Wigan Album

I can remember watching bridge on the river Kwai here .about 1957-58.and there was a replica of the bridge on top of the verander

My Mam and Dad were queueing up here when my Dad stopped a runaway horse..and the saying history repeats itself is nearly true..my Son is in a Rock Band and they do their practicing upstairs in this building.

I saw Bridge over the River Kwai with my then boyfriend, who later became my husband.I was 16. I'm sure it was 1962.

I can remember queueing in the alleyway down the side as a child for seats in the stalls. Doesn't that same alleyway lead to the old footbridge over the railway sidings?

a classic building that wouldn't get through the Wigan council planning rulebooks today, no doubt they will demolish it for a block of flats sometime soon

The memorable film I saw at this cinema, was ‘The Guns of Navarone’ . I believe it was Boxing Day, 1961. Wigan’s R.L. match was cancelled because of weather condition, so my wife and myself went to the matinee. The manager, Ernie seem to be always on the steps, at the front. Very amiable gentleman.

Can remember seeing 'Whistle down the wind' here when at primary school.It was a lovely cinema.

Having frequented the Ibiza Bar many times over the years, a lot of the 'picture house' fixtures are still in existence. There is still a raised stage area, where the DJ is based, and the cloak room and entrance area (where you pay a small fee to enter) is probably not dissimilar to how it was years ago when there was a traditional cinema ticket office.

There was a basement cocktail bar when I last went in Ibiza Bar (which was nearly three years ago). I have often wondered if this was possibly a separate licenced venue at one time?

When you walked through the 'alleyway' across the railway bridge, there was a redundant neon sign still fixed above a disused door at the side of Ibiza Bar.

This old sign may or may not be there now, as it is some years since I used this as a 'cut through' (not a pleasant route to take!). I'm sure the sign was for Chaplins, that was a popular night spot in Wigan.

I am assuming Chaplins closed before the end of the 1990s, as I certainly don't remember it from my own drinking days on King Street. Maybe another forum member can answer this query?

The entrance to the front stalls i.e. the cheap seats, was down the alleyway and just before the bridge over the railway taking you to the front of North Western station. Odd things you remember - in the foyer of the County where you bought your ticket, they had a bright green telephone in the 1940s, unheard of elsewhere at the time.

I seem to recall that when you went down that alley to the railway bridge, thete was a sign for a billiard hall in the basement of the cinema.

This brings back memories of my courting days, before I got married in 1967, and still married now. We used to go either to County or Court ( which was across the road ) . there was Ritz, The Palace and the Pavilion to choose from as well. Nothing like that now...shame.
Lovely memories. Thanks for the photo.

My Mam told me the story of my Grandma and Grandad coming out of the County after watching Al Jolson singing 'Climb upon my knee Sonny Boy..my Grandma cried all the way over the 'Iron Bridge'...when she got home she gave my Dad a good hiding for diving in the canal..again.

The County, the Court and the Ritz were the more upmarket picture houses. The sort you went to on a date or with a regular boyfriend. I don't think I would like to see inside any of them these days. It's nice to keep your memories of the plush velvet seats and curtains and deep carpets alive in the memory box. I never went in any of those picture houses after 1969. One abiding memory is of being in the Ritz when it was announced JFK had been shot. It was on a Friday, the time was
7 10 the picture had only just started. Strangely I can't remember what the film was...it was so sad to hear the news.

During Ernie's time as Manager , nurses were given free admission.

The entrances to the ritz was as posh as any top hotel..your feet would sink into the carpet..always remember a framed photograph of Ruth Roman to the left as you walked in..isn't it strange how you remember small details.

Does anybody remember the doorman at the Court Cinema by any chance.

Veronica. My memory of being in the Ritz was when it was flashed on the screen that the Italians had surrendered. A vast volume of cheering went up. I was nine years of age. I was attending a domestic dispute, on the Norley Hall estate, when it came on their t.v. that J.F.K. had been shot, and killed. It certainly quelled the domestic dispute.

