Wigan Album
WIGAN MARKET
35 CommentsPhoto: Mick
Item #: 27182
Why Ican smell that fish market from here 5 miles away!
A good image of the old market area,
I'm having difficulty placing this location, is it Woodcock Street or Hope Street?
Kenee..it's Woodcock Street..that wall at the very end is the back of British Home Stores.
Woodcock St Kenee, opposite Crank & Burtons, and looking towards Hope St.
Other fishmongers in this row at varying times were Austin's, Read's, Shacklady's and Atherton's.
Woodcock Street Kenee, at the junction with Hope Street.
Woodcock Street. Walk backwards from here and you will come to the entrance to the Market Hall and the two ice-cream vans, Cassinelli's and Lewis's. Walk forwards from here and you will come to Hope Street.
It is late Saturday afternoon in the winter of 1980; it has gone four o'clock; the sun is sinking behind the Market Hall and the frosty fields of Wigan Park. The late afternoon bargains are on offer as we cross the icy pavements to the fish market. It is our first winter married; and we mingle with the late shoppers. The fishmongers are shouting and the carters hurry amongst the empty containers and boxes. Smoked haddock and halibut steaks are bought, and we walk happily up the Big Arcade to catch the Abbey Lakes bus at the top...Homeward for tea. Sweet, sweet, memories of happy days when we young...
For my dear wife, Christine. x
Kenee Woodcock Street
...when we were young...Edit. :)
May I say very well expressed Jarvo
Jarvo your detractors should read your comments a substantial command of English.My mum when she took us to Wigan on Saturdays always bought fish from one of these stalls, DO YOU REMEMBER THE AWESOME CHICKEN AND STUFFING BARM CAKES YOU COULD BUY JUST ON THE CORNER FURTHER DOWN?
Dannyboy: I remember them fondly. They were much more than a snack. I can still smell the aroma when you went in and see the spit roasting the tasty chickens...Nothing comes near to it these days. We had everything in those days; but by God we appreciated it...Take care and all best for Christmas and the new year.
As a young P.C. in the early 60s I was on duty in Woodcock Street when a lorry arrived to deliver fresh fish there. The iced boxes containing the fish were left outside the shops. There was a slight ramp,towards the shops, to allow the thawed ice to flow in a drain running parallel to the shops. On completing the delivery the lorry driver asked me to give the lorry a push as the lorriy's battery was flat. The lorry was on the ramp so with very little effort I did push the lorry a few inches that was sufficient to start the lorry. As a ' Thank you ' the driver put his hand on top of the cab and brought down a big juicy kipper, he handed the kipper to me, said ' Thanks ' and drove off. Very nice it was too.
Dannyboy1948. Your reference to the chicken and stuffing balm cakes (never sure if barm or balm - old word for yeast- is the right spelling) took me right back in a moment, I have waxed lyrical on this site before about the wonderful Baillies potato pies sold in their shop on mesnes Street. AT Grammar scholl in the late 1960's we would go and get one of these pies most days , but if we fancied a change we would get one of the chicken and stuffing balm cakes. I can still taste them now. Wasn't the shop alled Percivals? They used to have one of those rotating spits in the window full of cooking chickens. The aroma was fantastic. The other chicen related thing about this area was that on certain days the farmers would set up stalls to sell new laid eggs. At least one of the stalls would sell you boxes of guaranteed double yolked eggs. never seen this anywhere else to this day !!
Jarvo, that was beautiful! Caroalaen, the right word is "barm", the old Lancashire word for yeast; my Mam used to go to Latimer's for "barm".
Very happy to hear that police constables used the word lorry and not 'godamn' truck when relating his tale from the fish market. He was also rewarded with a kipper! Nice to be on the right side of the law.
If my memory serves me right,the Fish Shop in the picture was owned by John Ellison,who used to be an Engineer at Gullicks.His father worked there aswell.
The shop near the end was Edward Atherton who started his fish shop across they road next to Crank &Burton.with my dad .ATHERTON&JONES.
Wasn't the chicken butty shop Percival's???
Sorry Caroalaen didn't see your ref to Percival's. I too was at WGS between 1962 & 1968 and my best memory of the fish market was crab legs. Sucking out the salty bits of meat was both an art and a great. The fish stalls must have either given us them or sold them very cheaply because we had no money in those days.
Thanks everyone, I can see it now.
I can go one better than you,Vb-- I can smell it from the other side of the Atlantic!!
Well bust my breeches if it ain't a cousin in "Americee"or Canada!!!Just shows how pungent that smell was Ellen. cheers VB
Your asking to get your head 'sprised' back into ' them thar railings ' if you persist in winding up our colonial friends Vb., Bust my britches indeed. Yeehar.
Hey Eddie I have still got some hand grenades left over get back into that Anderson shelter! I have left a comment on one of your coach pictures with another word of Wiganese for your dictionary!
my mam always used athertons to the near total exclusion of all the rest of the shops,barring when their was an absolute bargain in another shop.turns the clock back to happier times.
Dave - yes it was Percivals. I always remember the chicken butties.
For Eddie and Vb,---It's okay, I, at least wasn't "wound up";-and BTW it's Canada and we're not colonials,we're Commonwealth Members and hold dual citizenship!
Rest assured Ellen, there was no disrespect intended. It's just that we like to have a laugh from time to time. It helps to pass the long winter evenings. All the best for the festive season. Regards. Eddie.... I'm sure I speak for Vb as well.
Thanks Eddie. My previous comment was very much tongue in cheek --I wasn't at all offended and maybe my sense of humour needs a little Lancashire polish!?
ellen /Eddie I certainly do not wish to offend anyone! I must have been watching Calamity Jane again no disrespect intended!
Mrs Doris Atherton ran the last decent fish stall in Wigan Market till she retired a few years ago. What relation was she to Edward?
I used to work in Boland at the weekend. I was always popular with the local cats u til I graduated to working for Lawton butcher's as a gravely 17 year old. Much better for impressing the girls. Oh happy days!
Hi
I am John Ellisons daughter this was his and my Mums shop I was wondering if it would be possible to get a copy of this picture if someone has it.
Thanks
Karen