Wigan Album
Market Hall
16 CommentsPhoto: Keith Beckett
Item #: 33151
This is a blast from the past Keith.Never to be seen again I suspect. They are all looking in anticipation of a bargain coming their way, as we all did when visiting The Pot Fair.Good photo.
I remember the Pot Stalls at Wigan Fair, it was pure entertainment to watch a whole dinner service being 'chucked ' into a wicker basket ! Great photo.
Used to be a good place for buying Lino as well, those of a certain age will know what Lino is, and who remembers the man selling toy monkey's and toy birds on a stick?
People would gather round for a time, then lose interest if there was nothing being 'given away'. They would walk off and be replaced again with another trickle of folk waiting expectantly for when the seller would reinvigorate his sales patter. So it went on ... it amazed me how the China didn't chip when it was being juggled. I never bought anything, I thought everything must have been seconds and if you did buy anything there would be something wrong with it when you got home. You couldn't take anything back because they would be gone!
I can remember the guy selling, on the photo. I remember him as a young man just starting , and saw him a few years later obviously older, I think he came from the Stoke area?
I once bought a capo-di-monte rose for my daughter-in-law from Bolton market. You just chose the colour off the display ones and the man handed you a boxed one. I opened it on the bus and it was a wreck! As you say, Veronica. it was too late to do anything about it. But I learned my lesson!
It was a well established occasion for many years, Wigan fair. Apart from a circus, do any travelling fair grounds still visit provincial towns?. I believe one visits Fleetwood, but not on the scale of what was Wigan fair. Is there any record as to when the travelling fair became an annual event in Wigan?.
Silcock's Fair still comes to Hindley, Albert, and I think to Wigan too,, down near Robin Park, but no longer to Ince, Abram, Ashton, Platt Bridge etc, (smaller villages). It used to visit them all at one time.
Everyone enjoyed the 'Pot Fair ' run in conjunction with main event ,this took place away from the main show-ground on the other side of The Market Hall . It was almost like a show, the patter of the auctioneers fascinating on lookers , they all seemed to have cockney accents with an ability to throw dinner plates in the air as good as any juggler , then balance 6 plates along his arm as he invited bids , I watched spellbound and would try to imitate him when I got home to my Mams amusement, until I broke 2 plates ! The spiel exciting would be buyers into a possibly an unintended purchase , going home with a 21 or 18 piece tea set , earlier in the evening they hadn't realised they need . Many of these impromptu buys would finish up as weddings presents ,as would the eiderdowns and blankets bought in an equal moment of madness , we're all suckers for what appears to be a bargain !
Everyone enjoyed the 'Pot Fair ' run in conjunction with main event ,this took place away from the main show-ground on the other side of The Market Hall . It was almost like a show, the patter of the auctioneers fascinating on lookers , they all seemed to have cockney accents with an ability to throw dinner plates in the air as good as any juggler , then balance 6 plates along his arm as he invited bids , I watched spellbound and would try to imitate him when I got home to my Mams amusement, until I broke 2 plates ! The spiel exciting would be buyers into a possibly an unintended purchase , going home with a 21 or 18 piece tea set , earlier in the evening they hadn't realised they need . Many of these impromptu buys would finish up as weddings presents ,as would the eiderdowns and blankets bought in an equal moment of madness , we're all suckers for what appears to be a bargain !
Irene: Silcocks fair still comes to Ashton, it's been here the last two weekends.
Been to a few pot fairs with my grandmother and mother. I always look at the photos, especially of the 70s, in hopes I might see them. Sadly gone many years now.
Irene, there was a fair on Warmsley Park Ince last week,
Owd Viewer, I DID see an advert for something that was happening on Walmesley Park recently but hadn't read it properly....I hadn't realised it was the fair. Thankyou.