Peter and I went on our first date to The Ritz. I was 15 and he was 17. We went to see Bonnie and Clyde. He bought a box of Clarnico Mint Creams from the kiosk in the foyer and led me up to the back row....ooh la la! He never took his eyes off the screen, ate ALL the peppermint creams without offering me one and made me come out before the end because they all got shot! He's lucky HE didn't get shot! Can you believe I am still with him?!

I recall seeing that picture at the Ritz Irene, I could have been in there at the same time.
Albert I would like to have soaked up the atmosphere when the Italians surrendered but I wasn't born then. My time was just after the War. It must have been wonderful. I believe there was a lot of ridicule with the Germans goose stepping backwards and forwards at fast pace on the newsreels. :o)) Maureen I agree the Ritz entrance was the 'poshest'.

Carolaen

I might be completely wrong about the Chaplin's angle - I don't actually know where Chaplin's was in Wigan. It could well have been some sort of snooker/billiard club, but it had certainly closed by the time I started gracing King Street in the late 1990s. I just remember there being an old neon sign above a doorway as you walk under the building towards the railway bridge.

CJ

CJ - I'm talking about the 1950's and 60s when I grew up in Wigan. I left Wigan in 1970 and think the billiard hall might have closed even by then.

Veronica. There wasn’t a great deal of atmosphere to soak up on the Italian surrender. When Germany surrendered then that was a different matter. Never since then have I ever witnessed euphoria on such a gigantic scale. Even V.J. Day wasn’t celebrated on the same scale.

What memories.
Pride & Prejudice and How Green Was My Valley,I saw here.Grown men weeping at the latter
Also running fast over the footbridge to get the early morning cheap rate workmen's tickets before 7am for Preston

Also running over that footbridge to get the Workmen's cheap rate tickets for Preston

Grown men weeping during the latter

I would have loved to have been there on VE Day. I believe there were Bonfires and dancing in the street and quite a bit of drunkenness - which you could hardly blame them for. But it was terrible for those who's sons, fathers etc didn't come back. They probably stayed indoors. I felt sorry for the POWs who came home to not much jubilation. But at least some did come home even if it was in a poor state. A relative of my family was one Albert.

Veronica I was eleven, and that night I walked with a big crowd, all linking arms, from Spring View to Abram, and back again. As you say bon fires in the street, pubs rolling barrels of beer out into the road, people carrying pianos out onto the street. Other people coming out and playing all sorts of instruments. Everybody singing. There was still no street lighting, but what a joyous time everyone was having. That was going on all over the country.

'How Green Was My Valley' was a favourite of mine . I did see it at the Pictures but can't remember if it was The Court or The County. I have seen it since a few times and watched it on ytube. It brought it home how hard the miners worked in such dangerous conditions. Plus my Grt Grandfather came from Wales to Wigan to work in the pits.

My Grandad came from Wales too , Veronica, to work in the pits in Wigan and married my Grandma who was from Spring View. I have inherited the Welsh brown eyes but unfortunately my singing voice is from the Spring View side!

Me too Irene, I can't croak a note. I sometimes think my love of mountain scenery comes from the Welsh connection though and one or two dimples as well according to my dad.

Veronica,I always wanted dimples growing up, I used to keep pushing my finger into my cheek to see if I could make them...fat chance eh!

Veronica. Another film, in the same vein as ‘ How Green was my Valley’, is ‘ The Stars looked Down’. Saw it many many years ago. Still available on YouTube.

I remember Red Skelton had them as well Maureen.
I'll look for that film Albert I watch a lot of films on ytube. I've just looked it up.

I have watched the film Albert it was very good, such a sad ending though. I kept thinking the men would be rescued.

I also remember the Princess down the alley opposite King street. There was also the Empire up one of alleys on the right heading to Woolworths. Was it the County that had the double seats at the back and teenage courting couples rushing to get there first?

My Grandma used to call The Empire 'th Alec'.
I think she said it was something to do with Princess Alexandra.

MAUREEN the Empire was originally called the 'ALEXANDRA MUSIC HALL'

Thank you Ron,don't you wish you'd asked more questions when our Grandparents were still with us.