Hi. I Was reading the posts about the clean up team and the places that residents have seen high amounts of litter and i noticed that most of the places mentioned are where ashton youths go at night to hang out. i know this as i am one. past congregational areas have included ashton market and the area around the steps leading to them, captains lane and the area of land behind the youth club, the bowling green, the area behind the police station.. the list just goes on. you may notice now that aldi carpark is starting to require a bit of a clean? problem? youths in ashton have nothing to do and nowhere to go at night. i would suggest that somebody from the council speak us about what they would actualy like to do at night, maybe get us off these places.
just a suggestion

Town: Longmead ave

It's difficult, Walker. Some years ago the young people hanging round outside Captain's Lane Centre were asked what facilities they would like the Centre to provide. The answer was, "We want to be left alone to drink." When we arranged for benches to be installed at the rear of the Centre, they were smashed down by youths, who still litter the area with drink cans and bottles.

There are activities taking place for young people in Ashton, and a Youth Action Group where young people are taking responsibility for activities themselves. You could contact Sue.lewis@wiganmbc.gov.uk - she co-ordinates the Council's youth activities in the area.

Town: Ashton

Hi Walker, Yep the kids have a problem,, nothing to do and nowhere to go etc. So they turn to littering and other drink related activities. Perhaps you didn't know but, drink was'nt invented for todays youth so that they might have something to do! Did your parents congregate in gangs (ask 'em) Did they wreck everything at hand (ask 'em). There used to be 'Approved Schools' and 'Borstals Institutions' that dealt hard handedly with youths who violated other person lives and amenities. In the not too distant future there will be a return to 'old fashioned ethics'. The youths of today would have lasted a maximum of 3 minutes on the streets of my day. With all the electronic gadgetry available how come youths have nothing to do. Maybe the answere is that they cannot use their brains due to, Drug-Wipe-Out, or prolonged over intoxication.? Like another Post-Noted: Youths were asked, "What do you want?" the simple reply was, "Beer and somewhere to drink it." Its tough being a youth,, aint it?

Town: Wigan

Aye, those were the days, the working class knew there place then. None of your fancy foreign holidays for them, a week in Blackpool as it should be!!

We made ‘em tough a run in night to the outside lav’ and no central heating, those were the days!!

Of course no one likes the problems with SOME of the youth today, but who made this world they live in, certainly not them. Perhaps like many others I was too guilty of trying to own my first car, to pay the mortgage and have my first foreign holiday and let those inept politicians get away with all their daft laws.

So what do we do, birch em and flog em, sorry if that would work it is too late. Keep posting on here, hoping it will then go away?

Well, Walker, I am sorry for the world we have made for you all (really), but one day you will be our age and responsible for the world you have made for people of your age. So what can be done to put it right? I know there are no magic fixes, but where do we ALL start?

Come on you can use the internet, let’s hear your ideas, surely it will be warmer than the Aldi car park if you and a few mates give us your ideas.

If I have in any way sounded patronizing I am sorry, I try not to be.

Alan

Town: Ashton

Some people simply enjoy sitting upon their butts doing nothing except ‘posting to forums’. This ‘sort’ sits on committees and ponce around at the run-up to polling days making glib jibes and resurrecting worn out clichés. If a ‘germ’ of an idea ever emerges upon yonder horizon, they throw stones at it in the event the ‘germ should migrate in their direction.’ So far as outside loos, at my boarding school we didn’t have ‘em. However we did have the ‘Birch-Rod.’ My English teacher was non other than Albert Pierpoint and it was he that applied ‘The Rod’ on Saturday afternoons. So pardon me if I have a few Olde Worlde attitudes that don’t coincide with some other persons slanted viewpoints. I ask no pardon for knowing a little more than ‘Mr Average’ about ‘juvenile delinquency’ and how to combat it; as Red Bank Farm School was renowned for its healing powers. Albeit in my twisted view, those whom skittered to the loo on a cold winters night and sat shivering were usually cold, or scared of the dark, or more than usually, both! So if anyone can come up with a sound suggestion as to how these kids should be assisted then try starting somewhere and cease making false pardons for having been stumped at the wicket once again again again. Over to you pillock.

