Wigan Album

Back in the 20's & 30's Wigan town would have not covered the area it does today so maybe the ' Day Out' site was not far away.
I have photos of my grandparents house, new built at St Clements Rd around those dates & the backgrounds show open land.
The first photo it shows the Congregational Church as not having been built at that time. What was the row of buildings show...are they the ones still in situ ?

The top photo is the gas showrooms in the background, Helen.

Looking at the bottom photo again I can only think the photograph is taken looking north towards the Wrightington/ Parbold area?

My Mam used to talk of a field at Gathurst which had basic playground items such as swings and a slide, and I think she mentioned swing-boats, and a little place where could get cups of tea, but she said people went there on a boat along the canal. However, it would be difficult to transport a huge number of children by canal boat so if the children in the photo WERE heading there, charabancs would have been more practical. Just a thought.

Thanks Rich, so am I looking at the photo from the wrong angle ? The Gas Showrooms, were they where Pendleburys moved to after the fire in later years ?

Helen.
As you look at the far end of the building and turn right that would lead you on to Parsons Walk / Park Road.

Ron, I too was thinking along that line, maybe they had a visit to the Delph Tea Gardens at Parbold in the very early days, or somewhere near perhaps, there does look to be a lake in the righthand side background, and the fields in the background could be towards Bispham. Looking on the internet the gardens did later become quite commercialised not only with the café tea gardens, but with boating and motorcycle racing.

https://www.hilldale-ca.org/Localhistorylore-html/

Helen, on the right of the top photo that was O&C Rushton Warehouse and that building to the right of it was at one time Irene Worthington's Ladies Hairdressers, Irene Worthington (1946-2007) won many prizes and I think once or twice appeared on the TV.
The building was demolished many years ago and she moved her salon into Market Street. I'll see if I can bring that photo of her from 2012 up on the Album.
After Pendlebury's (Debenhams) burned down in the 1950's the department store moved into Rushton's (I remember going in there to see Father Christmas with my Mum) until the new store was built in Standishgate with its side entrance on Crompton Street. It then as you point out became the The Gas Showrooms.
The Rushton Building is now the home to Wigans Centre For Advanced Technical Studies with a new extension built on the site of the demolished building housing modern Lecture Theatres and Classrooms.
Ron, I've not a clue where the bottom picture might have been taken but perhaps Whitley Fields?????

Colin may well have been?? I know that from the area around the BROCKET as is now, it was all fields up to Standish But can't see a railway line??

I can't see any Charabancs Ron ?

John They are lined up at the side of the road. I can count 9 or 10 including one painted white.

I couldn't make out what those shapes were until I magnified them today. You are right of course. Thanks.