Wigan Album

What a brilliant photo. I remember it just like that. I think everyone loved The Boro' Chippy shown on the right. Thank Heaven that these photos still exist and that those of us who remember Wigan in the sixties can see it again as it was, if only on a photo. Thankyou for posting them.

Firstly Rev Long, thank you for these great set of photos over the past few days, they have brought back so many great memories of the mid 1960s, not only the photos but the Wigan Observer too.
This was done in the early days of Lithographic web offset printing when consumables such as printing plates and inks were still under developments, hence a change from letter press to a completely different printing process. It was a very big step to take in 1966, however it was a great success.
Great photo of Millgate.
Thank you.

Thanks for the comments - but all credit should go to the Observer and its excellent photographers.
I assume these specials were produced at quarterly intervals at the time - hopefully other editions may surface in time.

Once again we see the wonderful photo's of our dearly loved Wigan , which of late it has had it's heart ripped out and cast asunder , oh you councillors have a lot to answer for !!

The Palais was still there at that time on the right. We used to go on a Sunday night to see the various acts and eat chicken in a basket…

Problem we've got Alan there's no turning back, thankfully these photos have brought back some very happy memories.

Why is it so many older people what to turn clocks back or I'm I missing something.

I can imagine The Flower Pot smelling wonderful and the chippy too Irene, unfortunately with genetic engineering to create blooms that look better and last longer when cut, and growing the plants in an environment where they don't need to attract pollinators the flowers have lost their scent gene, and florists don't smell the same as they did. Tom Whalley's pet shop was always worth a visit too, though it was further up to the back of the photographer at the time before it moved to Burrows Yard, remember when he'd walk around town with a young Leopard and his son with a Chimpanzee, even with them being on leads folks would give them a wide berth, you couldn't blame them, once when having been to the baths us lads stood there gobsmacked.

In most cases, the 1960s was indeed the swinging decade.
People of a certain age wouldn't understand.

Yes Rev Long, many more will surface I'm sure. Many other newspaper companies under United Newspapers took advantage of the new printing technology here at Wigan. They printed many souvenirs and centenarys in full colour.
Almost all newspaper were still using hot metal and letter press principles.

Sorry, I'll rewrite the post again.
Yes Rev Long, I'm sure more will
surface in time.
Many other newspapers under the umbrella of United newspapers took advantage of the printing technology at the Wigan Observer plant here at Woods street. The Observer press printed souvenirs, centenarys and special events newspapers all in full colour for other North West titles. Almost all Newspaper Companies were still using the hot metal and letter press principles at the time.
We are so proud and privileged to be one of the first newspapers to go web offset here at Wigan.

Tom Whalleys pet shop was up the Wiend at one time,always liked going in his shop.

Yes Ste, you are missing something.I think most of the older people will agree that the 60s was the best time to be a teenager. Especially in Wigan!!

I agree with Edna, Ste. It isn't the outside toilets and lack of bathrooms that we miss. It's the days when children were taught respect and when you could walk round Wigan without being afraid to walk past drug addicts, and hearing foul language used at random in the streets and on buses, even sometimes used to small children by their own parents. The photo above reminds us of when life was like that in Wigan, and that is why we "oldies" want to turn the clock back. Yes, there WERE bad people back in the sixties, and yes there ARE many good and decent kids today, but the balance has changed.

Millgate is one of the steepest streets in Wigan on both sides that reaches its summit near the library still cobbled in 1967. On the right down the alley next to the fish and chip shop was Tom Whalley's pet shop.

I used to buy fishing tackle from a tackle shop in Millgate, I think it was Ashcrofts.

Mr X, Tom Walley's Pet shop was located at the top of the summit when this photo was taken.

Tom Walleys pet store was on the hill to the left behind the cameraman.

Ste, people had respect for each other, when would you see younger people, in a bus shelter standing up and letting older people to sit down, or helping older folk cross the road or going to the corner shop for them, granted they are few and far between.
Thats why ste, older people often say bring back the old days.

Not forgetting the cans and bottles dropped on the ground and the 16 “ pizza cartons. I pick up bottles and cans every day only yards away from waste bins. As said above no respect from a minority. People have always thrown litter about but it’s far more prevalent these days.

Took the dog for a walk in the park with my poo bag. The cans, bottles, paper and other debris thrown about is unreal.
There was council bins all over the place and not too far apart from each other. No excuse.

Fred,was it Ashursts?Bought my first proper fixed spool reel from this shop,Intrepid Elite,cost about £3-15-0 if I remember.

