Photo-a-Day  (Sunday, 14th July, 2024)

Ooooh, Dennis, how dare you refer to "The Village" as a town centre. You'll be i'bother, owd lad.

I love to see those tubs of flowers in towns and villages; they really cheer a place up.

I always refer to Standish as a Village but in truth with all the housing built over the last few years it is probably classed more as a Township.
Don’t forget John (Westhoughton) will be cycling past there today on his Manchester to Blackpool charity bike ride. I will try to wear something distinctive so that he can spot me. My wife suggested a leopard skin mankini!!!!

The Manchester to Blackpool charity bike riders will be going through Standish in a few hours.
This photo is a good reminder for anyone who were going to make a donation but have forgotten

Half of this town centre photo is blocked from view by the flower tub.

The only shop that hasn't changed it's usage over the years is the chemist . Gibson's used to be the old Co-op . Later , a launderette owned by Willie Morgan ( the Man . Utd player ) .
Next in line was Baybutt's shoe shop . There was always a window open and you could hear him tapping away doing repairs .
The Midland Bank and Mort's T.V. and radio shop continued along Pole St . We watched the first colour televisions through the window . They left them on all night all set to the test card .
The Preston Rd shops were Isherwood's paint and wallpaper , followed by William's chemist . Mr. William's was the tallest bloke l had ever seen .
He wore heavy framed specs and smiled all the time . When you saw him out and about he always had his white coat on .
Next came Flinch's fishing tackle with it's hotchpotch of smells . A curious mixture of compost , sawdust and fishing baits .
At the time these had doorways that people sheltered in when waiting for the bus in wet weather .
The hairdresser's ( in the photo) was the post office , then came Middleton & Woods funeral directors . Noel Chadwick's was the last in line with calligraphic writing in white wash on the window .

If it wasn’t blocked by the flowers, Ex Speed Cop, it would be blocked by the traffic. I thought it better to look at the flowers.

Colin, the thought of you at the side of the road wearing a leopard skin mankini has just put me off my dinner!

Looks like you were hiding behind those flowers Dennis….

Didn't there used to be a bike shop as well.

Poet, nice to have these reminders of times past.
Perhaps it’s an age thing as our recollections are like a year by year time capsule that from time to time click open.

Dennis, glad I didn’t I could have been arrested. Also I would have clashed with a posse of Leigh Leopards.
Don’t know about yourself but I got a few good shots which I are worth viewing, I’ll send a selection to John (Westhoughton).

Joe Hunter's cycle shop was opposite the chemist . Another place full of Proust effect aromas . Oil , rubber tyres , Duraglit , adhesive , and the glossy transfers I used to buy to stick on the cross bar .

The front door had a loud bell on it . Joe lived in the back and was quite slow , so when you went in it took him about 5 minutes to appear through some dangling door streamers . He didn't speak much but rather murmered a tune while serving you .
There were frames and wheels hanging from the ceiling and adults had to watch their heads . His son was an elecki so he sold plugs and switches as well as bike stuff . He kept fuses in the tiniest set of drawers ever seen .

Well done to John , sorry about the rain . I watched a few riders go by , maybe your good self .

Standish hasn't been a 'village' for many many decades

Veronica, Dennis perhaps spotted me walking down the High Street and ducked behind the flowers.
Who could blame him!!!!

Poet, as I remember on Preston Road, around 1950, the chemist's was Theresa Baron's, then after Finch's there was Gallimore's (haberdashery?) and, before the post-office relocated from High Street, it was Fred Rainford's greengrocer's with displays outside on the pavement and then Middleton and Woods run by Charlie Brogan.

He should have got a snap Colin that would have been interesting!
Leopard skin trunks! Mind you I don’t think men call their swimwear ‘trunks’ these days. I wonder why…..

Colin leopard skin come on now (big smiley face)would have been 10ish coming through Standish,Isaw quite a few spill with riders riding far to close to each other,an very old lady walked out in front of me without looking I stopped and warned a guy who was overtaking me that was ever so close,one guy run straight into a sign on a actual roundabout as if he never saw the roundabout he was in a bad way but managed to do the 62 miles and also the return to Westhoughton all by myself 100.5 miles in total all recorded on Relive and earned some good sponsorship money,thanks everyone for your thoughts,Dennis your poaching Colin’s territory shhhhhh smiles

The bells were ringing when passing St Wilfred’s would that take place at 10am Colin as well as other times?