Wigan Album

Walked up them steps every Sunday morning in the mid forties [happy days!!!!!!]

Good photo, a shame it had to be demolished.... In front of the church was where just about everybody waited for their G friend/ B friend...Before cars and phones, at the end of your night out, you had to arrange a time and place for your next date and it was always in front of the Congregational Church...

Where exactly was it? I worked in Ashton in 1969 to 1970.

Irene it was at the bottom of Gerard st...if you were facing UP Gerard st, the church was the first building on the right hand side....

It used to stand next to Barclays bank Irene.

Thankyou both, but I just can't recall it, although I worked in Gerrard Street.

The old Church was demolished to make way for a Kwiksave store in the early 80s, and today it's a Weatherspoons pub.

Do you mean where the Thomas Gerard is now??

Exactly George.

I'm amazed I can't remember it. I worked in Richardson's Chemists at the other end of Gerrard Street in 1969/70 and I remember a record-shop down near where this church obviously stood.....just a small shop....and yet the church has completely vanished in the mists of time for me!

There was a large room underneath the church used as a sunday school.It had a beautiful parquet wood floor.

The record shop was Unsworths Irene, right next door to the church.

I passed this church when I got of the No.1 bus to go to the central school.The church always gave me the creeps.I imagined Dracula and bats flying out of the windows of the church.I think I must have watched too many horror films.

Thanks Karen....why do I remember that little record-shop and not that big church? The mind plays tricks as you get older. Phil, I can see what you mean.....I can almost hear creepy organ music and see mist swirling round that door!

i was christened at this church in 1953 lived straight across the rd from it

I used to have ballet lessons with the Joan Woods School of Dancing in the room underneath the church in the late 1960's, which makes me feel very old indeed!

Phil: Yes I remember that feeling, something very gothic about it.

My mum and dad married here and I was Christened at The Congregational Church in Ashton,along with all my siblings.

this was an empty lot for a long time after being demolished - yes it was a scary looking place

Does anybody out there know where the records of baptisms(Cradle Rolls)will have been moved to? Surely they have been saved from the wrecking ball!

Sandra:

I imagine any records will have gone to the new church on Hilton Street.

I was married in this church in July 1970. Still going after 42 years.

I can't understand why you think it's a creepy church! I went to Sunday School here.It is a lovely old building. My mum would take us children along to help and attend many jumble sales.It was an imposing building.

Time warp