Sorry Sue,but Tom Whalleys pet shop was on the right just out of sight, down a short entrance I used to go at least three times a week,I'm pretty sure there used to be a sign at the top of the entrance named Burro's yard...he always had a male and female Persian cats that were always on the counter..we went to his house to pick one of the kittens...I do miss the place even if I didn't agree with his keeping a beautiful wild cat underneath the shop..it wouldn't be allowed today thank God.

Tom Walleys pet shop was indeed down the little ally in between the chipshop and Salvation Army building. But Tom Walleys original pet shop when this photo was taken was indeed at the top of the hill behind the camera man. If you were to turn round, go back up the hill towards the old swimming pool, the old pet shop was on the right. A much bigger shop than the one Top Walley moved to in the ally.
Sue you are right.

Apologies Sue,I just don't remember it being anywhere else.

I agree Tom Walley's pet shop was behind the photographer on the same side of the baths.The shops large windows were stepped because the steepness of the hill.

A good picture there of Millgate in 1967. I would have been 7 then and remember the chippy and the petshop, now sadly, all gone. As they say Irene, " Nostalgia, ain't what it used to be " :)

No need to apologise Maureen. As a young un, we always visited the pet shop in the mid 60 around the time this photo was taken.
It did move to the little ally but was later on.

I don’t think the pet shop was on the same side of the baths I recollect it being on the opposite side. The left hand side going up Millgate was mainly ‘official’ buildings Colin. The opposite side was composed of rundown buildings if I remember correctly and when they were demolished Tom Whalley’s shop was in the Wiend. I remember him at school at St Pats. The teacher went around the class asking what did our dad’s do for a living and I always remember him say he was a driver and he earned £20 a week which I thought then was a colossal wage. Funny the things that stick in your mind. That was about 1956.

WN1 Standisher the chippy you might remember but not the pet shop, it was years later when it moved to there.

Veronica the old Wigan public baths was on the left hand side going up Millgate from the bottom of Scholes.
So as you would walk past the baths (know as the old baths before the new Wigan Internatioal pool was built at the bottom of Library Steet in 1966)
Walk past the old baths going up Millgate, climbing the hill towards Hewlett Street, junction, walk
a little further up and Top Walley's
Pet shop was just on the left hand side, almost top of Millgate hill.
Hope this helps.

I can’t visualise it Colin unless it was in the opening of the Wiend before it turns straight. I wish I could see a photo.. but you must be correct. I thought his shop would have been amongst the very old buildings on the opposite side before Pennington’s place was situated. Apologies anyway. It’s half a century ago….

I think Veronica as contradicted herself. I don't think she knows her right from her left.
Colin's, Alan's, Sue and Garry's description is correct to where the original pet shop was located.
I was with a delivery driver back then the pet shop was a my weekly drop_off points. I was second man.

No need for that observation Bert Woods I know my left hand side of Millgate from th3 right side where the old baths were situated looking upwards I walked up there often enough.

If you all mean the opening to the Wiend that curves round - that’s off Millgate surely.
There is a photo somewhere on here of that.

No needs for apologies Veronica. You've posted some great photos coupled with great comments all accurate.

Veronica could be correct in one way, but this all depends on the year she is recalling, because I am sure that Tom Whalley's pet shop moved.
The pet shop was on the right as you walked down to the baths. If I recall correctly, it was on a corner: part of the shop being on Millgate and part of the shop being on The Wiend. I remember the front entrance being on Millgate and there were two or three large windows, which were quite close to the ground - this, allowed children (from outside of the shop) to see the animals and birds.
But! I remember a pet shop, later, being down the alley on the opposite side of Millgate and I am quite sure that it was Tom Whalley' pet shop. I think, it was the alley next to the "Fish & Chip" shop and the pet shop was at the bottom, on the left.

I can only recall Tom Whalley's when it was in The Wiend and when it was in the spot where Maureen recalls it; I don't recall the other place at all, but I think the mix-up between people's memories has been caused by
whatever we each think individually as "up Millgate". When Millgate was as it is in the photo, that is when the Welfare Office and the Old Baths were there in the early sixties, I always used to say "going up Millgate" when I meant starting off from Woolworths and walking up with The Ship pub on the left, but with Millgate rising to a high point and then sloping downwards again, some people say "up Millgate" when they mean from the other end. (I need a glass of sherry after getting my head round that....where are you, Garry?!).

There is a good photo 25184 which I have looked up and it’s the entry to the Wiend which is ‘off ‘ Millgate .. is this where the pet shop was? I wouldn’t say the shop was on Millgate.

It all depends how old you are, but like I've said before, the time this photo was taken, the original pet shop was on the left side going up Millgate, up to the summit of the hill.
Most people of a certain age will remember when Tom Walleys moved to the ally next to the chippy.

