I knew Donald quite well Eric, he used to mate out with a guy called Billy Walmsley, who's mother had the hair dressers opposite the Town Hall, another chap called John Marsden, John went into the Marchant Navy, he now lives on Fairfield Street, and is a regular in Ossy Con. Brian MaCandrew was another of the crew. Billy Walmsley now lives in East Anglia, near Grea Yarmouth, He's a Dentist, that is if he hasn't retired now, they are all around my age 61 or 62

John Marsden is my cousin.Holy faeces .... you knew Wham ... and Johnny Marsden .... it is indeed a small world .... do the names Ray Barker, Sid Wright, Ian Wade ring a bell?
I've got dogs to walk, cats to feed, and grass to cut .... I'll PM you later if that's ok.![]()
PS need to modify last post - he is my cousin 'once removed'
His grandmother and my grandmother were sisters.
He was an usher at my first wedding
If this goes on I will be able walk over there, or at least take a bus
I've just PMd Eric about John, Margaret, he still goes in Ossy Con, infact he's on the committee, used to see him every week, but ain't been out much lately, have known John for over 50 yearsJohn Marsden is my cousin.
His mum, my godmother Margaret, died recently.
Does the Pioneer Working Men's Club not appear because it is in Church?
It still operates now when most others have closed
Holy faeces .... you knew Wham ... and Johnny Marsden .... it is indeed a small world .... do the names Ray Barker, Sid Wright, Ian Wade ring a bell?
I've got dogs to walk, cats to feed, and grass to cut .... I'll PM you later if that's ok.![]()
And the world gets even smallerIf this goes on I will be able walk over there, or at least take a bus
![]()

Was Ray Barker a bookie if so I Knew him well?
Gets any smaller Eric I will be disappearing up my own???![]()

Was he the one selling ice cream?PS need to modify last post - he is my cousin 'once removed'
His grandmother and my grandmother were sisters.
He was an usher at my first wedding

Ian Wade had the butchers shop at the corner of Park Road and Countess Street Accrington, can remember billy having the accident, I think his dad (Jack) band the experiments in he cerlar after that, Billy is a dentist, as a practise somewhere in East Anglia not far from Great Yarmouth, John Marsden used to go down there for a holiday each year and occasonally bill used to come this way and stayed with his brother, saw him a few years back in Ossy Con when he came in with John, before that hadn't seen him for yearsDonald Vaughn, Billy Walmsley and Raymond Barker used to run their own chemistry lab in Billy's cellar using items recovered from various sources around Ossy. They were fairly successful building rockets until one blew up in Billy's face and burned off his eyebrows. Took them about a year to grow back in. Raymond went to work in a "Turf Accountants" on Union Street I think.
Donald lost his mother quite tragically when still at the grammar school. Raymond lost his dad in about the same time frame. Very sad. Was Ian Wade a Butcher?
I remember 3 card brag at Vaughn's as if it was yesterday.
Donald Vaughn, Billy Walmsley and Raymond Barker used to run their own chemistry lab in Billy's cellar using items recovered from various sources around Ossy. They were fairly successful building rockets until one blew up in Billy's face and burned off his eyebrows. Took them about a year to grow back in. Raymond went to work in a "Turf Accountants" on Union Street I think.
Donald lost his mother quite tragically when still at the grammar school. Raymond lost his dad in about the same time frame. Very sad. Was Ian Wade a Butcher?
I remember 3 card brag at Vaughn's as if it was yesterday.

I thowt tha were supposed to be sumat of a historian, little Joe Hurley were killed in 1935.There's a photo of the Australian on page 86 of the book called 'Industry & Prudence; a plan for Accrington' It was taken from the railway viaduct c 1948. Put your nose close to the page and you can smell the river
Bronco was Bill Hodson. He killed Joe Hurley in 1934

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