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Wallgate

19 Comments

Marsden's Butchers on the corner of Caroline St, Wallgate, 1950.
Marsden's Butchers on the corner of Caroline St, Wallgate, 1950.
Photo: Derek Marsden
Views: 6,260
Item #: 1939
It was taken in 1950 by my father. It was one of our three shops, it was situated on the corner of Caroline St in Wallgate we had a slaughter house at the back and a bakery upstairs. The local Bobbies used to sit upstairs and have a sly cup of tea and a pie whilst they watched the pedestrian crossing outside the shop. We were quite famous butchers in Wigan and used to supply all the local clubs and pubs as well as Wigan Casino. We also had another shop in Market St in Wigan opposite Oliver Summers Toy shop. When my father closed down the business in 1972 we sold our Market St shop to Shannons pet food. I used to be a good friend of Paul Shannon who's father owned the shop.Our third shop was in Westhoughton on the corner of Marsden St.

Comment by: Nev Buchanan on 12th August 2011 at 15:03

Hi Derek, I remember you well. And the shop on Caroline Street which sold excellent steak pies!

Comment by: carol on 11th January 2012 at 13:46

Which corner of Caroline Street?

Comment by: Tony Topping on 7th March 2012 at 18:30

Used to walk past here on my way to St Joe's school!

Comment by: Alan on 12th July 2012 at 16:56

Next door to Marsdens was a small pub "The Machine House"
It closed about 1946.During the war my aunt Maria was the landlady.No spirits,just ale and porter a dour place complete with black out curtains sawdust etc, I can remember there was always queues at Marsdens

Comment by: ann21 on 9th August 2012 at 22:35

Derek I remember a butchers in Wallgate called Meinekeins and they had to change their name when the Second World War started. Do you know anything about this ?

Comment by: Derek Marsden on 20th March 2013 at 11:21

Yes of course i remember Meinekeime's, Louis Meinekeime was my great grandfather.He had a son Albert Who in turn had two sons Eric and Leonard,Eric was my father...He Sadly passed away in 2001.
In 2003 I moved to Egypt and set up the first European pork butchers in a muslim country...eventually increasing the business to Premium British Products to supply the 5 star hotel chanes....sadly the demise of this business came to an end in the Arab Spring in 2012.I am now living back in the uk.

Comment by: dorothy clarke on 22nd March 2013 at 22:55

hello Derek. my great aunt, annie Platt married one Albert (eikmann)He had a slaughter house near to the wigan little theatre. Are these people any relation to your family?

Comment by: Derek B Marsden on 6th August 2013 at 16:03

My great grandfather was Louis Mynekyme...our first shop in Wigan was on Gidlow Lane and then we moved to Wigan centre to where McDonalds is now in Standishgate.We had a Picture of a pig in marble on the entrance to the shop.Later on we moved to Wallgate on the corner of Caroline St...where most people today will remember us from...I cannot remember anybody with the name Eikmann being connected to the family....Any news from anybody on my families old business would be welcomed ...Regards Derek Marsden

Comment by: Maureen on 10th August 2013 at 22:58

Hello Derek..I remember the shop very we'll
..but only as the name Marsdens..my mam told me about change of name but said it was meinikin..I lived in Great George Street..and the crossing was right in front of the shop..that we had to use everyday to go to School.

Comment by: Doug Barlow on 29th September 2013 at 12:37

Hi, my Hutchinson / Fulster relations were butchers / slaughter men up to 1950,s and lived at 236 & 238 Wallgate. Does Anyone know where about on Wallgate this would be?

Comment by: Ann Smyth on 22nd May 2015 at 20:46

i worked making pies 3 pounds a week back in the 60s ;)

Comment by: Susan |Gregson on 23rd January 2016 at 11:36

Hi, Derek,i know this is not a comment about your shops but i am trying to contact a relation of yours -Judith. Her parents use to have a farm in Haigh. Lost touch years ago -she was my bridesmaid and also my eldest sons godmother.

Comment by: simon marsden on 31st March 2016 at 00:14

Derek. I think we are related. My great grandfather owned a butchers shop in Warrington. He was Albert Mynekyme ( this is the correct spelling of the name ). He and Louis were brothers. They both changed their name to Marsden in about 1915. My family continued the butchers business in Warrington until 1961.

Comment by: val cooper (nee walls ) on 9th August 2016 at 11:51

Oh I remember Marsdens, my mum used to send me shopping and one of the shops was marsdens, it had a smell all of its own, not dirty just a 'butchers' smell. Nothing compares to it nowadays. Plus the pies were 'To die' for

Comment by: Derek Marsden on 10th September 2016 at 01:34

Well Val thanks for the good response to our pies... yes I think at the time we where probably the best in Wigan...I still make them today to the same recipe as my dad...but only for friends and family....hope you are OK ...Derek Marsden

Comment by: dianne core on 2nd January 2017 at 03:28

Hi do you know who owned the properties in Caroline st ?.some were rented out in the 1950,s I am traceing the history of my grand father who was connected with Caroline st

Comment by: Katy clarke on 11th February 2017 at 13:25

My mum Joyce Holden, used to work at marsdens part time why I was at st Thomas's school. Lived in York st. Always remember the smell of sawdust. Best butchers around.

Comment by: Valerie Cooper (Walls) on 15th February 2017 at 15:33

to Derek Marsden, I have only just gone back on site and seen your comments. If only you could open a shop and sell your pies, I would travel miles to get one. I am very particular about pies and only like one or two makes. Oh if only ! !

Comment by: Shirley Vince on 18th June 2017 at 03:32

To the left of the photo is the next shop window - on it it reads W.J. & A Pilling - this was a tailor's and sewing shop - my mum started work there right after finishing school at St. Joseph's - she trained as a tailoress there.

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