P h o t o B l o g

Tuesday 29 January 2008

The Old Ball


The Old Ball public house stands on the corner of Broadoak Road and Smallshaw Lane, Ashton. It opened in 1835 and, at that time, was surrounded by fields. It may not have a car park but it originally boasted of stables for two horses!

6 comments:

  1. Wow! I remember that, Im not sure about now, but werent there shops opposite it?

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  2. I don't remember there being any shops except the one on the opposite corner of Smallshaw Lane. The view that Martin has photographed is from Broadoak Road and behind him will be a large bungalow. My great grandfather, Samson Harding, was licensee of the Old Ball from 1905 until his death in 1923 (cause of death cirrhosis of the liver). He kept 'trotting horses' apparently so the stables would have been in use. He also had a parrot who lived in the bar and was trained to swear at the customers! I believe Samson also had a 'pen' on the coal pit hills (where Lordsfield estate is now).

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  3. There is a shop on the opposite corner to the right of the photo (on the left hand side at the top of Henrietta Street).
    But there are also three or four shops just up the side of the Old Ball, on the left going up Smallshaw Lane.

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  4. the shop on the opposite corner was a co.op at one time ,one of the shops on smallshaw lane was a chippy .the house on the left of the old ball was built by my brother it was the first house to be rounded instead of corners in ashton ,,it was built for my brothers boss alan dean ,

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  5. jaywi
    also a newsagents,Ithink the other sold sewing stuff

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  6. Jack once of Smallshaw.30 January 2010 at 15:17

    To the right of the 'Old Ball' across the bottom of Smallshaw Lane there was indeed a shop, a'Co-op' grocery store and to its left there was the Co-op butchers. Across the road just to the rear of the 'Old Ball' there were 4 shops all in Smallshaw Lane.
    From the 'Old Ball'the first one was Townsend's a Bakers and Confectioners,next to that was the News Agents and next to that was the 'Chip Shop' and next to that again was Lott Chadderton's green grocers. Further along was a row of terraced cottages and then came Harry Neil's garage at the junction of Smallshaw Lane and Ladbrooke Road.What I describe here is as it was in the 1940's and 1950's.

    ReplyDelete

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