Wigan Album

Dtease, my guess would be late 1930s or mid 1940s, I have a similar scene of the town were I live dated 1942 and the vehicles are very much alike. Note the truck on the right kerbside, it looks like a Morris, Wigan Corporation street lamp truck with extending platform for the engineers. But-- for the life of me I can't work out what the ugly lorry is that appears to be crossing to the other side of Wallgate. The bus going into Market Place is a double decker and no doubt Ray Smyth will have a guess as to the year. Good photo Dtease !.

It's a poser Walt. The design of cars changed radically after the war but the majority of the new cars were exported to help get the country's economy back on it's feet. No doubt some of the vehicles that people had stored away during the conflict were put back into service when the war ended.

Walt, Your 'ugly lorry' could be a Blantyre bin lorry, as there does seems to be some sort of roundness to its back. Whatever, and considering the fact that I know next to nothing about vehicular transport, I've enjoyed my brief ride.

Its how I see Wallgate in my minds eye & that would be from 1947 to around 1954.

I understand people used to put their cars into wraps till the war was over, there would have been the problem of petrol rationing. Some, like my Grandfather, would have got rid of their cars, he never had one after the war

Think this might be the very early 30s. The new style mid 30s red public telephone boxes had obviously not appeared in front of the Post Office yet. The car outside the Post Office with it's rear facing the camera is a early/mid 30s Ford.

DTease, The signage above and to the left of the main doorway 'resembles' that shown at Item 7803 - Perhaps it also gives the same message. Hope this goes some way in helping you to identify your pic'.

I had come round to the idea of the 1940s but DerekBs very good point about the red telephone boxes has got me thinking again.

DTease, See Stuff>Chronology>1949>22nd Oct.
It could confirm the year of your pic'.

Thanks for that Philip, I'll take a look.

I have this photo in a book - it's 1953. 'IMages of Wigan '.
Wigan Evening Post- I thought I recognised it....,

My old neighbour who was an ARP warden during the war as well as headmaster of the Parochial School, told me that petrol was so hard to get that some people removed the wheels from their cars and put them on bricks for the duration!

Veronica, I also have that book and it looks like the photo in there was taken just a minute or so before this one. The bus that is at the top of Wallgate in this picture is level with the car on the left in the picture in the book. Both pictures must have been taken by the same person on the same day. Well spotted Veronica. 1953 it is then.

Me too Dtease- but I didn't want to cause more confusion. I recognised the car and the tall man with his hands in his pockets. The 'dust cart' had left the scene by then! I have a few books of old Wigan and I often get them out to look at.

I think this picture is from the early 1950s.
The "Ugly Lorry" is about the size of the Ford
Transit lorries that we see today, collecting
scrap metal etc. The car on the left is a Ford
"Y" model from the mid to late 1930s. At bottom
left in the picture is a machine on a pedestal.
it may be a "Police Box", or an old type Fire
Alarm with the "Pull Handle"

The bank in the middle of the photo was the home to the very first hole in the wall cash machine in wigan around 1969

Well Done! Veronica, you've named the year. And, for what it's now worth, I'd considered '49 plus - Years, that is, and not waistline.
I also like Poet's PaD of the 13th and could even have a bash at it sometime, in watercolour.

Ray, what was this fire alarm with a pull handle? I'm just curious because it's something I have never heard of or seen before.

Gerry. The bank was the main Wigan branch of Martins whose HQ was in Liverpool. I opened my first bank account here in 1969. About a year later Martins was taken over by Barclays (terrible bank !). For quite a few years however if you were an ex Martins account holder, your Barclays cheques had a logo of a grasshopper(the old Martin s logo) in place of the usual traditional Barclays eagle. Anyone else remember this and when they stopped doing it ?

What I'd like to know Philip, is do I get a WW badge and crackerjack pen... It's very rare I get 'owt right! It's coming to summat when you recognise tall men with their hands in their pockets, who can't make their mind up whether to cross the road or not! ;@)

DTease...I was born and bred in Liverpool, and seem to recall this type of "Alarm" box in busy locations in the
city centre, perhaps on the footpath in the front of a Fire
Station. The Police had a similar looking box which contained a phone, so that they could report to the Police
station, long before they had radio contact. I think that
Albert, a retired bobby who posts on here quite often may
know a bit more than I do.

You learn something every day on here Ray. I remember Police phones but I never knew that there were Fire Bells as well.

Reminds me of that film ‘ Where’s That Fire’ were Will Hay plays a Fireman. Some one phones him up to report their house on fire and Will Hay says “Well we’re very busy at the moment, can yer keep it going until we get there?”

I love Will Hays especially when he's playing at being a teacher - I wish we had had teachers like him. There's always one little lad who bosses him! There's loads of Will Hays's stuff on Ytube...

