Wigan Album

I remember well the toffee shop on the corner. We used to go there after a swim at the baths. The bell rang as soon as you entered ..used to buy toffee milk bottles which were lovely and chewy. Great photos seem to be coming thick and fast.

Ah...the old Baths. The place where I never did learn to swim. The freezing showers, dirty changing rooms, and the 'ex Army' instructors. The only good thing was the oxtail soup from the little machine in the dark foyer; proper soup that was...

ditto, except I preferred the chicken noodle.

And the Brylcream machine.

Had many a pint in the bath springs public house pictured.

Then go in the horseshoe pub just in the right hand corner of the picture after me and my future wife had been to the court cinema on Saturday night.

I can remember going with my Mam to the Welfare Clinic for little bottles of very concentrated orange-juice that was supplied either free or cheap to parents of very small children. I have never drunk orange-juice since with the same taste, and I can remember it as if it were yesterday.

Baths Hotel not Bath Springs this was near Little Theatre in School Lane

Strange coincidence that the huge Roman Bathhouse was found in 2005 just up the hill from the Bath Hotel on the right

Does anybody remember the palatine press 48 millgate wigan

This picture must have been taken from a plane or helicopter. The picture could have been taken from the top of Douglas House but that did not exist at the time.
You might recall that quite a few aerial were taken from a plane of the area and town centre for the preparation of the Makerfield Plan, the 1960's proposed redevelopment of the Town Centre which would have seen many iconic town centre building demolished.
There was a full copy of this in a binder with pictures, plans and report available in the reference part of the Central Library which might still be available. I bought a copy but it has long since been lost.
The picture shows the Horseshoe pub in the bottom right and you will see bottom left of the picture as Millgate turns left into Chapel Lane the apex roof of a building that was in the early part of the century The Douglas Tavern. I think the Hayes family were the last to live there prior to demolition. I remember a daughter named Catherine.
The corner shop at the bottom of Millgate and Rodney Street used to sell sweets and things.
That was probably the most confusing junction road in Wigan (now overtake by the Saddle Junction!) were Millgate crossed the junction with Rodney Street, Chapel Lane, Douglas Street and Station Road to the right, to then go under the railway bridge and over Scholes Bridge over the Douglas. Very few road markings in those days and there were many near accidents.