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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



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KIng st

17 Comments

Original Tesco
Original Tesco
Photo: B McDonough
Views: 4,731
Item #: 14940
tesco before they pinched Central Park!

Comment by: dave johnson on 28th May 2010 at 23:55

Remember working there on a Friday evening and all day Saturday, when I was a Wigan Tech.Would have been round about 1970, had some laughs.

Comment by: Dennis Miller on 29th May 2010 at 04:49

My mother used to work there when it first opened, it was where she first met Big Amy when they had to deal with shop-lifters. She used to tell us how cocky some of them were until they knew it was Big Amy who was coming to deal with them.... "Oh NO! Not Big Amy!!!" was often heard by staff members.

Comment by: Jem Glover on 29th May 2010 at 06:26

The last shop on the right here,at the back of the lamp post was a beltin toffee shop.

Comment by: ste on 29th May 2010 at 12:34

I remember going in here when it first opened,it had the first escalator in Wigan,It only went up,so we,d run down the stairs then do it again..and again till we got thrown out...

Comment by: Joseph on 29th May 2010 at 17:50

Wasn't it Westheads toffee shop?

Comment by: dave johnson on 29th May 2010 at 22:26

joseph, Westhead's was the one under the canopy next door to Tesco.

Comment by: Dennis Miller on 30th May 2010 at 06:44

I will say this about the Tesco building... it was before town planning realised modern buildings surrounded by old Victorian architecture was a crime! On it's own it may have looked quite good, but as it stands there... 'sore thumb' comes to mind.

Comment by: Dave Thomas on 30th May 2010 at 08:03

I worked on this as an apprentice in the sixties.If i remember right a church was demolished to make way for the new tesco store.

Comment by: fred foster on 30th May 2010 at 15:04

When I was at the Tech in the 50s, we used the old Methodist schoolroom attached to the back of the church for our exam room. You had to go up some steps at the back of the building

Comment by: julie on 31st May 2010 at 00:37

Did it have an escalator? Stairs on the way down, with a pic' of New York?

Comment by: Helen on 31st May 2010 at 18:54

Dave Thomas has it right..sore thumb..as are most Tesco stores today...cheap boxes.

Comment by: Helen on 31st May 2010 at 19:46

Sorry Dave it was Dennis who commented about the sore thumb........

Comment by: Maureen Andrews [nee Mcgovern] on 2nd June 2010 at 17:26

Jem,there was a toffee shop at the back of that lamp post in the 70's,it was owned by a Frank Hilton.

Comment by: maddy on 29th June 2010 at 17:52

i remember coming down the steps in tesco as a kid and looking at the pic of new york, it felt like i was walking right into it ,many a time ive lost my balance trying to walk down the steps and look at the pic ,i just loved it,upstairs used to sell records and i can remember buying a dean martin LP which i still have ..happy days

Comment by: dave cockrell on 3rd July 2010 at 09:46

Does anyone remember the old church that was on the site prior to Tescos being built ? Any old photos of it out there?

Comment by: BERNARD MULLANEY on 7th August 2016 at 09:03

Before TESCO this site was an Old Church. It seemed to be empty for a long time, I never ever say one person entering or leaving this church. I am 71 now

Comment by: Colin Traynor on 14th March 2024 at 08:41

Please compare this photo to the present day picture on PaD. You will see these building’s (regardless of use) are in a much better state of repair than the 1970’s

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