OLD WIGAN

What are your memories of it way back when you were young?

My earliest memory is of where we lived on Darlington Street in the shop where mum and dad sold the old style TVs and Bakelite radios in the 50s when I was about four years old.

Later, in the 60s, I remember the Police Officer on point duty on Market Place. There were the old toilets downstairs and, from what I can remember, they were rather lovely and Victorian with brass fittings, and there were dark green tiles on the walls.

Remember the fair coming to the Market Square?

I have many more memories, but over to you, if you’re interested.

That Bobby on point duty used to like me, I was a butchers boy out of Commercial Yard and i would ride up and down Wallgate delivering orders on the shop bike, it had a big basket on the front and only one gear, going up Wallgate was tough and the policeman stopped the traffic to let me by,

He used to have big gloves on!

Here he is, pointy hat as well

Great photo. That bus on the left went to the Pemberton area at one point. One bus which stood at the basement toilets went to Standish.

The one shop showing a clear sign "Cable" was a lovely shoe shop, but a bit on the dear side, and the one at the end with the green sign was, I think, Greenwood's men's shop.

No! I didn't mean the bobby used to have big gloves on. I was telling Mollie that YOU used to have big gloves on, when riding your bike through Wigan deliverin't'meyt!

Mollie, did that shoe shop sell 16mm SWA?

Mollie, the shop in between Cable and Greenwoods is Dewhurts butchers which later moved to the Makinson arcade. Pity there is no butchers in Wigan now!

Tonker: You meant Tom had big gloves on? No, the shop didn't sell 16 mm SWA ya daft bat, and no LSF either! Has thy bin suppin' that Spanish ale again?

By the way, I meant the bus on the right, not the left.

Rio: Oh yes, you're right. It was Dewhurst's butchers.

The great days of watching rugby league at Central Park with a atmosphere which you do not get at the new all seated stadium at Robin Park.

Mind you, he atmosphere may have been helped by the numerous pub's and clubs near the ground, the Sullivan bar on the popular side and standing at the ground.

Oh, how I miss it!

My early memories are of playing freely. Climbing the yoyo in Pemberton. Blue bell woods down Foundry Lane. Highfield Infant school but those are not happy memories, Pushing my dolls pram around the cemetery and the bowling green.

Tonker, No gloves in those days, We handled meyght with working hands, sometimes with chain oil on them if the chain came off the bike, I was't in the RAC tha knows, Often the meyght went on the floor and the butchers slogan was, what the eyes don't see, the heart don't grieve about.

Tom, where exactly was Commercial Yard? I remember it, and I remember going in there, but I can’t remember precisely where it was located. Did it have cobbles on the ground, and what else was in there? Wasn’t there a Commercial Inn as well?

Next to Greenwoods and Cable Shoes

LINK

LINK

Mollie, look at that picture I posted and where the tudor type building end, thats the entrance to the Commercial Yard, It went down there 200 yards and then it went left to exit in Market St,

or look at the cable shop then go to your right for 2 more shops and, that is the entrance,

Thanks Tom. First Mate has put two links on with photos to show where it was. I remember now. Thanks First Mate. Gosh how different it looks now to what it was then.

Old Wigan for me brings back memories of places like Standishgate. Always bustling with people going in and out of Woolworth’s, Marks & Spencer, Pendlebury’s, British Home Stores and other lovely shops.

Then there were the three arcades - Makinson's Arcade, the Old Arcade and the Royal Arcade, again with people bustling around the interesting shops and cafes. That coffee shop at the bottom of Makinson's Arcade could be smelled all over the town centre.

All gone now, unless the Royal Arcade is still there.

Mollie, the Royal arcade is still there and doing good buisness. Nearly every shop is occupied.

That's good to hear, Rio. I remember back in the 60s there was a shoe shop in there, and I'd stand for ages looking at how beautiful they were. There were none for less than £200 a pair and that was 60 years ago.

Jackson the doorway in the 60’s me and the boyfriend used to wait in there ‘snogging’ waiting for the Standish bus.

Tomplum picture...is of a young bobby at the time Derek Pryor...retired as an inspector at Leigh.

Billinge Biker

I once met Inspector Prior at a meeting he was attending in Wigan at the then TGWU Union building, near the bus station in the 1980s, at the time he was in charge of the Wigan Division, Traffic Section