What's the difference between VD and a house in Skelmersdale?
You can get rid of VD.
- Old Lancashire Joke

Situated in the bottom left-hand corner of the map of Lancashire, near Wigan, the small town of Skelmersdale has never enjoyed a good reputation among Lancastrians, as the above joke illustrates. In recent years, Skelmersdale has begun to shake off its image, and quite soon, it might even qualify to be referred to as 'up and coming'.

Very few Lancastrians actually pronounce the 'l' in 'Skelmersdale'. Only those who have never heard it pronounced before, or who are trying to talk 'properly' do this. The town is pronounced 'Skemmsdale' and is abbreviated to 'Skem'.

History

The town is mentioned in the Doomsday Book as 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, including miners from other areas of the country. The population of the town increased eightfold and, like many towns of the industrial era, it became hideously overcrowded. In 1874, The Lancet¹ reported that it was a colliery village 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. Thus, after the war, Skelmersdale was chosen to become one of the strings of New Towns that became dotted around the country. Vast council estates were built, as well as new schools, a large library, a shopping centre (the Concourse) and all the other 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 passed underneath them via subways if necessary. An industrial estate was built named Pimbo, and companies were offered reduced rates if they opened a factory there. Optimistically, a motorway was built linking Liverpool and the M6 that had two junctions for Skelmersdale.

The part of Skelmersdale that existed before the redevelopment became known as Old Skem. The original residents were not overjoyed at their sleepy little village being taken over by a sudden influx of Scousers². Their familiar old town was transformed, even destroyed in parts. The former main street, Sandy Lane, was replaced by a shopping centre, and several old streets and communities, such as Stormy Corner, were destroyed. The whole character of the town changed to one closer to Liverpool than Lancashire. Local children picked up the newcomers' accent in school, and now the Skelmersdale accent is distinctly Scouse.

Unfortunately, many of the factories did not stay when the rents were increased. One of the largest, Thorn Television, closed completely. Many people decided to move away, some going back to Liverpool. 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 - all would often choose to commute into Skelmersdale rather than live there.

Many of the council houses were unfilled, and the transcendental meditation movement were looking for a location for their ideal village. Milton Keynes, suspicious 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 Liverpool were suspicious of the new influx of mainly middle-class southerners who spent their time in the lotus position hopping up and down on foam mats. The TM community built their own housing estate, centred on 'the Golden Dome' (though 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 convenient is Wigan North Western, which is on the West Coast Main line running from Scotland to London. There is a bus service from there to Skelmersdale bus station, which is attached to the concourse, though the last bus runs in the early evening.

As Skelmersdale is arranged entirely on a roundabout system, with no main street and most signposts having 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 that no footpath ran alongside any main roads.

Things to Do in Skelmersdale

Skelmersdale is an excellent place to learn to drive, as there are numerous empty industrial estates to master stopping and starting. There are many roundabouts to practice on too, and 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 completely. Once you have passed your test the M58 is a good motorway to practice getting on to.

The transcendental mediation movement offers many courses in TM and provides accommodation in members' homes. There is also an Ayurvedic³ medical centre⁴.

People in Skelmersdale are keen on sport, especially football, and 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. Also, there is Skelmersdale Cricket Club, established in 1891.

Living in Skelmersdale

Houses are more affordable in Skelmersdale than in many other areas of the country. The council housing is of a relatively high quality and relatively easy to obtain. The Concourse has a wide variety of cheap, if not always high quality, produce. Thus, Skelmersdale is a relatively 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, the local schools were not of high quality but they did have sixth forms. However, Holland Park School has been named by the Government as a Beacon school, one that provides an excellent example to other schools. There are excellent sixth form colleges only a bus ride away. Other provisions for children include a playground on every housing estate, a sports centre and swimming pool. As no houses are on busy roads, children often spend much of their time playing outside with other children on their housing estate. However, there is very little for older children to do. The nearest cinema and bowling alley is in Wigan, but the bus service stops in the early evening. This leads to many teenagers either playing football for hours on end, hanging around the shopping centre, annoying the town's residents or 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 political Party and fielded many candidates in the General election. Their leader Geoffrey Clements lived on Skelmersdale's Ashurst Estate at the time.

• In 1999, Skelmersdale was reported as being a major player in the illegal trade of cigarette smuggling.

• 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 in which 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

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

Things Are Getting Better

Skelmersdale's fortunes took a dive in the 1970s when Courtauld's, the town's biggest employer, closed their mill. However, 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 obtainable since a large new supermarket has opened. Also, the cash and carry store Matalan has chosen Skelmersdale for its company headquarters, moving into Courtauld's site.