SCOTIA NORTH
Who remembers Scotia North?
Scotia North was opened in September 1950 to provide additional accommodation for servicemen and their dependants. It was located on Hesketh Meadow Lane just off the East Lancs Road in Lowton near Leigh.
The site, once used by the Royal Navy, comprised a number of H-shaped blocks which were converted into 5 - 8 apartments each, totaling 110 units of family accommodation. In some cases internal walls were knocked down to make rooms larger and all of the units were redecorated and boasted steam heat. Each block had hardstands for family cars outside. Additionally each block of apartments had washrooms for laundry.
The site included a 500 man theatre with 35mm movies shown on a regular schedule, a large playground for children, first aid facilities and a large car park holding 150 vehicles.
The site plan below originally published in the Burtonwood Beacon also shows a school and Nissen huts which were not used. Penny Hooper, a former resident when she was a child, contacted me on the 5th of April 2004 to say the school was in use. Dependants children were transported to the school in Site 1 at Burtonwood.
Below is all that remains of Scotia North. The theatre building remains and is used as a local community centre. It has been extended and re-roofed. The car park has been enlarged. The blocks to the north have been replaced by playing fields and to the south are housing estates.
Below is the picture published in the Burtonwood Beacon used to entice people to move to Scotia North!
Below are a series of pictures taken on June 7th 2001 (election day)
Click on the thumbnail for a larger picture
Does anyone have any photographs or memories of Scotia North?
Email received on 2nd May 2004:
Victor Bradford's Account
--I was a family member when Dad was stationed at Burtonwood
from '55 to '58 -- he was the Supervisor of the Clothing Sales Store and was on
the Supply Inspection Team for the European stores. We lived at Wigan the first
year (I went to St.Cuthbert's) and we then moved to Scotia North. Mom
volunteered at Scotia North with the Scouts and the crafts section, and they,
like nearly everyone else, were active in the community. My younger brother and
sister also lived at Scotia North and I will pass on this website to them. Alas,
Dad and Mom have passed forward (they were married for many years), and they
would have loved to see this website (perhaps they were guiding me to it!). Not
many places have as active an historical perspective as you do, and at the time
the Air Force, as a new service, really had no heritage yet. I am sure Dad
knew and worked with some of the folks on the Message Board -- I did not
recognize any of the names, but then I don't remember many visits to Burtonwood
as a small child and Scotia North was a small place (actually, it was just the
right size for a ten year-old!). I have also contacted Connie Gay, who
wrote the letter found in your Scotia North Section.
--I have often thought of the wonderful people at Scotia North -- the friends my
age, the adult leaders who helped us, and the people in the local community --
who helped us grow up happy in a challenging world. I also remember a
little pond near the community where we used to watch how tadpoles and newts
lived and grew, the coal (coke) yard near the school which seemed like mountains
to us (and which the custodian had to clean up many times after our games),
spending many hours making grass forts in the area to the north of the housing
area, excursions into the nearby villages with their markets, and so much more!
I think this kind of environment helped many of us grow into basically
optimistic and positive adults. These people can be proud of the gift they
gave to young children.
--We are thinking of visiting England in the spring, depending on the work
schedule (I retired from the Air Force a few years ago, and am now a community
health dentist and an Indian Health Service contractor. This probably
resembles the British national health service, and I often work with young
children. My wife of 36-1/2 years is a librarian and also a "brat;"
her dad was stationed at SHAPE around the same time we were in England). If we
can make it we will definitely stop in; if not, then we will plan a visit for
the future. I see a reunion is scheduled in New Orleans for 2008 and I hope
there will be other activities too (perhaps sooner).
Vic Bradford
stpdk2000@yahoo.com