Your WW badge in glittering gold letters, with trim, and incised Crackerjack pen are on their way Veronica.
I say, Veebs, I seem to recall a film in which Will Hay played alongside Gerald Campion (29-year's old at the outset of his 'Bunter days.), and how both had encountered difficulties at what could have been a 'railway station'.
But I clearly recall how highly Ken Dodd rated both Will Hay and Ted Ray, in a TV doc'.
But for my personal delectation it has to be Dad's Army, Ken Dodd, and then The Two Ronnies - Mother loved Pte. Frazer's brief tale of The Old Empty Barn.

Carolaen "......The bank was the main Wigan branch of Martins whose HQ was in Liverpool...."

are you sure that this building was Martins Bank? I too had an account with Martins in the 1960s and I think I used a branch on Market Place just further up on this photograph on the right past the Library Street Junction. Could be wrong of course, often am.

All good comedians - but Capt. Mainwaring's 'Brief Encounter' was brilliant Philip...

Ex WGS (so am I!)- well I thought this was the building, but as I left Wigan in 1970 I could well be wrong after all these years . I certainly opened up a Martins account somewhere in Wigan ! Didnt this building become a branch of the Tote Bookmakers at one point? What is it now ?

Carolaen, my recollection is that it was a bank or building society branch. What it is now I don't know, I didn't move far from Wigan, but far enough that I hsrdly visit the town centre any more. Apart from going to the DW that is. Someone else may know.

Walt,
Item 25988 shows a 1920s street lamp truck, with men atop, and at the same spot as the 'truck shown here.
Veronica,
I remember the 'Mum's Army' episode very well and, indeed, Mainwaring's brief encounter with Mrs Gray at the station as he tried to coax her away from boarding the train out of Walmington', most notably with the words 'But I don't want you to go, the whole pattern of my life has changed'.
I think his whole 'lugs' would have changed if Elizabeth had got 'wind' of all that. Take care, Veebs.

Veronica, did you go to Lytham? I hoped we might see you but there were SO many people there! Philip G. my hubby Peter loves the tale of the Old Empty Barn! xxxxx

Irene I did go for the afternoon - spent most of the time in the big tent! Watched the dancing near the top of the Main Street as well. I did keep an eye open for you but perhaps you were in the pub ...;@)). I saw Frenchie and her hubby as usual. It was great - just started raining when it was time to go. I have looked on Ytube but not much on yet. Great singing fro Lancashire Belle and those young girls imitating the Andrew Sisters.

Philip - the railway film would have been 'Oh Mr Porter' - the 'fat boy' in it was Graham Moffat, not Gerald Campion. Moffat and Moore Marriott were regular fixtures in the Will Hay films.
Outside of his comedy career, Hay was a respected amateur stargazer, being a Fellow of the Royal astronomical Society.

Good to hear from you, once more, Irene. Take care.

Philip I can honestly say I enjoyed every one of the episodes of Dad's Army but I had tears in my eyes at Capt M's brief encounter with Mrs Grey. It was so funny and yet so terribly British! And yes Frazer's tall tales and rolling eyes of 'the old barrrrn'- he could play anything being a Shakesperean actor as well! Another series being made of some lost episodes - I don't think I could watch them..... Nobody could replace any of the actors - for me any road!

Martins Bank was on the corner of The Wiend and Market place, now a betting shop. I'm not sure which bank was on Wallgate, I think it could have been Deacons Bank.

ex-WGS. Martins Bank was in the Market Place next but one to what is now The Moon under Water. In recent times the ex bank premises became a café. The shop next door was a branch of Dunns men's outfitters for a while when they moved there from lower down in Wallgate next to the Raven Pub and it also was branch of Max Speilman's film developers at one point, but it started out as a Women's clothes shop whose name escapes me. For ex Wiganers not familiar with The Moon under Water they will remember it as Broadmeads electrical shop which straddled the corner from Market Place into Library St.

Thanks for that, Mick. I've just had a look at some stills from the film 'Oh! Mr. Porter', which certainly is the film that I had in mind. I can also see where I'd gone wrong regarding 'Bunter - a rumbustious lot, weren't they.

DerekB, yes, that's my recollection. Thanks.

Ex-WGS - the bank was probably Williams Deacons. Their address in Wigan Almanacs and Yearbooks in the 1950s, was given as Wallgate.
They became Williams and Glyns in 1970, and that bank was at this location.

Mick LD. I think Williams Deacons was on the left of the photo, either just in or just out of shot. As I said before though, I could be wrong!

ex-WGS - Spot of confusion on my part. Apologies!

To all those who pointed out my failing memory over the location of Martins bank- you might be interested in the photo at http://www.martinsbank.co.uk/11-41-90%20Wigan.htm

which does indeed show its correct location in Market Place and even includes a reference to Wigan World. Well done all of you whose memories remain much better than mine did.

I think this building was Yorkshire bank for a while before moving to station rd