Wigan Album

That takes me back Ron !
I had to go to school in Ormskirk....long story ...&
used to get off the bus at the old bus station opp the Congegational Church then cross.. Menses ?.. St & go into Baillies & buy a piece of parkin before walking up the alleyway by the shop & into Dicconson St where I lived for a time with my Uncle's family.
We lived at Holland Moor later & we caught the Ribble bus to the same bus station, went over to Baillies for meat & potato pies...then caught the corporation bus up to St Clements Rd where my Bryson grandparents lived....where we ate the pies for dinner ! Good memories.

My friend Geoff tells of how he went to Baillie's Cafe for his dinner, (I will never be able to call it "lunch"!), on his first day as a junior reporter on The Wigan Observer in 1960. He had meat pie and two veg, sponge pudding and a cup of tea for a very reasonable sum. Oddly, I can't recall Baillie's Pie Shop and cafe at all....in 1960 I would have been eight years old and probably only went to Wigan with my Mam back then, and we never really shopped in Mesnes Street, except for my Brownie Uniform from Oliver Somers, and we bought pies for the family's tea from Vose's pie shop. I can only recall "Smith's of Wigan's" bookshop being where Baillie's one stood; It was a brilliant books and stationery shop and I still miss it.

I worked at Mesnes House in the late 60’s/ early 70’s and often had pies from there. Very tasty.

Hi Irene I worked at John England Bridgeman Terrace for a year age 15 and used to go to Ballies pie shop for lunch . Meat & potato pie and an iced bun with currants and fresh cream absolutely delicious.. !!!

Hello Karina. I think all us Wiganers love a pie! It's odd that I don't recall Baillie's, but as I say, we never really shopped in Mesnes Street. Being from Ince, like me, I'm sure you remember Cain's Pie Shop in Belle Green Lane. It was Ashurst's when we were growing up but everyone still called it Cain's. Their pies and cakes were mouthwatering!

Steak pie followed by Apple tart with cream. Two or three times a week when I was at tech about 1969. Other option was pie and merengue from Prices int arcade.

Went there many times from WGS at lunch time (sorry Irene) to buy a pie. to this day I can recall the taste of their butter pies which were outstanding'

This spelling of BAILLIE is the Scottish way of spelling the name, whereas
the English spelling is BAILEY. In the mid 1960s a transport company from
Portsmouth, Robert Baillie & Co, opened a depot at the rear of Baillies
bakery, but despite the name, there was no connection.

Was Baillies bakery where everything was made on Wigan Lane?

Hi Irene I yes I remember Cain’s on Belle Green Lane . I’m definitely a true Wiganer I’ve been making pies and pasties for years . There’s a batch of meat & potato pasties in my freezer as we speak .????????????

Karina can I put my order in for half a dozen M&P pies..