Wigan Album

Tory club at the bottom of the yard, upstairs with the flagpole. Turn left towards Market St & Shannons dry goods shop was on the left.
McGregors paint & decorating shop, the owner lived next door to Jennifer Moss & her parents on Wigan Lane..

where was Commercial yard?

Looking at the photo as it is you would be standing at the entrance to the Galleries off Market Place.

My boyfriend Peter, (now my husband), worked in Sawbridge's Butchers which stood just out of sight by the van you can just see. It was 1968 and he was 17.

Or...going under Wallgate bridge as if going to town centre,first on your left after the pub.

Hi Maureen you have got it wrong, it aint that yard next to the Swan and Railway,, Now a car park. It was where the entrance to the Galleries is now. Can't believe anyone from Wigan of an age <g> dosen't remember the Commercial Yard Must be one of the iconic places in Wigan in the 50's and 60's

The entrance shown was where the entrance to the Market gate Centre is now, just before Makinson Arcade. You could also go into Commercial Yard from Market Street, roughly opposite The Crofters.

Ron, the entrance to The Galleries...isn't that where Freeman, Hardy and Willis and Timpson's shoe-shops were' opposite Marks and Spencer?

This is the Market Place entrance to the Commercial Yard.
it was just past the underground toilets, There used to be a shop called Greenwoods menswear on the corner.

wigan once had great character whoever sanctioned the galleries was simply money orientated this council has been in power far far too long they think they can do what they like and they know whats best for us completely at opposites to its people

You're right Jimmy, that's where I meant, and how I wish all those atmospheric alleyways were still there, when I look at this site and see what we've lost. Progress?..... I don't think so!

Aitch, have you any idea of the date of this photograph? The building on the left beyond the Commercial pub was Crank & Burton's premises before they moved to Woodcock Street. If they were still in Commercial Yard at the time of the photograph then the Ford Transit van sticking it's nose out could well be my uncle's van, he was William Burton.

Martin, Crank and Burton's had certainly gone by 1968 when my husband worked in the Commercial Yard. The firm he worked for, Sawbridge's Butchers, took over from a fish-shop, and Peter thinks the van may have belonged to the fish-shop, but of course it depends on the date of the photo. Peter had a little Izetta bubble-car in 1968/69 and accidentally smashed into the window of the premises beyond the Commercial Inn, and it wasn't Crank and Burton's at that time.

Was the tory club so far down Market Street Art, I always picture it in my mind as being at the top a bit lower down from what was Jackson's tailors, or was that another entrance to The Fleece, I know you could also get to it down an alley at the side of the bus office.

Martin, the photo was taken in the mid 60s

Mick Eastham, did you used to live in Clifton Street

On the right towards the camera just out of shot there was a Barbers and a tobacconist, then to the right of those was Waterworth's Greengrocer's. A thriving little area, unlike now.

Apologies all round,hubby got wigan map out,when I was a child my mam used to work in the yard where I mistakenly thought it was,and I thought she called it commercial yard,funny but I never questioned why,slapped wrists.

There is a Ford Transit in the photograph, which dates it as 1965 or later. Thing is, I have absolutely no memory of this yard, and yet it must have been there still when I was a child. I can remember Marketgate being built, but not what was there before.

Excellent phtograph

It was my Mum's uncle Ernie who had the barber's shop in the Commercial Yard. I can vaguely remember going into it when I was really small.

Commercial Hotel.was our meeting place.in the sixties 2 or 3 pints then of to the sportsman or the emp. remember watching England play France in 1966 world cup in the commercial belting pub full of atmosphere.

Cyril, the "Fleece Hotel" main entrance was on Market St, immediately below Jackson the tailors, a big box lamp over the door. The back door was down an alley by the side of the Bus Office.
The pediment frontage with the flagpole was the Con club, steps up to it on the right.
The yard turned left there, exiting on Market St, with Shannons (mentioned earlier) on the left.

i did norman hope your in the best of health, cornwall,s lovely, your lucky,i,m ok but had cancer in 2oo3 ok so far only just joined wigan world great to hear your comments a few days ago best wishes mick

Mick, If you want to get in touch and catch up - normaneastham@hotmail.com

I have another photo which shows the Fleece in all its glory, I will put it on when I can find it.

My mum did all her shopping in Wigan town centre and as a child i recall this yard, what i remember of this yard was a shop that sold pidgeon peas which were as hard as rocks and essential for the pea shooter, Do kids still have these today or have they been banned by Europe.

Thanks for posting this photo it brings back a very early memory for me in the late 1940's when as a 6 year old, I visited my grandmother who was a cleaner at the Conservative Club at the time.....those outside wooden stairs...the dimly lit but atmospheric room replete with billiard table if my memory is serving me right.

My first visit to a pub in the 60's was the Commercial. Good job my dad didn't know, I was under age.

Wasn't there a fish shop, Davidsons I think it was called, in Commercial Yard?

When I worked in Wigan 1966 / 67, I very often went in the Commercial Hotel for lunch, a pie or pastie and a pint. They used to serve the pies garnished with rings of raw onion and a cocktail stick, an acquired taste. I used to like the chicken & stuffing pasties. Good Juke Box too, ‘Black is Black’ always reminds me of ‘The Commercial’.

Linmma It wasnt Davidson's fish stall it was Davies , ell you were near enough I used to know the Son Clifford he was friends also with Jack the son from Commercial inn and he bought Cliffords Red Jaguer from him, if memory is right

The Market place entrance to The Fleece still existed till the early 1990s, still had Fleece Hotel written on the glass in gold writing though the pub had been gone over 20 years. Does anybody remember a barber's shop in the Commercial Yard, was up some steps on the right when going in from the market place? Seem to recall going there perhaps about 1968.

I remember the Commercial very well, good beer and just off the beaten track. Thats why we went in there under age drinking. One Saturday lunchtime were were all in there having a pint and tucking in to a meat and potato pie accompanied by raw onuions in vinegar, when in came two Nurses. Our attention gained (they were in full uniform), they asked us if we'd like to become Blood Donors. Up piped Norm, "sorry love,weren't not old enough. The old Landlord behind the bar immediately asked us to leave. The legal age for being a Blood Donor was of course 18. What a plonker Norm was.

Anyone Remember Rose Who Worked In The Commercial In The 60's It Used To Have Waiter Service What A Great Pub

remember this yard well I worked in mcgregors as a junior in 1966 for a short time

had many a good pint in there, before going to the court school of dancing over the ritz

hidden in the pic is some steps at bottom right.it led up to the barbers. one of the barbers left to be the road manager for the Rolling Stones, it didnt turn out well for him and he returned to wigan as a street vagrant..