Wigan Album

Great picture Tom. Just behind the single deck bus is a
Wigan Corporation double decker turning right into Scot Lane

Is that a bobby or just a bollard?
Certainty a less chaotic scene than today's maelstrom.

I remember this view very well from Sunday visiting at Pemberton after dinner to relatives in the 50s. It was quiet on the roads as well then.

Hi Tom

When Barbara and I got married at St. Marks the driver brought me to St. Edwards, the white fronted building.
It was rather fortuitous that I was heading back to St. Marks because the bride to be at St. Edwards was also an expectant mother.

That road layout would probably work better than the present one

The Pub in the middle is The Mechanics Arms , the one on which the man is leaning is The Saddle Inn; higher the white bulding a one time cinema became St Edwards first church before moving to Scot Lane . After it closed as the church it became a parish club ‘ The innisfree Club ‘

Well hello TOM , I cannot thank you enough for the brilliant ohoto above ,especially the hundreds and hundreds of wonderful memories you have given me. WHEN i was 7/9 years old approx, we had just moved from half-way-house to Walpole Ave ,Worsley Mesnes in 1954. yet i was still attending Highfield Infants & Juniors,my eldest sister Margaret attended Pemberton High School Girls. She would march me up st pauls to the bus we caught the wigan bus and if you see the queens head pub farther up we alighted there walked down to approx where the bobby was crossed over to to where the man is alone ( Saddle Pub ) if the PEMBERTON CAME FIRST SHE WOULD GO ,I WAITED FOR THE 19A WINDY ARBOUR BUS ALIGHTED AT ST Mathews church WE used to leave home something like 7.30am in the morning which in those days was early and a long trek
the winters wre the worst especially rain and back then we had snow regulary ,ALSO they did not close the school's back then either,you got there and so did tha teachers ,so once again TOM thank you sir.

The pub in the middle is the Queens Head, The Mechanics is the one in the distance up Warrington Road.

The pub in the distance is the Queens; still open today. Mechanics Pub was further up on the right and not in view, Yes that is a policeman directing traffic

Looks like the ghost of Tsar Nicholas II leaning against the wall :)

Spitting Image of the Tsar Steve O! Pity he couldn't have been brought here in 1917 with his family - he would never have been found.

My dad lived behind the saddle pub

This photo brings back a memory (albeit with more traffic on the road) from Saturday January 1st 1955. Dad had a Austin 8 soft top tourer (we called it "Ethelred the Unready" but that's another story) and along with Mum and I (9 year old) had been to Warrington that morning from Standish. I was in the back seat with a tray of fruit tarts by the side of me. As we approached the Saddle junction on our way home , the PC held up his hand to stop us, we did but a car following didn't. The back end of the Austin was caved in but drivable. The PC came over to us and the first thing he saw was this large red stain seeping from the side of me. The tarts were somewhat quashed but the PC thought I'd been injured. Father was not best pleased. It was his 1st car having bought it late 1954 from a Wigan garage.(10 days later it was repaired at Diggles repair shop.)

I lived near the Saddle junction from 1960 to 1975 on the corner of Ormskirk Rd and Trentham Street. There was so many little independent shops ( and Pubs) in Newtown then which was referred to as going“up Robin”. The man stood next to the Saddle inn was probably waiting for the Ashton or Bryn bus as there was a bus stop there. The bus stop for Windy Arbour, Abbey Lakes, Marsh Green, Worsley Hall, Norley Hall, Kitt Green and also the Ribble buses was further back (out of picture) although you couldn’t get on the Ribble buses unless you was going off the route of the Wigan Corporation buses. Further up from St Edwards church was Fletchers grocers shop which my Mum went to. Other shops I recall in Robin were Greens fish and greengrocers where we used to get a Jubbly cost 3d on our way home from school, Hampsons bakery, there was a butchers, chemist, Morton’s grocery who could deliver your shopping via a lad on a black bike with a big basket on the front, Browns off licence, a sweet shop who sold kaylie (excuse spelling) and proper wood liquorice sticks “put a road through yer” as the old ones used to put it! There was an ironmongers, Athertons selling clothes, a bicycle shop -Tom ? I got my first two wheeler costing £19 19s 11d. from there. Nat Bensons betting shop, Jackie Peacocks betting shop, Billy Mellings shoe shop, Oliver’s who made amazing pies on Saturdays and you took a jam jar with you if you wanted gravy. Mary Reagan’s wool shop, Smailes grocery shop and an electrical shop. A lot of these shops went out of business when Asda arrived in about 1970. Also there was Brunswick Chapel on the opposite corner of Scot lane from Browns. The Bobby used to cross us the road in the morning to school (St Marks) at about where the one in the photo is. Everyone walked to school then. I recall the winter of 62/63 I was in infant 1 (teacher Mrs Steele) and the crates of school milk placed near the pipes which ran around the classroom to defrost! I can’t remember the school closing because of the snow and frost. My Dad went to the Queens Head, (Tetley bitter) the one in the background being the Queens arms.He stopped going in the Bird ith Hand when it changed from Magees to Burtonwood brewery. I can’t believe how many memories this photograph has evoked. Thankyou.

