Places   (Help with places, streets and buildings in Wigan.)

The little shop on Aitch's photo, the one with advertisements on the side was Ernie Prescotts. I have told this before on WW but seeing we have a picture of the shop I will tell it again. In the early 60's me Mam sent me to Ernie's for 5lb of spuds, dirty ones not pinks, pinks didn't make good chips. The usual "can I keep the change for the penny tray? was asked by me" "Yes!" So off I went. Now you had to weigh your own spuds back then with those old shop scales and weights, I set the scales up for 5lbs then went to the sack the spuds were in put my hand in and picked a nice one out, not too big or you wouldn't get many then put it on the scales, in for another picked it up lifted it out only to find it was a bloody rat! It half jumped and was half clod down to the floor by me, who was then trying very hard not to scream like a wench or cry. Ernie said "Thi gerr every weer them buggers now". I left the shop holding my rat infected hand out in front of me like I was carrying a bomb that was ready to go off. I scrubbed my hand with carbolic soap for two hours when I got home. I never went back to Ernies for spuds again.

PS. I could always be persuaded to back for a Lucky Bag or The Penny Tray though!