Wigan Album

It would be hard to choose from the whole BLMC range which model qualified for the nomination as 'worst car ever', but there are two strong contenders in shot here - the Allegro and the Marina

I presume by the time this photograph was taken, the Banke's Arms had already be demolished. The pub was on the right hand side, near to the bridge. There was a passageway in the vicinity of the mentioned pub, leading to some sort of outbuilding, it may have been a stable, in previous years. This was in the late fifties.

Here is some of Britain's worst cars.
Austin Allegro
Morris Ital
Triumph TR7
Triumph Acclaim
Rover 200
Hillman Imp
Austin Princess
Morris 1800.
To name just a few, I'm sure some of you will disagree/agree if you've ever owned one.

austin allegro,aka austin aggro, square steering wheel worst of the lot.

Wasn't the name of pub on the right hand side, near to the bridge, The Wheatsheaf?

That's right Barbara, the Wheatsheaf. The Grapes Hotel can also be seen, on the left, just past the phonebox.

The DIY shop was B&Q

Long life car accessories on the left next to the bridge, now a motor cycle shop. Hillman sunbeam another rubbish car, along with all BL cars.

Art, I think you'll find it's go outdoors.

Gary, the DIY shop WAS B&Q. Which is now Go Outdoors. Same building.

The Go outdoors shop was B&Q, Timberlakes was on the site in the late 60s.

Has anyone any recollection of the Bankes Arms? It was almost opposite to Great George Street.

Looks a bit earlier than the 80s to me. . . but I could be wrong.

"R" reg 1st time round was 1976/77

The car in front of the motor cycle is a Vauxhall Cavalier mk2, introduced in 1981-1988. The Ford Cortina mk5, in front of the Allegro was introduced in 1979-1982.

Bankes Arms? It was the Wheatsheaf near the bridge. We all met in there on Christmas Eve, 1975, before a night out in Bolton.

Albert, the Bankes arms was just this side of the Wheatsheaf. Went in the Bankes several times but don't know much about it's history. Think the last landlord of the Wheatsheaf was Brian Fairhurst aka Giant, he then went to a pub in Aspull which is now a house but I forget the name.

Colin and co., we all overlooked two other classic examples from BLMC of how not to build a car i.e. the truly awful Austin Princess and the even worse Austin Ambassador which the Princess morphed into.

Oops Colin, just noticed that you did include the Princess in your list!

The DIY shop was international DIY which was most recently staples.

Thank you Dave Johnson. I knew there had been a Banke's Arms. One Saturday night, I was doubled up on Wallgate, when a right dust up started on Wallgate, that had its origins in the mentioned pub. It took my colleague, and I, quite a while to get things on an even keel, and sorted out.

The Bankes Arms, Wallgate, was, at one time, an Oldfield Brewery House. (See stuff. Pubs of the past. Oldfield Breweries.)

its at least 1981, the mk2 cavalier in front of the allegro didnt come out till 1981, looks like their s one on the forecourt of Timberlakes too.