Wigan Album

lovely photo chris,i love these kind of pics just so natural ,those were the best shops too.

Yes they was Josie, if the shop was closed I remember my dad when he'd run out of his ciggies, he'd say just go and knock on the side door Mrs Ashurst will serve you and she did. I have such happy memories of playing around the lamp post and around those streets, I couldn't believe it when Terry's mum had this photo and told me her grandma used to have the shop all those years ago.

my grandma lived at 38 mrs cowburn i remember going to mrs ashurst's shop and her daughter lived in the row before the shop they were i think called puddy

Jane, I remember the Cowburn's, have a vague recollection of the Puddy's, but I do remember a lot of other families, Smith's, McHugh's, Rigby's, Houghton's, Anfield's, Bailey's, Mullin's, to name a few, many happy memories living in Arundel St.

Good Photo,when a wer growin up in Hindley int 50s&60s there were many shops in that area such as Polly Lowes Ti Barlows and Jacksons in Bridgewater St.Helens then Stans in Lancaster Rd,Rosbottams Partingtons and Miss Aindows on Chaple green,Longhurst or Longmates in Argll St and Cowsers and Birkinheads in George St.If i missed any let me know ,boy how i wish Hindley wer like that again.

Yes Colin I also remember the shops you mention, before Partington became Partingtons it was called Barm Joes and next door or maybe next door but one was the chippy we used to call it the dolly sisters chippy, not sure why but it was run by two sisters. I also remember Bells Radio on the other corner of Argyle St. My mum used to do most of her grocery shopping at Miss Aindows but before Miss Aindows it had another name and I can't for the life of me remember it, but I can see the lady who kept it. On Chapel Green past the Cumberland was another grocers shop which also sold coffee beans and I can smell those beans today it was a wonderful aroma when you walked past. That same shop the later became Wilsons green grocers, and across the road was Morgans. On Chapel Green there was also Ainscoughs cloggers.
Going further up Chapel Green towards the Cross Keys was the tripe shop and Heatons chippy and the pie shop. They don't make pies like you got from that pie shop today but can't remember the name of it, senior moments come a bit too often these days. You really didn't need to go much further to get all of your weekly shop. Oh those were the days if I could back to shopping like that I would do it in a flash, hate supermarkets.

colin did you live in all saints grove ?

chris the pie shop was porters

Yes Jane i did live in All Saints Grove next door to christine Speakman who at one time was your best Friend,not seen you since you lived up near Glousester Cres .

Yes Jane you are quite correct it was Porter's, can tastes them pies and vanilla's now. Colin my best friend Lynn Cain lived in All Saints Grove, spent a lot time round there when I was kid. Do you remember them?

hello colin i am still in touch with christine the last time i saw you it was in the ellesmere you asked my asked my husband was i called deakin how are you and joseph ?

chris i was friend's with colin's cousin she lived next door i knew colin ahnd joseph very well they had a sister valerie i think was her name i don't remember anybody called lynn

Jane, Lynn did live in All Saints Grove, then they moved to Exeter Road, don't know when the moved, her mum was Freda and her dad's name was Bob Cain, she had a younger sister Margaret. Lynn was the same age as me so would be coming up to 60 next birthday. We went to St Ben's school together then Cardy, in about 1962.

chris i dont know lynn i went to argyle what's your surname

Jane my maiden name was Morris, I used to play with Barbara and Kathleen Meadows who's grandparents had the Cumberland. I moved from Arundel St when I was 11 years old, we then went to live on the council estate up near the Wakes.

chris did you live near the bottom of arundle st and do you remember susan hemsworth

Jane, yes I remember Susan Hemsworth, yes I lived at the bottom end of Arundel St, Kathryn Smith lived facing me, she was the same age as me and she went to All Saints and Argyle School, did you know her.

i dont remember kathryn smith do you have a sister called margaret do you remember norman rigby he lived a couple of houses down from the shop he was in the same class as i were at all saint's susan as well

Jane I do remember Norman Rigby, his mum used to make my walking day dresses. Kathryn Smith lived next door to him and I lived almost directly opposite him. I don't have a sister called Margaret, there was just me and my younger brother Mike. I think Norman Rigby was a little older than me.

chris i think norman is the same age as me 63

Jane your a little older than me, I'll be 60 next year, it's been nice reminicing with you about Hindley. do you remeber the Lyons think they lived in the same row as Susan Hemsworth. Austin had the photographers in Market St, and I think they had some girls but can't remember their names.

chris i do remember austin lyons i didn't know he lived near susan do you still live in hindley?

Jane, I moved from Hindley 23 years ago, I now live in Springfield, Wigan. I only go through Hindley occasionally when I visit the cemetery, Market St hasn't changed much apart from the shops, not many good ones left and I heard recently they are trying to shut the library, that's disgusting if they do. Do you still live there?

Chris,not only are they tryin but they have succeeded tryin to shut the library it is moving into the day centre in First Avenue in between 14 nov and christmas.These spineless council officials are also closing the fantastic museum and throwing it to the wolves,they should be strung up.al never vote Labour again.

hi chris i live in westhoughton i have been here 40 years
hindley has a few more shops than westhoughton

Colin, I totally agree, can't believe what's happening, and what's going to happen to the lovely building, I hope it's not going to be left to rack and ruin. I remember going in that museum as a child and being fascinated. It absolutely stinks what's happening in Wigan at the moment. We are going backwards not forward. Both me and my husband are readers and use the library a lot, would be totally lost without it, but with living in Springfield I use the one in town. We did have one in Beech Hill and they are closing that, in fact they may have already done so, at one point they said unless they could get volunteers to run it, it would have to close.

i remember margaret cain . went 2 st.bens &cardinal newman wiv her..

i remember some of people you on about !!im 58 & my sister is 60...xx

If Margaret Prescott pictured is the same who came to Canada and then the US in September 1909, then she is my great grandmother. I have been trying to find family history for many many years without luck. Is there any way you could please let me know if I am correct? If this is the same Margaret she came with an aunt and uncle (Emily Alice Balmer and John Balmer). Thank you

Does anyone remember hindley sovereigns morris dancers? Or our trainers mr & mrs swift? I was the "back wench" won loads of trophies!! Where is everyone??