Photo-a-Day  (Monday, 8th May, 2023)

It’s a ‘ shambles’ at the moment and I don’t mean the one in York..

The bottom photo is how I remember my Wigan, the friendly atmosphere and feel good shopping. Friday was a great market day. Cheers Dennis.

Where is the logic??

Good pics, Dennis.

To the right of the second photo, late 60s, there was a covered stall selling records - 45s and LPs. Got my copy of Sgt Pepper from there.
I can mentally picture the stalls through the main entrance and, more importantly, some of the people who worked on them.

Most of the 45s on the stall were ex juke box singles that had a wide hole in the centre . . You needed to buy plastic adaptors that clipped into the middle before you could play them .
They also sold white cardboard storage sleeves and little boxes with hinged lids to carry them in .
I loved the labels . RCA Victor . Polydor . Bell . My favourite was Charisma with the Mad Hatter pictured on it .

I remember that record stall Gary, bought a lot of LPs there that I still have. There was also a record stall inside the market that I bought records from but I can’t remember the name?

The fish van advertising, Cockles, Mussels, Prawns and Freshly cooked salmon a typical British shopping scene from the 60s/70s with people going about their daily routine. When the professors finally invent a time machine please let me know.
Good pics Denis.

Dave Whelan had a stall there selling ladies hairsprays etc.

Once, during an experiment in self befuddlement I bought a Rubic’s Cube from one of those stalls and took it home. Two hours later I threw it in the bin.
Next morning, when the befuddlement had worn off a bit, I retrieved it from the bin thinking that if little kids could do it in ten seconds flat on the tele, how hard could it be?
Two hours later I threw it in the bin again.

Thanks Dennis for reminding me about the record stall inside the Market Hall, whose name I also can't remember - and it is driving me mad trying to!!! No doubt some Wigan World contributor will come up with it.

Was it Roy Hurst.

Those shops in the centre of the top photo seem to have the top missing from the central pediment, unless it was designed that way?

Dennis, the record stall inside the market hall may have been Roy Hurst, there is a photo on the Album where he's pictured doing a take on Tarzan.
https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=1456&gallery=Market+Hall,+Indoors&offset=20

Is Irene visiting up in the Hebrides? I haven't seen her posts for a while.

Thank you Maureen and Cyril, it was indeed Roy Hurst.

Thanks Maureen and Cyril for reminding me it was Roy Hurst. If the old Market Hall was still there I would be able to walk straight to where Roy Hurst's stall was but couldn't remember the name

That is Woodcock Street, it is like an archaeological dig has uncovered Woodcock Street.

Which was the best ice cream…Lewis’s or Cassinellis

I agree Sir Bob they may as well rebuild the old market from what remains on the right.

Which was the best ice cream…Lewis’s or Cassinellis

Deromas.

' Waltzing Matilda '
What's in the chiller ,
Cider ice lollies to savour with me ?

' I'm Popeye the sailor man '
My boat is a red and white van
Without a tiller , my cargo's vanilla ,
I'm Cassenelli the ice-cream salesman .

' Alas my love you do me wrong ' ,
The chimes are only a street away ,
The game's abandoned as we go in
To ask mum for a tanner .

Then gazing up at the ice-cream man
On tiptoe place the money
Onto the counter of the van ,
Please can I have a Jubbly ?

So softly slides the fridge door lid
As a cloud of glistening ice puffs up ,
And Whitesleeves hands the prism down
To a scruffy short kecked kid .

Ferretti , Lewis , Uncle Frank
Frederick and DeRoma ,
Wandering minstrels playing tunes
Throughout those distant summers .

Poet

My ice cream is melting
this hot sunny day.
I’m licking it quick but
it’s dribbling away.

My ice cream is melting.
It’s starting to drip
all over my fingers,
my chin, and my tits.

My ice cream is melting.
I can’t make it stop.
It’s hitting the ground with
a splash and a plop.

My ice cream has melted
and turned into ooze.
It was on a cone but
it’s now on my shoes.

Young folk today think Amazon is something new. We had everything delivered to the door.
Here’s a sample.
The Milkman
Newspapers
Groceries came round in a van
The Esso Blee Dooler
The Potato and Veg man came round in a van
The Coalman
The Gasman emptied the meter
Likewise the ‘lectric man
The Popman came round on a van
The Icecream man of course
The Fishman
The Bookies Runner
The Doctor, the Midwife, the Rentman, the Postman.
Just a few off the top of my head. I’m sure there are many more.
O for a return to the days when people came to YOU, rather than you running after THEM.

How true Dtease and if you weren’t satisfied with anything you didn’t have to queue up to return it.. ( apart from empty bottles. ) you could have a discussion on the doorstep. Don’t forget the Rag bone man either he would take any old pans and rags off your hands. What tremendous services we had then! You didn’t see any fly tipping either dumped around back alleys or old fridges stuck outside in gardens awaiting a fairy to make them disappear! The scruffy tramps! No shame whatsoever..