Wigan Album

Fabulous ! Just how I remember it. "J" registration cars mean it was taken no earlier than 1970.

This is so nostalgic; I remember Joan Barrie's dress shop so well... Helen, I bet this scene brings back the Wigan you remember, doesn't it?

ooooh i remember joan barries.

Don't forget the pram shop next door may have been Haywoods and next to that Ashtons for the woodbines.

Waterworths fruit and greengrocery and the old Hunter's chemist just to the left of the bus, corner of old Commercial Yard, they were demolished late 1970 or early 71.

That shop with red writing on was a wallpaper shop then there was Johnsons Cleaners then Callands the pram shop

the lady who owned the wallpaper shop once came into Johnsons where I worked and asked the price of our water bill. I told her it was £14 for a quarter (OK it was a long time ago) she said hers was the same.. the thing is, she only had a tiolet and a sink... Johnsons had 2 toilets 4 steam presses a 90 gallon boiler and constant running water to cool a condensor that distilled the dry cleaning spirit form a still, housed in the dry cleanig machine. I could understand why she was annoyed with the water company

the pram shop on wallgate used to be howards,i used to by my corgi toys from there.
i am sure the j redg oxford was later bought by Basil Webber to be used as a taxi for Grey Cab taxis about 1976 has i used to drive one like that one.

Joan Barries was a fab shop in the 50s, there was a snack bar above accessed by a doorway, (opposite was the Raven pub)further round the corner in Market St. was Lowes a department store and then Voses tripe shop and restaurant, it was silver service in the 40/50s. The Tudor building had the bus offices and Bakers jewellers opposite was the bus stations for various districts which went from outside the Ritz cinema/Wigan Empress dance hall to almost the end of Library St. as I recall.