Wigan Album

Yes it's still there.

Yes - McNulty's is still there - but Wallpaper Supplies, which used to occupy the whole of the block on the opposite corner, is shutting down - having gradually shrunk its floorspace over the last decade or so.

Mc Nulty's is indeed still there, was looking in their window on Friday.

I remember buying a great pair of Grenson shoes there some 50+ years ago. McNultys was started in 1858, hope it's still there.

Wallpaper supplies is to close its store just after Christmas, but will still trade online but Wallpaper only.

Mc Nulty's the place to go if you have 'bunions'! Very obliging at stretching new shoes....

Apart from the vehicles nothing has changed.

Item 784 gives a close-up of McNulty's shop-front - Clogs aplenty.

Veronica, was it Al Jolson who sung a song about “Raising a bunion on his Spanish onion”?

I only remember 'April Showers', 'Mammy' and 'Sonny Boy'. I know he wouldn't be allowed on stage today all blacked up with his red lips Dtease! But what an entertainer for the last generation....so many impersonators. Another useless bit of info he was the first 'star' to appear in the 'talkies' - I bet Scholes Pictures was packed to the rafters!

I rather think it was yon mon DTease , that bloke that did ' Get me to the church on time '. .. Holloway , that's him , Stanley Holloway . " If I catch blah blah blah blah the toreador , with one mighty swipe I would dislocate his bally jaw " etc. etc. , or something of that nature . I'll google it when I sober up .

DTease - it was Jolson. The song was called 'The Spaniard Who Blighted My Life'

https://youtu.be/8r8SE4gxYlg

For some reason Al Jolson always reminded me of a pitman. I remember as a child when pitmen came home they were covered in dirt, in the days before they had showers I suppose.
I remember that song now Mick.....

You’re right Mick LD, that’s the one I was thinking of.

Hi veronica did you know al jolson married a girl from wigan,he was one of the greatest entertainers ever he did not need all this fancy stuff to make his voice sound better .

I always bought my police boots from Mcnulty’s. They had a kind of synthetic sole, around the edge of the soles there were three, or four horizontal lines. Very comfortable to walk in. They weren’t Tuff Boots.

Good old McCurdy's. I still have in use two pairs of Rieker shoes, one pair must be 20yrs old. There was a barbers shop in that space behind Timberlakes that sold beer whilst you where shaved.

Tom I did not know that Al Jolson married a Wigan girl! I must look that up on Google - how on earth did that come about?
McNulty's is where I bought my shoes from when I worked at the hospital, although I wasn't a nurse, I needed the type of shoes the nurses wore. Not very fashionable but extremely comfortable!

She was the daughter of prominent wigan family who went to USA .

He was married 4 times and his last two wives were born in America, no info as to the other 2 wives. He did a lot of travelling during the war to entertain the American troops - unpaid, including England and Ireland as well as in the Pacific and Korea in the early 50's. Thanks for the info Tom.

Which wife. He was married 4 times.

I used to go to McNultys in the 70s /80s .. There was a good looking man serving and a man who always reminded me of a Mexican,he seemed to have a limp..my Mam told me that the good looking one had a soft spot for my Aunty Netta whose photo can be seen on Album under Barnes née Winter..she really was lovely.

Veronica It is evident that Mr Jolson was rather partial to the taste of wedding cake.

Your 'Mexican' wouldn't have been Pat, by any chance, would it Maureen.

Albert, They sound like Doc Martin boots.

Ruby Keeler was Al's third wife - she was always paired with Dick Powel .... ('By a Waterfall' ) - extravaganza films of the 30's! I sometimes watch them on Ytube.. It's a change from some of today's trash! There must have been quite a lot of temptation in show business Albert....

Another song Al Jolson sang was 'Oh How We Danced On The Night We Were Wed'. He must have liked dancing as well Albert!

You’ve hit the nail right on the head tuddy. Thank you.

Oh how we danced on the night we were wed
We danced and we danced ‘cos the room had no bed

Sorry Veronica, I just couldn’t resist.

I worked in a labor club for a short spell,and up 'til that time Al Jolson did nothing for me but...the 'Turn' for one night was an Al Jolson impersonator
and boy was he good..I had goosebumps and relished that to hear Al Jolson in person must have been something to remember.

That used to be a standing joke that did......:o))

Is it this street that the mining statue is going?

Veronica did you ever hear of OWny Madden he lived in wallgate wigan ,went to USA became the owner of the cotton club it was famously known all American gangsters including al Capone used to frequently use it ,Google it ,OWny Madden was one we you didn't upset him .

No Fred, the statue's going in the next street down.

Tom,I was brought up in Wallgate,but Im almost sure Owney Madden was born in Leeds..I have read about him..his real name was Owen Vincent,and was quite a character,in fact I'm going to read a bit more on him..

