Wigan Album

The lady standing next to the man near the wall of the buiding could be Miss Owen. My Mother belonged to the St John Ambulance Brigade for a while.

Could this be at the rear of the old Pendleburys/Debenhams on the corner of Standishgate and Crompton St?
There used to be an access road ruuning from Crompton St which opened out into a yard and delivery area.

Both my parents & my brother were members, most likely before this picture was taken.One of my proudest moments was when I was sitting with my Dad on Wigan station when a man came up and made a huge fuss of him. he turned to me & said "your dad saved my life". he then explained what had happened.

Could be the rear of what was the Co-op at the bottom of Standishgate. I think the street could be Church Street - St George's Church would at the end to the right-hand side and out of the picture. St George's Church is on Water Street.The large building may be part of the old Drill Hall.

Meant to say the building on the sky-line at the right-hand side at the bottom of the street could be the Drill Hall not the main building in the picture.

That isn't the rear of the Co-op in Church St RG, I worked there, I doubt the photo being of a Wigan scene, it looks to be in a large mill complex or factory buildings unlike any from the Wigan area.

When I first saw this I thought it was maybe at the back of the Ritz. I was puzzled by the row of windows at te R/Hand side, below the main building height.They look like the new extension that was added to Woolworths. I used to wait for my bus home across from there.
Then it occurred to me that when I was a St John's cadet we met in a building up a sort of alley.. I think it was just down from the Queen's Hall and the alley was next to where the Singer shop used to be. We used to practice on an area at the back of the Queens Hall... marching for Parades and Walking Days etc... Anyone any ideas of that area?

You've got me thinking now Tricia, so could the building top right be the telephone exchange and the main building the rear of the Queen's Hall which I have never seen, your memory could well be right.

It was the cobbles that triggered the memory , Cyril.And seeing Miss Owen standing near the wall. Not sure of the title but she was Superintendant or the equivalent of the St John's Brigade. A really nice person. As a child I went on a trip to London with my Mum and the Wigan Branch and if I can find it I have an autograph book with names in it if anyone is interested. Names that come to mind are Mrs Robey and Mrs Walls from Abram. Mrs Robey knocked on the door of No 10 and a snooty butler opened the door and gave her a look fit to kill! We stayed at the National Hotel in Russell Square and although it was a bit decrepit by then it was still very grand. I stayed there anout 20 years later but it had all been modernised and lost all its character.
The area behind the Queen's Hall is not an area I can recall much of but I do remember it looking like the picture.

Tricia, the building with the windows far right is the telephone exchange on Crawford Street, so you are right and the photo would have been taken at the rear of the Queen's Hall, if you stood at the same spot now on the bus station you would see All Saint's (parish) church tower in the centre.

we used to meet at the RSPCA office-yes, down that alley off Market St.