Wigan Album

I remember these shops so well; they appear on Geoff Shryhane's video, (now on dvd), of the last days of the old Market Hall. Boon's Chemists, (NOT Boot's), was on this stretch of shops.....anyone remember it?

I certainly remember Boon's Chemist as I worked there for a time in the mid-seventies. Although I can't place it on the photo- there was a cafe on the end of the row to the right. I used to pop in before catching the 59 bus home.

Vb - as I recall, Boon's chemist was to the left of the entrance which can be seen on the extreme left of this pic, as were Shannon's feed and flour dealers, and Leyland Paints.

In the early days of this development there was a men's shop Carleys of Blackpool selling really trendy menswear.

I remember Shannon's pet shop being towards the market square end of Petticoat lane, I seem to remember it had a large hatch to a cellar in the back of the shop.

Vb, I used to buy false eyelashes from Boon's in the early 1970s! They were called Hoodwinks Extremist. x.

Derek..I worked at Carley's in the office and also when any men came for a suit,I would measure them,including trousers..it wouldn't be allowed today.

Maureen, didn't Carleys open a second Wigan branch at the bottom of King St at one point?

Maureen that was awful having to measure men's inside legs -although it has made me chuckle, that was asking too much of a young girl! You must have been embarrassed. It was bad enough on the factory shop floor listening to all the innuendos which were mostly taken in your stride and dealt with with a withering black look or a put down which didn't make any difference!

Vb, now I look back, I was still buying false eyelashes from Boon's in the mid-seventies.....I wonder if you ever served me?

Irene you have a really good memory to recall the name of the false eyelashes. It was 1974 all I remember was we wore white coats and served customers with their prescriptions and other remedies. There were two younger girls who might have served you. I don't remember them having a good selection of makeup. I always went to Boots or Woolies for mine. I recall buying a block of mascara and a spiral brush and ended up with swollen eyelids and looking like a Chinese! All in the name of beauty eh!

Somethings in the cosmetics line that I remember was Coty pressed powder as I had a nice compact to put it in. Also Helena Rubinstein "Apple Blossom " perfume!!!

Derek..I don't remember that at all..I wonder how we could find out.

VB..it was embarrassing..the office where I saw to all the travellers cash that was brought in had a parrafin heater and every time one of them came into the office and walked by the heater it would throw flames out..so what with that and the embarrassment of having to measure inside legs I thought it was time to look for fresh employment which was pretty easy in my youth.

Irene,I'll never forget when l bought some false lashes..I took them round to my Mams and said "come in the bathroom Mam and see how you look with these on"..which she did,she stepped into the living room with a ta da..my Dad said "take 'em off you look like Hilda Baker".

Vb..oh how I used to love Apple Blossom perfume..in a plastic pink bottle..I wonder if I could smell it today ,would I still think it was lovely..or do our tastes change..another one was White Fire,in a tiny red bottle .

Maureen it could only happen on a Benny Hill show.....hahaha! What we put up with!

Maureen, I'm sure Carleys other branch was at the bottom of King St on the corner where it went into Rodney St. Someone who worked there might just see our comments - other than that don't really see how we could confirm it.

Maureen and Vb, I have really enjoyed these shared memories! I don't recall Apple Blossom, but I remember White Fire. I worked in a chemists too, until 1973, when I went to work at Debenhams. I remember Pagan perfume, the popular Coty L'Aimant, Aqua Manda, and the Yardley collection. I remember when Ha'i Karate came in for men to rival Old Spice. At Debenhams I recall Helena Rubinstein and Charles Of The Ritz. But oh, Maureen, you will have to regale us at Neil's about measuring inside legs! Thanks for the memories, Ladies! x.

Just a little something else working at Carley's..one of the travellers also owned a chip shop and he really smelled of stale fish..every time he came into the office I used to feel sick..but I suppose there's worse things happen at sea lol..Irene..I'm looking forward to our meet up..I enjoy our little chats.

Derek..here's hoping..in the meantime I'll try a bit of my own detective work and see if I can find anything out

Maureen, I LOVE fish and chips, and the smell when they are freshly cooked is second-to-none, but a girl in my class at Junior School had parents who owned a chippy and her birthday parties were held in the back room of the chippy and the smell was awful! The shop itself was extremely popular and the food delicious, (I know you passed through Ince a lot and you would have passed it), but the after-smell when the shop was closed was very unpleasant. See you soon. x.

I used to work at Boons and where the newsagents is used to be the chemist they also had the next two shops going towards the opening which took you to penny lane and the market hall the other side of the opening for a time was countdown mens boutique

Didn't a firm named Fazackerleys have a furniture shop at the end of this block nearest to Woodcock St? I think they also had a branch in the old Market Hall.

My mum used to wear Evening in Paris, not sure where she bought it from. I remember Leylands used to sell transfers, I stuck Bambie ones on my sons cot to 'modernise' it.