Wigan Album

I remember when this was a Berni Inn in the 1970s and was reputed to be haunted.

Anyone remember the Stable Bar next door?

The STABLE BAR was always a dropping off point on Friday night's as we worked our way around town. Always finished off in the CLARENCE Cocktail Bar, where all the 'Smart' young girls invariably went <g>

The Clarence served draught Double Diamond in the upstairs bar, Nectar!

Was that the stuff that 'worked wonders' owd Bob?
What was the pint 'that thinks its a quart?

Poet , it was Whitbread big head trophy bitter .

The best beer ad was when a frustrated Wordsworth was inspired by a deep draught to alter ' l walked about a bit on my own' to 'l wandered lonely as a cloud'. Heineken is the only beer that can do this!

Can anyone give a date to this photograph. I did point duty here, top of King Street. There wasn't any traffic lights there then, that I can remember. Late fifties, early sixties, but the photograph seems earlier, and there is definitely a T/L there. My dad used to call them robots, not traffic lights.

Irene, try Googling this link. https://www.wigantoday.net/news/high-spirits-at-a-haunted-pub-1-164548

Albert: I've noticed this photo dated 1960, elsewhere, but I'm inclined to agree with you in that it could have been taken a bit earlier. A good lively photo nonetheless.

Was the top of Wallgate one way at that time I wonder, there's a No Entry sign at the front of The Minorca, though I can't make out the writing underneath on the sign.

Thankyou, John. x.

Cyril. I think you are right. The traffic lights are only facing traffic comming down Wallgate.

I think that this photo is from the late 1930s. Yes Albert,
Many folk called Traffic Lights "Robots" when I was a lad.
Cyril....The road sign says "No Entry..One Way Street", so
Northbound traffic would have to go via King Street West,
or it may have turned right into King Street, if that was
permitted, particularly if you were going Eastbound to Ince,
Hindley, or Manchester.

Doesn't the No Entry sign refer to no entry to King St from Wallgate? I don't ever remember King St being anything but one way from the bottom.

In the fifties, and early sixties, Wallgate, between King Street, and Library Street, it was two way traffic. King Street was one way from Rodney Street. I have no idea what it was after, July, 1964, when I went to pasture new.

Hi DerekB, I agree with your comments, I don't remember King Street being anything other than one way traffic, in
the direction of Wallgate, but I am quite sure that the photo is from a time long before me and thee were around.

Ray, only a couple of weeks ago I was talking to an acquaintance from Bolton who asked me "What is it with you lot from Wigan?" Apparently he was driving in Wigan and stopped to ask an elderly man for directions who replied "Aye lad, tha goes through the next three set of robots then turns left." He thought to himself what the hell does he mean by robots? Although he is by no means a young man he claimed he had never heard this expression in Bolton with reference to traffic lights and asked me if I had. I told him I had completely forgotten about it but remembered my grandparents using it when I was a kid. I suppose in their day the introduction of traffic lights was the cutting edge of technology.

Lucky to have roads in Bolton.