Wigan Album

wigan was miles better then.proper buildings not like now

Knocking these buildings down was criminal.
Shame on the councillors and planners who have raped and pillage our heritage.

In the words of Cher..."If I could turn back time..." sigh!!!

A brilliant set of photos - thank you for sharing them with us. So many memories they bring back, of a time when Wigan had some character.

Nostalgia hits me again. I remember this scene in Wigan from way back when. To the left of the black & white clad building was the Wesleylan School I went to and a few doors up to the right was a little tobacconists/sweetshop we would go into after school to by amongst other things, licorice sticks to chew. I used live further up Dicconson St with my Auntie & Uncle Bryson. No 38 I think, the house was on the left. The Wesleyan Church was on the opposite corner of the street. When in Wigan some years ago I tried to find the house but most of the terrace had been demolished. The house was old, 3 storeys & a cellar, a yard out the back with a high wall onto the alley. The sort of house people would pay a lot of money for today. The alleyway at the back came out behind The Scotch Bakers in Mesnes Rd, opposite the Congregational Church.

Helen, remember that alley well, was near the Academy shop where everybody went for school unfiroms

Helen, you have jogged my memory with your reference to the Scotch Bakery. Was it called Bailey's Scotch Bakery? It was a baker's shop at street level and a cafe upstairs where a well to do auntie used to take me as a special treat. The shop in the photo with the sign DERL Shop I remember as Bill Davies who used to sell tiled fireplaces and bathroom suites.

Does anyone remember the loose flagstone that was on the corner, outside the Square Deal Shop?
It was there for years, and was one of the recognised hazards of Wigan Town Centre.
If you were unwise enough to step on it in rainy weather, it tilted, and dowsed you and other passers with muddy
water.

The shop that was Mr Standish's later became a pram shop and when they were altering the shop they discovered wattle and daub walls, so the buildings were really old and should have been listed and not demolished, but the council doesn't care about history when it comes to money greasing palms, the heart they have on their new logo will be of stone and will also be very cold.

vandals ,visigoths and huns spring to mind

brilliant set of photos. thanks for showing us

Derek, it was Bailey's Scotch bakery on Mesnes Street, I seem to remember that the front of the shop stuck out a bit from the rest and the door was at the side.

I remember the sweet shop, on the way to school. The people who owned it were really nice and knew a lot of us by name.
I also remember the penny loaf shop, across the road, just opposite, up a little from Greenhough St.We called there on the way home and I once got in trouble for eating in the street and not wearing my school hat!!!!

This photo must have been taken outside the Dog I'th Thatch. I remember when this pub closed and all the brass topped tables were taken up to the Crofters. Two pubs which Wiganers must miss dearly.

Mr and Mrs Thomas owned the sweet shop Tricia, I also remember the bakehouse shop and their miniature Hovis loaves for a penny.

Thanks for that Cyril.It only seems like yesterday.It didn't stop me eating penny loaves in the street though!!!

ref. Mr Standish's shop. In my living room I have a sideboard made by Standish cabinet makers of Standishgate for my parents about 1930. When I figure out how to do it I will send a photograph

I remember Mr Standish and his sister very well. He once took my husband and I through to the back of the shop, across a yard and into a very old storeroom where he gave us a couple of very old clocks. We still have one of them.It was a real treasure trove in there. The shop, also, fascinated me. He had a glass cabinet near the counter with alsorts of unusual things inside.
They were a lovely family.