Wigan Album

When I worked at Debenhams, (1973-1976), my workmates and I sometimes went to Whelan's for a takeaway dinner as a change from the canteen. They did two cream crackers with a great square of cheese inside....goodness knows how many calories! One of our girls was vegetarian, and she used to get an "open sandwich".....just a base slice of bread with a topping of cottage cheese, grated cheese and pineapple (can't think what else), which you ate with a knife and fork. It was a popular place as I remember, and I think you could eat in as well.

Now I know why the church was called Hope Congregational.
It looked vast inside to me as a child but it doesn't look so vast to me now ! My Grandfather used to attend services there, my Granny never went...she was a Presbyterian & went to a chapel down one of the roads at the top of Standishgate. Was the dancing school over the top of Whelans ?

I used to go in there Saturday dinner times occasionally for meat and potatoe pie with loads of gravy on , awesome !

Originaly it was the SAVOY chippy. Used to go there sometimes for dinner when I was at the TLS. Pudding, chips, peas, tea, bread and butter for 9d!!!!!( See story on an earlier picture showing the Savoy Chippy)

Remember that chippy, would be going home from Wigan on Saturday night and people would get on the bus eating chips, the fragrance used to drive me bonkers as I never had enough money left for chips!

Helen I think Hope Cong church was there before Hope st was named.

used to go there every day for my dinner before starting work at john englands,for thafternoon shift. so nostalgic, wish it was all like that again ,(the old wigan)

Mavis, you are a breath of fresh air saying "dinner".....I am so fed up of walking round Wigan these days hearing people say, "Shall we try here for lunch?". We are Wiganers, for Heaven's sake.....why can't we stick to "dinner" for our mid-day meal? WHY must we imitate Southeners, Americans etc.? Why can't we just be who we are?

If you look round Wigan and district, we are going like America everyday with all the junk food outlets about.

How do all these junk food outlets and takeaways keep going in these difficult times? Eating out somewhere, or even getting a meal from the local chippy used to be a treat at one time.

I would say young people keep them going after a night out, most people only eat the junk when their full of ale...then they wonder why they have bad guts the day after.

if iam thinking right whelans samdwich bar was turned into a super market.my dad joe went in the supermarket and left a bag near the door,when he came out the bag had gone,it was full of dirty pit clothes he, he, whoever stole it had been had,what a plonker.

What was the name of the street between the church and Warburtons?

Mesnes Terrace Jim

I worked at Whealan's for 14 yrs.Only went supposedly for 3 months to help out with Christmas present's.The cream cheese & ham sandwiches in the sandwich bar, were the best ever.