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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



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Album Contents

Wigan Album

Wigan Lane

7 Comments

Wigan Lane postcard shop
Wigan Lane postcard shop
Photo: Allan Hughes
Views: 2,980
Item #: 20817
This is Will Smith’s shop at 26 and 28 Wigan Lane sometime before 1910. He was the major publisher of Wigan postcards, postcards as we know them started in 1902 and I reckon he published about 10 to 15% of all the old Wigan postcards ( at a guess 250 to 300 designs ). A lad I worked with in the early 90’s told me that when he was a young lad living near Wigan Lane the old shop was being refurbished and the workmen were carrying tea chest after tea chest of old postcards out and burning them on a bonfire! He rescued two cards and gave them to his mother, when he found out I collected old photos of Wigan he passed them on to me.
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Comment by: Al.C. on 13th June 2012 at 09:31

Was this the same shop that was Standish's (cabinet maker/french polisher) till the 1980s?

Comment by: Cyril on 13th June 2012 at 10:37

Al.C, it is now Lawless's newsagents, general store and off licence, opposite Douglas Road.

Comment by: Thomas(Tom)Walsh on 13th June 2012 at 10:50

A.IC.,This shop is still a newsagents today,the shop you mention,Standish's
Furnishers,was lower down ,on Standihgate,I think Wigan Lane starts somewhere near St., Mary's Church.Mr.,Standish was a great character ,
always time for his custermers(many shops today could learn a lesson),
nothing was to much trouble.All the people in the trade referred to him as "Daddy Standish". His sister also worked in the business , and was equally
helpful .Its pity that most of the locally owned firms have disappeared from
the High Street.

Comment by: Maureen Andrews nee McGovern on 13th June 2012 at 16:34

It was only yesterday that I was in there..it seems to have an awful lot of history.

Comment by: Al. C. on 14th June 2012 at 10:12

Thanks Cyril and Tom, I know where you mean now.

Comment by: Neil Cain on 15th June 2012 at 12:14

I believe the superb wooden framing now in the old Bluecoat School building next to the Parish Church was rescued from Standish's. Well worth calling in to see it on a Saturday morning when open

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