Woolworths, Station Road.

Can anyone settle a disagreement. Woolies side wall ran down Station Road to the Ritz. I recollect a back door to Woolies, up some steps and in to the store. A friend says it was a loading gate, not a door, and it had a drainpipe set in stained concrete ( ? ). Time frame is mid to late 70s. Any super memories out there can clarify ? Have checked ww photos but they seem later, showing this area bricked up.

I regularly caught a bus in Station road to Lower Ince up to the very early 60s and occasionally after that time.There was right opposite the stop both a door as you described and also a little father along towards the Ritz the loading bay. Don't know if/when either were bricked up.

Hilly,you are right,there was definitely a right hand door further down
Station Rd,I used to work nearly facing the Ritz and would use that side
door to go into Woolies..mind you I'm talking in the late fifties.

So am I momac and wasn't there a row of barred windows quite high up on that wall as well. I'm almost sure they had concrete window sills.

Yes. There was two doors actually. The first one went upstairs in Woolies, the other was Marks and Spencer's back door.

Here's a picture of 'em both!

Are you saying the one nearest to the Ritz is the entrance to Woolies Tonker? I am sure that is the one as it was opposite the Abram bus stop. Up three or four steps as someone said.

Tonker, top man ! A perfect picture that answers the disagreement. Spot on, thank you for taking the time to load the photo. Hilly

Thanks for that Tonker..it was the bottom one that I used.

Yep Two doors,when looking at the set up of the new PO I commented on one of the doors

OMGosh, thanks Tonker, that brings back memories....

If yoo think about it, the doors to Marks & Spencers on Station Road had to be nearest the ABC Cinema, because Marks & Spencer was the building which stretched from Standishgate to Station Road "BEHIND" Woolworths, so the doors to Woolworths could not have been next along to the ABC Cinema, it would have been a physical impossibility

I wonder what was on the pictures - there doesn't seem to be many folk about

Tonker is right

Following on from that, does anyone remember the little alley that led from round the back of the Ritz exit doors that brought you out onto Standishgate?
I think the facade of the exit is still on Standishgate but obviously the alley has gone.

Chatty..I remember those exit doors very well.lol.

Remember it well ( Hilly) My bus stop was the first one where ( wraring & gillows was) no 10 worsley mesnes, your spot on about woolies too!

I remember a door to woolies right at the bottom, used it many times. Between that door and the ABC was a large gate. Don't know if this gate belonged to woolies though.

I've seen an old photo on Facebook this morning of the old Ritz and it clearly shows the door. itwas on Wigan Now and Then. I'm sure somebody clever could find it. I'm not good at putting photos on here.