Wigan Album

Brilliant love it.
Thanks Ray.

Christmas time always reminds me of that wonderful toyshop on Scholes which had a fantastic window display with lots of Hornby Dublo railways and Dinky toys.

I love these paintings,I wonder who the artist is.

I agree Carolean. I also thought of Stan’s shop in Greenough St. Another great toy shop. That’s where I got my first roller skates from. Also booklets of paper dolls for sixpence. My ‘proper’ dolls came from Woolies though. There was always children looking longingly in toy shops. So much nicer than ‘Toys For Us’…

I like the model aeroplane . I always got one for Christmas . I image many here made those Airfix kits then hung them from the ceiling on threads of cotton . My childhood bedroom had an anachronistic sky of Spitfires , Boeing 747 , Thunderbird 2 and the English Electric Lightning .

Before Hornby it was Triang, Carolaen, great toys and models when we were young.
Great names like Matchbox, Mecano and so on, British made too.

I loved my Triang train sets and collected tracks, trains, carriages and rolling stock for many years when young.
Triang had real tracks with individual sleepers whereas Hornby had those tin moulded bases which I didn't like.

I love these paintings,I wonder who the artist is.

In 1964 Meccano merged Triang and Hornby and became Triang-Hornby railways.
Triang go-karts were good too.

ast'tha dun paintin us yet, me bums nor'haf cowd wi bein sat darn in aw this slush

Garry/. I am talking about the late 1950s and early 60s when Hornby and Triang were still separate. Oddly I had a Triang layout at home built my dad when I was 5, so looking at all the Hornby stuff in this shop seemed very different exotic. As Arthur says the 2 brands merged in 1964.

Anyone remember when JJ Bradburn had their exhibitions of model railway, meccano, etc in the Drill Hall, Powel Street just prior to Christmas? Was usually quite impressive.

Ena, I don't recall the exhibition in the Drill Hall but I think my first train set was from JJ Bradburn's in Market Street, they used to have a display of a smaller gauge model in the window. They had fitness and camping equipment I think up stairs. Then of course they were acquired by Dave Whelan after he had sold out to Morrison's and it evolved into JJB Sports He first took over (Was it Taylors fruit and veg' Warehouse) also on Market Street and had Squash Courts at the back. Bradburn's still had the camping business at Abbey Lakes for many years.
There was another shop further up Market Street that carried on the tradition of train sets and Airfix models etc. I loved going in there.

For a cheery Christmas message, ask your Alexa - “ Alexa, what’s Coffee Bean One Hundred in Welsh “?

All the best to you Wiganers one and all.

Dave Whelan bought JJB Sports long before he sold out to Morrison’s. He opened his first new branch of JJB in his Whelan’s supermarket in Sutton.

Yes I do remember JJ Bradburn and G & I Models in Library Street.
G&I Models still trade but only on-line.

I like that Buster !
It seems I can still speak Wiggin Speak like a native! My Dad who lived in India for nigh on 35 yrs never lost his Lancashire accent.

Thanks for that Brian P, and the same to you owd lad.

If you ever go along to Burnley, Blackburn and the other towns around there Helen, then you'll hear young folks of Indian and Pakistan descent speaking in very broad Lancashire accents, their grandparents would have gone to these towns because of the expanse of cotton spinning mills and plenty work around there, and the youngsters born there picking up the Lanky twang.

My father says I'm a cotton picking nuisance too, but I'm not as I'm a mix of Border Collie, Terrier and Poodle, though more wiry than woolly.

Does anyone remember going to the old Morris St club, upstairs and seeing large Scalextric tracks for competition racing? I was only a young lad and my dad took me, I was mesmerised.

Carolaen that toy-shop on Scholes was Livesey's think they were two brother's who owned it