Wigan Album

I loved Starrs the stationers, and spent hours in there as a child, as well as Wildings which was across the road. I used to love buying gummed papaer squares and crepe paper and packets of gold stars like the teacher used to stick in your book for good work. I was fascinated by exercise books with conversion tables on the back...inches into feet, feet into yards, and strange measuremets like quarts and bushels and furlongs. I loved browsing through rent-books and raffle-tickets and I would buy telephone memo pads when nobody I knew posessed a telephone! I have a fascination for stationery to this day, but W H Smith and the like will never match the cosy, homely atmosphere of Starrs.

Irene Did Starrs have a shop on both sides of Wallgate? I seem to remember one very close to where te Brittania Building Soc is now, and also one where Johnsons Cleaners were on the other side of the road. they left lots of Goodies in the cellar of Johnsons when they moved.

The stationers on the opposite side to Starrs was Wildings,in the row where Ashtons Tobacconist and the Blue House card and gift shop are now.Not sure which premeises in that row was occupied by Wildings; it was on two floors.