Wigan Album

I don’t know if I’m on my own in this thought but it didn’t seem to bother me all this demolition ‘caper’ at the time. I remember being excited about the new building on the bend of the corner which belonged to the Co-op at first. It was a lovely store I suppose it was in place because the old 1930’s Co-op store (near the Drill Hall)was demolished. Which wasn’t really old at all! I don’t remember what the store became after the Co-op it was only there a few years. I remember buying a coat from there on the upper floor in the latter seventies.

Great picture that I haven't seen before, the new build of the Marketgate was to bring a new indoor shopping experience to Wigan and when it did it was excellent. All those new stores clean and fresh, I remember buying my first Video Recorder from Martin Dawes on the ground floor, Index was next door. Within a few years the ground floor was almost deserted and then we got The Galleries next door and then the Grand Arcade and we know what has transpired since, don't you get that feeling of Da Ja Vous (probably spelt incorrectly).
The picture could have been taken yesterday and in its place we are going to get a huge factory like shed AKA a new Market Hall, oh what joy.

I remember Paige's dress shop in the centre of the photo, and remember the much-loved Old Arcade being demolished in 1971....when I walk past that same area today I just think "here we go again!"

Thanks Veronica I wasn't sure but you are right, the Co-op was there before Index took it over. Co-op moved to a new and not successful super store were the Bingo Hall is now on Powel Street.

Who would have thought less than 50 years on the council are agin destroying WIgan and putting up yet another monstrosity ,utter disgrace !!!!

Ah yes I remember now - Index came next Colin… I was disappointed because I liked the Co-op Store it didn’t last long …
I remember Paige shop as well Irene it lasted quite a while.

Exactly Veronica.Most people at the time were not bothered and looked forward to a more modern Wigan.Probably like the younger generations of today.

Wow! Look at this then. It is virtually IDENTICAL to today isn't it! Even the Market Arcade wall is visible as it is right now. If someone took at shot from the top of the Queen's Hall, it would look just the same!

Colin & Veronica, Index was in the same shop as the old Co-op, Index opened around April 1990. I started work there as a Christmas temp in November 1990, I was still working there when the shop closed in July 2005. and it was the only shop still open on the ground floor at the time.

Yes your right PW the
only problem was they didn’t know when to stop….
It does look identical to todays scenario.

The index shop became a charity shop for a short time.

The index shop became a charity shop for a short time.

Thanks Daniel, the shot I tried to get of the wall proved tricky as you could only see it properly with zoom as that was the nearest I could get. Its a good picture this showing the top of the Commercial Yard and the Little Arcade wall and how the new development swallowed it all up. I've been challenged with trying to obtain a tile from the old Arcade wall, do you think it's doable ?

WN1 Standisher, It may be worth contacting BCEG International with your request. They are Chinese but their UK Co. have a contactable website. Dongwen Yu is operations manager.

WN1, you know i was thinking this only last night. How many would like a tile as a souvenir? Many i guess. Wouldn't it be nice for them to grab a load, stick them in a bucket so anyone can ask for one from the workmen? How easy would that be.

I would love a tile from The Old Arcade!

Quite remarkable that 52 years later we have more or less come full circle to this current location looking exactly how it did back then. The only difference with 1971 is that there were no beggars, spice heads or street drinkers making the town look untidy.

Know what you mean CJ, today i walked past a guy in town who was being questioned by Police in a doorway, and he was screeching laughing manically at them, very disturbing.

In the post war years when money and jobs were in short supply particularly for men older you would see some old men collecting cigarette buts front the gutters. Now you see young men clearly worse for wear shuffling around the town centre rummaging through ash trays and bins. Whatever you do, don't make eye contact!

WN1, I know I would love a tile of the wall, although I think it would be a better idea but rather difficult if they could do something like the Queens hall stain glass window and put a window to view it from the other side in the bus station.

Remember Paige clothes shop in Market Place that can be seen with Scholes flats and the chimney of the college now the town hall. In 1971 the then 39 year old Diana Dors visited the Queens Hall and she is seen getting out of a white Ford Zephyr.13 years later in the spring of 1984 she died around the same time as Tommy Cooper and Eric Morecambe.

The Auditorium at the Queens Hall was huge and magnificent, I wish that we still had it.

Things have changed so radically over the last 50 years I had forgotten that the demolition was for the Wigan Centre Arcade which preceded The Marketgate Centre and eventually linked up with The Galleries over the top of once was Woodcock Street.
I think my mind had blanked out that awful bland curved brick wall with the large blue Co-oP sign above. Inside was a furniture store ‘Julian Swift, we bought our first suite from them in 1974, cream leather!