Wigan Album

I notice it is a Stewart tartan. Do you have a connection with the Scottish name Barrie? Whenever I go up to Scotland I love looking in the shops at all the different tartans and the names of them…. I discovered a tartan for my Irish connection!

The receipts 2 years apart , the second purchase 2/7d more expensive per kilt . Inflation nothing new.

Veronica, in answer to your question, no Scottish connection but I believe that there was Scottish Caledonian Dance club in Wigan late 20's/early 30's as there is mention in some of the diaries of Mum going there whilst Father went to the Wigan Water polo club training and or matches. I have found a photo of Mum taken around this time in her full Scottish outfit. My elder sister at the time of the above receipts had enrolled in a dance school somewhere in the town around 1938/39.
Incidentally, my elder sister married a Scotsman from Dunbartonshire and lived there till she passed away in 2023 aged 90. I also had nearly 10 years up in the Glasgow area in the 60's & 70's working as a civil engineer for an English company. I really enjoyed it up there.

Thank you Barrie for the answer. I was just wondering that’s all. I go up to Scotland whenever I can by coach. I love the remoteness and the landscape. I try to go to a different place every time I go.
As for the tartan kilts they were very popular in the 50’s as well. I usually got one for Christmas with the big pin holding down the left side. It would probably have been a ‘Stewart’. I have loads of Cashmere collected from there over the years. I pack them in plastic bags after wearing so the moths don’t get chance to get at them! I only buy them in the Sales though!

Veronica, my son-in-law wore a kilt to his wedding but I can't recall which tartan it was, but it is his family tartan from way back. My daughter had a long white dress "Jane Austen" style, with a length of the same tartan draped over her shoulder held in place by a Scottish "pin". When I worked at Debenhams on dress fabrics, the Bay City Rollers were at their most popular and the young girls used to buy a small amount of Royal Stuart Tartan to wear as a scarf, (it was much cheaper than buying a ready-made scarf). I had a mini-kilt from BHS when I was a young girl,,,,it wasn't tartan, it was just plain turquoise but it had a kilt-pin and I loved it!

You can easily find the tartan Irene by googling the family name. Just insert “What Tartan for eg. McDougle.” I’m sure something will come up.