Wigan Album

Thanks to charnock for all these fasinating pics.

I can remember the sparrows in the roof twittering away, the revolving doors at the far end and the two bull's heads looking down over the butchers's stalls.I remember a pottery rabbit on Bailey's pot-stall that I craved and which I gazed at regularly all through my schooldays. When I started work I bought it with my first wage and recall the assistant shouting to her colleague, "Ey, somebody's buyin' t'rabbit!", (it had been there so many years). I still have it and it is as much loved as the day that long-ago young girl brought it home.

That's a lovely story about the rabbit Irene.

I can't remember the name of the stall, but in the 50's I spent many a shilling on fishing tackle from the stall in the front left hand corner of the picture.

I remember being carried past Bailey's pot stall.I think my Dad was worried what I would do with all that china on show!

The fishing tackel stall was run by Mr Moyers from Billinge

Greens Butchers had the cow heads that you remember.I started work on my fifteenth birthday. and the first job i did was to climb a ladder and brush them, and was told to make sure i polished the eyes

You can just make out the sign for the DOLLS HOSPITAL stall Do girls still play with DOLLS? Probably no need for a hospital these days they would just be binned if broken..

Does anyone know what happened to Baileys pot stall or any of the Bailey family?

I loved the old Wigan Market Hall and found it absolutely ridiculous that it was demolished. It could have been kept and some renovating work done.
I have been in a large number of market halls, which have been kept. Not long ago, I was, once again, in the old market Hall in Barcelona and it was very busy with people shopping, buying, eating, drinking...