Can I get a witness?! | An Historical Trail through Widnes

Jamie's vlog, stardate 39094.0 (September 2021). Apologies for calling the Mersey Gateway bridge the Mersey Multimodal Gateway - apparently that’s the bit where Stobart’s based.

Пікірлер: 54

  • @colinlawless5228
    @colinlawless52282 жыл бұрын

    Watching from Spain and seen my house in Widnes! Thanks for that.

  • @JotHaGie

    @JotHaGie

    2 жыл бұрын

    You’re welcome, Colin!

  • @lizzieh5284
    @lizzieh5284 Жыл бұрын

    There is a beautiful 1930s building on Kingsway that used to be the main NHS clinic. Im so glad they didnt demolish it like they did the Empire cinema whuch was another lovely 1930s building. The ciuncil built a car park in its place!

  • @jackwright1070
    @jackwright10702 жыл бұрын

    Very interesting. I was born in 1948 and lived in West Bank for 12 yrs. My father worked for ICI from 14yrs old until he retired. Loved your vlogs keep them coming. My mother was from St Helens borough Rd.I'ce lived in Australia since 1973.

  • @JotHaGie

    @JotHaGie

    2 жыл бұрын

    Cool, my Nan’s dad’s parents lived on Eldon Street. Cheers, Jack

  • @doegreendesignworkshop5444
    @doegreendesignworkshop54442 жыл бұрын

    Brilliant Video, I live in Warrington and know the area very well, fascinating story of the German bomber. Well presented, look forward to working my way throgh all of your other videos.

  • @JotHaGie

    @JotHaGie

    2 жыл бұрын

    I appreciate that :) I live in Warrington too. For some reason my videos of Widnes prove quite popular. I need to get out and do some more vids in our town. Enjoy watching ‘the archives’ lol

  • @parrotheadfreak
    @parrotheadfreak2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much for this tour, brought a tear to my eye.......From West Bank (where my dad was born and my grandfather was the lockkeeper on Spike Island for a while) to Simms Cross school on Kingsway (which was Kingway Secondary Modern, back in the day......my day, my school.) Back then my friends and I toured all the pubs in Widnes ('cause it's what you do, right?) I was born in 1947 (a hundred years after the first chemical plant was built and all my family there worked for ICI) Got married in 1969 to a Runcorn girl and lived there for a few years before emigrating to Canada in 1974........Great to see the old town on here. Thanks again, Jamie....

  • @JotHaGie

    @JotHaGie

    2 жыл бұрын

    Ahhh, what a lovely message to receive, thank you so much. And you’re very welcome. Greetings from a dreary showery north west!!

  • @dominicdoyle2895
    @dominicdoyle28952 жыл бұрын

    That was a great video sir. It’s great to sit here so far way from home (I live in San Diego) and watch many of my old haunts from my childhood shown here. Really appreciate you doing this. Subscribed also.

  • @phuckewe5876

    @phuckewe5876

    2 жыл бұрын

    You wouldn't recognise widnes now, they've ruined it.

  • @christinemerrifield6433
    @christinemerrifield64332 жыл бұрын

    Loved this....watching from Canada, but Widnes is home. The field the old WWII bomber landed on, there was a secondary school, S.S. Fisher and Moore, now demolished, on that field.

  • @Dave-er2pn
    @Dave-er2pn2 жыл бұрын

    There is a cottage hidden away at the top end of the field, dont know if its the one in question, but its quite close to a pond. If you are back in the area at all give me a shout and i will show you it.

  • @hazethere9410
    @hazethere94102 жыл бұрын

    It was me me who left the comment about the bomber, but you're right about where the bomber came down, it was roughly where you said at 15:23, the engines are buried on that rugby pitch somewhere, that's what they were looking for during the excavations. As for the cottage/farm house, it's tucked away behind the trees where ditton community centre is, just behind there. Some of the people on board bailed out, if I recall my grandad told me they bailed out over St Michael's Church but were soon captured when they landed in the fields. The survivors of the crash site (I probably should of mentioned that most of the wreckage is buried) were all taken to that farm house (for tea and toast) and later became POW. There is also a POW camp just down the road from white moss garden centre on the outskirts of widnes, there is some sort of watch tower still standing and a few old buildings, so maybe they were taken there, maybe it could all be revisited with Steve, I'm sure you can still go in there, although I'm not sure how safe it is nowadays. Another interesting story, especially for Halloween was that byron Street poltergeist in Runcorn, that would make another great video.

