Whilst enjoying a spot of lunch today at Thornton Lodge my mum got talking to couple who had very admirably cycled from Preston. The gentleman was asking my mum if she remembered where Dish Dolls was. It wasn't in Thornton but was a cafe and was apparently the 'in' place years ago. My mum has an idea that it might have been around where The Ranch House is now in Pressall. Now not one to pass up a challenge I've looked and can't find anything so does anybody else know where it was? I gave them this site to come and look for the answer so hopefully we will be able to solve the mystery.
**UPDATE **More Here
As for the Knife and Dagger .. I haven't even been able to find anyone who even remembers it being a pub so am not doing very well on that one at all.
Now for the Quiz ...Where in Thornton Am I? .. and the answer is
The steeple on Wignall Chapel
It's actually quite an intricate steeple with gargoyles to boot!
In 1st place .. Mike
In 2nd place .. James
In 3rd place .. Brenda
Just for funIt's a dogs Life!
A
i also have spoken to a number of folk who lived in burn naze from the thirty,s to date and not one of them even remembers the pub. thaey all think i am making it up.
ReplyDeleteMelanie, cant help with dish dolls i have never heard of it.
we have a dog that would do that if she were allowed on the sofa.
Hi, I've just been informed by my "Staff" that the Dish Dolls was "ower Dike",somewere along Bull park,
ReplyDeleteRE the Pub the theory is that as the Burn Haze
Hotel was on ICI(Formally Bruner Mons) owned land and the chemical plant was the main employer it was more or less the company Pub,and
was directly in line with the foot bridge exit from the chemical plant and the other closed through lack of trade.
The few old ens I'ved spoken to (Mostly Ex ICI employees)always drank at the Burn Haze Pub,
Do'nt look as if theres any scandal.
e
hi all . dish dolls ! your a nightmare u are HH. ive stll got everybody working on the knife and dagger and now you started on dish dolls !!! for a start im getting nowher fast with the knife and dagger , still waiting for one more person to get back to me . i remember my mum and dad mentioning dish dolls , but obviously wasnt taking any notice , probably thinking about some band or bird or both !!! either way just phoned my mate and he seems to think there was a sign on garstang road around great/little ecclestone for Dish Dolls and its ringing a bell for me to . i`ll more enquiries tomorrow . cheers all . regards andy
ReplyDeleteHi James
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Dish Dolls am still making some enquiries to see if I can narrow it down a bit.
Hi andy
Sorry lol. I can't resist a mystery. I can't believe this week has gone by already and still haven't chased up those docs on the pub. Nobody believes me that it even used to be a pub!
Hi Mike
ReplyDeleteThat picture really makes me laugh .. make yourself at home why don't you!
sorry also meant to say , was talking to an old boy who started work on the old ici/power station in 1945 and he swears blind the knife and dagger had already closed its doors as a pub even then , cheers regards andy
ReplyDeleteI've had a pint or 3 in the Burn Naze Hotel, worked in the site forman's office on Hillhouse for a while in the 40s, can't recall any mentioning it. If it had been open prior to 1949 then I think my Mates and I would have had a wet in there.
ReplyDeleteRE Andy's Post, Cross Cartford Bridge follow the Rd you'll end up on Bull park,Or, cross Chard Bridge go straight on at the mini rounabout, My wife and step daughter used to go there regularly in the late 60s/70s.
ReplyDeleteThe knife and dagger (otherwise known as Burn Naze club ) closed its doors for the last time at 11.45 in the evening , not sure of the exact date but im 90% sure it was 1950 . the `club` was raided for after hours drinking , and most of the customers were fined 25/-(25shillings ). the two ladies that told me the story , both there parents were in there at the time and both sets of parents were fined the above fine . one of thems older sister was also in there but she didnt get fined cause she was drinking shandy , and got away with it . theres more to tell but ive got a hospital appointment with my son . regards andy
ReplyDeleteHi Andy
ReplyDeleteHope everything goes ok at the hospital. Can't wait for the rest of it.
Hi James
ReplyDeleteNow I might be in the completely wrong part of over wyre (it wouldn't be the first time!) Isn't there (or wasn't there) a building along there that eventually became a restaurant. The only way I can describe it is they always used to have chefs whites on the washing line in the garden? There now you're bound to know where I mean ;-)
Hi H.H.,My better half says Dish Dolls was a restaurant,she Can't remember exactly were it was.they used to go for evening meals.I've never been there, in the far east at that time.
ReplyDeleteHi all regarding the knife and dagger (burn naze club) . The two elderly ladies who told me the story have lived in burn naze all there lives , one was around 17/18 at the time the other 11 and attending burn naze school . the elder of the two had been on a night out to the tower ballroom , after leaving blackpool on the last train at 11.15 . the train arrived at burn naze station at 11.45 , after stops at layton , poulton etc . when she got off the train there was a mass of activity outside the club police and other officials were milling around with many local well known faces including her mum and dad , sister and brother in law . they were all fined 25/- shillings for drinking outside the appropriate hours apart from her sister who was drinking shandy so got off with it . the actual year we think was 1950/51 her sister got married in 1950 and it was either that year or a year later . the landlord/manager of the knife and dagger at that time was Mr Taylor who ran the club with his wife . the other lady who i was talking to today said that her parents had said to her that they were all sat drinking when a load of people started coming toward the club and her parents thought that they were off the boats at fleetwood on a night out . it turned out to be the local officials/police etc , after that night the pub/club never opened its doors again , until it was taken by fleets builders a few years later . the two elderly ladies also told one or two other bits and pieces about life around burn naze at the time to . A few weeks ago there was a thread about mr heys , who built burn naze , well they were still paying rent to mr heys around that time . also they rented the field opposite edward street , where they kept pigs , goats , chickens etc , mr heys also owned that field , but sold out when the ici came to town , they were turfed off there field which the family had rented for years and the ici built that massive chimney and that other huge building thats getting dismantled at the moment . what an interesting morning they`ve both got many a tale to tell from old burn naze and i spoke to one of them who if you want to go round HH that would be fine .Im sure they would have some bits and bobs that would be interesting for the site , cheers all regards andy
ReplyDeleteHi Andy
ReplyDeleteThat's fantastic .. thanks very much for taking the time and solving the mystery. Am going to do a page on the site about buildings which have changed or gone. A bit of a misc bit so to say.
