Wigan Album

John great picture of a great era. Look how happy the four girls are.

I thought I had seen this photo before, it was in the Lancashire Life magazine, April 1964, and it is in the Album, though this photo shows a wider shot, the shop on the left with the dog waiting patiently outside isn't on the one in the Album. Happy days playing safely indeed John.

A time gone forever. Kids playing in the street. Happy faces, young, innocent; modern life waiting round the corner to destroy it all...

The shop on the corner was Biily and Sally Bretherton's, the dog belonged to them,I used to walk it for them on Sunday mornings.After thy retired some else took the shop over,I can't recall the names of the new owners.

Great to see kids playing outside like this, all look really healthy, unlike a lot of the fat kids of today.

This photo speaks volumes and describes the joy of young lives many of us remember so well and the memories we treasure so much.

I remember scenes like this very well in most areas around Wigan and Ince. Carefree days, very few cars (and absolutely no Traffic Wardens !). The corner shop ruled and you actually saw ans spoke to people on the street. Front doors left unlocked and you could leave your bike propped against the wall without somenoe nicking it. Sounds like I'm turning into my Dad !

Correct this photo was in Lancashire Life again in 2007 and does show the corner shop. I lived in Golborne St and then Scholefield Lane, next to George Conroy's green grocers on the corner of Neville St with Hollands Off Licence on the other corner. Mrs Davis "corner" shop next was door but one towards Gaskell St and Scholes. Sherringtons iron mongers was at the bottom of Scholefield Lane and Worthingtons (I think is was)sweet shop on the opposite corner to Sheringtons. We also had the whole of Scholes to shop so didn't need to journey into the town centre much. Do you remeber the advertisement hordings after Gaskell St? We used to hide behind them in the thick pea souper fog when you were lucky to see your hand in front of your face. Shooting peas out of our shooters at the folk walking by, watching the confused looks around when we landed a good one. Imagine kids these days playing with pea shooters! Great days!

I remember going to look at a 3 wheel bike for our elder son David, around 1958 in Holland Street. I knew a lad from there who worked at the pit with me. I called on him to ask the whereabouts of the house where the bike was for sale. He went along the row of terraces opening doors and shouting "Are you in ?" No-ones door was locked. It wouldn't be like that today!!

I love this photo..a time when children were happy with their lot,plus they could play outdoors as I myself could without coming to much harm from yobs or sinister looking creatures..a time when everyone was in the same boat financially..and a trip to Southport(if you were lucky) could seem like a trip abroad,we know there was poverty and probably don't want to go there again but spiritually folk were definitely happier.

A REALLY LOVELY PHOTO, THIS IS A PICTURE OF EVERY LITTLE GIRL THAT WAS BORN IN INCE IN THE 1950s ( including me) AND SPEAKS VOLUMES OF THE HAPPY AND INNOCENT WORLD WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE BORN INTO

It was a "golden" age in the sense that we were "equal" (equally poor) - there was nothing to envy - doors could be left open. Unfortunately, although we didn't know it a dark ominous cloud called affluence was just around the corner and things were never to be the same. A case for the opposite point of view is of course just as valid.

4 feral female gang members doing a runner after mugging the little boy of his mobile phone? i think not.

I dunno... I think peashooters would be frowned on for children or anyone else these days! Almost as bad as when many boys were allowed slingshots and even air rifles to play with! I'm not sure the coming of "affluence" affected children then especially, nor does it now. I guess there will always be the "haves" and the "have nots". Not all affluence is ill-gotten. Most kids are still kids at heart and are great adapters as long as they have other kids to interact with, whatever their family situation. Parental responsibility and discipline (or lack thereof) have lifelong effects we all know! Cheers, :)

The school was about 130 years old even when this photo was taken - St Catharine's encompassed a very large ward - the vast majority lived in similar houses, shared similar existences, hard work, tough times etc., and naturally similar socio-economic backgrounds, this brought them together. But social changes were "just around the corner" i.e. "You've never had it so good", inflation, etc., of course they were all individuals but commonality of experience was the glue for the community.

