Wigan Album

Ron. Wasn't there an Hunter's chemist in close proximity?.

HUNTERS CHEMIST was opposite the OLD DOG near to the entrance to the Commercial yard

Does anyone recall the Subscription Library on the first floor of Boots?I used it in the late forties to supplement the then superb Public Library

I don't recall the library in Boots, but I recall when they sold books upstairs in late 1950s /early 1960s. I had some Milly-Molly- Mandy books bought for me from there in the late 1950s, when I was a little girl; I still have them. Boots' Lending Library is mentioned in the well-known film, Brief Encounter, and my love of the film and the fact that I worked at Boots for some years (after it moved from the Standishgate to Market Street, and later to The Grand Arcade), prompted me to buy a Boots' Lending Library book from a car-boot sale some years ago. When I opened it, I found a couple of four-leaf clovers which someone had obviously found and pressed in the book. I can't say they have brought me Luck, but last year my grand-daughter was on the school-field with me, among thousands of clover-leaves, and she said, "I wish I could find a four-leaf clover, Grandma......oh, there's one there!"....and there WAS, and it, too, is now pressed; it was uncanny!

I worked at Boots as later did my sisters Susan and Anita,as Saturday girls while we were at Wigan Girls High School. Mr Taylor was the lovely manager and 2 very special shop girls were Barbara Sproston and Heather Cheetham.

Going off thread slightly -I love the film "Brief Encounter" with the lovely clipped accents and the mention of Boot's Lending Library. I also loved the spoof of the film by the late Virginia Woods and Celia Imrie -it was hilarious.

Gone haywire with the apostrophie should be Boots'

Agreed Vb, but it was Victoria Wood. The Coronation Street spoof is brilliant as well. Both sketches very cleverly done.

Sometimes I get into a quandary as can be seen by my comment Vb. I typed "An Hunter's chemist", instead of "A Hunter's chemist". I know sometimes, "AN" is used where a vowel follows a "H".

Apologies to the great Victoria Woods.......time I had a memory assessment!!!!!

Irene. I also remember very well the upstairs bookshop as I bought my much treasured copy of The Wind in the Willows there in 1961 with a Xmas book token given to me by my favourite Uncle. I still have that book and re-read it year in memory.

You might also recall that on the same floor they also used to sell records, and in the 1960s it was a favourite stopping off point for us WGS schoolboys on the way home to get the latest singles. It was also a good opportunity to "bump into" girls from the High School and Convent at the same time

I put all my mistakes down to age Albert....it's so annoying though when you see them!!!!

Carolaen, what a lovely story about the book-token, and how you read the book each year in memory of your Uncle. I think that's lovely. I can't say I recall the records on sale upstairs at the Standishgate Boots', just the books, although we sold cds and videos when I first worked at Boots' in Market Street in the nineties, but the dept. closed before we moved across to The Grand Arcade. I went to Hindley and Abram Grammar School in the sixties, so escaped you Wigan Grammar School lads!

I remember going upstairs at the old (Standishgate) Boots they had toys and all sorts of stuff. Old books with the Boots lending library lable on the cover turn up from time to time at car boot sales and charity shops.

I remember library on the first floor of Boots. You could sit on the window seat to read.