Wigan Album

Quite a few years now since this store burned down. Saw the glow of the fire, even from Lower Ince. Late evening.

Albert
What store are you refering to?
Phil
Interesting bit of nostalgia!

Johnny. I believe now, Debenhams is now in that location. If my memory serves me right, the fire would have been in the early fifties.

Pendlebury's burnt down in the summer of 1953. The re-built store opened as Pendlebury's on the same site in 1957 and eventually became Debenhams (although I believe Debenhams had already owned it for several years before it was re-rebranded). The site is now Wilkinsons.

Thanks Albert and DerekB for that info :O)

I remember a few of us children playing around a gas lamp and seeing the sky reddened with the fire - that was in Vauxhall Rd.

I've wizzed through a few of the reports concerning the fire at Pendlebury's Store, and it appears that no one had been injured.
Thank goodness.
I do like the layout and brief descriptions (Platt's: Pens to suit all hands & Silver-plated from 7/-) of the items available on this old ad, even though the Eversharp Pencil from Platt's really does resemble a surgical instrument - Ouch!

It occurred one Sunday night, I think it was the day before August Bank Holiday. I know it was a holiday the day after. I lived at Billinge then, and we could see the red sky from my uncle's bungalow on Upholland Road

Im sure it wasnt 1953 when pendleburys burned down more like 1956.

I worked at Debenhams 1973-1976 and at the induction of myself and my colleagues we were told that the store had belonged to Debenhams since 1948, but the name Pendlebury's had been retained as the people of Wigan were used to it. I agree that it's nice for a town to have its "own" store as opposed to a national chain, and I'm sure the continuation of the name Pendlebury's contributed to its ongoing success.

PS. Forgot to say how much I enjoyed reading the adverts for pens and pencils. I have a fascination for Stationery Shops, and spent hours in Starr's and Wilding's, both on Wallgate, as a child, buying packets of gold stars like the teacher stuck in our books for good work, and daft things like "Telephone Memo Pads", when nobody I knew possessed a telephone! It has never left me, and my Grand-daughter Edie seems to be following in my footsteps without any encouragement. I just wish she could have had a peep into Starr's and Wilding's!

It's sad to think some of the appeal to shoppers (exasperating for supporters of sporting sides where the powers that be believe opposites on the colour wheel are better - some opting for Sky-Blue Pink With A Finny Addy Border, when considering a change to their first choice strips) may be lost due to tradition being discarded while just a little extra consideration may well be advantageous to all; the retention of 'Pendlebury' certainly did - Don't Gild the Lily!
I remember receiving a Post Office Set as a Christmas present during the 1950s when it soon became apparent that all paper items in the set were of pastel shades, pleasing to the eye, yet discernible.
I'm still having great difficulty in locating a 'real' stout twelve-inch white plastic ruler (millimetres now no problem), though.
The pencil shown here appears to be a Wahl Eversharp propelling..

It took me a few minutes to realise that this page actually contains two ads- only the top half is Pendlebury's. I am curious about R. Platt Ltd. at 17 Wallgate; is this the same company as Platt's the printers?

I can't say for certain but I think it is. I think it became Starr's Stationers in later years. There was an argument about it on Wigan World Communicate some years ago. I said Starr's Stationers was on the left as you walked down Wallgate, and Wilding's Stationers was on the right, near Joan Barries, and someone argued that Starr's was the one near Joan Barries. However, my friend confirmedthat Starr's WAS on the left in the 1960s, as she had worked there, but apparently it HAD stood on the other side of the road at one time, and Wildings took over when it moved, so we were both right!

In the 1950s Starrs was on the right as you went down Wallgate, next or next but one to Ashton's tobacconists and opposite the Raven; Wildings (a much larger shop that went back along way inside) was roughly opposite the post office (GPO) and Dog and Partridge.