Wigan Album

frames travel agent the one near gate

Third or fourth one down Helen Rowe.

Where that large advert is on the gable end of that building, there used to be an advert for Fyffes Bananas.

Framers Jewellers to the right ?

looks like tetley walker sign to the left? but sure it was the bank then.

Its frames travel next to the gate
It is/was a kebab shop which recently went up in flames

Helen Rowe was there till the 1990s, was not The Buttery cafe somewhere there?

It was Fraser's Jewellers.

peter - It was still a bank. The sign is the Natwest 'triple arrow' logo.

I seem to remember that this was where the bus stop was located before it was moved to the front of the Northwest Station, I'm sure we used to wait here for a bus after coming out of the pictures down King Street, more often than not in winter after blazing sunshine in the early afternoon it would be a peasouper on coming out later on.

We also spent many happy times playing on the Iron Bridge, it was good fun especially with the steamy smoke coming from the steam engines working in the railway goods yard beneath, this was behind these shops.

ok mick can make that out now:

I think that in the fifties, the bank was the 'District Bank'.

The second shop down is Rathbones and the third one as now is a newsagents.

Prior to Rathbones occupying it, the shop next door to Frame's was Howard's Electrical, if I remember rightly.

Is this opposite Wallgate Railway Station?

i think it is right opp. wallgate station

One of the shops in the 1950s, amongst this row of shops,was Flo Higham's Florist shop.

What great response, thank you all. I was about to do an edited version of the photo with each shop 'named' on it (or on a later photo from further down the row) when up pops clever old Cathy Bolton's Post. I'll probably still need some help identifying two or three but, wow.
Kevan

Through the gate, in the 5o's, there used to be holding pens for cattle which were loaded onto, or off, freight trains. The pens could be seen from the iron bridge.Occasionally, one of the cattle would escape into Wallgate which would lead to panic for all concerned, especially if it was a bull.

I wonder how many of you realise these shops stand on a bridge...the trains run underneath

"Flo"

What a good name for a florist.

Are you sure that's a Tetley Walker sign and not Natwest Bank's logo? I thought it was Tetley Walker at first glance, but have another look; I'm not so sure now.

Cyril, you are right, the bus stop was there somwhere at one time and going back to the 60s there used to be a newsagent shop too.

Kevan,

Have you seen the book 'Main Line Railways Around Wigan', by Bob Pixton? It has a good photo of the rear of these premeses, and a few showing close detail around Wallgate Station.

Yes AP , I picked up a copy of that book when I was in Wigan in 2005 it has some great photos in it.
I am going to try and cobble together a rough draft of the shop fronts as identified by everyone. Some are positive while others are still not exactly clear as to name or location. But it would be a good representation of the time.
Kevan

The building on the left of the gap, corner of King St was the "District Bank", later taken over, then closed by NatWest. I was interviewed (and accepted) into Lancs County Ambulance Service, in an office over the Bank premises, in '69