Hi Andy, Ask your friends if they remember my wifes siblings, Bob Cooper and his wife Edith(Nee Potter) and Irwin"Taff" Cooper? both lived in Burn Naze in the 40s /50s, Edith Potters family had lived there for generations,and they posibly knew me. The building with the Chimney was the old coal fired power station now being demolished to make way for a 150 unit housing development. I knew it well used to go and collect the time sheets when I worked in the ICI offices.I think ICI bought out the Brunner Mons Chemical site towards the end or just after WW1, as i've said before Hillhouse was built in late 1938 by the MOD, Prior to that was Hillhouse Farm, farmed by Dick Cartmel who moved to the farm on Mains lane next to the service station (now barn converted housing)ICI took over the buildings after the end of WW2,and opened a Nylon Plant although the site was still controled by MOD Police when I worked there.
ReplyDeleteAs i remember the last train from Blackpool North to Fleetwood in the 40s was t 1020pm I've run from the Tower Ballroom often enough to catch it, and the ICI social Club was just off Fleetwood Rd were the entrance to Heritage Park Housing development now stands,(My younger daughters house(Peace place) stands on the actual site. (More useless dross.)
Re My previous post. If the elder sister was 17/18 years old in 1954 when the pub/club when closed
ReplyDeletethey would'nt know me as I would be 5 or 6 years older.
I asked on Brians Forum as well about Dish Dolls and I think Frank has managed to narrow it down further. Bull Park Lane continues through to St Michaels although the road name changes along the way. Frank rememebers it being on the back of the tickets for Cartford Bridge in the 60's and thinks it is to the right after you go over the toll bridge. That would fit nicely as the river is next to the road there. Am thinking of having a run out to have a look tomorrow.
ReplyDeletehi all . james i`ll ask the old girls when i pick em up again in my cab , im sure they`ll no the name you mentioned , cause there both true burn nazers been there since time began !! i dont know there surnames sorry but there alice and gladis not that that`ll be much help to you !!. as it turns out i also new the barman on the night of the raid !! but he sadly passed away a year or to ago , but he was from a well known thornton family .going back to alice and gladis they`ve both got so many tales to tell and im sure they would know things of interest to the site . HH i asked alice if it would be possible for somebody from the site (i.e you !!) to go round and have a natter about all things burn naze/thornton and thats fine . if you want i can introduce you , if you get time . not that you aint got enough to do !!! also i was standing on lambs hill car boot today , and got talking to an old customer of mine . my old old man and i were stamp dealers 70s 80s early 90s , and this bloke i was talking to has a couple of very scarce postcards which he offered to scan for me , norman is a member of the poulton historical society and goes round all the stamp/ postcard fairs , car boots etc and could be very useful in finding old thornton stuff to scan for the site . thats me ive got a very rare day off tomorrow and im taking my lad fishing ,bye for now regards andy
ReplyDeleteoops sorry forgot about dish dolls , according to a couple of people ive spoken to , dish dolls , if you went over cartford bridge turn right and its half a mile down on the left hand side . they reckon its now been demolished . but like james said its like the extension of bull park lane . but the road changes its name further up , sorry cant remember what the roads called . cheers regards andy
ReplyDeleteHi Andy thaks very much again for all the effort and info. I would love to go round and see Alice. I am trying to find (blag) a second hand laptop from my brother at the mo. I need one with voice recognition as I can't write with my hands .. good job I can type but you don't need your thumbs for that!
ReplyDeleteMy other brother has a dictaphone which I will see if I can borrow as I'll never remember everything that is said. I'd also like to show some of the pics of the site to seee if she can pin point them. I'll see what I can do and get back to you.
hi HH no probs . im sure she will be able to do that . also she said she probably had photos , paperwork etc that you may be able to use , but they wern`t to hand and she needed to dig them out . you never know whats lying around in peoples attics , from a social history point of view . cheers gotta go regards andy
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I also have just found this site and wonder if anyone knows anything about an explosion at ICI during the 40's in which one of the workers lost his legs?
ReplyDeleteJust found this photo of the Dishdolls dated 1955
ReplyDeletehttp://www.francisfrith.com/uk/over-kellet/over-wyre-dishdolls-cafe-c1955_o91001
Looking on Google Maps it looks like the old Dishdolls cafe is still there. I searched for The Poachers Pocket, Rawcliffe Rd, Out Rawcliffe, Preston, Lancashire PR3 6BS, and came up with this.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.com/maps/@53.8648779,-2.8746107,3a,83.1y,5.71h,80.46t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sFmHWS3PHcuO4BIuKKsPnKw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en-GB
Grew up at dish dolls, grandad bought it and it was poachers pocket
ReplyDelete