Wigan Album

Looks like holiday time, bet some of the coaches are heading for Southport, Blackpool, Rhyl etc.

You might lose your bet Henry7. Most of them would be going on weekly tours. My first coach tour was 7 days London with Smiths of Wigan in July 1953 & we left from Wigan Market Square.

Those were the days oh the excitment

Ernest, I don't think Henry7 will lose his bet. I remember that you used to book your day trip in an office opposite where the coaches were parked, then you would find your coach. I'm sure you are right, and some of the coaches did longer journeys, but most were day trips. There was usually a "mystery" tour, as well. You didn't know where you would end up. They were great.

My dad used to drive one of these charabanks in the 50's.
You could buy coach trip tickets in a small office in the bottom part of the mill building shown in the picture. I think the bottom part of the mill became the gas showrooms

Going to Blackpool Llandudno, Rhyl etc. Great Memories from my youth..

Yes memorable, the 1950's I think was the hay day of coach trips, not many went away for a week but remember a few who could afford the Isle of Man. The thought of going there on a boat was magical but way out reach and just the stuff of dreams.
Wigan Weeks, first full two weeks in July, everything used to close down even the paper shops, you could only get them on street corners, we had a man on the corner of Harrogate Street and Darlington Street and it was an event to walk down the street with my dad to buy one.
For us it was the day trips, Morecambe, Rhyl, Windermere or Blackpool nothing more venturous or costly than that. I can see my mum sat in her deckchair in floral dress on Blackpool beach, me in my shorts paddling in the sea with my dad with his trouser legs rolled up and a knotted hanky on his head. They may not have had much cash but worked and saved hard for these treats.

You may have seen my comments on another posting of Hope Street that before Market Street, Mesnes Street and New Market Street were built all this land was known as Boothers Croft and that from roughly were the picture was taken, a Bowling Green. Although I am not sure what kind of bowls they would have played in the early 1800's

Also just noticed that one time fine looking building alongside Rushton's now replaced with that modern extension which houses classrooms and two really nice Lecture Theatre.
I think Irene Worthington had her first Salon on the ground floor there before moving to Mesnes Street. She won lots of awards and was on the telly a few times in competitions.