Wigan Album

Never had the chance to go into this part of the Legs aitch, I went into the bottom Legs a few times and mingled with the market men, I was fifteen at the time and though I got served in the bottom Legs; somehow I don't think I would have got away with it in the top Legs. We should have bottled the aroma and atmosphere of the Market Arcade.

THe smell of Gorners was amazing

i remember the man with the chair that you got weighed in,and once i was with my friend in wigan in the early 60s and we were in that arcade shopping place forgot name it was in market st and you could get to the indoor market on that side ,well i found £7 well that was quite a bit of monney then, i dernt have spent it but my friend tryed to persuade me to go to the room at the top with it,we went home and i told my parents and my dad took it to the police station and they said if nobody claims it in 6 weeks its yours, well nobody claimed it and it was all mine,i went to wigan with my mam and bought two dresses some shoes amongst other things ,pop toffy ha but i will allways remember treating my mam to a three course meal roast beef dinner apple crumble and custard in gorners cafe on a saturday i was a millionair for a day .

That's a truly heart-warming story, Josie. Honesty pays, after all...

Where was this arcade?? Ta

Carol, the entrance to this arcade was between the existing entrance to the Marketgate complex and the Makinson arcade approximately opposite Starbucks in the Market place. The arcade ran parallel to the Makinson arcade and was always known as the 'little' arcade.

It's real name was The Market Arcade, but it was usually called The Old Arcade or The Little Arcade. Josie, that's a lovely story and a precious memory.

The saddest day in Wigan history when the old arcade was demolished, I spent may happy days wandering the the arcade

In my teens,I worked at Wibrooks in Station road and then Carleys in Market street..I went to Gorners every day for my dinner,and very good dinners they were too...and my Mam loved being weighed on those scales at the bottom.

What a lovely memory , Josie.
You know, I can never forgive them for destroying the little arcade. In places like York it would have been restored and cherished. Trouble with this lot they have no taste and have a penchante for wasting other peoples money.
I remember the man with the scales. He could always guess your weight accurately.

stocking stall, at te top end market place, used to get my diamond patterned ones from there every saterday..oh what !! good ole days

bring back the old wigan shops.happy days

Maureen, the last time i saw your Michael was in Gorners, a long time ago.

Roy..thank you for that memory of him..I wish he was still here.

whan we walked down(I don't remember walking up)all we could here was "Try your weight now friends".

One reason I put this photo on was the fact that when I was courting my dear wife, she did not live with her Father, who had remarried, so every saturday when she was one her dinner break from Woolies, I would meet her and her father and go in Gorners, for some dinner, then I would take him in the Top Legs for a pint, the only drink he had in a week, as it wasnt allowed by his wife, that was the early 60s, memories that stay with you.

How did I miss this pic? I remember it as the 'Little' Arcade. They was a shop at the Standishgate end on the right
called Bon Marche, they sold a range of ballet & tap dancing stuff, shoes & clothes. I got my first pair of red leather tap dancing shoes that tied up with red ribbons from there...

My long time family friends the Aly-Khan brothers had their first business in that arcade, although for years prior to that they had sold shirts near their Warrington Rd., Newtown, home at The Mechanic's Arms.

I have a video of the Old Market Hall showing Mr. Khan on his jeans stall, with his surprising part-Wigan accent. A lovely man, I remember.

Helen,are you sure you,re in the right place for Bon Marche?
If i remember correctly BM was on the corner of Standishgate and Mesnes St.

You might well be right Roy, I know it was at the end of the Little Arcade, only a smallish shop, not to be confused with the Bon Marche of today.

From my recollections Bon Mrache was at the end of the Royal Arcade, I could be wrong it's been a long time