Wigan Album

You can just see rose bridge in the distance, so its roughly 1 third away from the Crispen, I had a few drinks in there in the past.!!!!!!!

Your right JohnAlan, in the far distance you can see the canal bridge.It seems different to how I remember it. I thought that the shop next door to the pub stepped back a little

My mother was born in a street opposite these buildings in the early 1900s. I believe the street's name was Bolton Street. I seem to remember there were steps, leading up to the front door. Wasn't there a chapel, just before you reached the canal bridge, on the right hand side.

The street going down the side of the pub is Wray St, which is still there. The next road up was Ashton St, gone now, and across the road from it was another pub, don't know the name of it but it was always called the "pingy".

Albert, it was Ince Methodist Church just before the canal bridge. The school was in the street next to it.

The street sign cut off on the left edge of the photo is probably Wray Street, just after Birkett Bank going towards Ince.

Winder, thanks for confirming it. I had already posted before your comment came up

The pub winder mentioned was The Oddfellow Arms. (and no I didn't frequent it as I am too gentile. lol )

Winder the Name of the Pingy was the Imperial.

ashton st is still there

The pub top right was the Rose Bridge inn, later it became Clarrington Press. On the left was the Casses Arms and opposite the Oddfellows Arms. Thanks JohnAlan.

How lovely to see this. I was christened at Rose Bridge Methodists, just this side of the canal. Thanks for posting, JohnAlan.

This is what wigan world is all about,

Wasn't there at one time, a pub named, The Shovel, or, The Shovel & Broom? I believe it was on the corner of Bolton Street. My granddad frequented this pub.

Dave Johnson,
The Imperial Hotel was on the Ince side of Rose Bridge and was located opposite Anderton Street

I agree with John.....this is what Wigan World is all about, and it looks as if this scene was captured just before it was lost forever. Well-done and Thankyou to whoever took the photo.

the pingy was the oddfellows the imperial over rosebridge

I think the shop that's boarded up was Ernie Hammonds. I've just looked on Google street view and I'm fairly certain Ernies shop was in the block between Wray St and Ashton St, but my big sister will correct me if I'm wrong The Shovel and Broom was I think straight opposite Ashton Street.

Hello everyone,,,was there a pub called The Rifleman or am I imagining it,,,I always thought that was The pingy

I was taken into the the Queens Head for a relatives wake I must have been 15 and was sat down in the best room that shows in the photo and given a gill of common,,,I was put in the corner between other relations,,,Winder ,,the pub opposite was The Bay Horse on the corner of Martland St,am just trying to think of the name of the pub opposite Forge St....which would be all of 100 yds up from the Queens Head?

Just come to me,,,I think the pub opposite Forge St was The White Swan,,,next to the bread shop and Pollys fruit shop?

Absolutely brilliant - and photographed in the nick of time - it allows us to "fill in" those missing memory gaps. Thanks JohnAllan.

I was born in Ashton street next door to the chapel, I remember one of the shops on the left, it was known as Molly Speyks , it probably not the right spelling but that how it was pronounced

The Rifleman was on Caroline Street.

Another pub on the same side of the Oddfellows Arms going towards Clarrington Brook, was the Bay Horse.

Clarington Brook is not a pub..colin.

I re beer the fruit shop and the triangular piece of concrete just under the drain pipe that all us kids tried to run up...the rifleman was in the back streets near to john st

GERRY, read the posts properly, Colin did NOT say Clarington Brook was a pub. EVELYN the shop next door IS stepped back from the pub, look at the roofline, follow the pub guttering and the shop one drops lower, meaning backwards, so your memory isn,t playing tricks love.

Wasn't there a pie shop, Sothworths , a bit higher up on the left? I remember being sent to get pies from there.

Apologies all round, now it's ME not reading the posts properly, that should have read GARRY not GERRY, sorry lads.

Can anyone console my memory, or am I going steadily senile. Was there, or wasn't there, a Bolton Street, opposite these properties? Does anybody remember the pub that was on its corner? My mother always referred to it as the Suffle, but I always took her to mean The Shovel.

Albert, The Shovel & Broom was on the right hand side of the road after Scholes Crossing and going towards the river Douglas and the bridge taking the railway tracks out Central Station.

There was a Bolton Street where you say, but at one time it called was Broom Street; I'm not sure when the name changed.

Thanks for all the comments pics like this certainly get the little grey cells working! I think the photograph was taken by Bill Bithell (of the paint shop) who passed away a few weeks ago. The photograph was loaned to me by John Bithell Bill's brother. Bill and John belonged to St Catharine's. Bill was a teacher among other things and very well read. My dad worked for Jack Almonds as a joiner for many years. Jack's workshop was just up the unmade up road aligned to Manchester road near the canal bridge on the left, access via the road running past Rose Bridge School. If I remember correctly Jack lived on the main road in front of his workshop. There was some form of club just before his workshop but I can't remember what is was.

Thank you Derek. I am aware of this pub. I covered the Scholes beat on many occasions.

Derek B - there were two Shovel and Broom pubs - the one in Scholes, and one in Higher Ince, on the corner of Manchester Road and Bolton St.

