Wigan Album
Spring View
7 CommentsPhoto: Thomas Sutch
Item #: 5828
I remember when I first moved into the area - these shops and houses on the left hand side were still standing. I used to go to a chemist on the left hand side
think thats butchers on corner
i was born there. The shops had a drapers, greengrocers that sold wet fish as well, chemist, shoe shop, hairdressers, bakers, DIY shop, florist, another large drapers on the corner of Marlborough Avenue which was called Alf Taylors, an off licence further up, two chip shops, Turtons sweet shop, Little Joes sweet shop and tobaconist, in fact everything you needed. You didnt need to go to town for anything as I recall. And then Wigan council got hold of Spring View. Need I say more. They've built houses all over the fields, which might I add was supposed to be unstable because of the railways and the spring that used to run underground, "Spring" View. Last time I drove through there, there was two shops, both just general and off licence. Such a dreadful shame. It was a lovely place in the old days, just like Wigan Town Centre was, but lets face it once Wigan Council get hold of it, you're doomed!!!!
i could not agree more christinethe cuoncilseem to occupy a parralel universe where common sense has been outlawedthey sent afortune inscoles leaving a sign telling the residents they live there i bet they are very grateful for that do you know if the toyshop was called cowboy joes or am i mistaken
Yes Christine, I was born there too, in Malvern Crescent in 1942. I remember the sweet shop and Maggie Naylors grocery & Alf Taylors haberdashery. You are right about the instability of the ground around there but I thought it was because of the abandoned 19th century coal mines - there were many flashes and old slag heaps. We used to go up the "Bushels" where there were trees growing the last time I was there but in my childhood the open countryside there was quite barren and my grandfather used to collect peat (called it turf) from there and old wood from the abandoned waggon works. We used to play on "the Big Hill" which was an old slag heap poking up out of the mainly flat land. I have nothing but fond memories and the family grave there now. Good but poor times, when everyone knew everyone else in the village. I also used to play with Dorothy Melling from Melling's Farm and the highlight of our year was harvest time when the threshing machine came. The sound of the miners' clogs on the pavements still haunts me when I can't sleep at night.
My dad And grandad bought and ran Taylor's after Alf Taylor. One in Ince one in spring view one in Ashton and one in Pemberton.
My dad And grandad bought and ran Taylor's after Alf Taylor. One in Ince one in spring view one in Ashton and one in Pemberton.