The next holiday we took was to the isle of I’d say it was about 1971. Jackie & Trevor came, Mum & Dad, Graham and me. We went on the ferry from , it was like going abroad to me. We stayed in a B & B Guest House, The Clifton I remember, I thought we were so posh and so elite.

I remember going to on the bus, a return ticket, admission to the indoor swimming baths, a hot chicken soup on the way out of the baths and a ride on the fairground, all for Half a Crown. We went as often as mum would give us any money.

Later I met John Anstey and married in 1978. We lived in and then moved to Atherton, after a few years we divorced.

I work in a Local betting shop and have been there for 22 years. I seem to have settled in Atherton and found a nice little niche for myself. We holiday in whenever we can and as often as possible. We love it.

Updated 4 Jan.2009

Hi, I’m Sandra, ninth of ten siblings. I was born on the 16th. August 1957 in Whittle Drive Ormskirk, as I grew up on this estate I soon found lots of friends, most of us kept together through our school years.

I followed most of my brothers and sisters going to West End infant school and then to Greetby Hill junior school.

I remember our school days where happy days, my school friends to name a few, Sandra Nicole, Christine Wilson, the Macdonald twins and Kathleen Hore, ‘Kate’ she was a big friend of mine, we got into many scrapes together, these were real happy days.

I had a party when I was 10. I have a Photo took in front garden. Back left Yvonne Burns, me, Irene Jaworski, middle right, A Macdonald twin Janice or Jeanette both were same, Kathleen Hore, Susan Ashcroft, Christine Wilson, then the other twin with Andrew Wilson and our Graham.

It was my only party and I don’t remember any one else having a party. I was very happy because mum had made me a new gold dress with a kipper tie, I loved it.

I wish the photo was in colour. Mum made so many of my clothes and knitted all our woollies, she could make them like those in fashion and I was never short of clothes. I didn’t get hand downs either as I followed 3 boys.

I remember Marilyn having a pair of shoes with zips up the front of them, I loved them and wished they’d fit me, I wanted Jacqueline’s dresses as well cause they had darts in (where a bust went) and I don’t recall Marilyn’s or Dorothy’s having darts, so I obviously wanted a bust like Jackie, as it happened I ended up with more than them all put together.

I remember we often travelled alone to New Brighton for the day or to the ‘Silver blades’ Ice rink in Liverpool when we were only 10 or 11 years old, today this would not be safe to do so, but life then was much safer. Sometimes we even had our Graham and Kate’s brother Billy in tow.

At 11 I went to Wigan Road school, I wasn’t really the academic type as most of you know, I read the ‘Bunty’ more than school books but I guess I muddled through with Kate who was still my best friend, our friends from Greetby Hill were still with us.

We laughed a lot at school, how could we forget ‘Miss Lathom’ she was always going on about how much makeup we had on, or, our heels were too high, or, our skirts were to short,

It’s just as well she couldn’t see the kids of today with piecing and afro hair styles, she would have died.

I haven’t forgotten the ‘humming’ Dickie Thomas, our deputy headmaster, who would shout out ‘YOU with the red tie’, we all wore RED ties.

Looking back I have good school memories, I enjoyed playing Hockey and Netball, I used to read and compose poems, I still do.

I can remember most people in my class although I haven’t seen them since leaving school, what has happened to Karen White, Dianne Bromley, Neil Hussy, Kevin Jordan or Eileen Roughly the list is endless.

I remember Jackie liking Mick Jagger & the stones, Mally liked Donovan & Paul McCartney and Dot liked Roy Orbison. They all shared a bedroom at one time and the walls were covered in pictures and posters of the pop stars.

Pics from the "Jackie" magazine and the "Mirabelle". I remember them all getting ready to go out with boyfriends and me wanting to go with them. I wasn’t very popular when I moaned to Mum to let me go with them coz she would tell them to take me.

Later I got my own boyfriend when I met the boy’s mates Ray Holburt was my idol. He sent me a birthday card when I was 10 and I still have it, it was so special to me.

Ray played in our gangs as we got a bit older, him and his brother Tony. Lots of lads off the estate came & hung around on the car park opposite our house or on our back field. We all played games like "Sides in --sides out "", a game in the dark with torches. One side hid in the field, and the other side searched for them with torches. It was a grown up game of hide & seek I suppose. Ray Holbert played and their Tony, Ronnie Edwards, Gary Woods, John and Eddie defiantly and maybe our Eric and me and our Graham if they let us. I wonder who else remembers ?

My bedroom walls were dedicated to David Cassidy.When I was small I remember Dad coming home from work across the front field on a Friday night and me and Graham running to meet him coz Fridays meant he had spangles or penny arrows bars for us in his pockets.

As we got older we used to play card games at night as a family. We played ‘Can I Have’, Doug & Glad, John & Lynne, me, Mum, Eric, Eddie, Lots of us played, whoever was in, Mum loved playing cards. We’d have toast or crumpets for supper and all sit in the front room around a coffee table and play. Sometimes the lads brought their mates in to play as well.

It was bad in our house if you were watching telly or sat doing nothing, if you moved you had to say "No one get my place" to reserve your seat when you came back, otherwise it was gone. But no one sat in Dads chair if he was in, but he did go to bed early.

We had a holiday in 1966, we went to Butlin’s at Phwelli, Great, all of us didn’t go, Dot, Dougie or Colin didn’t but the rest did.

Eric I remember went horse riding I thought he was brave. I joined the Beaver club, played all the games, joined in the marches & singing, swam & HAD A FABULOUS time, if holidays could last forever.

The next holiday we took was to the isle of Man. I’d say it was about 1971. Jackie & Trevor came, Mum & Dad, Graham and me. We went on the ferry from Liverpool, it was like going abroad to me. We stayed in a B & B Guest House, The Clifton I remember, I thought we were so posh and so elite.

I remember it being so warm on the beach. Our summers seemed so much longer & warmer when I was young. Then in winter the snow was so deep on our back field that we used to fall backwards into it and no one could tell where we were.

I remember going to Southport on the bus, a return ticket, admission to the indoor swimming baths, a hot chicken soup on the way out of the baths and a ride on the fairground, all for Half a Crown. We went as often as mum would give us any money.

One time in Southport, Ray Holbert, me, Kathleen Hore and our Graham, one of us kicked a scrunched up £5 note on Lord Street, well we thought we were Millionaires, Loaded, we split it 4 ways and thought we’d never spend it all but we did, we hit the pleasure beach and went on all the rides we wanted, we had a ‘Ball’, I wonder do the others remember it. We had a day to remember!
After school in 1972, I started work and worked in the Accounts Department at Ormskirk Photos, a Laboratary in Ormskirk that developed photos from chemists and shops etc.

Later I met John Anstey and married in 1978. We lived in Wigan and then moved to Atherton, after a few years we divorced.

I then met Phillip Nutter. We lived together and had a son Phillip Jnr. in May 1985. Phillip and I parted in 1991.

I stayed in Atherton and met Paul in 1995. Phillip my son still lives with us.

I work in a Local betting shop and have been there for 22 years. I seem to have settled in Atherton and found a nice little niche for myself. We holiday in Turkey whenever we can and as often as possible. We love it.

We visit Altinkum mostly and have met many friends who we are still in contact with.



Updated 4 Jan.2009