Wigan Album

I don't know where this photo was taken but I do know that Wilcoks had there bakery at the bottom of Market Street in Hindley next to the Conservative club in the 50/60's.It is now a car park.

I remember the Excel Bread Bakery in Hindley well, from my days at Hindley Grammar School. The smell of the baking bread was mouth-watering!

Wilcocks Prospect Bakery Wholesale Bakers& Confectioners,Market St Hindley.I remember the smell of new baked bread when we were kids!

I worked at winstanley, s bakery across the road from wilcox, s in the 60,

Excel bakery market street Hindley ,a lot of my friends worked there as Drivers and drivers mates in the 50s +60s I
remember them getting one of the first bread slicing machines in the 50s very slow 1 loaf at atime we used buy a
warm loaf and sit on St Peters wall and eat it ,thanks for
putting the photo on good memories. D.C.

My cousin Maggy Murfeild drove a bread van .Her husband was manager.They had a cooked meat shop later next to Waggies chippy.Did any of you take a girl to be warm after the Rex cinema on the back wall.

Yes, Neil, I did . You will know her she was in UVA with us and lived halfway up Ladies Lane.

how much would that van bring at auction today.fantastic picture.

I remember as a kid Excel used to be sold in our local corner shop in Whelley. If I remember rightly their vans were dark blue.

Does any body remember Tommy Mitchel who used to sell fruit and fish in a small lorrie around Hindley and Ince, in the 60s.
Sorry but I've never heard of Excel bread. Looking at the photo, it could be early 1940s.

Derick have you never heard of butter. I bet you got ecups.

my dad Jo holding worked as a van lad in the early 40s &Amy mum Ruth Irene Hardman worked in the bakery this is how they met I wonder if anyone remembers them

hi I worked at wilcoks in the sixtys making scones in the week but on a Saturday I worked in wigan Woolworth selling their bread also leigh Woolworth as well and st Helens selling bread and cakes the van drivers us to take me then I left to get married happy times Christine x

Does anyone have any idea where exactly this photo was taken? It looks as though it's outside some official place like a post office or other such building.

gideonfel, do you think this may be outside a railway station? In the background there looks to be attached to the wall what could be a railway timetable and the man in front of it looks like he could be in what then was a railway uniform. Also, to the right of the building looks like what could be gated access to the platform.

You're right, Derek. Could be. But if it's a local station - and the presence of the van suggests it is - then which station is it? Certainly not Hindley North.

gideonfel, apart from the smaller stations still operational today, i.e. Hindley North, Westhoughton and Daisy Hill, at the time this photograph was taken there would also have been stations open at Bamfurlong, Platt Bridge, Hindley Green, Aspull and Abram. If it is taken outside a local station, it looks likely to remain a puzzle.

If it is a railway station it is not the old Hindley South station.Could it be the entrance to a goods yard or a pub?

Puzzle solved it's Westhoughton....

Checking via Google Earth, I don't think it can be Westhoughton, Gerry. It is somewhere with a similar configuration - of a slope leading down to the platform between the wall and the back of the van. However, at Westhoughton this would have to be the slope going down to the Bolton-bound platform - but immediately beside that is an access road to a garage or similar, and then some older shops - not, as here, what looks like a 1930s public building (a Post Office, Labour Exchange, or suchlike).

Gerry is right it is Westhoughton ..but not the station

This is my Grandfather Seth Holding outside the family shop - Jack Partington's at Chequerbent.

Lesley

Lesley, thanks for that information,this photo was doing my head in

This is for Lesley. If you see this you may remember me . I am the niece of Alice who was married to your Grandad Seth. It would be good to hear from you.

My Dad who is Jeff Partington was related to Jack partington and i remember visiting the shop when i was a little boy. I know that Anne brown has done the family history but i have lost her email address when i moved house and i am desparate to get it again if you can help.

I worked at Excel Bakery in the sixty,s
As drivers mate with Len Higgins the driver delivering round Newton le willows
The manager was Harold Britland

gosh happy times,lived a couple of streets away n the smell of baking bread was to die for,if we needed bread n shops were closed,ie,sunday’s,holidays,mum would send me to the bakery for bread,i remember walking home,warm wax paper wrapping,happy childhood memories…..