Wigan Album

The old Platt Bridge Palace, with the double deck bus out side. Saturday matinee, with Buck Jones, Hoppalong Cassidy, and must mention Flash Gordon, was he played by a star named Buster Crabbe?

The best thing about the LUT buses was that after leaving the Market Square they didn't pick up passengers until they arrived in Abram at the top of Bickershaw Lane.

Got my first comment wrong. They must have picked up passengers wanting to go to Golborne etc but there were some restrictions.

Broady, You weren't allowed to get off, under normal circumstances, before the bus was 3 - 4 miles out of Wigan so they didn't compete with Corporation buses, same conditions for Ribble buses going to Preston etc.

Hi Albert, I can sense your enthusiasm . Does anyone have older picture?

I also remember the Tower Billiard Hall next to Palace, spent many a happy hour there. A sign of a misspent youth!

Your right Albert.It was Buster Crabbe.And apart from his thespian acheivements he was a gold medal swimmer at the 1932 olympics.[not very Wiganish i know but perhaps interesting none the less.PS. Great name.]

why is theore a no right turn sign on the traffic lights? surely that is the road to Hindley

Gary. It certainly is Wiganish. Many a Wigan lad,and lassie,was enthralled by his portrayal of Flash Gordon,I know I was,as I was with most of the old film stars'. Happy days.

Albert,
Did you ever go to the Miners Hall which was a five minute walk away towards Abram??

Certainly did Broady, but only about a couple of times. Went dancing on numerous Sunday nights,at the Parochial Hall, Platt Bridge.It was somewhere near to the Miners' Hall. As I say, happy days. We didn't have to take any drugs,and what have you. Happy, and contented, with a couple of pints of Walker's bitter.

I often went to the Miners Hall you could always count on a good Cowboy film being shown. I also remember being issued
with a metal tally rather a ticket.Half way through the performance one of the staff would say. Someone has not handed in a Ninepenny tally!

AlanH, I am also completely baffled by the No Right Turn sign on the traffic light pole.I would have thought the double decker bus was operating the No 1 St.Helens to Atherton service and would have had to make a right turn there.

I think the no right turn sign means no right turn off the road were the red car is because it looks like there is two green arrows on the traffic lights and it was a Y junction.

Looking at this again, a right turn must have been allowed, otherwise why would there be a filter light on the stanchion for the road straight ahead towards Wigan?

I can't actually remember this 'no right turn' sign but think it must have meant no right turn into Templeton Road, which was just in front of the white van in Liverpool Road

It just means no right turn down the tramlines onto Ellesmere Terrace where I used to live.

Vague memories of driving buses through here in the 70s - wasn't there a one-way system which took vehicles from the Lily Lane/ Abram junction via the old tram route onto the A58 by-passing this junction? So no need to clog the Wigan-bound traffic by turning right here. The two green signals would have been straight on for Walthew Road to Lower Ince, and left to Millers Lane.

The no right turn refers to Templeton Road I think?

Spot on Denis Templeton Rd was formerly Ellesmere Terrace.

A great, nostalgic picture Tom..as ever! I'm really glad you had a camera back then or scenes like this would be lost forever. Thanks.

The two arrowed green signals mean you can go towards Walthew Lane Spring view or Liverpool Road Hindley.

I think the house in between the King Billy pub and palace cinema was Kenyon's temperance bar mr kenyon wore a dark wide brimed hat,dark sleeveless waistcoat. He also had a daughter who had beautiful curly hair if I remember rightly possibly late 50s early60s