Wigan Album

I had seen the photo before, though looking at it now the fellow guiding the car up the steps could be a winner in a Boris Johnson lookalike competition.

Yes Cyril, he’s shouting come on hurry up then we can all have a party.

John G, maybe he's invited the Labour Party along too and their Deputy Leader shall be doing a 'Cupid Stunt - It's All In The Best Possible Taste' parody.

https://youtu.be/ZkqxagJglaI

Not very clever Cyril whichever way you interpret it. Do you have any daughters?

JM it has nothing to do with whether or not I have any daughters, anyhow snowflakes comes to mind - it's Kenny Everett and his zany humour, if you don't like it then don't watch, you would have had an idea what was to come!

Nice one cyril

You are bang on Cyril,it's nothing to do whether anyone has daughters or not.

is that building still there?

Well said Cyril . The storm in a teacup left are getting right up my nose .
One mad zealot on the news called this a hate crime . Orwell was right .

I believe this building on King Street is where the Revolution Bar now is. I don't actually recall the TSB being on King Street. Did they close this branch when the TSB merged with Lloyds?

The shown TSB branch was on the right as you walked down King Street. It was just before you got to Brocol House.
I'm not totally sure of the year, but it could have opened in the late seventies. It was there in King Street throughout the eighties, but I'm not sure when the branch closed.

Ian

I do recall there was a bank on the corner of King Street & Wallgate, where the 80s/90s bar is now. I am sure it was the Natwest. In fact you can still make out a square area on the wall where the cash machine once was.

Going back to the TSB, I do recall there being a supermarket on King Street next door to Brocol House, where the small car park is now.

I believe the supermarket was Lennons, then it became Kwik Save, so the building would have been next door to the TSB.

Given British Leyland's reputation for quality build in `1980, I presume the second prize was two of these cars.

The TSB was still there in 1992. I asked them for a business loan, the bank that likes to say yes! They said "No!"

The building in this photo opened in 1974,when it was lauded as state of the art.Before then the TSB was further down King Street at number 47,where Platt and Fishwick are now.The premises for TSB moved to Market Street,I think around 1990 ?

I walked up King St yesterday it just looks so dingy. It doesn’t help putting false fronts over the original ones. Surely something should be done if they are
‘ updating’ the town centre. Or it it being left to rot further?

Bank on corner of King Street/Wallgate was District Bank.

I've still got my old cheque book cover issued by them. (1960's)

Don't recall if it was a freebie, or had to be purchased.

CJAlan

You are perfectly correct, there was a bank on the corner of King Street, but I can't remember which bank it was as there were so many banks in Wigan town centre and some on corners of streets: I am sure that there was a bank on each corner of Library Street in the 70s/80s. I do remember that on the other corner of King Street was the Minorca.

Again, you are right with what you stated, there was a supermarket and it was Lennon's Supermarket for a long time. The building was probably built for Lennon's Supermarkets as it certainly wasn't as old as most of the buildings in King Street - possibly built around 1960. This building (Lennon's) was between (for a number of years) the TSB and Brocol House. I also think that it became a Kwik Save - possibly around the late eighties. But, I think that it changed ownership a few times after Lennon's and at one stage it was a Safeway. I also think that it could have been a Fine Fare before Safeway and then it ended up as a Kwik Save.
As a kid, I used to often shop there for my nan and I remember that she always referred to it as Lennon's no matter which supermarket name it had become.

Regarding the TSB (photo), I can't remember the exact years because of changing banking habits. For a number of years, I did use this TSB branch and I still can picture the carpeted, spacious interior. As you entered through the glass doors, you had the small office rooms and the counters almost surrounding you - from your right shoulder to your left shoulder. Probably, when it opened in the seventies as a TSB branch, it was extremely modern and seemed quite futuristic, certainly considered 'state-of-the-art'.

At least parking is better on the Galleries , mind you, they should never have knocked the Old Market Hall down.
Does anybody agree ??

In the late 70's/early 80's had 2 of the Dolomite 1300's. I did over 50,000 miles in them before part exchanging. Easy to service and maintain with ready spare parts. As far as the TSB bank in Wigan, I joined it 1959 but cannot place where it was then & whenever I moved around in the UK it was easy to transfer to the local branch in the area I was working in.

Barrie, apparently and as can be seen on this photo on the Album when The Wigan Dispensary on King St moved to the Infirmary, the then Wigan Bank for Savings (later TSB) took over the site and stayed until it moved here.

https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=26540&gallery=King+Street+%2526+King+Street+West%252C+Wigan&offset=360

I may be imagining this but I'm sure the floor inside the bank was decorated with an interlocking 50 pence pattern? I seem to remember it relieving my boredom somewhat as a child while waiting for parents/ grandparents to finish their transactions.

I believe the inside walls had an area with beaten copper medallion coins.