Photo-a-Day  (Sunday, 1st December, 2024)

Would that be Mesnes St on the left ? I remember the crossroads but dont recognise the buildings

That building on the corner of Standishgate and Powell Street does look quite attractive when you have time to study it.
I wish those windows further along Powell Street of the former Debenhams Store could be put back into use, they always lovely window displays especially leading up to Christmas. The side entrance gave access to the ground floor level and its basement with large displays of cutlery and fine china from which we once bought a full dinner service.

If I am not mistaken. Site of the first traffic lights in Wigan, when local folk called the strange, new fangled technology... 'robots'

Correction: Crompton Street not Powell Street!
For some reason I am always getting the two confused!!

I remember when Subway was Rumbelow's electrical shop, and also when I worked in the dress material department of Debenhams, which is now Glamour Point. Businesses change but the buildings remain the same, and we have some lovely buildings in Wigan but you have to look up to appreciate the ornate brickwork and windows.

Where all i can see is shops?

Irene, that building on the corner is Cowling Chambers and prior to Rumbelow’s in the 1950’s it was (if I’ve got the spelling correct) Nymans Jewellers.

The curved building used to be Chelsea Girl - that gives you a clue as to how old I am. At the end of my first week at work my mum let me keep all of my wages and that's where I spent most of it.

Colin, I worked in the basement of Debenhams in 1973, on the Glass and China department.....I wonder if you bought your dinner service from ME? I remember we used to sell a lot of Hornsea Pottery which I often see in antique shops and can still name the patterns. Denby's dark-coloured "Arabesque" was very "in vogue" in the early 1970s and people used to buy one piece at a time....that too is now in antique shops....it's making me feel old! I turned 21 when I was on the China dept. and my boss, Miss Evans, (staff had to call each other "Mr. or Miss So-and-So"....no Christian names), bought me a Wedgewood bud vase which I still have. Sorry for the personal reminiscing.....I blame that Dennis for putting photos on that bring back so many memories, (only joking Dennis!).

If I'm not mistaken, this junction was the site of the first Belisha Beacons in Wigan, thanks to George Belisha, the minister of transport at the time.

I still can't recognise what we're looking at - sorry. Is Standishgate straight up through the lights and Mesnes Street to the right? Never did have a sense of direction!

Dennis is stood at the end of Mesnes St looking towards Crompton St. I was looking for a ‘sign’ of Christmas but I only see traffic lights. I can see a camera at the top of the pole with what looks like a ‘ cluster’ of spotlights. There must be an economy drive going on.

hi pat mcc if you stand out side pooles pie shop and look down towards debenhams side entry r morrisons old car park entrance and turn right

I was talking about the Traffic Lights.
I have seen many ‘near’ accidents here, brought about by careless pedestrians crossing the road with gay abandon and expecting buses to stop for them on the head of a pin.
I saw one old man hit by a bus that I was on by trying to dash across in front of the bus. Luckily for him he wasn’t hurt, but the abuse that the bus driver got from passing pedestrians was rediculous.

Pat McC.....Stand at those crossroads with me, facing forwards, and we'll go back to the 1960s. Behind us is Mesnes Street where Oliver Somers' sports shop used to be. If we turned RIGHT at that traffic light we would go up Standishgate, past Pendlebury's and Marks and Spencer and end up at Woolworths. If we turned LEFT at that traffic light we would go up the OTHER part of Standishgate, with C and A's clothes store on our right, and on towards Wigan Lane. If we went straight through the traffic light we would be in Crompton Street and the road would take us past Wigan Little Theatre and on towards Lower Ince.

Pat, following on from Veronica, looking straight ahead you would turn right to go up Standishgate to Woolies.
Irene, Arabesque was our first dinner service when we got married in 1974. It was very expensive and and heavy and took years to get a full set together, then it went out of fashion. We used to go into Debenhams almost every week, it’s strange to think that you quite likely served us.

Bradshaw's Girl, the building that was Chelsea Girl isn't on this photo. The "Glamour Point" shop has two signs saying "Glamour Point " in its windows. Chelsea Girl was across the road from the left-hand "Glamour Point" sign.

If I'm not mistaken, Chamber Buildings for pianist exams.

Thank you all - got it. I made the virtual tour with you Irene and indeed it brought the past back vividly. My friend used to be the manager of Oliver's sports shop for many years. BHS was a favourite shop - the cafe meant a welcome break from shopping and struggling with two young children and a pushchair that weighed a ton! What a great choice of shopping venues we had.

Seems to me Dennis that half of this country’s population walk around in a sensory impaired fashion … lurching about , … zombified , … evidently oblivious to their surroundings .

Often this is the result of a preoccupation with smartphones or other devices of distraction .

You’ll come across it practically on a daily basis down Wiggin .

Just one of the reasons you won’t see Ozy in Wiggin .

When they come unstuck however , you can guarantee it’ll be someone else’s fault .

There’s an onus of responsibility on every sector of society for the safety of oneself and others , whether they be motorists , cyclists , motor cyclists , mobility chariot users , roller skaters , or even those clowns on illegal electric scooters .

Problem being
however , unlike years ago , there’s no one around to enforce sensibility .

What worries me Ozy is the young mothers with prams. Why do they insist on pushing the pram into the road first when crossing? Therebye ensuring that the child will cop it first in the event of an accident.

But what else can they do Dennis? Drag the baby from behind inside one of them trolleys that old ladies ( like myself) put their shopping in… I can see it now the babies sitting on top of the shopping and throwing everything out…after chewing on packets of biscuits and whatever else takes their fancy…..;o)).