Wigan Album

'it's that man again' patiently measuring! They are so clear these photos, such treasures. I have one or two favourites as well with children watching what's going on. I remember well the Post Office.

How I wish I could walk in those shops, Ron!

Looks like a Bagatelle game at the bottom right of the shop window.

Could well be Philip, either that or a box of Christmas tree decorations.
I had one of those large green wooden bagatelle tables when I was a kid.
I gave it to that nice lady who has a shop at the top of Market street in Hindley a couple of years ago, as It had been laying in my attic for years and I'd grown weary of flirting the balls up the wooden channel only for them to fail to land in any of the the pinned out cups.
It had a sliding compartment at the bottom to store the balls in, with little metal arrows that slid along metal rods on the lid to register the scores.
......I wonder if she still plays with it ?.....

Corner of Turner St. and Greenough St. and opposite Sutcliffe's tripe shop.

I remember the 'table with the cold, unexciting green playing surface, and how easy it was to puncture a knee-cap on the nails when crawling towards the chemistry set Ozy. And I also remember how the spring in the firing mechanism became another source of danger (And frustration.) as it had two potent energy levels; Blast and restless trundle - 'touch play' a complete impossibility. By the way, I'm surprised that Veebs hadn't spotted the globe - The places that she's been to.

Well spotted Philip.
Also a metal spinning top in the left hand window, and what could be a world globe on the right hand side of the middle window.

I see the harmless metal spinning top and world globe Mick, but that piece of card stood upright in-between looks a bit disconcerting; A forerunner of the Mach 3 set amongst childrens' goodies would never do. Strewth!

Ron what are these boards for. There is one on the photo of Great George ST.

MARIE.M. THEY WERE COORDINATES USED IN O.S. MAP MAKING.

Could the small bottle behind the world globe be a bottle of ink? Also an item wrapped in cellophane looks like a rubber water bottle to me. In the fifties I only remember stone water bottles with opening for water in the middle. (I bet Irene would like one of those if she has not already got one)!

No, I haven't got one, Veronica. When I was little we used to heat "duckstones", (cobbles), in the oven and put them in an old sock to warm the bed....woe betide you if there was a hole in the sock....ouch!

Well spotted Veebs - You might also like to see Pelikan 4001 on Images.

Oven shelves I believe were used as well Irene. We had one of the stone bottles for years - I don't know what happened to it, along with my dad's Army water bottle and a dolly tub! Surprising what comes to mind when you look at old pictures. Looked for the Pelican Ink bottle Philip... I don't know where I plucked that from when peering in the window!

Ron, I'm always amazed at the quality of the camera lens that gave such sharp photos!! Do you happen to have any ordnance survey photos of the top of Millgate? My grandmother had a shop there, next door to the Woolpack Inn and I've had no luck finding a photo of it. Unfortunately it was demolished to make way for the new civic offices.

Did Rushtons later become Mortons? I remember their shop somewhere around there.

Jack - most Rushtons branches were taken over by Mortons, and they in their turn, were taken over by Vernons.

There was a Rushton's shop on the corner of Higham St and Belvoir St where I used to live and a Morton's shop on Vauxhall Rd. No shortage of shops then - so very convenient!

Thanks for that Mick LD.