Photo-a-Day  (Monday, 27th March, 2023)

Was known as the Bears Paw, just had £185, 000 refurbishment, one of the few pubs doing well.
I'll just have a quick sherry, cheers.

I thought it was The Market Tavern in Mesnes Street, Wigan until I saw the word "Hindley" under the photo, then I studied it and can see "Summat To Ate" further up the street. How long has the pub been called The Market Tavern? It used to be "The Worthington", known locally as "The Bear's Paw".

Used to be an Almonds pub from Standish.Had many good nights in this pub even though the ale was an aquired taste.My Dad told me the landlord kept some animals even a badger and that’s why it was called The Bears Paw.

My friends parents who used to be the landlords of the Alison Arms in Appley Bridge took over this pub in the 1960s when it was called the Worthington

Yea I remember it as the Worthington as we all used to park our motorbikes in Worthington Street outside the door when calling in for a shandy from 1963 onwards and we frequented the coffee bar across Market street that was known as Lewis’s which is now an estate agents and William Leyland used to change the records in the jukebox,he also had the record shed on Cross stree Hindley the Pink Elephant at Aspull and LE Agency on Castle Hill he was like a Simon Cowell of yesterday and he owned one of the first Ford Transit vans,great motorbike years.

Looks a welcoming pub. I thought it was Mesnes Street too Irene, until I saw that the pub was on a gradient! - pays to read the title. A trip to Specsavers might be in order!

The Worthington was very popular in the sixties. Not sure about the slate blue colour

Lovely colours.

John,do you remember the name of the couple who had Lewis’s in the 60’s,I think the woman was called Margaret.They lived up Wigan Lane.My mother cleaned there.The man who ran took a leather studded belt off one of the motor bike lads when there was a bit of bother and gave it to me.I swapped it for some fishing tackle.Do you remember Hursie and Toots who used to go in.

Nice looking pub and love the colour combination.
Thanks Dennis.

Nice photo again Dennis, yes I too like the modern colours, it brings the pub right up to date.

Main thing here is the ale good.
Been in there when it was known as the Worthington Arms some years ago, very good ale then.
Colour scheme not too bad at all.

Looking nice and neat and the colours remind me of a seaside tavern. Are those pigeons following you around Dennis with a bag of Bamford's pigeon mix in your pocket?

I can just imagine a very large anchor with a chain outside Cyril…
( so the clientele can’t pinch it.)! ;~)

So true Veronica as at some pubs I've seen flower tubs with angled brackets screwing them to the floor, some customers mustn't be happy going away with just a couple of beer mats or glasses.

Sorry for late reply PW but never really took notice about landlord etc and cannot recollect Hursie and Toots but nick names where common Tiddy and Donovan were pals,Mol and Reg from Leigh Jimmy Price from Atherton (Andy)David Devine from Leigh all good friends etc etc really great times .

Sorry PW again,I’m sure to remember the couple if I recollect the lady had blonde hair and the man had dark hair but not a lot (hair) they ran Lewis’s I thought you was referring to Worthington at first.I had a friend we called Twinkle proper name was Barbara lovely girl she worked at Trainers chemist Just down road from Lewis’s great times.

John I knew Barbara we had some good fun at Turners. Not seen her for years. There’s a group photo under Turners Hindley Green and she is on it in the middle. I posted it a few years ago.

John,The guy who had Lewis’s was Alan Muir and his wife had dark hair.Like you say we all had nicknames ,thanks for your reply.Veronica what was Barbaras last name,I worked at Turners for a couple of years

It was Phelps PW. She was little ray of sunshine. I hated the job but Barbara was full of mischief and we had some good fun… I left there after 18 months. My hands were a mess with with all that nasty black rubber paint. I ended up at the ROF Chorley a brilliant job for me at the time.

PW her last name was Phelps I’m almost sure and she had a friend at the time called Brenda and if everyone were like those two the world would be a better place,Barbara lived facing Hindley baths on Borsdane Avenue,lovely girl thanks for the memories everyone.

PW her last name was Phelps I’m almost sure and she had a friend at the time called Brenda and if everyone were like those two the world would be a better place,Barbara lived facing Hindley baths on Borsdane Avenue,lovely girl thanks for the memories everyone.

Thank you both,I do remember Barbara,she was a couple of years older than me.

Was Barbara’s friend Brenda Lythgoe?

There was another girl that Barbara was friendly with, by that I mean they used to mate together after work. I can see her in my mind’s eye - a small blonde girl with short hair. I can’t recall her name as she worked in another department.

PW I’m unsure about Barbara’s friends last name but she was a very pleasant girl.A couple of my friends worked at Turner’s if I remember rightly Brian Molyneax (mol)and David Gerrard (reg) for a short period maybe around 1970.