Wigan Album

I worked at Debenham's, (formerly Pendlebury's), 1973-1976 and its address was still "Crawford House, Standishgate, Wigan". Lovely photo, Ron!

I can't think of one shop shown in the image that's still there.

The only days that Standishgate was so empty of shoppers were Sundays and half day closing on Wednesday. It was unusual on other days to be like that if I remember in the sixties. Saturday was the penultimate day for shopping, from early morning onwards.

I believe it was in the late fifties when Pendlebury’s was destroyed by fire. I remember that I was on a week end leave (48 hour pass. / Demobbed, April, 1958.). I had just returned home , and saw a a red glow in the sky, looking in the direction of Wigan, from Lower Ince.

I believe it was in the late fifties when Pendlebury’s was destroyed by fire. I remember that I was on a week end leave (48 hour pass. / Demobbed, April, 1958.). I had just returned home , and saw a a red glow in the sky, looking in the direction of Wigan, from Lower Ince.

Wigan of bygone days this.Never to be seen again!! Sad.

Albert - it was August 1953 when Pendleburys burned down. It made the national newspapers.
News report from The Times, Monday 3rd August 1953:
“The premises and stock of Pendlebury and Co., Limited, one of Wigan’s oldest drapery and house furnishing firms and now a subsidiary of Debenham, Limited, London, were seriously damaged last night by fire. Road traffic was diverted and thousands of homeward bound holiday makers watched the firemen fighting the flames.”

Those where the days for shopping in the big shops. As you came into Wigan, the big CO-OP, C&A, British Home Stores, Pendlebury's , Oxleys and Lowe's not forgetting Pennington's for Furniture

Well said Bill, all those shops were the best.

Tony. I had forgotten it was so early in the fifties. I had only then, be in the forces for four months, still doing trade training on Salisbury Plains.

When you compare this picture to how it looks in 2021 it really is very depressing.

CJ

I know cj Alan does look very depressing not like it used to be in the 60s and 70s, used to be full of people shopping. It used to have a good feeling in those days with all the shops that used to be there. Its so so sad today wigan how things have changed.

Standishgate on a quiet sunny day. I used to remember a dental surgery on the right that was upstairs above the shops. The Wigan Corporation bus is a 1959-61 long front entrance Leyland PD3, EJP501-510, GJP8-19, HEK705-707, HJP1-11 on account of the three rear windows, (short PD2s had two windows). I'm sure the white car behind is an early Austin or Morris 1800 on account of the horizontal rear lights, the later 1800s had vertical lights.