What's the difference bettween VD and a house in Skelmersdale?

You can get rid of VD¹
Old Lancashire Joke

Situtated in the bottom left hand corner of the map of Lancashire, near Wigan the small town called Skelmersdale has never enjoyed a good reputation amongst Lancastrians. In recent years Skelmersdale has begun to shake of it's image and quiet soon it may be referred to as up and coming.

Very few Lancastrians actually pronounce the l in "Skelmersdale" only those who have never heard it pronouced before or who are trying to talk "properly". It's pronounced "Skemmsdale" and abrievated to "Skem"

History

Mentioned in Domesday Book as a 100 acres of farmland. Skelmersdale was for many years, a small sleepy farming village. When the mining industry arrived in 1850 more and more people began to arrive and miners arrived from other areas of the country. The population of the town increased eight fold and like many towns of the industrial era it became hidously overcrowded. In 1874 the Lancet reported that it was a colliery villiage that had a "pre eminence in filth"

After the second world war someone decided that some people in Liverpool would like somewhere nicer to live. So after the war Skelmersdale was choosen to become one of the string of New Towns that became dotted around the country.

Vast council estates were built along with new schools a large libaray, a shopping centre ² and all the things people thought a town would need.

The new roads were designed to keep the traffic flowing with roundabout upon roundabout, and very few traffic lights. Footpaths were built well away from the roads and always passing underneath them via subways. An industrial estate was built named Pimbo and companies were offered reduced rates if they opened a factory there. Optimsticly a motorway was built linking Liverpool and the M6 that had two junctions for Skelmersdale.

The part of Skelmerdale that exisited before the redevelopement became known as Old Skem. The original residents were not overjoyed at there sleepy little village being taken over by a sudden influx of scousers³. Their familar old town was transformed, even destroyed in parts. The former main street Sandy Lane was replaced by a shopping centre, several old streets and communities such as Stormy Corner, were destroyed. The whole character of the town changed to one that saw it's as closer to Liverpool than Lancashire, Local children now picked up a the newcomers' accent in school. Now the Skelmersdale accent is distinctly Scouse.

However many of the factories did not stay when the rents began to be increased one of the largest Thorn televison, closed compleatly. Many people decided to move away some back to Liverpool some elsewhere. When people got a better job they would usually choose to leave the area. The teachers at the Schools, the Engineers at the factories, the Librarians would often choose to commute into Skelmersdale.

Many of the coucil houses were unfilled, and the transcendental meditation movement were looking for a location for their ideal village. Milton Kenyes suspecious of the organisation had already denied them permission to build there. Skelmersdale invited them to help fill hard to let council estates.

The residents who had moved from Liverool were suspecious of the new influx of mainly middle class southerners who spent their time in lotus position hoping up and down on foam mats. The TM community built there own housing estate, centred around "the Golden Dome." The planning authority refused permission to paint the roof of the dome gold.

Getting to Skelmersdale

The nearest train station is Parbold, which is on a branch line between Southport and Manchester and is not served by any buses. The most conveint is Wigan North Western which is one the West Coast Main line running from London to Scotland. Then there is an bus service to Skelmersdale bus station, which is attached to the concourse. The last bus runs in the early evening.

As skelmersdale is arrangened entierly around a roundabout system with no main street and most sign posts have been vandalised leaving Skelmersdale by car can be a problem if you don't know the town. Usually you will have to stop and ask directions, unfortunately the town planners arranged it so no footpath ran alongside a road.

Things to do in Skelmersdale

Skelmersdale is an excellent place to learn to drive, there are numerous empty industrial estates to master the stopping and starting. There are many roundabouts to pracitce on, most have very little traffic so you can go through the routine of looking in the right place without worrying about having to stop. For those of you who are nervous about right hand turns at junctions due to the roundabouts these can be avoided compleatly. Once you have passed your test the M58 is a good motorway to practice getting onto.

The transcendental mediation movement offers many courses in TM and provides accomdation in members homes. There is also an Ayurvedic medical centre⁴.

People in Skelmersdale are keen on sport especially football, many are keen followers of Liverpool and Everton Football Clubs. They may also play for or watch the local semi professional football club Skelmersdale Town FC. Since 1891 there has been Skelemersdale Cricket Club.

Living in Skelmersdale

Houses are more affordable in Skelmersdale than in many other areas of the country. The Counil Housing is of a realivly high quality and relatively easily to obtain. The Concourse⁵ has a wide vairity of cheap if not always high quality produce. Thus Skelmersdale is a relativly economical place to live. This can lead to a nasty shock for those who move away. If you have car commuting to Liverpool and Manchester is possible.

In the past it local schools were not of high quality and have sixth forms, however one of them Holland Park School, has been named by the Government as a Beacon school, one that provides an excellnet example to other schools. Yet there are excellent sixth form colleges a bus ride away. Other provisions for children include a playground on every houseing estate and a sports centre and swimming pool. As no houses are on busy roads children often spend much of there time playing outside with other children on their housing estate. However there is very little for older children to actually do. The nearest cinemea and bowling alley is in Wigan, and as the bus service stops in the early evening. Many teenagers resort to playing football for outside for hours on end, hanging around the shopping centre, annoying the town's residents and creating what is reputed to be the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the UK.

Skelmersdale in the News

In the past few years Skelmersdale has been in the national news a number of times.

• In 1992 the Natural Law Party was established, members of the TM movement formed a polictal Party and fielded many candidates in the General election. Their Leader Geoffery Clements at the time lived on Skelmersdale's Ashurst Esate.
• In 1999 Skelmersdale was reported as being a major player the in the illegal trade in smuggled cigarettes.
• In 2000 it was reported that Skelmersdale was the place in the UK where a marriage was most likely to end in divorce.

Skelmersdale in the Arts

In Willy Russell's popular musical "Blood Brothers" there is a scene when Mrs Johnstone sings about how happy she is to be moving to Skelmersdale:

We're leavin' this mess
For our new address
"Sixty-five Skelmersdale Lane"

However life in Skelmersdale does not work out as planned, when the factory Mrs Johnstone works in closes down.

Things are getting better

In recent years more jobs are becoming available in Skelmersdale, and not just in factories on the industrial estate. Fresh food is now more easily available since a large new supermarket has opened. The cash and carry store Matalan has chosen Skelmersdale for its company headquarters.