Ashton Wakes

[RuslanPashayev]

Dear Friends,
according my info Ashton Wakes were one of the oldest in South Lancashire and were dated back to 1500's They were usually held annually on August 21st. But to the best of my knowledge there were some "other" wakes in Ashton in October. Need your help. If anyone knows anything about Ashton Wakes in October please let me know, I would highly appreciate that. Thanks in advance. Kind regards, Ruslan.

[LizzieW]

Wakes week was usually one week in August and was the week when all the factories shut and the workers went on holiday usually by coach (charabanc as they were called) depending which part of the country, to either Blackpool or Rhyl in the north or I guess, Southend or Brighton in the south.  I've never heard of a Wakes Day as your post implies, and I have no idea why Ashton or anywhere else for that matter should hold one in October.  I'm interested to hear about this from someone who knows about Wakes holidays.

[RuslanPashayev]

Dear Lizzie, thanks for your reply appreciate.
Yeah Ashton Wakes - third week of August just like many other local wakes.
I found on BritishNewspaperArchives - BNA reports on "another" Ashton Wakes, and yes they were in October. I am going to post those old newspaper articles later today.Thanks.Kind regards, Ruslan

[heywood]

Hello Ruslan,
In Oldham (next town to Ashton) we had the main wakes week which began on the penultimate Saturday in June and then a September holiday also.
I think Wakes used to be August but then moved to June and instead of the August bank holiday, the town had September week.
It may be then that if Ashton wakes was August, then there may have been a late summer week too.
Heywood

[RuslanPashayev]

October Wakes at Ashton.

[RuslanPashayev]

October Wakes at Ashton.

[RuslanPashayev]

Ok, thanks Heywood and Lizzie.
As promised earlier today, clips from BNA.
Need opinion from experts.
So wakes were kind of "traveling" festivals/holidays?
An its not surprising they may have had them in October instead of August?

[heywood]

That would likely have been a second holiday.
In my own town, the September holiday began as a long weekend and then became a week’s break.
I only remember calling the June holiday ‘Wakes’ and the later one just ‘September holidays’.

We also called the travelling fair, ‘the Wakes’  rather than the fair.

Industry closed, many shops closed and the town became very quiet.

[bodger]

I recall going there in the 1950s, black pudding & peas stall