john allan we used to live at number 1 neville st my eldest brother is raymond fields you might know him we used to go to st catherines i remember george connroy and mrs davies faircloughs and turners lived on scholefield lane

Hi Sandra, I do remember your family, you lived I think facing Edna and Danny Kennedy in Neville St they had three children, Gwenda (who lives in Lorne St, Melvyn and Lorraine who lives in Aspull. Mum used to take you to Sunday School didn't she? Great days those befor the ruination of Scholes communities. Money should have been spent on modernising the houses and maintaining the life and soul of the area. St Catharine's parish hasn't been the same since that tragic time.

yea john we did live across from the kennedys do you remember mrs finch edna gaskell at the top of neville st june tailor linda parkinson

Hi Sandra, yes I remember them in the distant reaches of my mind. It's a pity there are no photos of the locale, Scholefield Lane proper, Neville St, Gaskell St, Linney St and Caunce St. I have a street map from the forties I think it is which shows the whole of the area I'll scan in and see if I can upload. Do you remember Robert Fairclough from Scholefield Lane, the Cherries from Linney St, Barry Groome from Gaskell St? The new houses built in Gaskell St in the sixties I think are still there intermingled with the council houses. There was a plot of spare land at the top of Gaskell St with the backs of the terrace houses in Linney St behind it. Used to play there as a kids imaginig we were Sinbad, Flash Gorden and the like after Saturday morning ABC Minors at the Ritz. Do you remember Winstanleys fish and chip shop on Caunce St, wet mixtures and the like, talking your own basisns on Friday night tea time?? Great days they were! I pity the children of today as they miss out on all that freedom

my brother raymond used to mate around with barry groomes iremember winstanleys fish and chip shop cant bring back those days now at leasst weve got alot of good memories kids of today wont have they get things to easy computers mobile phones wiis who am i talking to john hankin

Hi Sandra, I remember Ray, who was a bit older than I am wasn't he? I'm 64 this year. They were great days growing up in the 50s and then as teenagers in the 60s the dawn of the rock and roll, The Beatles and the rest. Kids these days don't have that special time and I think our generation was very lucky - the baby boom - as they refer to us after the war. Times were harder than in later years but we werer all a lot happier and more satisfied with our lot. It would be nice if we could travel back in time

Reading one of the comments on this picture brought a lot of memories flooding back.
My Auntie Eunice (Eunice Fisher) lived in no 16 Gaskell Street from Well before the war until they were pulled down I think in the late '60 or early 70's.
I well remember May Davis's shop on the corner of Gaskell St.(I used to be sent for Half a pound of best boiled ham and some best butter)for our sunday tea when me and me mam went visiting. I can still see May carving a lump of butter off the block and patting it into shape before wrapping it up.
I also used to climb on the advertising hordings at the end of Gaskell St (and I used to get a right rollocking when caught!)There wern't many excuses that would work to explain why you were 30 foot up on top of the hoardings!.
I havent thought about any of this for donkey's years.....
Happy days...sadly long gone.

Just seen this photo, As it was taken in 1964,I think The Bretherton's shop had changed hands by then. Billy and Sally retired to Pestatyn in the very early 60's. The shop in 1964 I am sure was owned by David and Audrey Shawcross. The Norman Shawcross Roofing company is still a very thriving business in Wigan and he was David's older brother. David was infamous for his motorbike(he came off more than once) and for the converted ambulance that he used as a mobile shop. I am pretty sure that the dog in the picture is theirs as well. Like the Brethertons they also had an Alsation as a "guard dog" - they lived over the shop. However the Shawcross's dog Mandy was about as much use as a chocolate watch. She was a lovely dog but would jump at her own shadow !!

Thanks for the lovely pics,the owners of the corner shop,Bill& Sally gave us the use of their place in Rhyl for our honeymoon. Lovely memories of a lovely place. Joe. New Zealand.