Wigan Album

I remember queuing up in Vose's Pie Shop with my Mam on Saturday afternoons in Winter as it was just going dusk, just before we caught the bus back to Ince with pies for the family's tea. I remember the cosiness of the shop contrasting with the darkening sky outside and the headscarved housewives patiently queueing, and Vose's delicious oval-shaped pies. I never thought to see Vose's shop again. Thanks, Ron! xx

One of my abiding memories.( I thought the shop was in the larger buildings on the left.) Every Saturday morning I went with my basket for steak pies there, they used to queue outside to be served. The smell of the shop made my mouth water. Lovely pies. It's great to see those shops as they were. Although sometimes I went to Pie Joe's in Scholes. We were definitely a pie eating family in those days, very rare I eat pastry nowadays.

I remember trudging through the snow going to Vose's for pies for tea in 1962, you had to walk there and back, as I don't remember buses going along Crompton St at that time.Thanks for these old photos.

Monks bakery was round the corner on the right and I would go in and buy a penny loaf, they were warm and ever so good.

To be honest, Veronica, I thought Vose's shop was more to the left too, nearer to the corner of Mesnes Street. I just assumed time must have blurred my memory but it's possible that it changed premises. Anyway, lovely to see it again, and I STILL carry a shopping basket! They're brilliant for carrying bread, pies and cakes. I often get comments on it!

these shops were replaced by a non descript row of flat roof buildings, including the timbered building that was the electric showrooms at one time. I just wonder how that got through planning but maybe...

You could be right Irene, I never thought of that. Even as a 10 year old going on errands I thought it was a posh shop, bright and airy not dark looking as the one in the picture is. Talking about the mid 50's though. 'Mi bubbles bin bursted!'

Irene/Veronica. Nimans, who sold jewellery and upmarket luggage was on the corner of Standishgate and Mesnes St and next door to them going along Standishgate was Chamberlains, who sold musical instruments and sheet music downstairs and had a record department upstairs. Your Murphy Dealer (as advertised) was The Central Wireless Co. and the shop between it and Voses was a photographers at one point (whose name escapes me now.) I agree with everyone that Voses pies were to die for, especially the meat and potato. Didn't they also specialise in tripe, trotters etc under a UCP franchise?

You are correct Derek B one's memory plays tricks the older you get ... I also remember the other shops, especially Niman's on the corner and Chamberlaine's

The large building in the photo (with McKerrows and Sterling shoes on the ground floor) is still there although housing different businesses, and looks in better condition now than it does on the photo - at least it does on Google street view.
If I remember right, in the old low building behind the traffic light pole in the photo, in the 1940s, there was a cafe that was dark inside with very low ceiling and a stone floor but I have no idea of the name,

John, if the cafe you refer to was the one next to the Electricity Board showrooms, it was called The Gate Cafe.

Thanks Derek. I also seem to remember the front steps were quite high but mainly how old and dark it seemed inside. My auntie sometimes picked me up from school and we called in there for a cup of tea. It would be around 1948 and I was only 5 or 6 years old so don't remember a lot about it.

There was a little alley along there that led to Back Mesnes Street and was where Mitchison's had a florist shop, I'm guessing it was in-between the two tall buildings and the white fronted shop i.e. next door but one after the Murphy dealer, under a magnifier it looks as though someone is either entering or leaving the alley. Was there also a Vose's stall in the market hall, I seem to remember something like the name and which sold tripe, trotters and suchlike, we as children would look at the stuff that some folks would relish - and turned our noses up at the thought.

Monks' shop was on Standishgate opposite The Whitesmiths Arms. Smalleys was the name of the photographers.

Sorry, photographer was C.H. Small .

It has been interesting to see this photograph and to read in the comments about Monks bakery. Alice and Stella Monks who ran the bakery were my fathers aunt and cousin. I've never seen any mention of the bakery before although I knew it existed, it was before my time.