Wigan Album

I think Kay's is visible on the left

I lived in Foy Street until I was 9 then we had to make way for the now defunct police station.

I was born in Foy Street in 1962 only remember the Higgsons we lived at 21 moved to scholes in 1965 when they demolishid it.Just put some old cine films on DVD from there.

Remember them building the Adelphi

Hi Anita. I remember you being a very young toddler, I think you did come round to Shelmerdine St. Short journey from Foy St. I left in 1966, I was 12. Happy memories from the old place. Your name rings a bell after about 58 years.

cvjh

Often wondered if many photos are still around of that community that encompassed an area between the Railway Bridge that divided lower Millgate from Scholes, River Douglas, Chapel Lane and Darlington Street.
I was born in the front bedroom of 39 Harrogate Street, Mrs Johnson who lived a few doors down and Ginny Dutson who lived across the road on Douglas Street delivering me. During the the slum clearance Mrs Johnson moved to Marsh Green and Mrs Dutson along with next door neighbour Annie Magee to the estate at the bottom of Kitt Green Road. Ginny still came to make the tea at Wigan Printing at the top of Douglas Street when I started work there in 1963.
So many formative memories created in those days, good people and some of which quite “colourful!”. Harrogate Street, Douglas Street, Foy Street, Shelmerdine Street, Atherton Street and who remembers those little cottages in Gee’s Court?
Darlington Street had a shop for everything at the time, butchers, bakers, pet shop, chemists, post office, furniture shop, florist, music shop, news agent, barbers, Calland’s Toys & Prams to mention
just a few.
Harrogate Street had two pubs, the Delphi and the Harrogate, Off Licence and three shops, Miss Lambs (straight out of Dickens!) the two Miss Topping’s ( later Lilly Wilson’s) and Lilly Gaskell’s next to the Printing Works.
Does anyone have pictures of the Street decorations for the Coronation? As I recall Atherton Street won with rose festooned trellises around their doors.
Interested to see the names of Kevin Higgins and David Langford contributing. If they are of the same area and share the same Birthday keep in touch. Colin.

I remember so many of those names, Colin lived a few doors away from me, Kevin lived round the corner and David a few doors down. Does any one else remember the Royal George and the bonfires we used to have on the "spare" ground.My brother Eric played with Mrs Wilson's son Stephen and next door to us was an elderly couple with a choc/black lab called ******.

Colin: interesting to read your post, you mention Darlington Street had a music shop. Would this be Wm Leylands LE Enterprises? If so do you remember where it was exactly? I only have a vague recollection of it and believe it was a little to the left of this photo.

Hello Barbara, lovely to read your comments and of course I remember you very well. I think it was your son that married the daughter of our next door neighbours when we lived in Christleton, we went to their wedding at Kilhey Court, it was only a few years later that I made the likely connection. If that is correct we both must have changed a great deal as we did not recognise each other.
I understand that Martin and Marie are in New Zealand and last time I heard Eric was in Spain. Also have the greatest of memories of your mum (thought she once tried to poison me by giving me yogurt) and put peg rugs on the washing line, such exotic things were unheard of in post war Britain! Would love to meet up sone time.
Kevin Higgins has put a few posting up on other sites but haven't seen him in over forty years.
I do remember the Royal George at Scholes crossing, opposite was a cobbled lane (Amy Lane) when icy we used used to sledge down on pieces of cardboard or plywood. Wigan council should reinstate the name on the replacement path.
Bonfire was one of the highlights of the year, we would collect for months before, Ginny Dutson the neighbourhood Matriarch arranged Treacle Toffee, oranges and baked potatoes. the fire brigade turned up one year but Ginny soon saw them off. Great lady who organised other thing for local children, coach trip and Christmas pantomimes.
Used to see Stephen Wilson but that was forty five years ago, sad to say that he was killed about that time, I understand he was out jogging in London and hit by a car, as he had no documents with him it was a few days before was identified, very very tragic. I used to see his mum and dad in Wigan and of course Eva and Barbara but again along time ago.
Kenee - I think the shop was Dawsons, I may have some of the shops in the wrong order and some missing but from the Derby Arms there was Browns Barbers then Dawsons Pianos then Varly's florists, Taylors Picture shop, Whitworths Furniture (my mother cleaned there and her mother before her) then the Post office, opposite side was Calland's pram and toy shop.

Correction, I still may be wrong but regarding the piano shop the name Fred Dawes springs to mind.

Colin: I don't remember a piano shop there, Wm Leyland's shop was on the other side, it was only small, they sold guitars, amps and drums. There were always guitars in the window.

Kenee, something in the back of my mind recalls perhaps there was a shop selling guitars etc. it would have been further down from Calland's Pram / Toy shop before you came to the pub on the corner of Harrogate Street, the name of which I forget.

Colin:
As I said it was only a small shop and easily missed. The main showroom was in Tyldesley.