ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD

THE ghost of Oliver Cromwell still looms large over the Thatto Heath scene.

A verbal battle has raged over whether the commander of the Roundheads paid a call on that 'Donkey Common' district during his Civil War skirmishes.

And now my old chum Kevin Heneghan, who is fascinated by all things historical, writes: "The Cromwell comments intrigued me so much that I've been re-reading Antonia Fraser's excellent biography 'Cromwell: Our Chief of Men.'

"While I'm sure that the commander of such a large force would have remained in Warrington, he probably sent foragers into the Rainhill-Prescot area. It's likely that the foragers arranged a collection point where horses, baggage carts and any other supplies they gathered could be assembled.

"That is where Thatto Heath fits in. There is an old tradition that the heath was used as a supply depot and naturally they'd put up signs as all armies do; 'That to Heath' in one place, and 'That Way Heath' in another."

But Kevin doubts that Cromwell would have gone to inspect the Thatto Heath location in person.

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