Wigan Album

I always like these old photos of shops, they look so much more inviting than shops nowadays.

What a superb photograph Is the girl a relative?

Vivian i don't remember this one but do you remember the Temperance Bar on Ince Bar owned at the time we were at school by Lance Lucas's dad.I called in the local shop in Appley Bridge a few years ago and Lance was running the shop we hadn't seen each other since school but recognised one another straight away.

Wonderful! I don't recall the above shop, but I too remember Lucas's, which I knew as Whalley's.

Lovely old shop, would love to take a look inside, looks so inviting.

R.L.Grange, tha shop owner, was my grandfather and the girl in the photo is my aunt Marie (Grange) who would have been about 17 years old at the time.
Interesting to note that my grandmother's family used to run a pub, the New Inn, in Mosely village, Staffordshire.

Thanks for filling in Nick, it is a fantastic photo 129 Manchester Rd corner of Hall St. On the opposite corner to the Imperial pub ( Thimp)!!
Looks like a wonderland for children!

Terry Halsall , hi Dave I remember Lance Lucas of course , Viv doesn't as she is from clarrington brook , what a lovely photo from cousin Nick who lives in Melbourne , you never know what's out there eh? Hope all is well with you , Terry

By the way we found the shop owners and the address in the Ince directory under ( stuff) " thanks to Ron Hunt ! and the location on a 1908 ordinance survey map of Wigan we had which shows clearly where it was, aren't we lucky to have all this info to confirm our history !

HI Terry all's fine with us hope you and Viv and family are well great to see these old pics and hear from you.

I quite agree Terry, "wiganworld" is a superb reference guide to all things Wigan.

I just thought that I should mention that the photo was recently passed on to me via my cousin Beryl Topping, who now lives near York - the girl in the photo is her mother.
I find it amazing that we can still somehow come up with all these gems of photographic history.

did this shop finish up as woodcocks

Yes t f , I think that's right , there is a local site called " characters of ince " Viv posted the photo on there and there have been several comments about later owners of the shop I think Woodcocks was one of them .