Wigan Album

must be going a bit ,finding it hard to remember some of these views ,anyone agree

Square deal shop on the corner, and Clifton Books was in one of the smaller shops, spent some time (and money) in there. Used to have a good stock of antiquarian books and prints. Think the bloke who had it was called David, might have lived Ashton way, think they planned on moving to York when these shops were pulled down.

Have you any photos of the opposite side of the street i used to live there moved out in 1971.

It is odd how soon we forget what used to be. I very often visited Plumbs electrical shop when it was in Dicconson Street. Used to spend half a day there playing with the stereo stuff and having a cuppa with the very friendly staff. Sadly, all we get now are big faceless superstores.

What is the glass building onthe left hand side? I was a kid in the 80's and i just for the life of me cannot remember this all taking place, it's driving me nuts not recognising it!

The glass building is still there, it is diagonally opposite the corner of the Market Hall. Opposite the Mesnes field. on Mesnes Road. It's been used for a lot of things but I think it's now closed.

I need help here, I don't remember there being any shops in Dicconson Street till you got to the bottom & there were a few just on the left corner, the church being on the right corner. I lived at No 38 (?) with my Uncle George Bryson & his family for a while. There was a little sweet shop just around the left hand corner. We used to buy licorice made into sticks, pipes & shoelaces & things called tiger nuts (?) Also some sort of wood stick (licorice?) that you chewed the end of, it made your tongue go yellow. Oh & of course the good old sweet, sugary cigarettes... those were the days !

I'm fasinated by these pics....that must be the Wesleyan School I went to, up past the shops ?

The glass building was something to do with the tax or district valuers, it is still there but looks different now as it's been rebuilt. Remember having a job interview there C.1975, did not get the job though!

Just out of shot to the right and on the corner of Dicconson St and Standishgate was Bill Davies shop which sold tile fireplaces and, I think baths, washbasins etc.

was there a barbers in this row?

Helen, the wood stick type sweet stuff you remember was licorice root, I can remember buying it in the old market hall in the 60s and 70s. Think you can still get it in some herbalists and health food shops.

Thanks Duncan....I saw a TV programme a while ago & it showed men gathering licorice roots, I think it was in Yorkshire. I used to love Pontifract Cakes, little thin rounds of chewy licorice....the stuff we used to eat !

Helen, yeah, I sw something a bit ago, might have been Michael Portillo doing railways journeys, seems licorice was a big industry in Yorkshire years ago.

There used to be a barbers behind one of these shops.The entrance was through one of these doors .Had a crop there most weeks in the sixties.

The barbers name was Gordon.His jokes and tales filled the shop more than his cropping.

All these Black & White timbered facades; Standishgate, Market Place and now Dicconson Street. What a lovely town centre Wigan used to have, pity I was too young to appreciate it then.

there used to be a second hand book shop,and a scholl foot therapist to.