Tom. I have asked this recently. Do you know as to whether St Edward's has closed, or not?. I went to St Edward's, at the Saddle, in the early sixties, before the completion of St Jude's. Whether true, or not, I did hear that the name St Edward's was added to, or replaced the name, "Sacred Heart," at Springfield. Prior to the building of St Jude's, there was a wooden building that was used to celebrate Mass. If my memory serves me right, I believe Father O'Hara was the parish priest, at St Edward's, in the sixties.

Elaine are you a relation of Norman Green, I'd often speak to him in the Queen's Head, what a great pub that was, the Bird i'th Hand allegedly had the tallest bar in England, over five feet tall as I recall. Robin was a great for shops wasn't it and a whole lot better than the shops that are now at Robin Retail Park, remember Jenny Sharrock's hardware and fancy goods shop that sold all sorts of curios along with the normal household goods, I remember getting some Indian brass cow bells from there which I still have. I recall a bus crashing into Brown's off license.

Like others this photo has evoked a particular memory for myself also. It was 1964 and I was driving my father’s car down Ormskirk Road,just as I approached France Street, which is/was at a sharp angle to Ormskirk Road, out of nowhere came this fast running young teenage boy, head up in the air not bothering to look around him, I had no chance to brake in time and he promptly ran into the car producing a sizeable dent in the offside front wing. This was a well built 1962 Jaguar Mk 2, you can imagine how hard he had hit the car to produce that impact. It was a dark evening and fortunately I was barely doing 25 mph, otherwise the result would have been far worse, the young lad seemed to recover after a while, as did myself and passenger.

Hi Elaine, I can’t belive your memory! Photographic or what ! Was St Edwards school at the back or near the church? Just trying to remember . My brain is not as sharp as yours by a long way, or perhaps a million miles .
I am in awe and take my hat off to your memory of details . The wonderful days of the Jubbly have now sadly gone .. Now things are taken for granted . Perhaps we appreciated more because we had nowt..

Albert,yes St Edawrds has closed I went to the last Mass just before Christmas,it was a very sad affair , St Williams ,Ince as also been closed.
Your quite right Fr. O' Hara was the parish priest .
Did you ever do a stint on point duty at The Saddle ?
Best wishes to you and Jenny for 2018 . Tom.

Cyril I’m no relation to Norman but my Dad’s name was Brian Green he was a regular in the vault and liked a game of dominoes. The landlady at the time was Maggie Gannon I think and she kept a good pub. Yes I remember Jenny Sharrocks and looking in the window to see what I could save my pocket money for, it was next door to Browns and later became a pet shop who had a Mynah Bird with a fantastic vocabulary, someone broke into it one night and stole their parrots cages and all and the police followed the trail of seed up Scot lane and and across Laithwaite Park onto Worsley Hall and got them back! Yes I remember the coach crashing into Browns the family were upstairs in bed at the time and lucky to escape injury, Karen Brown was in the same class as me at St Marks.
Thankyou Dave I’m surprised myself how many memories this photograph has recalled. There wasn’t a school at the back of St Edwards at the Saddle the only one I remember was near the new church on Scot Lane.
Going back to the winter of 62/63 I had a little cast iron fireplace in my bedroom and my Dad made a fire in it to warm my bedroom it was lovely falling asleep watching the flames but could you imagine putting a fire in a 5 year olds bedroom now - Health and Safety/ Social Services would be swooping down on you but we were brought up with coal fires then and knew that you would get burned if you played with them (it used to be known as common sense) And is it just me or did toast/crumpets taste better toasted on the fire?

I have mixed memories of Father O'Hara and his secretary. But his curate (assistant priest) was a very hard-working and humble man, who used to go round the parish on a bicycle. I wish I could remember his name.

Father O'Hara's curate was Fr Daley, a good priest who took his vocation with dignity

My wife Eileen lived at 52 Ormskirk Rd 1957to 1968, which is the house at the side of the Saddle Inn where the man is standing. When it was raining people waiting for the bus would gather around the front door and it was a struggle to get out. Likewise it was difficult to get in as they thought she was trying to muscle in at the back because it was the most sheltered spot.

Like your photo Tom, I had some grand folks who grew up around this area in the good old days. Wasn't it once known as Robing Lane Ends?

Thank you Tom for your good wishes, both to us, and to Jenny. We send our good wishes to you, also. God willing, Jenny will celebrate her eighty ninth birthday in February. When I was at Newtown in the early sixties, no one did point duty at The Saddle. I forget as to whether a one way system was in force at that particular time. Much water has passed under the bridge since I was at Newtown, soon afterwards, I moved up to the Pemberton office.

It was Brian I knew Elaine, don't know where Norman came from - time playing tricks I imagine, I've been wracking my memory about the name of the bike shop next to Atherton's - it was Hall's.

When I frequented the pub John and Maggie Ganderton were the licensees, they put some good do's on every so often at the weekend.

I seem to recall an Irish club somewhere there on the left, was that connected with St Edward's?

Elaine Green & TD - It was known as Robbing Lane Ends. Ormskirk Road as it is now was known as Robbing Lane in the 1850's s far up as the Half Way House

Thank's Bob.

