A Wander Around Ossy

[Ryewolf]

Ossy or for those who don't know the area Oswaldtwistle (a twistle is a norse word meaning a piece of land in the bend of a river - in other words Oswald's bit of land). Ossy is it's local name, in fact when I lived in Plymouth and said I went to school in Oswaldtwistle - they thought I'd made the name up... James Hargreaves - Spinning Jenny guy lived here. And indeed you're not considered a true Gobbiner unless you were born "above t' lamp" (being the lamp outside the library). From what I've read a Gobbin is very similar to a Boggart - another Lancashire oddity for a mischevous spirit - indeed there is a Boggarts Hole Clough near Manchesters and Towneley Hall Park has a Boggart Bridge..Rochdales Baum Rappit is another example of a boggart.

Anyways, enough with the history - although sometimes actually useful as most places give cluse to their origins..

Bill and Ben Flowerpot Men - and Weed - They appeareared outside the sheltered accommodation my Mum live's at..

Stonebridge Mills - pretty typical of the mills found in Lancashire..

T'owd Mill, part demolished...

Texting.... and probably completely unaware of the history around her,,,,

The Ossy War Memerorial (just behind be me as I took this shot)

Oswald House - as far as I can find it was the Old Liberal Club...

Another old Mill...

Some interesting graffiti..

Some interesting patterns on a old house, but now restuarant,,,

Oswaldtwistle Mills - now a retail outlet, but I remember this being a dog bisciut maker in the early 70's

The Old Palladium Picture House..

The Annexe, which used to be part of my old Secondary School - it was here we did Woodwork, Metalwork and Techinical Drawing lessons - I absolutely hated Metalwork and Woodwork, so this place has very strong negative emtions for me..

T'owd Mill, one of many around here that I used to walk past on my way home, some have now gone and replaced with new housing estates, others are like this...

To be honest, I've probably told you more about my early life today, than I have in all the years I've been a member...

 

[kev7d]

A great tour of Ossy presented here Rye. 

[FUJI]

Mornin' Geoff,

I really like your set here.....the photographs give a great sense of ...Place....the ....Grittiness...of The North remains I see, but not as dark and satanic as it used to be.

Love the little Factory/Mill especially.

My good lady hails from Nelson/Colne.....her mum started work in a cotton mill  on leaving school aged just 12 years .....she had that distinctive loud voice of the mill worker, and used to do that unique way of silent communication, much exaggerated by the late-great Les Dawson.

GUJI

[Clicker]

What a really interesting and informative set Rye... I have really enjoyed seeing these ... in particular I am fascinated  by a minimalist niche genre of photographing simple images in ways that are not always obvious; the patterns on the old house and the little window in the stone wall etc.  Yeah and we learned a lot about you too Rye ... a super set ... 

[Ryewolf]

Thanks Kev, FUJI and Clicker.

[Kobione]

Love this set Rye - my Lancashire heritage from my earl years was closely tied to several mills that my elders worked in. Agree with Fuji that you have captured the grittiness of the era and place very well.

[Korky]

Some lovely, gritty images there, Rye. Very nice indeed. I just love the shot of Oswald House, the processing is superb.

And a great bit of history and local info, too.

Just for the southerners, it isn't called Oswaldtwistle by locals, but Ozzletwistle.

Korky

[Ryewolf]

Thanks Kobione and Korky, I've driven past these places many times over the last two years, usually on my way to somewhere else for an image for the OADED. Many of them I walked past everyday on the way to or from school - in those days you walked to school,, I think my Dad was one of the few people on our street that did have a car.