Wigan Album

These pics are wonderful, Ron. Thankyou so much. When I was at school, we made Christmas Cakes in Domestic Science one year and had to take a tin to keep it in during its stages of marzipan, icing, decorating etc, and to carry it home in, and I bought an empty Quality Street tin from Meeson's for half-a-crown. Oh, the forgotten memories that this site brings back!

2/6 for an EMPTY tin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's 5 quarters of Messons best toffee

I remember Meeson's very well, quality confectionery laid out in trays, they knew about merchandising in those days.

I kid you not, Ron, it was 2/6d. I remember the day I got it. I think the tins were returned to the manufacturer then, in the way that pop-bottles were, so Meeson's would have lost out if they'd given them away. We used to take glass pop-bottles back to the corner-shop and get 3d for them, and they were then returned to the pop-works to be refilled.

Remember taking loads of pop bottles back to the shops to make a bit of money during the school summer holidays one year. Would be a good idea if bottles were made returnable again.

I removed Messina very well. They always sold 'different' sweets and used to have Easter eggs made from sugar which sparkled. There was a cellophane window at the narrow end you could look into. They would have an ice skating scene or similar inside. Magical to a small child in the 50's! Just around the corner from Conroy's wholesale fruit and veg and Northants shoes there was a haberdashers shop.

Was it that toffee shop where you bought a 1/4 and got a 1/4 free?