Wigan Album

The Court Cinema used to be a rather more classy place than the County. It now looks tatty. Maybe it is on the Council's hit list for demolition ????

the pink building was TESCO, that's how!

In the 50s,on the far left corner of the Court Cinema, there was an excellent little toffee shop. I forget what was on the other corner. Down the passageway, at the side of the toffee shop, you would queue for the circle. Was it still a cinema when this photograph was taken?. I remember when I first went to a Wigan cinema on my own, from Spring View. I was twelve, and it was to the Court Cinema. The film was"The Drum" I think Sabu played in it.

The toffee shop was MEESONS who also had a shop on the corner of Market Street and Woodcock street. They always had a nice window display of mouth watering chocolates. Much to dear for us kids at the time

It seems to say "Walkers" on the front, which suggests it might be a pub or club when the photo was taken, (Walker's brewery?). I can remember the toffee-shop and I can remember going to see Mary Poppins four times on the trot to try to learn the words to "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"!

in 1966 David Aitken was the Chief Constable of the Wigan Borough Police Force if you were one of the new boys just learning the ropes in the control room you sometimes had to go for his daily ration of small cigars from this shop. What memories

Isn't WW great - it brings back so many memories. I had forgotten all about Meeson's toffee shop. Doesn't King Street look clean. It was a very nice street with a lot of Wigan's solicitors there.

It isn't now, Maggie! Stay with the WW pics and the memories.

The Court Cinema was a Bingo Hall at the time that this photograph was taken. King St had some very interesting building in the 50s. Anyone remember the Pub across the road from the Court Cinema? Was it called The Shakespeare or something like that?.

Always thought the sweet shop was Westheads and that Meesons was Higher up past the arcade?

The Shakespeare Hotel was by the side of lennons supermarket.The court cinema is now a night club called the Hub.And the Toffee shop,i thought was called westheads.

Yes I must agree with the earlier cmments, I to thought the toffe shop was Westheads

The Westheads also have a sweet shop at the top of Beech Hill..King Street was one of the nicest streets in Wigan some years ago,we went to the history shop a couple of months ago..and walked back up King street..what a shock,the night clubs have ruined the place..it smelled,was dirty..all it's character like much more of Wigan had gone..it was sad really..when we lived in Warrington Lane,I had to walk my youngest up there every day to go to School,needless to say I never want to go back there again...to see it now reminds me of an ailing child.

The toffee shop at The Court was still there in the late 80s and early 90s, I think Westhead's had it then but Meeson's may have had it at some time.

The site of the former Teso was previously Wigan Baptist Church.this ,and an earlier photograph can be found on W.W. Streets

The Court cinema had a theatre organ, that rose up in front of the screen, and played music to you, prior to the commencement of the film. If my memory serves me right, the organist, on his way from the cinema, in the black out, during the war, got knocked down by a bus, and lost a leg in the accident.

People say look forwards instead of backwards, well you have to look backwards other wise you end up insane. We have all gone backwards, thanks to Wigan Council.

for irene roberts, I think this is Walkers Bingo rather than Walkers Ales

I remember David Aitken being Chief Constable and i had to go on many occasions to the shop for him. I worked in admin in the early 60's and remember King Street well. Good memories brought back seeing this pic.

Dennis S, you are right about the Shakespeare being across the street. I don't remember which brewery owned it but they served a nice IPA which conditioned me to prefer that type of ale ever since. We used to go in there after meeting in the Bodega (Bod) coffee bar before trying to find a party somewhere (anywhere). Who remembers the "Bod"?

I remember the Bodega Bar too. Think I was about 15 or 16 yrs and went with school friends. It was so dark inside and noisy. I've never liked dark nightclubs since. It was West Heads shop we used to buy sweets before going in the cinema.

The sweet shop was called,,, west heads ,,,, they had one at beech hill top shops were we was treated on Saturday night with a small bag of sweets, which was a treat if mum and dad had any money left after paying there way, if they didn't, we didn't moan coz we was great full for what we got,

King Street ..... the Turnkey, the Bier Keller ( my second home in the 70´s, lol).The sweetie shop next to the cinema where I used to go to watch James Bond movies as they were released.

Walkers was a bingo I worked for them in wigan met some great people while working their

Hi i would like to now what was the big white building called back in the day

Matthew,it was the King Street Baptist Church.

hi have you got a brother freddy used to live in beech hill?

hi my daughter in law to be is trying to trace her father who used to work for walkers bingo, all she knows is his name was Paul his last name could be Bramley/Bronly or it could be different she's not 100% he used to be tall and thin with dark hair and he used to live on Ince bar near post office. Any info would be most appreciated,