RAF Haydock

[JAMIEKLUTE]

Shiralee,

If Alex Murphy was on the same watch as you than we must have been there at the same time. Do you remember anybody who worked in the Station Hq ?., namely Gwen Nicholas or Jim Monkman ?.

If my memory serves me right, the transport cafe was exactly where you say.

British Legion Club was at the bottom of the lane.

Jamieklute

[Dancing Master]

Alex was only a token member of RAF Haydock so that he could continue to play Rugby League at St Helens.

There were quite a few of the other "Saints players" there under the same rules as well.

Here are the comments from my friends from Haydock (Yickers)

1.

ask sir alex murphy were it was, he did most of his time there, with occasional week-end leave to play for saints, it was raf haydock, there has never been an raf blackbrook, allthough it was raf haydock it was only a radio station not an operational station for planes to take off and land,


2. The RAF Camp isn't 'in' Haydock. It's actually in Seneley Green/Garswood. The head lease to the land it stands on belongs to the Gerrard family (bancrupt title) whereas Haydock's head lease belongs to the Legh family (Lord Newton). The boundary between the two 'manors' is Clipsley Brook. If you go along the new 'Blackbrook by-pass' (A58) and turn down towards Haydock, you'll notice a 'Welcome to Haydock' sign, at the point where Clipsley Brook runs under the road. The by-pass side of the brook isn't Blackbrook, it's Seneley Green/Garswood.

Springfield Park is built on the the section of the camp where the offices and the naafi were. The radio centre and associated offices were on the opposite side of Haydock Lane going towards the East Lancs.

[shiralee]

Hi Jamieklute - thanks for confirming the situation of the Transport Cafe, (the reason I went from 9 stone to 13 stone whilst at Haydock)  I did not really know anyone from HQ I am afraid.

Dancingmaster - RAF Haydock was not a radio station but North West Signals Centre and it was just tape relay and teleprinters.

Found the geographical/historical info very interesting.

Alex was not the only rugby player on my watch, there was another one who once  lifted me up and put me in the waste paper sack - he must have been a big lad (see above)

Soon lost the extra weight when no longer tempted by giant breakfasts and huge mugs of tea !!

[Dancing Master]

The cafe was  Burkhills.  was there till the East Lancs got an overdose of Little Chef's and those short of cafes.

Then the lorry drivers were not as numerous as they had been.

Spent many many happy times at Carr Mill.

I have a present day photograph of the road junction at Carr Mill and where Burkhills greasy spoon used to be.

[Dracmac]

 :I always remember coming off night bind & tottering over there at about 0830. Seems to be an awful shotage of folk there when I was even though we had A B C  E & night watch. There nov 56 to May 1958

[Dancing Master]

it was a family run business and they also had a cafe (Edinburgh Cafe) in Church Street, St Helens, and they bought out Mortons Bakery in North Road, St Helens.

So early in the mornings they would be baking bread and the most wonderful cakes for the shop and the cafe as well,  They were not the sort of things that would sell in a "greasy spoon"

[IMBER]

Information on this RAF location is available in official records should anyone wish to explore further. RAF Blackbrook and RAF Haydock are one and the same place.  The site plans for both are held at the RAF Museum, Hendon and are identical.  The Operations Records Books for both RAF Blackbrook and RAF Haydock are held at the National Archives, Kew under AIR 28 and AIR 29. I accept that this information was just put there by another human being but it seems it's the best we've got if anyone is serious about taking this further.  I was careful not to use Google.

[saul_son]

Information on this RAF location is available in official records should anyone wish to explore further. RAF Blackbrook and RAF Haydock are one and the same place.  The site plans for both are held at the RAF Museum, Hendon and are identical.  The Operations Records Books for both RAF Blackbrook and RAF Haydock are held at the National Archives, Kew under AIR 28 and AIR 29. I accept that this information was just put there by another human being but it seems it's the best we've got if anyone is serious about taking this further.  I was careful not to use Google.

Thank you.

Using Google isn't an issue, aslong as you can interpret the sources it provides.

[Dancing Master]

There were several pit disasters in Haydock in the late 1800's. 

http://www.healeyhero.co.uk/rescue/com/ian/page_3.htm

There are several books written by *** Winstanley about all the disasters in Haydock area.

One is called Weep Mothers Weep.