  • @JotHaGie

    @JotHaGie

    2 жыл бұрын

    Really enjoyed your input, and really surprised I found the spot! I recognised the trees. I read so much after doing this spur of the moment random mooch, like you said about the POWs being taken to the cottage and being offered tea and toast and the Germans in their pidgin English saying “now we know we are in England.” They bomb us and we invite them in and give them hospitality

  • @hazethere9410

    @hazethere9410

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@JotHaGie there's so much history that surrounds us, it's fascinating. My grandad told me a lot of it when I was a kid. If you ever do the walk again, definitely check out Ditton train station, there was a crash there back around when the titanic sunk, it was so severe it only never made the national headlines in the papers due to the titanic sinking! Maybe print some old photos off, you could include these on your walk to give viewers an idea of what was going on around the time. Love the videos, really interesting 👍

  • @JotHaGie

    @JotHaGie

    2 жыл бұрын

    I’ve had so much positive feedback and input from what is just me on walks, exploring the local area, it’s so inspiring. To be fair, if you’re interested, join me - let’s do a video together. Two heads are better than one and all that

  • @tiamieaton1952
    @tiamieaton1952 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the video!! My mom is from Widnes. This is the best I’ve got hope of seeing it.

  • @JotHaGie

    @JotHaGie

    Жыл бұрын

    You’re welcome, Tiami. Glad you enjoyed it

  • @lizzieh5284
    @lizzieh5284 Жыл бұрын

    Ive just found your channel. Very interesting vid of West Bank. I used to live there when it wasnt as nice as it is now. St Mary's Church is beautiful. I like the way you present. Please do some more on Widnes. Keep up the good work.😊

  • @lizzieh5284
    @lizzieh5284 Жыл бұрын

    That Poor Relief Hall was the Careers Office in the 1970s.

  • @johnlynch2279
    @johnlynch22792 жыл бұрын

    Keep doing what doing man. I left Widnes 1998

  • @JotHaGie

    @JotHaGie

    2 жыл бұрын

    Cheers, John. Hopefully get myself on another Widnesian adventure soon

  • @lizzieh5284
    @lizzieh5284 Жыл бұрын

    I loved this vid and enjoyed all the comments about my old home town. Thank you so much.

  • @JotHaGie

    @JotHaGie

    Жыл бұрын

    Cheers, Lizzie! And thank you so much for your comments too, great to learn some more history. Hopefully do another video around Widnes soon. Did you watch our Mersey walk video through Widnes as well?

  • @lizzieh5284

    @lizzieh5284

    Жыл бұрын

    @@JotHaGie I'll check that out. Thanks.

  • @DavidLPeel
    @DavidLPeel Жыл бұрын

    The largest CofE church in Widnes with the open air pulpit.

  • @johnbooth936
    @johnbooth9367 ай бұрын

    Great video

  • @JotHaGie

    @JotHaGie

    7 ай бұрын

    Cheers, John. I appreciate it :D

  • @lizzieh5284
    @lizzieh5284 Жыл бұрын

    Years ago Dundalk Road used to be a lane. There were hills at the bottom nade up of chemical waste. St Michaels Golf Course was built on them. Aresenic was found ipon this land and they gad to close the golf course.

  • @warwickrhoade5068

    @warwickrhoade5068

    Жыл бұрын

    Argued for years that when I was a kid Dundalk road was called Dundalk lane. Moved to Cunningham road from Moss Bank when I was 3 and a half.

  • @lizzieh5284
    @lizzieh5284 Жыл бұрын

    The church was called St Maries. Its been closed for years but i think it has got a preservation on it so it cant be demolished. Im sure there are others on here who know the derails.

  • @Alanthemulk
    @Alanthemulk Жыл бұрын

    The German bomber wasn't shot down on Dundalk road but on king George playing field on Liverpool road.. just behind st Raphaels church which is no longer in use... It was near to where fisher more school once stood.. now a housing estate... Nothing was ever found in 2008 when they went looking for it....

  • @JotHaGie

    @JotHaGie

    Жыл бұрын

    Wouldn’t you just love a time machine, Alan?