Irene I'm at home drinking sherry.

Item number 7686 is down the alley next to the chippy.
Tom Walley's moved there after his Original shop closed on Millgate.

Sorry Veronica no malice intended.

I'll have a large glass please, Garry, and I'll bring reinforcements! Tesco's Cream Sherry is excellent, no different than Harvey's Bristol Cream. We'll be able to see Millgate in technicolour after a few glasses!

This is like old times, at the risk of sounding pernickety ( aka Messrs Hanson and Almighty) I give in.. but very interesting comments. Sounds like Tom was quite famous with his pets. He was a very tall lad and was always sat at the back of the class..;o)). I don’t thinkI would recognise him these days … if he’s still around.

I used to buy my denim jeans at a shop just to the left of the photographer back in the early 60s .
They were Carharrts and cost about 25 bob a pair, when everyone else was paying 3 or 4 quid a pair for Wrangler or Levi Strauss jeans .
No one had even heard of Carharrt back then , but their stuff was every bit as good as the other gear .

Over the years , Carharrt has become something of a fashion Icon , with trendy yuppies from Shevington going shopping at Waitrose in their E-cars wearing Carharrt’s workwear, and their stuff costs a bomb these days .

So you see … being fashionable isn’t always about what you actually wear , it’s quite often about how much you’ve paid for your clobber .

I get most of my kit from Hindley car boot sale nowadays as it happens, as Carharrt find it impossible to compete with their prices .

I use to go to Jacksons or Burtons for my clothing, I always go for class.

Tesco's cream sherry IS excellent
I totally agree Irene.
Cheers

That’s ok Bert .. memory grows more hazy with the years.. perhaps a glass of Sherry might help it! ;o))

Thereby proving my point precisely Topman .

Irene, it doesn't matter which way you go up Millgate, from the Woolworths side or the old bath side. The Pet shop was located on the summit (top of the hill).
To enter the Pet shop,
the door was only a yard from Millgate cobble Road.
So from the Woolworths, go up Millgate and Pet shop was on the right hand side on top of the hill.
I will put this subject to bed now.
Thanks.

Colin I know precisely what your saying and you're absolutely right at the location. I've been in loads of times in the 1960s, until they moved to the ally side of the chippy.

Thank you Colin my mind is at rest now about the Pet Shop. Your directions were perfect.

My Grandparents had a sweet/grocery shop at 32 Millgate almost opposite Tom Whaley’s pet shop. Was there ever a clothing shop across from there ?

Glad you've put it to bed.

I'll have a Large sherry Garry, Irene and Veronica I'm dizzy now with Millgate.Good photo good memories.

Stella Shaw fashion?
Philip C.

Thank you Colin . I think it was a ladies dress shop. Among other shops I can remember were Trevor Lakes car show rooms from which my Dad, Norman, bought a blue cortina and a hardware shop run by I think a Mrs. Marsden. Both approximately opposite the old baths. Trevor Lake had the 1965 challenge cup on display after Wigan had beaten Huntley 20-16.

Thank you Colin . I think it was a ladies dress shop. Among other shops I can remember were Trevor Lakes car show rooms from which my Dad, Norman, bought a blue cortina and a hardware shop run by I think a Mrs. Marsden. Both approximately opposite the old baths. Trevor Lake had the 1965 challenge cup on display after Wigan had beaten Huntley 20-16.

There was also a pub at the bottom end of Millgate. I won’t cause confusion because I can’t remember the name of it. ( it wasn’t the Horseshoe that was further back.)

The Baths Hotel? Opposite the old swimming baths.
Veronica!

BATHS or BATH HOTEL veronica

It wasn't the Horse shoe that was bottom of Station Rd.

That’s it! Not that I ever went inside but I remember the worn down step.!
The Horseshoe was on the corner of Station Rd and Millgate Alan. After Scholes Bridge it becomes Millgate.

Someone had the same problem with those two pubs once before:
https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=4&id=6252&gallery=Millgate&page=1

I remember having a set to about this pub Bath Hotel on Millgate and the Bath Springs on School Lane, as I'd got the names mixed up, but the other person still insisted there was no such pub as the Bath Hotel on Millgate.

Bath ‘Springs’ came to my mind as well Cyril. But I thought I’d best be quiet! ;o))

Out of interest to anyone who is piecing together the history of Millgate shops I have on good authority that the clothing shop that I remember and mentioned above predated Tom Whalley’s shop at the top of Millgate.

remember whalleys pet shop we got our dog rocky from there in 1968.