "When John Spencer from Bolton was the world champion snooker player he gave an exhibition at the baths. They had to leave his personal slate-bedded table from Saturday night till Monday morning. My dad told them we were closed. It was only so we could get all our mates round to play for 15 hours on it. We played soccer on it in our socks as well. I bought a Honda 50 for 15 quid from Standish (gas mask money again). We hid it under the floor, and when my dad was out we set up obstacle courses and jumps inside. The five-a-side was set up and run by an ex-Scottish International called Jock Dougan, who lived on Wigan Road. He did so much for the youth of Ashton in the 60s and 70s they should put a statue up of him outside the library. It was 6d to come in and watch. After a few years my dad worked out how much cash had been given to the council, and it was 3-4 weeks from the 100,000th spectator. A 100 quid cash prize was given to her. It was a girl I see every time I come to Ashton, and she always reminds me of it. The baths used to get packed out as there was a viewing area all round the pitch and a balcony around three walls. I've seen 500-plus in one night. The walls were wet through with condensation. Every one in Ashton between 42 and 57 will have been to the five-a-side. When Mr Dougan died my dad carried it on. There were hundreds at his funeral." - Gareth Hughes

The Gerard Arms on right. Date unknown. The shapes on the top of the building can still be seen today over what is now the Greensway Arcade. From the following census samples of 1841 and 1851 respectively we see that Gerard Arms was run by James Lyon, then ten years later by Abel Pennington. Interestingly enough, in 1851 James Lyon became the Inn-Keeper of the Ram's Head, which in 1841 was run by the Pennington family. The Lyon's and the Pennington's effectively swapped pubs. 1841 Census Entry No. Place Name Surname Age Occupation Born in County 33 Town John Cottom 30 Handle maker Y Betty 35 Y Mary 14 Cotton Factory Y Richard 11 Y May? 8 Y Elizabeth 5 Y 34 Gerard Arms James Lyon 55 Inn Keeper Y Jane 30 Y John 2 Cotton Factory Y Charles 0.1 Y William Willcock 30 M.S. Y George Monks 20 M.S. Y Mary Pimblett 15 F.S. Y 35 Town Peter Benson 45 Shopkeeper Y Nancy 40 Y Peter 20 Cotton Factory Y Thomas 15 Y Ellen 12 Y Elizabeth 10 Y John 8 F.S. Y 36 Ashton Town Betty Hackett? 45 Y Thomas 20 Y 37 Middle Gennel John Ince 40 Cotton Weaver Y Jane 50 Y James 20 Labourer Y John 20 Smith Y Jane 15 Cotton Piecer Y Ellen 4 Y 38 Middle Gennel John Kilshaw 35 Hingemaker Y Edward 9 Y Gomer 5 Y James 2 Y 1851 Census Entry No. Place Name Surname Relation to Head Condition Age Occupation Where born 11 Golden Lion Elizabeth Pennington Head Widow 65 InnKeeper Ashton John Son U 24 Tile Cutter Ashton Bryan Son U 21 Bricklayer Ashton John Livesley Servant U 44 Servant Ashton Sarah Green? Servant U 20 Servant Ashton 12 Gerard Arms Abel Pennington Head Married 34 InnKeeper Ashton Elizabeth Wife Married 26 Wigan John Edward Visitor? U 62 Servant Denbigh Joseph Brimlow Servant U 44 Servant Groom Westhoughton Mary Heaton Servant U 27 HouseServant Ashton Margaret Hart Servant U 27 HouseServant Ashton 13 Town William Rigby Head Widow 31 Hatch?maker Finisher Ashton William Son 2 Ashton Thomas Son 1 Ashton Mary Lowe Nurse 11 Nurse Girl Ashton Mary Mangnall? Servant U 31 Nurse Servant Hindley 14 Town John Long Head Married 46 Boot & Shoemaker. Employs 3 men. Ashton Ellen Wife Married 44 Ashton Elizabeth Daug U 22 Ashton John Son 16 Ashton Ellen Daug 13 Ashton Edward Son 11 Scholar Ashton James Daug 7 Scholar Ashton Joseph Son 4 Scholar Ashton

- David Brown Ashton Cinemas - (from http://merciacinema.org/blog/) HIPPODROME 1922 - Res. Man., W. Hudson. PALACE Bryn Street 483 seats. 1922 - Prop., M. Rylance. Res. Man., J. Tabiner. Bought by ABC 1936. By 1941: (BTP) - Prop., Associated British Cinemas, Ltd., 30/31 Golden Square, W. 1. Phone Gerrard 7887. 500 seats. Booked at H O. Twice nightly. Phone Ashton-in-Makerfield 7304. Station, Bryn, L.M.S. Closed 2nd March 1966. Now shops and slot machines. QUEEN’S PICTURE HOUSE 1922 - Prop., Ashton-in­Makerfield Picture House Co., Ltd. Res. Man., M. McKay. Continuous. Two changes weekly. Prices, 3d. to 1s. Station, Bryn, L.N.W.R. By 1941: (WE) - Prop. Ashton-in-Makerfield Picture House Co., Ltd. 868 seats. Twice nightly. Two changes weekly. Phone Ashton-in-Makerfield 7166. Station, Bryn, L.M.S. SAVOY PICTURE HOUSE 1922 - Res. Man., W. Rylance. SCALA CINEMA Heath Road (WE) - Props., Doman Enterprises, Ltd., 11/13, Victoria Street, Liverpool. 550 seats. Twice nightly. Mat., Mon. and Thurs. Prices 6d. to 1s. 2d. Booked by W. J. Speakman, 10, Commutation Row, Liverpool. Proscenium width 22ft. Stage, 10ft. Three dressing-rooms. Phone Ashton 7337. Stations, Ashton-in-Makerfield, L.N.E.R., & Bryn, L.M.S. - David McKendrick

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