  • @hachimaru295

    @hachimaru295

    6 ай бұрын

    @@JotHaGie Actually what little they found and geolocated with old photos of the home guard around it The wreckeage site was just behind what is now the Frank Myler pavilion . But not on their land . Just over the border on the playing fields . One German baled out and landed at Ash lane and was soon inside the farm waiting for the home guard The other was stuck in the trees at what is now ferndale court care home on st micaels road and they wouldnt cut him down till he threw doen his hand gun .Two airmen were killed in action and where relocated from Widnes cemetry to the German war cemetry in staffordshire . I dont believe theres anythig as substantial as engines bured in the ground there in widnes . the comander Wolfgang Berlin spent the remainder of ww2 as a POW in Canada using what three words the location would be ///supper.elbow.faced

  • @doctormo
    @doctormo2 жыл бұрын

    When you passed by Victoria square, you have to imagine the old lamp post with crowds gathered, meeting, singing and marching.

  • @JotHaGie

    @JotHaGie

    2 жыл бұрын

    Mate, I’d love a time machine. Old B&W photos make me so nostalgic, as does local historical research

  • @doctormo

    @doctormo

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@JotHaGie I got me a copy of "Into the Crucible" by Jean M. Morris. It's crammed with Widnes specific history, although the chapter on horrifying genocide of the Irish potato famine is fascinating to fit into local history. For example; Widnes was a hotbed Finion town, who's first MP was a Tory because the lying Tory told the Irish that he supported home rule for Ireland. Dear lord we don't learn do we. :-$

  • @TherymasterWidnes
    @TherymasterWidnes2 жыл бұрын

    Great vid mate.

  • @JotHaGie

    @JotHaGie

    2 жыл бұрын

    Cheers, fella. Much appreciated. Hoping to get back to Widnes and do another one soon

  • @iansaxby729
    @iansaxby7292 жыл бұрын

    Hi, enjoyed the video and sorry to be a pedant but Mersey Multimodal Gateway is the name of the industrial estate at the site of the old West Bank Docks. The new bridge is called the Mersey Gateway.

  • @JotHaGie

    @JotHaGie

    2 жыл бұрын

    So I’ve been told 🙈 there’s a lot to be said about doing research lol

  • @mariegreaves4001
    @mariegreaves4001 Жыл бұрын

    My maiden name was Marie Tobin. I live in Widnes. My dad was Frank Tobin, who was raised in Dog Lane, Widnes, with his 3 brothers John, Phil and Dennis. His dad was Patrick and mum was Mary. They came over from Ireland, related ti the Mooneys from Bray.

  • @JotHaGie

    @JotHaGie

    Жыл бұрын

    We may well be related! I’ve photos of my great-grandmother in Bray in the ‘50s.

  • @mariegreaves4001

    @mariegreaves4001

    Жыл бұрын

    @@JotHaGie that would be interesting. 😊

  • @g7149223

    @g7149223

    Жыл бұрын

    We may be related too! My great grandmother was called Annie Tobin who married James Glynn! Both were from the Widnes / Warrington area.

  • @phuckewe5876
    @phuckewe58762 жыл бұрын

    The eye witness they used for the dig was old and he got confused to were the pond was located (as its not visible anymore) which the plane crashed into. I was late for the dig i could've shown them the pond, they said they would re dig at a later date but the lad who organised it has moved away.

  • @anthonymcdonnell6615
    @anthonymcdonnell6615 Жыл бұрын

    the church was st maries

  • @anthonymcdonnell6615
    @anthonymcdonnell6615 Жыл бұрын

    Ashley way next to where websters well in front of it Was Widnes Central station

  • @hachimaru295

    @hachimaru295

    6 ай бұрын

    yes good spot the road is on the tracks

  • @bethk3773
    @bethk37732 жыл бұрын

    Who lives at 26 Cincton Court ?

  • @JotHaGie

    @JotHaGie

    2 жыл бұрын

    No idea!

  • @joinermikeprep7297
    @joinermikeprep72972 жыл бұрын

    Don't know how to pm you but if u can pm me I can hook u up with my dad , he does most of the volunteer maintanance at Lowe house, he could show u around and get u access to the tower , would be a good video 👍👍🇦🇺