42 replies to this topic

[SWIMMER]

Never read it, It doesn't sound that promising from what you have said Veronica. Getting back to the kimmicks I remember the stuff which is the only way I can describe it, having no clue as to what I had put my foot through, was of a white clay which broke when I stepped on it and it didn't smell to good either if memory serves

[pereira]

I think I spent most of my childhood playing on the kimmicks. We did name certain areas, the pond, the indian trail,the hundred steps the area between the bus depot was called the fields

[jinx]

I always thought the Kimmicks was the residue from the glass grinding process carried on since the beginning of

time ,(it seemed like it anyway). When Float glass came along that process was obsolete. I wonder if any

Pilks workers are around to verify this.

[Alan]

No, the residue from the glass grinding process is usually referred to as the Burgies and is mainly very fine sand.

The Kimmicks go back much further in history and are made from waste by-products of the old chemical industries that used to abound in St Helens

[SWIMMER]

Oh yuk! I put my foot through that, maybe I should have checked if it glowed in the dark

[pereira]

On the side adjacent to the railway, approx halfway up Jackson St there was the remains of what appeared to be a brick archway. I do not think this would have been big enough to span Jackson St at present but maybe the street was a much narrower road initially. As kids we did camp out in the field area near the bus depot. On another occasion whilst digging, we were always digging for some reason do not know why, we unearthed a heavily rusted revolver, possibly unwanted from the last war. I also remember this area was somewhere tramps would find some place to sleep. As an after thought the cooling brick kilns where also a popular spot for these unfortunates.

[Le200]

There used to be a viaduct that carried a railway across Warrington New Road and Jackson St, From what I read somewhere it ran around the kimmicks for tipping purposes, maybe the arch was the remains of the viaduct

[mickycrockett]

Tanks for the names,,I remember them well

pereira, on 10 September 2010 - 06:19 AM, said:

I think I spent most of my childhood playing on the kimmicks. We did name certain areas, the pond, the indian trail,the hundred steps the area between the bus depot was called the fields

[Dick Dastardly]

HORT, on 03 September 2010 - 12:25 PM, said:

What were the brick buildings on top of the Kimmicks?

If you mean the Kimmicks between Croppers Hill and Ravanhead Road, the buildings were in fact second world war observation points and as they overlooked Pilks Timber Yard I imagine they were also used by firewatchers.

citijen, on 13 May 2009 - 06:50 PM, said:

thanks not been up there since leaving school not even in passing seem to remember it was a bit cindery in places.

Isn't this the area they call the Duckery?

[Olliebeak]

The only Duckery that I know of, is the one off Derbyshire Hill Road, Parr - now transformed into a 'nature and art area'.

Click the link and scroll down to 'Housing' - http://en.wikipedia....Parr,_St_Helens

[SWIMMER]

Lobomoto, I think they are the kimmicks I used to play on with my brother, although I seem to remember playing on another set but I think they were the burgies.

[Vanwall]

The CHEMICS (that’s what we called them, and I am referring to the chemics between Burrow Rd and Ravenhead Rd) in fact are made up of the residue from the extensive chemical factories that flourished in St Helens during the 18th and 19th centuries. In fact, the chemical industry was well developed before the discovery of silicon sand which spawned the GLASS industry. St Helens had a reputation as the dirtiest town in Lancashire. We used to play and also walk over the chemics on our way back to my mates house in Dam Row (which was literally built on the chemics) Dam Row ran off Ravenhead Rd with Pilks Ravenhead works on one side, and UGB Ravenhead works on the other. I don’t remember any chemics on the Downies (that the large grassy area that stretched from the other side of Greengate Brickyard quarry to another large quarry were you could make out an old pit shaft. In between these quarry’s was situated the Tea Pot, an old abandoned brick yard with large tea pot shaped kilns. We used to scrabble around for odd bits of coke and coal to take home. Apparently these clay holes have now been filled in with household refuse and new houses built on top of them?

[trejan]

The slag heaps in Astons Green was known as "Red Rocks". There was also a big "lake" that was called the "duckery" even tho' I only remember there being swans on it.