Wigan Album

Sign outside the Golden Lion advertising Allsopp's brewery, or 'All Slops', as Frank Randle used to call them!

The Beech Hill bus stop, was in the same location for many years.

I must have spent many hours standing in that spot, waiting for a bus to Beech Hill.
Any idea what year approx this photo was taken?

I would say 1920s, going off ladies' cloche hats and style of coats.

great picture thanks for sharing Ron

I would say the photo was taken in the 1930s by the dress of the people.I also remember the bus stop as a child, my Mother used to take us to visit relatives who lived in Fir Grove Beech Hill.

This must have been around 1930, the trams and trolley buses were discontinued in 1931, cloche hats, as in the photo were in fashion around 1930.

Must have been a busy junction, even then. It seems to have been necessary to have a policeman on point duty, at the top of Library Street.

Over the years Wigan Council have made vibrant street with busy shops in fine buildings on both sides, into a lifeless passageway with the usual plate glass shop fronts on one side and a goods entrance on the other.

Wigan town centre had so many wonderful buildings, and pubs that were full of character and characters.

Mick, Frank may well have called it Allslops, but it didn't stop him supping his gassy ale, wasn't he and Dianna Dors regulars at the Boar's Head.

Did one of those pub's become the Crofter's?

The Crofters is further down out of the picture surely.

Tuddy, neither of these pubs became The Crofters. What was The Crofters is still there at the top of Hallgate. When my family lived in Beech Hill our elderly next door neighbours had moved into their house as a brand new build in 1929 and presumably there would have been a bus service then.

On the corner of the row I bought a Singer sewing machine in the 60s and previous to that there was a grocery business similar to the Maypole -can't remember the name!

vb I think the grocery shop you are thinking of was The Meadow Dairy.

You've done it again Ron, brought back so many memories of Wigan, great photo.

I think the photographer is stood outside Latimers grocers shop.What a fantastic place that was,spotless interior with polished wooden floors and counters and the smell of coffee beans and smoked bacon which you could even smell outside in Market St.

Very near to Latimers was a men/boys outfitters called Bradleys.

Both public houses became part of Lowes Department Store (Victotra House) I started work there in 1960, a wonderful place to work.

I seem to remember that just out of shot towards Hallgate, there was an upmarket grocers - the name Peterkins rings a bell.

DerekB, you are correct it was Peterkins but was taken over in the 50s,by Coopers.

There's something very comforting about the scene. Old men in their flat caps,hands behind their backs watching the world go by. I recall this too in the 60's and 70's. It was the highlight of the week to go to Wigan on Saturday shopping. Many interesting shops too numerous to mention with crowds of people jostling and pushing and shoving. I very rarely come now on a Saturday and can count on one hand the shops I do go in. It's as if poor old Wigan has become a skeleton of what it was -yet I am still drawn to Wigan and will still keep on coming as long as my legs will get me there!

Pitmen who wore the oldest clothes they had to go to work each weekday would never have dreamed of going to Wigan on a Saturday without donning collar, tie and highly polished shoes. Some of the sights you see in Wigan now don't bear thinking about,especially in summer.