Tom. I looked up Owney Madden. It says he was born and brought up in Leeds before going to New York. He employed a young friend George Raft(later well known as an actor) as his driver. Madden seems to have been an enforcer for gangs , owned 20 night clubs including the Cotton Club and served a sentence for murder and was a boxing promoter. In spite of all this criminality he seems to settled happily in Arizona and died in 1965. No Wigan connection though.

I read up on Owen And was amazed at his exploits Tom , I posted an answer but it seems to have gone astray. After all the bootlegging , boxing promoting and associations with the stars of his Cotton Club and gangsters,my underlying thought was did he still speak with a Lancashire accent! Especially to Al Capone and co, they probably wouldn't have been able to understand him!

The family left Ireland for Liverpool and Leeds then came to Wigan. Father was left behind and Mother went to America for two years and sent for her sons when she saved the money for the passage. You are right Maureen Owney was born in Leeds. The father was a petty crook as well.

Tom,I had another look at his history,it seems that the family came to Wigan where Owney was raised as a lad..he tended to his a Dads pigeons and kept his love of birds throughout his criminal life..I would love to get hold of the book "The English Godfather.

I remember a debate on a history group about Owney Madden and Wigan.
He was most definitely born in Leeds and lived there, as records show.
He is believed to have lived with relations in Wigan though for a short time, before going to America to join his mother, who had gone out there without him.

Hi maureen owney madden he was born in leeds his family moved to wigan whe he was a baby he was brought up in wallgate you can google owney madden from wigan for his story

Hi Caroline he moved to wigan not sure why heard one of his parents was from wigan it's said he never lost his wigan accent can you imagine that .

I have re-checked the source WIGAN TODAY (WIgan Observer and Wigan Post) where I got the story of Oweney( Owen) Madden and Tom is correct.He was born in Leeds in December 1891and the son of Francis and Mary Madden. The family moved to WiGAN, Owen went to school in Wigan,before re-locating to L'Pool. Mary Madden went ahead travelling to New York in 1901. Owen and his siblings followed in 1902, when Mary could afford the passage. The area was known as 'Hell's Kitchen'- Mary Madden came from Ireland originally.

I've always had a fascination for gangsters The Mafia and the like..after telling Cliff about Owney the morning,he sent for the book for me "The English Godfather",I can't wait to read it..my ex Son in Law told me about him some years ago..I would love to know whereabouts in Wallgate he lived in...hopefully I'll find out in the book.

Maureen he lived in the streets opposite the old wigan pier

Thank you Tom..so that would be Miry Lane.

Hi maureen I think it could be between Miry lane and Wilcock st

Hello Tom,my book should arrive some time next week so all will be revealed..can't wait.x

Bob Hoskins plays Madden in the brilliant film ' The Cotton Club' also starring Richard Gere.

Graham Nown wrote two biographies regarding Owney Madden. "English Godfather" and the "Arkansas Godfather". Both quite expensive on the secondhand books online. The cheapest is £20 for a library edition! I am going to see if I can reserve it at our library which is quite good in the Bolton area. I ordered a book on Thursday and got it this morning. Airey Neave's " They Have Their Exits" - I read it years ago , that's also very expensive to buy second hand - that tells me they are a good read. I bet you could have reserved it a Wigan Library Maureen - it's quite good for ordering books, as I have found - even the ones out of print.

Veronica,I'd no sooner mentioned it to Cliff than he'd ordered it,mine is a used book £20, I'm really looking forward to it arriving.

Let me know how you get on with it Maureen.. I have two on the go at the moment. Guess what - I watched the 'Al Jolson Story' on Ytube last night with Larry Parkes it was good too. ( still didn't find out who the Wigan wife was! I am thinking it could be his second one!).

Hi girls just letting you know there is documenttries on you tube ,the irish mob owny Madden,with plenty photos they are good

Tom,thanks for that..I've just watched it,and very interesting it is too,wasn't he a lucky devil..talk about the luck of the Irish.

Will look on Ytube - may learn something more Tom, thanks. Same with Al Jolson.....

Well my book arrived this morning..in between going. to Asda and taking Gizzy for his walk I had a peep at the mention of Wigan..but not of whereabouts in Miry Lane..never mind eh,looking forward to reading it.

Have just read a comment in the book..the author heard a "now then lad"..he turned round and it was Owney..that tickled me.

It must be hard to lose a Lancashire/Yorkshire accent Maureen. Just think if it was an Ozzy ( Australian) it would have sounded like - " Noy then Lad"...there's a lot of the Australian 'strine' stealing into our language , must be down to 'Hoyme aand Awaiy' (that's the best I can do for an example..,

I remember Captain Mainwaring's 'joke', Veronica:
When the Autralian soldier reached the front he was asked 'Have you come here to die?, to which he replied 'No, I came yesterdai'.

Trust Capt. Mainwaring, I can just imagine him spluttering at the reply.....;oD