Wigan Album

I think it became the Starlight Rooms,still run by the Noble family,and started if memory serves me right,started to serve evening meals,with
entertainment .

;wishbone cafe

Roy Cafe was over the top of where Wilf Smiths news agent and book shop is in Mesnes Street
It was famous for its "Boiled Ham" teas for after funeral getogethers,,,,
Am sure the original buildings still stand just changed hands,,
Another popular place to go for same was upstairs in Pooles Cafe in Wallgate,,,,

Think part of it later became King Hal's Kitchen?

I remember a friend of mine telling me a tale about going to meet his girlfriend who worked evenings as a waitress,apparently when last orders were taken some of the staff could leave ,she was just going to get her coat and leave with her boyfriend when a couple walked in at the last minute and ordered two fricasse of chicken and chips [excuse the spelling] aggravated at being delayed she took their order and shouted to the kitchen in a loud voice for all to here , last couple want [pardon the language] two friggin chicken and chips

I remember a friend of mine telling me a tale about going to meet his girlfriend who worked evenings as a waitress,apparently when last orders were taken some of the staff could leave ,she was just going to get her coat and leave with her boyfriend when a couple walked in at the last minute and ordered two fricasse of chicken and chips [excuse the spelling] aggravated at being delayed she took their order and shouted to the kitchen in a loud voice for all to here , last couple want [pardon the language] two friggin chicken and chips

Definitely became the Wishbone, does anybody remember the very jolly lady who worked there who called Toasted Tea Cakes, "Teasted Toe Cakes" ?

Was definitely still there in the early 70s.

In the 1960's my Saturday job was in the cake shop underneath the cafe and I went up to the cafe for my dinner. I would take a pie from the shop and get some chips upstairs.
Was the lady you refer to the one with huge earrings which were so heavy she had splits in her ears?

There's a photo in this weeks Observer when it was Bailey's pie shop..I never knew that.

Tom yep it was owned/managed by the Noble family I went to junior school with the son John Noble. They lived in a big detached house in Winstanley

Maureen, the Roy Cafe was never Baillie's. Baillie's Scotch Bakery, which was a shop at street level and a cafe upstairs, was in Mesnes St on the site of what became Smiths bookshop.

In the early sixties the shop on the far left of the picture was Knott Mill Carpets. The upper floor was still The Wishbone though.

Yes Derek..I can see where it is now.

I worked in the British Home Stores in Standishgate in 1944/45 in the stockroom, aged 14.
At the rear of the store was a yard, were delivery of goods took place. The bakery of Roy Café, overlooked this yard, and my very first girl friend (who lived in the Scholes area) worked there. I lived in Liverpool at this time and travelled by rail every day to work in Wigan, and court this young lady.
I left BHS in 1947, and began work on the railways at Edge Hill Liverpool. Later, transferred to Wigan on redundancy in 1962, and worked there for ten years, before gaining promotion to Warrington, and subsequent retirement.
Wigan holds many happy memories for me, ones that I will always cherish.

My parents had their wedding reception there in May 1944; while the war was still going on. As a child in the late 1940s and early 50s, mother used to take my sister and me there for afternoon tea. And also to remember the reception, I suspect. It seemed very grand to a child and we had to sit quietly and speak carefully - and drink our tea "properly." We left Wigan in 1957 so we never went again, but mother spoke of Roy Cafe for the rest of her life.

My mother was head waitress there in the 60s and 70s. It was originally called the Roy Cafe, then the Wishbone. The Stardust Room was a seperate section of it to the extreme left of the photo.It had its own entrance directly below. The main entrance to the cafe was through the doorway on the corner, where the child is standing in the picture. It was indeed owned by the Noble family, although a certain Noel Ault might have had a share in the business.