Wigan Album

Hi aitch where was this building situated.

Im not too sure Dave, never having lived in Ashton, but I think the Palace was in Bryn street

Hi aitch the palace was opposite the Brian Boro club on Bryn St.Its now a small shopping arcade

Hello Frank, I had an idea thats where it was, although I never lived in Ashton, I went to school there and have, in my younger days, spent a few in the Brian Boru,(I had a friend named Tommy Dunne, say no more) as well as other imbibing hostelrys

I used to go to the Palace every Sunday night with my mates,we'd be about 16 at the time(too young to drink)!!! Great times were had here,lads used to sit in the back rows and throw empty ice cream tubs at the girls who they fancied!!!!!!!(can you see that happening today?)!!! I met a lad called John Davies(from Bryn) here, we went out together for a few months (he was my 1st love) ahhhhh. Great pic, thanks. I notice Elvis's film Girls,Girls,Girls is advertised outside the cinema, i'm thinking this must have been taken around 1964. Happy memories.

That was our Sat afternoon Matinee place, we walked from Downall Green through the Skitters....It was also the place of my first proper date, it was with a lad from Bryn..we went to see Jailhouse Rock...It was the only date I had with him...

you were at the Grammar School same time as me aitch seen your class photo i remember a lot of the lads on it but not their names

There was another picture place in Ashton called the Scala. The doorman was Tommy Lee. He worked at Stones colliery during the day and the only time he wore his false teeth was when he was on his doorman's duties at the Scala

Frank, there is another picture of my form on here somewhere, and I am same as you the faces are very recognisably, but the names elude me, one I do remember was a David Billington, one was Roy Ashurst then one of the girls was named Olive Rowson, after 50 odd years the names have gone, living so far away, we didnt keep in touch so only memories left, cest la vie

Hi Fred I remember Tommy at the Scala didn't his wife sell tickets at the bottom doors as they were called

Had a quick look on the net Girls, Girls, Girls was Realesed in 1962.

I used to go there on Saturday afternoon it was a nice and then go to ashton market and sometimes the fair good old days

i thought the palace used to be were queens night club is now,was there a picture house there at one time

I remember Mrs Hanah used to work there ,they lived next door in wigan road 2 daughters Marie and Kathleen,then moved to Clifton Rd on Bryn Estate

The Queens Night Club used to be Queens Bingo, before that it was Queens Cinema. There used to be 3 cinemas in Ashton in the fifties/sixties:
The Queens, Wigan Rd.
The Palace, Bryn St.
The Scala, Heath Rd.
I used to go to all three but mainly The Palace, Saturday afternoon matinee. Flash Gordon, Little Rascals, Davy Crockett, magic.

The Palace is now a shopping arcade, The Queens a night club, I think the Scala has been made into apartments.

When I was in my early teens (mid sixties), me and a few mates used to stand outside The Queens Bingo Hall main entrance, when they ‘let out’ about 10.00 pm, we all dropped a penny or two. The crowd of hurrying women would all stop to see if they had dropped any money, as they searched the floor the crowd continued to exit the building, causing pandemonium. It was a riot, we had to make our own amusement in those days. Course, we couldn’t do it very often, to avoid them catching on, plus, we weren’t made of pennies.

Ken you are right about the 3 cinemas in Ashton. I vaguely remember going to the Scala with some older cousins and sitting on benches at the front. My recollections of the Palace are of me "galloping" home after watching a "cowwy" at the Saturday matinee. I've cried with laughter at your antics outside the Queens bringing to mind that me and my mates used to stand outside "Dickies" and shout at the women leaving bingo and running for their buses (yes really)
"Stop!come back with that handbag". Hilarious at the time but like you say you made your own fun in those days.
Does anyone else remember "Dickies" coffee bar where they served hot vimto etc. and on Sundays there was a bikers club?

John :
Have a look at the Gerard Street photo on the first page of these pictures (Photos - Ashton).
My Alter Ego (Kenee!) has left some comments about ‘coffee bars’.

i can remember being taken to the Queens cinema by my older cousin it was "The Enemy Below" robert mitchum and curt jurgens. ww2 picture . then if i am correct the last picture shown at the Palace was The Guns of Navarone saw it twice there and still watching both of them now. both good pictures {i know i am a sad case.]

i remember dickinsons john, all the teddyboys and girls used to go in there. we used to go to the matinees on a saturday. remember getting an ice cream down the back of my neck. thrown from the balcony. i remember you joyce. we were friends in the early 70s, when i lived at edge green

Does anyone recall the names of the few bands who played there? I assume they were local and I saw them. Myself and two others Leonard McDermot who lived on Old Rd and Alan Jones from Landgate ‘worked’ there as 10/12 year olds helping out as ‘monitors’ at Saturday matinees. I did things like selling Film Review programmes etc on the door. All the recorded music played there came from my extensive collection of 45’s and 78’s that I’d take down every week. I even got in to see all the other films free in the week as long as they were not x rated.

I wonder if there are any photos of the interior during its hay days?