Wigan Album

Proper shops, proper town loved every minute of it.
All those photos that Rev Long put on Wigan World from the Wigan Observer old days have really put things in perspective what we are today.

A hive of activity and rushing to get the shopping done before it goes dark. Great photo of what once was around Wigan town.

Brilliant Wigan Town as us older people remember it. A real bustling place...the best.

That's how I remember our great Wigan Town centre under Wigan Corporation. (Not many building demolished under them).

A Winters evening at Market Place and packed out with shoppers. No need for the gallery's or the Grand Arcade shopping centre both turned out to be flop. Beautiful buildings demolished to make way for disastrous shops that no one uses. Another good un Rev David.

It almost reminds me of the December Thursday night 'late' opening times they used to do years ago in the run up to Christmas where it was a novelty to see most of the shops still open in the evening. Sadly, the town centre appeal has long gone and I can't think of anything that would draw me to town these days.

CJ

Some back page photographs from the Wigan Observer Special are indeed from 1966, Rev Long.
If I'm not mistaken, this particular one is from Winter time 1966_1967. Great photo of the way we were.

Yes CJ Alan, and on the last wednesday afternoon before Christmas the shops stayed open on what would normally have been half day closing.

Thursday was late night, four weeks before Christmas.

Saturday 4th November 1966 at 4.32 pm.

What a brilliant photo. It reminds me of me and my Mam in Wigan on Winter Saturday afternoons, queuing in Vose's pie- shop with the warm lit-up shop contrasting sharply with the darkening sky and the slight hint of fog outside. Then hurrying down Library Street for the bus home to Ince, with the pies smelling delicious in my Mam's basket.

Irene, you've made me hungry.
Peter Walsh, how do you know this was the 4th November 1966. ( just curious)

Garry , this was the nearest sunset to the time on the church clock. The street lights would come on and as sunset is gradual it was still light enough for the photograph.

irene that description was so good it got me salivating, proper pies from proper pie shops.

Vose’s pies were really good with small chunks of steak in them finished off with a ‘blob’ of rich pastry at the top. I used to go for them every Saturday morning after I had been to Latimers for the bacon. I was only about 11 at the time. There was always a queue in that shop.

Latimers, I had forgotten about that shop. I can close my eyes and see it as if I was in there yesterday. Sawdust on the floor I played on two ceramic pigs while waiting for mum to be served. What I would give to taste proper bacon again like they served.