Eight phrases and places unique to Warrington

LOCAL journalist Helen Bennicke looks at eight phrases and places that only people from Warrington will understand from the Hogie Wagon to the skittles and beyond!

Hogie wagon
This wagon was serving late night food to drinkers across town from the 1970s when it was a cinema. It used to be parked outside Mr Smiths at Bridge Foot in the 1980s serving fast food to people who were hungry after a night out. Sadly, it’s no more. But it is much lamented by people on the town. There are other late night food options now but back in the day it was the place to go.
The Hogie Wagon was immortalised by the late Warrington artist Eric Tucker, whose exhibition was held posthumously.

Going town
Many Warringtonians use few words when whole sentences will do. So, the question: “Are you going to town?” Is trimmed down to two words.
All the connecting words are gone but the meaning remains and fellow residents will generally understand what you are saying. If not, you can always throw in a few connecting words for extra clarity.
It could mean going into the town centre shopping, for an appointment or a night out.
In Warrington, there’s no need for pointless words.

Meet you at Cockhedge
The Cockhedge Centre on the edge of Warrington is a well known name for those who’ve lived here since it was built or beyond. However, it confuses people who’ve recently moved here.
An easier explanation to confused visitors is to use the Asda supermarket in the town centre as a landmark.
The shopping centre was named after Cockhedge Mill, which was the largest cotton mill in the town which combined spinning, weaving of calico and dyeing of fabrics. It was rebuilt in the late 1870s following a devastating fire.

Do you mean Daresbury?
Not technically Warrington, but the village of Daresbury confuses people who are not from Warrington. It’s simple to pronounce as it sounds like Darrsbury but for outsiders, it is Dare sbury and it never fails to make me giggle.
The village (however you pronounce it) is home to Creamfields every August and is the birthplace of Lewis Carroll, who wrote Alice in Wonderland.

It’s right by the Skittles
The green public street art in the heart of Warrington has always been divisive. When the plans were proposed, many residents opposed their construction. The large pale green skittles are a focal point in the town centre, linking Sankey Street, Bridge Street, Buttermarket Street and Horsemarket Street.
Previously, the skittles were a traffic island before Warrington was pedestrianised in the 1970s and the Golden Square was expanded.

Did you go Legends on a Friday or Saturday?
The much-lamented Warrington club, which was housed next to Warrington Wolves’ old Wilderspool Stadium, was at the forefront of the evolution of house music in the late 1980s and early 1990s. But only on a Saturday night. Friday nights were a whole different ballgame. This was when indie music was played and the crowd favoured bass guitar music not music with a strong bass. For people in their 40s and 50s, whether you attended Legends on a Friday or Saturday defined your youth and taste in music.

Y’arrrighhh?
This is a great Warrington phrase.
It’s the ultimate shortening of three words into a single word, then one long drawn out syllable.
And its derivative is: “Are you alright?”
Which, as previously explained, would automatically be reduced to the single word: “Alright?”
This then becomes: “Alriggghh” usually as way of an exuberant treating. The close relative is: “Iya”, which is “hiya” with the letter H missing.

It’s hanging
This means that something is absolutely disgusting, gross or unpalatable. Usually the h in hanging is missed off for extra linguistic effect.
Unusually, it’s a two word phrase which has not been chopped in half unlike lots of other Warrington parlance.
The phrase tends to be accompanied by a scrunched up face of disgust.
The origins of the word are uncertain.