Your childhood memories of bolton town centre

Sluffy, are you from the Cloggs era?

thanks Sluffy, it looks so different to now, i've seen pictures of when you could drive past the town hall but was before my time. I remember Boydells and the Army & Navy store though

whatsgoingon wrote:

Norpig wrote:you missed out on the golden era Boggers, Friday and Saturday night down Bradshawgate, every pub rammed and then off to Ritzys, Central Park or for me, Pink Panthers, Happy days 

used to be a set route that everyone followed because you used to bump into the same people in every pub. We used to start in the Man & Scythe, over to the Brass Cat, round to Swannies across to Yates's for an Aussie White and then Maxims then Ritzy's. Went to Sundowners as well which was a dive but you always pulled in there.

 we did similar but i think it must be a town thing because in Manchester people tend to stay in one place and not move on very often.
When i first started seeing the wife (she's a Manc) she couldn't believe it was one drink then move on 

Never heard of Sundowners, where was that?

karlypants wrote:Sluffy, are you from the Cloggs era?

When I was little there was an old woman who lived on the same street as me who wore clogs and a shawl, Mrs Whittle I think her name was.  

My mam used to send me up to her house every so often to see if she wanted me to bring her anything from the corner shop in the next street.

I also remember that she always gave the kids in the street cups of black peas and treacle toffee on bonfire night.

True story - so yes I guess I am, just about.

Norpig wrote:

whatsgoingon wrote:

Norpig wrote:you missed out on the golden era Boggers, Friday and Saturday night down Bradshawgate, every pub rammed and then off to Ritzys, Central Park or for me, Pink Panthers, Happy days 

used to be a set route that everyone followed because you used to bump into the same people in every pub. We used to start in the Man & Scythe, over to the Brass Cat, round to Swannies across to Yates's for an Aussie White and then Maxims then Ritzy's. Went to Sundowners as well which was a dive but you always pulled in there.

 we did similar but i think it must be a town thing because in Manchester people tend to stay in one place and not move on very often.
When i first started seeing the wife (she's a Manc) she couldn't believe it was one drink then move on 

Never heard of Sundowners, where was that?

Back Street behind Newport Street it was the Bus Inn prior to that, I'm sure half the women in there were hookers

whatsgoingon wrote:

Norpig wrote:you missed out on the golden era Boggers, Friday and Saturday night down Bradshawgate, every pub rammed and then off to Ritzys, Central Park or for me, Pink Panthers, Happy days 

used to be a set route that everyone followed because you used to bump into the same people in every pub. We used to start in the Man & Scythe, over to the Brass Cat, round to Swannies across to Yates's for an Aussie White and then Maxims then Ritzy's. Went to Sundowners as well which was a dive but you always pulled in there.

Now it's, start in hogarths, the. Man n scythe if you fancy a thatchers, over to Yates, possibly dragon fly/C2 then off to courtneys to pull the best looking bird you can find

I'd not been out in Bolton for years until about a year ago and i was amazed how quiet it was on Bradshawgate, Hogarths was busy but the rest of town was dead which is a shame as i've had many great nights out in Bolton town centre over the years

anyone used to go to the kids versions of the Dance Factory and Ritzy's? We used to buy a bottle of Strongbow each and drink it in Queens Park before trying to act sober and get in 

Norpig wrote:anyone used to go to the kids versions of the Dance Factory and Ritzy's? We used to buy a bottle of Strongbow each and drink it in Queens Park before trying to act sober and get in 

We used to drop opened bottles of Poppers on the floor at the Dance Factory. Not when there were any kids there of course! Had some good times (and fights) in there.

used to spend a lot of time in here playing 5 a side, badminton and squash on occasion, everyone recognise it?

Was that in Silverwell street?

boltonbonce wrote:Was that in Silverwell street?

 spot on Bouncey 

I remember when  you coudn't buy a pizza or kebab in Bolton.

Aristotle's restaurant  and The Golden Lion were  the height of sophistication.

The Beachcomber was the place to be seen.

Norpig wrote:used to spend a lot of time in here playing 5 a side, badminton and squash on occasion, everyone recognise it?

Used to play table tennis there every Wednesday. The guy that taught us must have been in his 90's

Norpig wrote:used to spend a lot of time in here playing 5 a side, badminton and squash on occasion, everyone recognise it?

I played 5-a-side there as well and also watched Bolton's basketball team (The Hawks) when they had their one and only season in the National League -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983%E2%80%9384_National_Basketball_League_season

I used to also go underage drinking at near by Wood Street snooker club and play at Bolton Chess club also on Wood Street.

Happy days.

Don't remember going into Town much until i was a teenager, we had quite a few of what we called 
The Flicks, Picture Houses out of Town. The Carlton aka The Mount on Mount st. Halliwell, The Palladium, Higher Bridge st. The Crompton on Crompton Way next to The Castle Pub, they were only cheap about a Tanner at most  .

Also one of my favourite places  Moss st. Baths, Sluffy and a few of the other Oldtimers should remember that place.

The Town Centre was for later when i could hold my Drink

Banks of the Croal wrote:Don't remember going into Town much until i was a teenager, we had quite a few of what we called 
The Flicks, Picture Houses out of Town. The Carlton aka The Mount on Mount st. Halliwell, The Palladium, Higher Bridge st. The Crompton on Crompton Way next to The Castle Pub, they were only cheap about a Tanner at most  .

Also one of my favourite places  Moss st. Baths, Sluffy and a few of the other Oldtimers should remember that place.

The Town Centre was for later when i could hold my Drink

I do indeed.

Every Sunday morning when I was little my father used to take me and my older brother (who could swim) to Moss Street. Although they spent a lot of time trying to teach me I was simply could not get the hang of it.

It wasn't helped much when at junior school we had to go once a week to Whitecroft Road School to use their swimming pool, and the swimming teacher at that time used to make us line up by height at the edge of the pool and jump in.

Being on the tall side for my age meant me lining up along the deep end and I guess the thinking back then was that kids would either sink or swim!

I was petrified of having to do this and twisted myself in mid jump to try and catch hold of the wall the best I could on my way down.

The funny thing is though not once did it ever enter my mind to refuse - no one ever said no to the teacher back then.

I eventually learned to swim in the first year of my secondary school at Bridgeman Street baths and have loved swimming ever since.

Barb Dwyer wrote:

Norpig wrote:used to spend a lot of time in here playing 5 a side, badminton and squash on occasion, everyone recognise it?

Used to play table tennis there every Wednesday. The guy that taught us must have been in his 90's

Was it Bonce?

Banks of the Croal wrote:Don't remember going into Town much until i was a teenager, we had quite a few of what we called 
The Flicks, Picture Houses out of Town. The Carlton aka The Mount on Mount st. Halliwell, The Palladium, Higher Bridge st. The Crompton on Crompton Way next to The Castle Pub, they were only cheap about a Tanner at most  .

Also one of my favourite places  Moss st. Baths, Sluffy and a few of the other Oldtimers should remember that place.

The Town Centre was for later when i could hold my Drink

 i grew up in Halliwell and went to Moss St Baths all the time, it would have been the late 70's and early 80's. By that time it was a bit of a dump