The name Robbing lane is on an old map that I have. No doubt Robin Park is a corruption of the name as Wiganers never said robbing, it was always robbin. My grandma lived in Victoria Street and if she was going to Ormskirk Road shops she would say A'm gooin t'front street

Hi All you owd robiner's,what a wonderful place to grow up (hopwood st)back of the saddle,ive seen the picture before on here,as anyone got a picture of the saddle pub from the front ?,hi elaine i remember you,living in the same row as doris s chippy what a great chippy that was chips and pea wet,doris,harold and there son gordon,they lived next door to the chippy can you or anyone remember it being a shop before they lived there,ive got a hardwear shop in my head maybe wrong,i remember all the shops that are mentioned above,one or two more are the shop over the road from the saddle pub on the corner jackie benson (paper shop) they had three girls that went to st marks and lees decorators next door.remember the st edwards club being in wood st it was a porta cabin building,remember christmas party's there think it was there for a short time,i did put a picture on hear years ago,thanks for the photo,taking me back in time is great.

Great to see your comment Viv. Hope you are well. Wasn't it Mr Fairhurst that had the grocers next to St Eddies?

HI derek,The shop i was meaning was next door to doris s chippy,from standing on the duggie bridge looking towards saddle,there was a path going to red pond then double gates to the garages(around 20) that mr tenant use to rent out he lived in trentham st he had chicken's,ducks on there too,sorry going of track ha ha,double gates then the house that was next to chippy it was joined on to the chippy but back from the road,i know doris lived there later but can t think what or who live there before,and yes fairhurst's shop harold,margaret,ian and janet was next to st edwards,dont remember it being a cinema,but remember church,club.like i say happy times.lovely to hear from you derek,im doing ok,hope alls well with you. viv.

Well is it a bloody bobby or not ?

Hi Viv, oh Doris’s chippy, they used to queue out the door - even at supper time. I remember Harold putting big blocks of lard in the fryer! Yes they lived next door to the chippy but set back, but I remember a shop next door to their house I think it was a hairdressers at some point. Gordon had a bubble car which he had to push out of the backs because I might be wrong but I don’t think it had a reverse gear. It was Mr Spencer who had the garages and chickens at the back, him and Mrs Spencer used to mind me when my Mam and Dad was at work and we used to go and collect the eggs. Yes Derek I got it wrong it was Fairhurst shop, I remember Finch’s Television shop across the road from us, was this your family? My Dad used to say that Brian Finch who wrote for Coronation Street used to live in our house before we did but I don’t know how true that was. Yes Fred I’ve read somewhere that Robbin was referred to as Robbing Lane Ends and was called this as the highwaymen used to lie in wait for the coaches travelling to Pemberton, Ormskirk? Liverpool?

Hi Elaine,Thanks for reply about the shop ,as for the garages as soon as i saw mr and mrs spencer,and i think they had a dog ?,i remember mrs chattin in trentham st she had two pekingese dogs (i was scared of them)don't remember gordon's bubble car,i know alan finch had one he lived in hopwood st,the brian finch that was a writer,not sure which finches he belong to as there was a few different familes around newtown,and on the opposite corner for you was a family call daniels,things keep coming back ,me and my husband was sat on macdonalds car park and i was trying to pinpoint where i was born as i was born at home in hopwood st,thanks again for filling in the gaps. viv.

Hi Viv I came across this thread by chance I am the son of
Gordon Birch we lost him in 2002 It been quite cool hearing just a few bits about my dad and grandparents
thanks for posting them, my mum is nee Pat Ganderton.

My dear departed wife Jean ..Foster..lived at 31 Gower st....I can see it all now..she was the youngest of 3 sisters..the others being Ann and Eileen

The photo brings the memories flooding back -perhaps the point duty policeman is PC Gerard Burley (my uncle).The remembrances from Viv and Elaine prompt many recollections. The chip shop run by Harold and Doris Birch was legendary and fed all the factory and foundary workers on Gower St.I still compare chippies now to the high quality served by Doris. At one point there were two chip shops facing one another. Evelyn Bibby ran the Toffee shop on one side of one of these whilst Lawtons Butchers was on the other.Further down past Douglas St Mr Turner ran a clog making and shop repair shop. Ibsee him now sat in the gloom behind the counter.It was my grandmother who kept the scary pekinese dog but the real bad tempered one was a yorkshire terrier kept by thecfamily who lived in the house which abutted the furniture factory :King and Derbyshire's on Gower St.
The photo doesn't capture the Melia's grocery which was on the corner of France St or the Bank on the other corner.
Dr Graham's surgery is also out of sight. The original Benson's newspaper and tobacco shop is also out of shot.
Viv and her sister Kathleen walked me to school as an infant. The Finch's,Pendlebury's,Fosters,Forshaw's,Moore's,Gaskells,Caterall's,Lancaster's.,Paxton's,Pownall's/Lee's, Langtons and Ritchie's(who ran the Saddle Inn) all made the Hopwood st area a great place to grow up in. Thanks to all of them.

The building to far right, on the corner of France street, with what appears to have a white washed upper half, was the Barclays Bank.