nearly-midnight

Jimmy Cosgrove was my Aunt Irene's husband, can't recall anyone having a bad word to say about him. A short man but huge in heart and generous to a fault. He'd served his time in the army. He was a chauffeur for the Co-op, took a great deal of pride in his job and his appearance and actually died on the job. My one enduring remembrance is his corgi motorbike, I seem to recall that it took an awful lot of stripping down and rebuilding just to keep going. Perhaps I get my somewhat ready ability to get covered in oil from Jim. He seemed to like my company though and occasionally gave me money to help... I have included the conversation from Ancestry - My family tree is public there. I have deleted Paul's email address from the conversation. Any one with any interest can work through me. I will be adding to this file when I get chance. It was only by chance that I stumbled on these pictures. His death cast a huge gloom over Brookhouse. It most definitely wasn't the...

Pat Lomax and "the gang" reverse My mother was most certainly social. She went to London to study music and like her son, found the man(I found a woman!) to spend the rest of her life with. The big city seemed to suit her. However she returned to Tottington via (Whitelegg Street) Woolfold near Bury, and settled back into the family residence of Brookhouse, just inside Tottington by virtue of being the Tottington side of the stream. But of course she was a great tennis player and represented her university at Wimbledon. The pictures below, I guess are separated by about 15 years. The names are quite familiar to me - and I met these people quite frequently as I grew up.  I really do remember Basil, his second name was Brown. He and his wife, Barbara had 3 children and I spent a lot of time with them. Nicholas the oldest became the proprietor of the hardware shop opposite the library. I think he was older than me. Tim was a good cricketer, don't recall any r...

This picture is one from the archives. There is no writing on the reverse apart from my mother's labelling. I called it Loom Women. Clearly though only one or two of them would be old enough to be considered women. These are 2 cotton looms back to back. They were heavy made of cast iron. I presume that the the photograph was taken in the factory. Clearly a national celebration because of the flags there. The ladies in question are wearing what appears to be their Sunday best too. I have to presume my Grandmother or my Aunt kept the picture because it had family on it. There does not appear to be any cotton worker in my immediate family say 1920s, but that's a guess. Have a close look at the sullen "little" girl in the very middle at the front. As usual the picture has been tweaked a little in PS4 to bring out details. Left the sepia tones as they are.

This are 2 old photographs of Market street in Tottington.  The first picture is a hand coloured tinted version of the second one. I have given both of them the Photoshop stuff. The colours in the first are not mine. They were already on the picture. I suspect the colours may be reasonably accurate as the pictures have been in the family quite a while.  My Guess this is at the high point of the Village opposite to where the Coop stands. I do not remember it, I also guess that it is dated about 1900. However I do recall a picture house, Movies to you and me standing in its place. I went once, some sort of soppy film about a man on the run visiting his pregnant wife in hospital. A paper shop stood in its place later and I believe a health centre now stands there. As you carry on to the right the road forks at what was the Printers. The left fork is Turton Road - goes to Bolton, Affetside, Edgeworth. The right hand fork goes to Greenmount, passes Brookhouse and would go...

Understandably never saw it, as it collapsed on the 22nd of September 1944. It was constructed in 1828. There is more information on the Grant family at this site . I have personally never seen a photo of the tower apart from this one. This is not to be confused with Peel Tower which was built to repeal the corn laws, I think. There are many references to the Grant family in Ramsbottom, not least the Grant Arms in the centre of "Tup's Arse". Played guitar and sang several times in the top room at the pub. The landlord must have tried to start a folk club up there. Must have been early '70's. Appeared on the same bill as Bob"I'm nearly famous" Williamson. Very amusing chap, and he did make national TV(Wheel Tappers and Shunters club! ) unlike me!  Grant's Tower has a mention in the Public Monument and Sculpture Association register    However I copy from that site here a reference to Edwin Waugh. He is mentioned in another part of this blog...

This is first photo thats I have. The date unknown. Brookhouse is lower left. The bottom of hill. Peel Tower is the distance. Brookhouse, taken from the Greenmount side. Brookhouse is the furthest building.  The girls are standing on the old bridge. It was replaced with a wider bridge. The nearer buildings were cottages and one looks like a shop. My family remembers these cottages. I feel that the line of the road has not changed. The road widening must have been on the left. This photo is of Brookhouse near Tottington. I moved here when I was 5. Lived initialy with my Grandmother. Jane Lomax nee Dunn(e). The postal address was 133 Holcombe Rd, Tottington. The cobbled road was replaced with a tarmacadamed surface. The view looks towards "Totty" from the Greenmount side of the stream. The upwards slope is called Stormer Hill. There are some steps leading up on the right to Kay's cottages. They were designed by my Grandfather Tom Lomax, Jane's hus...