Stallard12 Posted October 10, 2011 Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 Basically this is a question for Harry, but if anyone else can comment..... When Market Gate was a traffic circle, during and after the war, do you remember the American 15 cwt covered trucks being parked right around the outside of the circle. The trucks manned by the MP's with the white helmets. All waiting for the upstairs dancehall and the pub across Buttermarket St. to disgorge the drunk Yanks. Then the MP's would go to work with their night sticks, immobilize and then throw the bodies into the trucks. As soon as one was full, another would move up into place. Ahh pleasant memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted October 10, 2011 Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 You remember that Stallard!? Gosh, you must be old! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry hayes Posted October 10, 2011 Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 Remember it well. Market gate - mainly from the Pelican pub - and Davies's cafe close to central station. The American MPs had an office in the police station. They were quite brutal cos no questions were asked and the serviceman always much preferred to be dealt with by the borough police cos we were a softer touch - only by comparison. The Military police terrified them. Don't get me started on the girls they used to attract from far and wide. Happy days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted October 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 I guess you remember the milk train from Liverpool then Harry? Old is in the mind Cleo, ancient I'll admit to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Stall; you've reminded me of an old story of my Dad's: the night of the big fight in the Casino{?}. Believe it started when some Free French sailors came in, which wound up the Poles. Anyway it all kicked off, and spilled outside into Bridge St, the MPs from the various camps channeled it down Rylands St to Queen's Gardens, where they boxed them in. The Yanks were quite efficient, wading into their own with their night sticks and throwing them onto waiting trucks. :smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted October 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 That was the dancehall that I couldn't remember. There was one over Jackson's - it was a hairdresser's when I left, and there was one over Burtons with the entrance at the side of Woolworths, not sure which was the Casino. Harry is right about the Pelican. There were street fights almost every weekend, mostly between the Yanks and the RAF recruits from Padgate, who were mostly Canadians and the South Lancs guys from the Peninsula barracks. The Yanks having all of the money and most of the girls caused most of it. Warrington was an interesting place. On the peaceful side of the coin, that same circle at Market Gate was the scene of the wonderful town Christmas tree and a gathering place on New Years Eve, that was warm and safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Talking of New Year's Eve at Market Gate, My dad used to tell us, around that time, if we go to Market Gate on New Year's Eve we would see man with as many noses on his face as there are days left in the year. This conjured up in my mind an image of a man with 365 noses and I would tell my dad that it was impossible and he was lying! Was a long time before I realised what he meant - just one day left in the year so just one nose on his face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Stallard, the dance hall in Sankey street, over Burtons would possibly be The Carleton. Harry Hayes will know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted October 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Exactomo!!! My Italian is much better than my Welsh !! :smile: The Carleton it was - you must be older than me Cleo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry hayes Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Yes, the Carlton club. Always felt sorry for the Yanks, Overseas; oversexed (who wouldn't be at their age, with all their money and girls throwing themselves at them). So many military establishments in and around Warrington with servicemen on low pay ie. little chance with the girls. Lots of resentment- hence lots of fights. On the whole and all things considered I thought the Americans were a credit to their country, as when compared with my army lot when overseas. Certainly in my time in the police service, virtually every fight which broke out at Davies's cafe was started by one of our own. Some people might remember, there were two policeman posted outside that cafe, every night. One incident, absolutely true, which didn't provoke a fight was when somebody asked for an eclair, and an American waiting at the counter replied "Dat's no eclair, dat's ma thumb". Policing was fun when the G.I's were here - never the same afterwards. Happy days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Stallard & Harry, Harry this link will take you back to replies you made re a topic on WWW back in 2007, http://forum.warringtonguardian.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=398 so Stall visit the topic, you will find a great deal of nostalgia presented by Harry that I am sure will bring back many memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 can I ask that you both read it quickly please as really I should be removing that link (it's to the WG forum Algy ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Ooop's! I wondered why the logo on the page looked different, but you must admit Harry was brilliant. :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Someone post Stall a pic of the skittles - show him what's there now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Ooop's! I wondered why the logo on the page looked different, but you must admit Harry was brilliant. :lol: :lol: Superbly brilliant and a fascinating history tour. I loved reading all 6 pages of it(that's a hint incase anyone misses the others) I 'may' get in trouble but I'm sure Gary wont mind just this once...I'm going to leave it there for now so Stallard etc has a chance to read, enjoy and reminisce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Someone post Stall a pic of the skittles - show him what's there now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabber Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Seems that in 60 years nothing has changesd in warrington town centre ,fighting and drunkeness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted October 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Thanks Algy and Dizzy and of course Harry. A walk down memory lane for me. My dad worked at Flemings Tannery on Battersby Lane, close to Mersey St. during the war and I remember the smell well. Lots of people took kids with asthma and held them over the stripping baths to cure it, it must have had something to do with the acid in there. One tale I remember, dad was the maintenance fitter and a couple of nights a week he had to do his turn and stay all night 'fire watching' on the roof, while the firemen slept. We lived in Gig Lane at the time and every time he had to stay, he would wait until everyone was asleep, then he would wheel out his bike and pedal off to Woolston. He would get back to the tannery before seven- thirty and nobody was the wiser. However, he couldn't count the number of times that he got as far as Hillock Lane when the 'sirens' went off. He had to turn around and pedal like a madman back to the plant !!! Lots of tales about the dog track too. I don't think there was ever an honest race run there. The favorite trick was to hobble the odds-on favorite by feeding it massive bowls of porridge just before the race. Poor dog's stomach would be dragging on the ground. They also had another trick involving a rubber band, but that wouldn't work on bitches. I was making good time with a beautiful girl one Saturday night at the Baths dance. Arranged to meet her at the front door to walk her home. A friend then told m that she was actually the girlfriend of the head Teddy Boy, but she was trying to dump him !!!! I hate to say it, but I slid out of a back door and never looked back !!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Discretion being the better part of valour?! :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 Discretion being the better part of valour?! :wink: Probably worried about getting something similar to the dogs' elastic band treatment!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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