Albert, I was born in Whelley and there was a Bolton St in Scholes on the left hand side towards Wigan just after Whelley ends and Scholes begins. It was opposite Longshoot and there was a Post Office on it's junction with Scholes. I don't recall it running right through to Birkett Bank, but it could have.

One pub not yet mentioned was the Red Lion, this was in the row with the Cases on the end, now didnt one pub close and wasnt it taken over by Woods glass dealers, im not sure if it was either the Lion or the Queens,

the shuffle and broom was on the corner of bolton st.

Evelyn, thanks for the correction. Don't know how I got mixed up, I used to in the Oddfellows when Tommy Purdham was the landlord.

Thank you Irene, Maggie, and Mick. With nobody mentioning this street, nor the pub, I thought my little grey cells were seizing up.

yes Derek there was a Bolton st in scholes I was born there At no 8 . It was behind scholes club , were windsors is now and led on to platt lane .

The Pingy {Oddfellows Arms}was on the corner of Bridgewater st you can see the pub on the right hand side at the top of the pic.
My grandparents lived in this street for over40 yrs as did other relatives and the Pingy was their weekend.

Roy, I thought I was correct about the shop being stepped back.It is so strange how something so insignificant springs to mind.
John you are right about Ernie and Mollie Hammond having the toffee shop there, and then obviously he sold up in later years and bought the chip shop in Ince Green Lane.

Derek B. Bolton ST off Scholes ran into Platt Lane it didn't go anywhere near Manchester Rd directly. You could get through though off Platt Lane and Caunce Rd via Wells St and Kirkless St and also down alongside the "Clarrie" (Clarington Brook).

My Dad, John (Jack) Wilding used to work behind the bar in The Cases Arms

awww i didnt know Bill Bithell had passed away how sad. I was talking to him a couple of years back at a funeral, all about old scholes and the book he wrote about St Catherines church. he asked for my address and a couple of weeks later he posted a typed up copy of his book, also another two typed up books ..one on scholes and the other all about st Catherines day school, very very interesting. RIP

my family the Browns lived on Bolton st before moving to Windermere rd/Drive

I'd guess the photo was taken around the mid-1970s rather than the 1960s (based on the style of street lights). Not that this affects any of the comments above.

I was born in Bolton st in 1957 my dad used to throw darts in the shovel his name was tommy fishwick

This picture has certainly sparked some interest - well done, JohnAlan.

The Shovel and Broom was on the corner of Bolton street my uncle Bill Thomas was the landlord in the fifties and sixties.

Lots of memories there for me - born there, lived there, worked there, played there, and would have probabley died there if they had'nt pulled our house down for a rotton car-park.

was this not the Red Lion if so my mum and dad ran in the early 60s Agnes and Jack Holden

Name of the pub known as Pingy was Odd Fellows Arms. Just seen this question from 2014 so its probably been answered.

What a sad picture! I was born in the house between the pub and Bithell's paint shop in 1940! We left in 1952. The house was set back a little and we had a cellar that doubled as an air-raid shelter during WW2. The pub opposite was the Bay Horse run by the Hocking family and the street alongside it was Forge street. the back entrance to Clarrington Forge. Hammonds had the sweet shop and a great fish & chip shop opposite on the corner of Bolton Street.
My best friend at St Catherine's school was Renee Anglesea who lived in Kirkless street - I wonder if she's still around. Thank you John Alan for bringing back old memories!

was one of those shops jack tomorrows, i only remember going there once for some junior asprins and a cough bottle, he just used to make them up. i went wth my sister susan and i thought my legs were going to drop off cos it seemed so far right over the bridge for my little legs.

Hey all, does anyone know the name of the publican/landlord of the pingy .. 1970's, Irish guy ? Dont think he was there very long, he had twin children

I remember Molly Hammond,s shop with a cafe in the back
serving potato pie made with corned beef.
mmmmmmmmmmmmm

my family lived at 12 bolton st ince for many years.their name was lowe.my uncle james was the last to move out of the street before demolition

Hi my grandad also owned tge bay horse pub his name was george latham also known as bobby george.

Hi I have an ancestor who's family lived in Forge Street & Manachester Road early 1900's. He died aged 8yrs old Old Swan Hotel, could this have been the White Swan?

The ODDFELLOWS Nick-name was "The Pingy" WE used to go up the ginnel (entry) and in the back door when we were travelling over to Yorkshire to watch Wigan R.L ,we met in there around 9.30am six of us then after a jar or two would set off in an owd estate type car ,brilliant times in pingy .

Seem to remember that my Music teacher lived on Manchester Rd, , but nearer to Ince Park. Her brother had a shop next door. She used to play the organ at Belle Green Mission.

Her surname was Hurst..I believe another brother had a cloggers shop in Hindley Long time ago. Anyone else remember this family around 1947, 48.

My mum & dad Bob & ethel dumican where the landlord & land lady of the cases arms in 1950s , I was born in the cases arms , & lived there with my 2 brothers ken & Philip , happy memories

Hello Jean,your former music teacher was my Aunty Esther,RIP.Her brother Peter,was my Dad,RIP.We lived opposite the Wagon Works,as you say,nearer to the park.x