Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 15th May, 2021)

Nice pic Dennis, it's so like summer and very clean I love the bench and bike racks, very good to see a lovely picture at top of town, thanks for sharing.

Don't know about the Vape bar but further down this road, on the same side, there was a lovely shop that sold everything a smoker needed. It fascinated me as a child just looking through the window. Can't remember the name of the shop. Was that the site of the Midland Bank on the right? Or was it another corner? Some lovely buildings and craftmanship as well from a time once was. Those buildings were not just thrown up, took great skill . Detail mattered in them days.

A ghost town.20years ago this would be packed with shoppers.Now not hard to social distance.

Really good photo is that Dennis. Wallgate, not how I remember it !. Long time ago now busy traffic, earlier still in my younger days a bobby directing traffic. Not everyone likes the newer look Wigan but this photo shows there's still a lot to like.

Wigan in the sunshine - lovely!

A shadow of how it used to be when the bobby conducted the traffic like an orchestra.
Andre Rieu was nothing compared to the bobby on duty in those days. You could stand transfixed watching him.

Rainh...I think the smokers shop you remember was Ashton's. Next door was James Starr, stationers. I remember both shop fronts were identical (twins) apart from the names, even these used the same type of lettering until a change to modernise took place.

Rainh
The shop was called Ashtons. Agree it was fascinating to look into their window.

Rainh, it was Ashton's Tobacconists and the beautiful art deco glass over the door , inscribed with the number 20, (its address was 20, Wallgate), is still there. I think it is a newsagents now, I used to buy my Dad a cigar in a silver-coloured tube at Christmas, or an ounce of Holland House tobacco for his pipe., I was only a child but was served without question! They used to sell Wade pottery miniature animals which were known as "Whimsies" and I still have a few of the ones I bought for my Mam.

Rainh....I haven't been into town for quite a number of years but just looked on google street view and found the smokers shop still with the original frontage, however it's twin has now been butchered out of all recognition.

As Rainh says I too used to be transfixed by the smokers needs in the shop window,especially lighters,there were some beauties,my Dad used to get his ciggies from there,and when my Grandads birthday came along me and my Brother would buy him a pipe from this shop,I bet he had more pipes than the shop did..like Veronica said the Bobby on point duty at the top was entertainment in itself.i would love to see a video of him in action..coming from Wallgate I have happy memories just by seeing photos like this one..so thank you Dennis.

The tobacco shop was Ashton's. The manager for many years was Mr Harold Cottriall. He and his family lived in Holme Terrace just off Mesnes Road, with the Brocket Arms on the corner.

The shop had a multi-coloured electric sign which flashed CIGARETTES at the top, ASHTONS in the middle and TOBACCO at the bottom.

Rainh the shop was Ashton's, When I smoked a pipe I used to get various tobacco's from there.

What was the name of the tobacco shop again?

Anne, I am told that Starr's Stationers was next door to Ashton's at one time but I remember that shop as Wilding's Stationers with Starr's further down on the other side of the road near Gordon Isherwood's shoe shop. My friend confirms this as she worked there for a time. Wilding's must have taken over Starr's shop next to Ashton's and Starr's moved to premises across the road. . I haunted both shops on a Saturday, as well as the stationery counter in Woolworth's! I used to buy daft things like Telephone Memo Pads when nobody I knew possessed a telephone, and packets of gold stars like the ones the teacher stuck in our books for good work, (they weren't self-adhesive back then!), I still have a packet of "gummed paper squares" from my childhood, bought from Wilding's, with the price on in pencil...1/- ! My granddaughter Edie seems to have inherited my love of stationery which really pleases me.

You couldn't get a more appropriate name for a Tobacconist .

Irene ... I only remember Starr's when it was twinned in decor with Ashton's. I know Starr's had a warehouse in Rowbottom square with all stock for the shop and for anyone wanting bulk purchases.

Bruce Almighty - Brilliant!!! LOL...

Irene Starrs were situated next door to Ashton's I still have a hard backed French / English dictionary from there in 1959 it was 9s/6d.

Irene, like Anne I only remember Starr's being next to Ashtons and Wildings being opposite the General Post Office. I also remember that Wildings building always appeared to be somewhat unstable from inside with the appearance that a wall could collapse at any minute

To the left of where Dennis is standing - the branch office of the Burnley Building Society, managed by T A Burnett in the late 60s early 70s until he was transferred to the Chorley branch.
The Burnley merged with the Provincial Building Society at the end of 1982 and from 1.1.83 became the National & Provincial Building Society. The Abbey National took over in 1989 and subsequently Santander.
I remember Wildings stationers and the Princes (Princess?) cinema, again, off left where good films could be seen second time around.
A pub up in Limbrick had a painting of this view from the 1930s and little has changed in terms of structure.
Fine photo, as usual, Dennis.

One of grandmothers relatives Margaret Hodkinson born 1876 worked as a domestic servant in 1891 for James Starr printer and bookseller lived at 92 Springfield St.

Bruce Almighty people post replies to the p.o.d site but unlike the main threads on communicate they are not printed has they are typed. Therefore you could get 6 or 7 people printing the answer to the question but none would know till they are displayed later.

A nice photograph but what are those little squiggles in the sky?

Dare I mention it was Ashtons!!!! Good photo Dennis.Loved this shop,used to go in with my husband.It was a pipe smokers dream.

Jembo, Dennis would most likely to have taken the photo from the upstairs front seat on a bus, so the squiggles will be streaks on the bus window. Though I wouldn't know which bus number went up here or where the destination would be.

Remember going into Ashton's many times with my Mum for presents for my Dad's birthday it was a memorable shop.They had a warehouse in Barrack Square as well I think.

You’re correct Cyril, although I’m not sure which bus it was now. It was a bus to Leigh so it would be number seven or eight?
If you look near the top of the photo on the left you can see a reflection on the window of something on the bus!

Thanks Cyril. That makes perfect sense.

Dennis, I like your photos taken from the top of buses.It is the Leigh bus, it goes down Library St.

Number 7 is the Bolton bus and it goes down Library St as well.

Thanks Cyril. That makes perfect sense.

Thanks All. I am terrible with shop names and pub names , but the essence of that shop never left me. It's funny how some places strike a note. I don't remember ever actually going inside the shop only looking in the window. Thanks for posting Dennis.

I used to buy my cigs there ,remember the brand Passingcloud and lucky Strike and Sat Night at the Emp dance all late 50s early 60s