Wigan Album

looks better then than it does now

wish it was like that now , the old wigan absolutly ruined

You needed a season ticket to lean on those railings on a Saturday Afternoon

you wiganers must be to soft to let them pull that lot down

straight out of woolies and catch the number ten home to worsley mesnes .now that was convienience shopping

woolworths had the nicest hambergers in the world it was paste meat not this thing you get now smotherd with greasey onions

Another reminder of Wigan when it WAS Wigan.

You quite right Tony K I used to buy those hamburgers for 8d in 1969 in that long cafe they had on Station road side of woolies.

At last, a view that I remember. I had a holiday job in Woolies in the 50's, enjoyed it, as well as the money. my student grnt was £5. per week, in term time, £4 was my rent.

Anyone remember Harry Blackledge from the garage on Crompton Street and Woodhouse Lane?His wife bought me a little truck in Woolworths about 1960. Still got it. Reminds me of what Wigan was

Another nostalgic pic for me, queued outside the Ritz quite a few times & just loved going into Woollies to spend some of my pocket money.

I loved everything about Wigan then...a.b.c minors Saturday morning..Going to woolies with my Mam who used to say every time we went through the doors"don't forget to stand here at the scales if you get lost"( I must have been a wanderer),later on working at Wilbrooks.. a credit firm right facing The Ritz..buying my earrings at Stonefields next to Woolies..Oh youth,where did you go?? all my memories are centered around the centre of Wigan...I grew up in Wallgate so hadn't far to go for anything..it's so depressing now..or is it just me being nostalgic.

Yes it is depressing in Wigan now, Maureen, the main reason being that it has lost its individuality; it just looks like everwhere else, And yes, you ARE being nostalgic....that's what this site is all about. Wallow in it, Maureen.....I do!

Maureen do you remember Ronnie Heyes that had a chippy in Wallgate just opposite Timberlakes Garage?

I once lost my mum in Woolworths and I was so small I could not see over the counters! I was terrified beyond imagination and my mum stood somewhere watching me briefly.I was supposed to hold onto her coat... It taught me to do as I was told and not to let it go again.

Nothing wrong with being nostalgic about times, places & people & the young of today, who probably think we are a load of old fogies, will have their day too & think of times, places & people they knew when they were young....remember we ALL grow old !!

I agree Irene..a man once told me that he never looked back ..only forward, but I said looking back is what makes you the person you are..he obviously did not enjoy his childhood as much as I enjoyed mine..and from your threads Irene so did you..our childhood memories are to be cherished.

Gerry, the name does ring a bell..the chippy I remember was right facing what is Staples now..and wasn't that Timberlakes at the top of Miry Lane? but the main windows were on the Wallgate side...and I've racked my brain to picture another chippy on Wallgate but can't Gerry..I hope you can enlighten me.

I once read, Maureen, that "important though it is to look to the future, to refuse the backward glance would be to have lived for nothing". I think the majority of people on this site would agree.

Maureen Timberlakes was on the corner of Caroline st where GO camping shop is now Ronnie Hayes Chippy was on the opposite side of Wallgate just where you said but towards the station a little bit

Yes Irene..I totally agree..I'll keep looking back with fond memories..I think they feed the soul.

Gerry,I only remember B+Q being where Go Outdoors is now..isn't that strange because I can usually remember every shop in Wallgate..I must start having more Weetabix in the mornings.

long before B&Q there was Timberlakes (still there in 1972) maybe some one has a picture of it on here but meanwhile here is a pic of B&q


http://www.lqqk.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=4&id=5767&gallery=Wallgate&offset=0

to jerry how did you like u c p pies

no way can I remember Timberlakes on Caroline Street, used them several times when they were in Library Street where Wallpaper supplies is now, after that they were on the corner of Miry Lane in Wallgate, but cannot recollect the being in Caroline Street at all

Timberlakes was definitely at the end of Caroline St - I bought an Austin 1800 from there around 1970/71. The garage at the end of Miry Lane/Wallgate was Williams of Wigan (previously Harry Williams) who were the main Ford dealer for Wigan

Well!!!I suppose that's proof enough isn't it.

It was Baldwin and Timberlake, you entered the premises on Wallgate opposite the Grapes pub on the corner of Clayton St. It was indeed a British Leyland dealership, the car park was at the rear.

It was at that very Timberlakes that I saw that new car (name eludes me) the one with a square steering wheel and a voice that spoke to you... YOUR SEAT BELTS NOT FASTENED YOUR LIGHTS ARE NOT ON.... YOUR BOOT IS OPEN... YOUR WIFE HAS RUN AWAY WITH ANOTHER MAN !!

TONY K I loved the UCP in Market St next to Lowes its proper name was United Cow Products there was always Tripe in the window.. the Cafe was upstairs, and the cleaner there looked like Miriam Karlin from the RAG TRADE on Telly

The best burgers weren´t in Woolies but just outside on a Friday and Saturday night. From the little metal cart parked just on the corner in Station Rd. If you ever tried one when you was sober they were rubbish but after a few pints....beltin ! That was before there were 500 takeaways in Wigan .

Austin Allegro Gerry, voted Britain's worst car.

i served the ucp when i was a milkman

my x worket at woolies her name was maggie haydock.

Remember going to the UCP in the early 70s when the power cuts were on, interesting buying a quarter of elder in near darkness.

gerry "railings",rick "soft" you,re not wrong.can,t beat a
bit of nostalger girlies,the sun is always shineing when we look back nowt wrong with that, i lived in owd scholes in 60s.

Oh I am loving this trip down memory lane. Woolies.Bus stop to Worsley Mesnes right across the road. Used to do a ´Harry Worth´with the shop window in the furniture shop while waiting for the bus.Been stood up a coupleof times at Woolies, lol. As for the UCP, thick seam tripe and as a treat my dad would take me upstairs to the restaurant and I would have fishcake and chips. Best fishcakes ever even though I don´t eat fish ,lol.Thank you for sharing these brilliant photos.x

I worked at Woolworths in 1960, at the end of each day, I had to clean the lamp shades above the alley ways, and still I enjoyed being there.