Wigan Album

Great photo. Reminds me of my gran's home on Longfield Street.

Frank if all your photos are as good as this, and I'm sure they are, I can't wait to see your book.

What a brilliant photo..I almost feel like I'm there..a lot of life,love,and sadness..all in those few houses.

If it is Cambridge Street, would the big building at the bottom of the street be The Silverwell pub?

would not have liked to lay all those cobbles back then by hand like they did

Ah!! The old rag and bone man , such memories 😊

I don't think that is Cambridge Street I think it is Silver Street leading into Leigh Street.

I can see my grandma in her clogs and shawl. Lovely photo.

Collected many a donkey brand (Rubbing stone) from him in exchange for a bundle of rags. My mother did the front step with them. Happy days.

A great nostalgic photo with intrigue, I don,t recognise Cambridge St or Silver St with the large building at the end,!971?? the electric lamp posts date it to that era but the horse and cart and absence of motor vehicles suggest earlier. Albert I remember the Donkey Brand rubbing stones and my Gran and her neighbours branding another neighbour " Lazy" when she painted her sills and doorstep

looks more like patrick st with st pats church at the bottom to me

A.B. Some trying to be posh. Used red mansion polish.

1971 seems a bit modern for the feel of this photo. It reminds me a lot of the Caunce Street, Linney Street area of Scholes which I'm sure had been mostly demolished by 1970 when I left Wigan for college.

When I patrolled these numerous types of Streets during the early morning in the late fifties, early sixties, especially in the summer months, when people slept with their bedroom windows open, the strange, and often comical comments that you just couldn't help but overhear. You could write a book. When someone used the loo, you would hear the water rushing towards the main drains, below your feet, after the flushing. Bobbies in those days, walked miles, and miles, especially on night duty. although it wasn't much different on days, you were on your feet all of the time.

The more I stare at this picture I am reminded of Andertton St but I think even that street had gone by 1971

That's how it should be today Albert, bobbies would see more.

Life must have been hard, but I bet you were not harassed, by anyone.

Possibly Caunce Street off Platt Lane. There's a photograph on the site, I think taken the same day under Scholes Street ,certainly the same Horse and Cart and I'm sure the same street.

If it turns out to be Linney Street, as Carolean suggests, then the building at the very bottom would possibly be part of the back of St Catharines school, just a thought.

Sets Brian, not cobbles!

Tom Walsh you are probably right to say the picture was taken on the same day as the other one. Over the years I have taken thousands of pictures and can't remember all of them. All I remember is that this particular street was due for demolition at the time in 1971.

A great photo Frank, keep them coming.

John. The one important thing we did not have, was the modern day drug culture, plus you were respected. I used to be amazed, how they kept officers in the police, in places like Birmingham, with the high wages, in the car industries. I got 2/6d a week more when I left the R.A.F. than I got when I joined the police. It was about £7.50p per week. We got paid weekly in the late fifties.

Yes, we always called them cobbles it was only ten years or so back, when I needed to buy some from a quarry products distributor, that I was politely told, "You mean 'Granite Setts.' "

I agree with Tom Walsh,my wife thinks it is Caunce road as well and St Catherine's school at the bottom.

Great picture Frank. You didn't by any chance take any photos of Millgate did you? I've been searching for years for a photo of my nan's shop before it was demolished to make way for the new council office!!

Graham..click onto 'Street scenes' at the top left of this page,thgen scroll down to 'Millgate' you'll find a few there.

Hello Graham, I do have pictures of Millgate but not much different from those already on the site. By the new council office do you mean the Civic Centre?
What type of shop was your nan's and what was it called because I might be able to search files for something.

I agree Bill, that's probably the side of St Catharine's School (Lorne Street) at the bottom (or top) of the photo but a "line of view" along Caunce Street would you see St Catharine's? The map adjoining this photo suggests you could from Linney Street but I would certainly bow to people who know far better than me - mine is only a guess, based on the map.

I'm pretty sure this is Linney street with the back of St Catherines school. My parents had friends in Caunce Street and I can't recall a shop halfway up that street there ther was one at the bottom near the Mission Hall. I think Councillor (Alderman) Cowser lived in Linney Street. Hi son Steven was at st Catherines and I believe a lampost was put outide his house when he became Mayor , or is my memory playng tricks ?

I lived in Linney Street in the same block as councillor Ernie Cowser there was a shop halfway as seen on picture it was on the corner of Neville Street I'm sure this is Linney Street

Yes. I would say Linnet St. Looking from Platt Lane towards St Catherine's school. Just looked at old street plan

This is not Caunce Street.Caunce Street was tarmacced long before 1971.If it is Linney Street the shop midway is walter derbyshire's grocers.I doubt it is either.Yhe large building
at the top is very much like St Pat's chapel.But all these areas were on "brews".I am fairly sure that Caunce Street was demolished in about 1967.I was born at Number 29 in 1933

Donald. Whilst I am pretty sure this is Linney Street I also think this area had been knocked down by 1971. perhaps though Frank has the right date it's been a while. If you lived in Caunce Street did you know a family called the Tysons who lived on the left hand side as you went down to Platt Lane. The father's name was Ernie, (can't remember his wife's name) and they had a boy called Peter and a girl called Lesley. We always used to call in and see them on the way home from Sunday School in the Mission Hall on Platt Lane.

Thanks Frank. Yes, I do mean the Civic Centre. My nan's was Sally Cunliffe and she had the small sweet/grocery shop at the top of Millgate. It was almost opposite the entrance to the Weind and directly opposite the pet shop. Anything youcould find would be a real bonus!

Just for the record, my speculation about "line of sight" was wrong, the Wigan map of 1907 suggests you could see St Catharine's Church from Caunce Street and the side of St Catharine's school from Linney Street as Carolaen stated. Sorry for my earlier mistake.

Sorry Carolean although I recall the nae Tyson,I don't remember them in Caunce Street.The left hand side going down
would be even numbers.In my day Number 2 Grimshaw,4 Hurst,6 Finch,8 Kelly,10 Macmullen,12 Martin,14 Marshall,16 Martin also,18 Foster then came Neville Street.Want me to go on?

Donald thanks for the response what a memory you have. I may well be mistaken I can recall the Tysons lived in a street parallel to Linney Street because we walked down it to get to the Platt Lane Mission Hall so it might well have been Stanley Street say. Its over 50 years since we last went there and I have been living away from Wigan for 45 years so my memory isn't as good as yours. Thanks all the same.

Carolean.I have looked up the Tysons on St Catharine's parish records.They were all baptised there from 13 Stanley Street

Donald. Thanks very much for your record searches. Its amazing what you discover on Wigan world

This is def Linney St, lived at no 63.
It was demolished in about 71'Mum and Dad moved to Boyswell House about that time. must know some of you , went to St Catharines now in Australia, love to hear about Wigan.Gran lived at no 22 Caunce St., went to school with Doreen Finch .

Hi Frank,

My name is Charlie, I'm a music producer/composer from Standish and was wondering if I might be able to use this picture as a covering photo for my artist page on Facebook and other social media platforms.
I like to use the aural history of Wiganers telling their life stories as inspiration for all of my pieces and like to use photos that reflect this.
I would make sure that you are referenced as the original photographer.

Anyway, If this isn't something that interests you then I fully understand, I just thought I'd ask rather than just take the image.

Have a good'un!

Charlie