Town: Wigan

Hi Pieman
Re: Re: littering

You Wrote
"Some people simply enjoy sitting upon their butts doing nothing except ‘posting to forums’. This ‘sort’ sits on committees and ponce around at the run-up to polling days making glib jibes and resurrecting worn out clichés. If a ‘germ’ of an idea ever emerges upon yonder horizon, they throw stones at it in the event the ‘germ should migrate in their direction.’ So far as outside loos, at my boarding school we didn’t have ‘em. However we did have the ‘Birch-Rod.’ My English teacher was non other than Albert Pierpoint and it was he that applied ‘The Rod’ on Saturday afternoons. So pardon me if I have a few Olde Worlde attitudes that don’t coincide with some other persons slanted viewpoints. I ask no pardon for knowing a little more than ‘Mr Average’ about ‘juvenile delinquency’ and how to combat it; as Red Bank Farm School was renowned for its healing powers. Albeit in my twisted view, those whom skittered to the loo on a cold winters night and sat shivering were usually cold, or scared of the dark, or more than usually, both! So if anyone can come up with a sound suggestion as to how these kids should be assisted then try starting somewhere and cease making false pardons for having been stumped at the wicket once again again again. Over to you pillock."


Pretty strong, I don't know who the last line is aimed at
As regards corporal punishment, at my public school, a progressive one, we did not have corporal punishment. That is only effective when a system is put in place that will be harder than a quick six of the best. Believe me we would have traded the punishments we got for corporal punishment. it is no soft option getting up at 6.00am a mile run to a cold river and then a swim in it. This for six days. We also had extensive curtailment of what little free time we had.

What I think has happened society has taken away any efective form of punishment. It had always been a case of either or, now it's nowt.

Of the two, I believe a properly implemented system that does not use corporal punishment is the better, but it is more time consuming for those implementing it and expensive.

Much of what you wrote I think we are in agreement as for peole sitting on their backside

Alan

PS we did have outside loos!!

Town: Ashton

patronizing, no... drunk, sort of..
thanks.. i'll let some of my friends know. cheers for sticking up for us... like you said its only some youths... not all of them.
hope we can make a diffrence for the better for the next generation

Town: Longmead ave

To some extent I can understand young people saying there is nothing to do - in my day every town had cinemas (Ashton 3) and dance halls. The lads had the billiard hall . Dare I say it -your homework could take all night!

Town: Ashton

Dance Halls were everywhere, billiard rooms in every cellar, and cinemas on most corners. There were swimming pools to visit, ice-rinks, cafes, trips on loud motorbikes to Rhyl, B/pool or top of Winter Hill Dance Hall or The Garrick Club in Leigh. Relations to visit and don’t forget to visit Granddad. In ‘our era’ we didn’t have enough time to do all we wanted to do and certainly not enough time becoming lost for an idea or even several. There wasn’t any fast food and evening meal was at a table with your family. And you still had to be home by 10.30pm. Regardless of weather we had to be up on the scaffold with trowel in hand, as work started at 8.am sharp. No hard hats and no loo on a building site Alan. But you could rip off a piece of a cement bag to wipe yourself and then visit “The Hole” to do it in. If anyone thinks that’s tough then try a cement bag in the morning, , that’s tough! Anyone for a trip to Rhyl tonight? Spare pillion seat going on a BSA Gold-Flash 500cc twin (help pay for petrol.) Give the local Teddy Boys a thrashing with our spare bike chains.

Town: Wigan

Hi Walker
I hope you are still reading this forum. I went to The Salvation Army tonight, they have a Youth Club on Monday.

Yes there was high spirirts and plenty of noise, well I have just turned 62, it is easy to forget how much noise we made at the age of those present. In reality young people have always gone to the limit and some over it.It's just a case of the boundaries changing.

Best regards
Alan

Town: Ashton