Photo-a-Day  (Sunday, 13th January, 2019)

Looks like 'Specsavers' and 'WHSmith' are in competition for the most glaringly obvious shop signs. I remember F.W. Woolworth's sign with the distinct gold lettering on a maroon background ( not plum colour). That's all that was needed to lure the stampede of customers through the doors. Even gloomy late afternoons in those days you would still see crowds of shoppers ( no late shopping then) not forgetting the old stalwart newspaper man shouting " Evening Chronical" or " Football Pink".... now that is somebody missing nowadays! Ah! Those were the days indeed....
A picture to stir the memories at six in the morning when the brain is in gear!

I do think square post boxes look so much nicer than those old fashioned round ones,
The whole area looks nicer now the handrail that the old men of Wigan used to lean on as been removed as well.

I think I would recognise Standishgate these days. I expect where the totally out of keeping low buildings are, would have been where Pendleburys stood ?
The centre of Wigan seemed to be made up od Black & White buildings when I lived there....another good image Jane.

PS...can anyone tell me if the plan for the psuedo Roman pillars in the Market Sq has died a death?...I do hope so !

Typical of todays high street, so depressing of todays online shoppers .

I cannot be bothered with shopping online...not really knowing what the article you have seen a picture of is really like...all that sending back if its wrong or broken...all that hanging around all day for delivery...no way. Give me a shop to go into in my own time & see the goods,speak to a real person...these youngsters dont have a clue, they moan they havent got the time, yet you see them sitting about drinking expensive coffee etc, etc..thats me on my soapbox. I feel better now & await the brickbats !!

Veronica, what lovely memories of Woolworth's and the newspaper sellers.....you had me standing in the Standishgate of the fifties and sixties with your words. I have a book, "The Wonder of Woolies", half of which is made up of reminiscences of The staff and half of the customers, and takes me straight back. I remember Debenhams when it was still known as Pendlebury's and I can still see the old Marks and Spencer's. I wonder if you and Helen recall when Mark's had TWO labels in their clothing, "St. Michael" AND "St. Margaret"?

Ironic isn't it that the poor wretch no one chooses to see is outside of spec savers.

No brickbats from me, Helen, although I admit to sending for some Catherine Cookson dvds because I couldn't get them in the shops, and also out-of-print books also not available in the shops, and all very reasonably priced, (£2).

Dies anyone remember the escalator when W.H.Smiths was Woolworths,and the big red weighing machine that used to stand just inside the door.When I was a little one my Mam would say "If you get lost come and stand by this machine" ( I must have been a wanderer).

I totally agree with you Helen - not that I don't browse on the Internet - but I don't buy - I usually order in store and wait a couple of days. It feels safer that way.
Like you Irene I remember the labels St Michael and St Margaret only just, and you were somebody then if you had anything bought from Marks. I remember all the counters with jumpers etc folded in them on top.
But Pendlebury's was the 'Creme- de- la- Creme! I only went in there in the early fifties with my childhood friend who was allowed to go to the sales to buy some sandles. We went everywhere together! We liked going up and down in the lift - we were about ten at the time. Her mum gave her money to buy some salmon coloured sandles, I can see us now both rummaging for them! I could only look on because I couldn't buy any! ( she also had piano lessons which I went to with her!) Her family was 'better off' than mine! I remember the Great Fire as well. When I left school I always made sure I went in the 'posh' shops i.e. Lowe's ,Debenhams and Marks - I knew quality by then! ;0))

Ps if the Home Guard hadn't deterred Hitler from invading Wigan the handrail where the 'oldies' leant on would have been the first to go.... As would have the 'flat- cap brigade'. He didn't like the old 'uns did Herr Hitler- he would have remembered them from the 1st WW. I for one am glad it was there so long! I wish it was still there - somewhere to lean whilst thinking where to go next with bulging bags of shopping!

Oops - sandals!

Maureen I do remember the big red weighing machine in Woolworths, I must have stood on it once or twice..and I remember the 2 brands in M&S Irene. Sometimes you can still come across the labels at clothing stalls when Sheringham has its 40s weekend.

The choice and quality disappeared from all Wigan town centre shops long before I bought my present three piece suite. Eight years ago I looked on-line found what I wanted then visited manufacturer/showroom in NOTTINGHAM and bought. The same for my video camera, bought in Singapore ten years ago.

Maureen, I remember the escalator in Woolworth's and the big red weighing machine. I always feel those weighing machine would be used more, and therefore make more money, if they were turned the other way round so that only the person getting weighed could see their weight. As it is, the dial is so big that everyone passing can see! I always told my children that if we got separated in a store they had to go to the entrance door but NOT outside.

Irene,it was for that very reason that my Mam would never get weighed on that machine..she would go to to the man at the bottom of the little arcade and ask him to tell her in a whispered voice what her weight was...the times she sent me to the shops for a bottle of P.LJ. which at the time everyone thought would help them lose weight.

I think Woolworths were the first to install escalators! I can just remember the one on the left hand side - I can see my mam holding my hand very tight going down them!

A friend of mine has ordered various white goods on the Internet (Amazon) and the problems encountered when after delivery received knows no bounds. The telephone calls - and waiting weeks for a cheque to arrive from guarantees when problems haven't been resolved. Although I must admit that can occur when buying from large stores - but seems so much worse after ordering online. I dread my washing machine breaking down as it is still going after 12 years.

Helen of Troy the totally out of place low buildings you mention are not where Pendlebury's stood. Pendlebury's was the other side of M & S and was rebuilt on the same site after the 1953 fire. It later became Debenhams and is now a Wilko since Debenhams moved into the Grand Arcade

Thanks for putting me in the right place DerekB...long time since I was in Wigan. Hope to pay a visit this year.

Dashing from Tommy Linacre at dinner time to stock up on broken biscuits from Woolies , they can't take your memories off you.

Nice picture Jane, but for some reason it makes me feel sad when I look at it.
As a matter of fact most Town Centers make me feel sad these days. All the life and excitement seems to have drained away from them. I wonder where it's all gone.

DTease,I'm afraid it all went with your youth.

All the life and excitement still there if your young, maybe its the life thats drained away from you

Sadly, Maureen and Mick you are probably right. Too much excitement would most likely bring on another attack of gout at this stage of the game. Haaa but the memories Maureen, the memories.

You can thrive on your memories DTease..enjoy them all.