Wigan Album

Ron, thankyou so much for posting this series of pics. Old shops hold a real fascination for me. I always hope someone might come up with interior shots. I wonder if any exist of the interiors of Lowe's or Pendlebury's?

I think this shop was the one that was Bradley's in the early 60's rather than the hat shop that was shown the other day.

I remember tea and coffee being sold in a shop in Makinson's Arcade, there used to be hessian sacks filled with coffee beans and they would grind them for you, also large purple paper sacks of tea which they would also blend for you. The smell was amazing.

They certainly knew how to fill a shop window.

There used to be a shop in Ashton called Peets, that had sacks of coffee beans. The smell of the ground beans was devine.

It was Makinson's coffee-shop-, Henry 7, hence the name Makinson's Arcade. It is now Thornton's and I think Makinson's name is still in mosaic in the doorway as you walk in.

Wrong end Irene, makinson coffee/tea shop was at the bottom of the arcade, this shop, Bon marche was at the top of the arcade

Thanks, Phil, but I wasn't referring to the shop in the photo when I said it was Makinson's coffee-shop. Higher up the post, Henry 7 remembered a shop that sold coffee in the arcade, and smelled gorgeous, and I was answering Henry's query when I said it was Makinson's Coffee-shop. Sorry for the mix-up!

Thanks for the info Irene. These shops had such character, small individual businesses that took pride in what they sold. I'm just glad that I can remember the Wigan of old. Makinson's arcade was a real hub of activity especially on Saturday mornings. Used to collect my Grandma's tea from there, her and Grandad always drank it from a pint pot - no sugar or milk.

In 1968 both these shops Bon Marche and Ellors were Bradley's

Lovely photo Ron , they had some style in those days , incidentally , le Bon March'e in French " the good market" or " the good deal". was originally a large department store in Paris, so it looks like Wiganers were aware of the trends of the time , it looks like ladies wear with the corsets being advertised in the window .

Goodness me, corsets and ladies undergarment on display in a window AND in Wigan not Paris, how shocking. I bet many a man and child was told to avert their eyes as they walked past. 1908 equivalent of Anne Summers!