Wigan Album

Is that the Ritz Cinema, in the background, in the lower photograph?

it sure is...

Think the newer view is later than the sixties, Ron, looking at the models of the parked cars and the fact that the 'Emp' had obviously been demolished.

Relative to the top photograph, wasn't there a monumental mason's business premises, just outside the railway station, and would the buildings' in the distance be the rear of the Empress Hall billiard Hall, and the Empress Dance Hall?

Albert, Iseem to recall that the business you are referring to was a branch of Geo.Makinson who sold tile fireplaces, bathroom suites etc. Could very well be wrong though, it is all a long time ago

Yep it was George Makinson's showroom for bathrooms. I can picture it now as though it was yesterday.

Fantastic - There's a Ford Ka in the background. These were first made in 1996 !

David, I think the "Ford Ka" is a VW.

As DerekB says,lower photo was well after 60s the casino caught fire 1982 and was demolished the year after

It is deffo a ford ka :-)

No doubt about it - it's a Ford Ka therefore this can't have been taken before 1996 !

The first car is a Vauxhall Nova, the the one after that is a Mk 4 Fiesta (with alloys that weren't available in the 60's and possibly the car after that) then definitely a Ford Ka.

We used to take the train from there to go visit family in Doncaster, back in the 50s.. we used to go to friends in Durham too, but don't remember if it was from there or not...

The showroom was George Makinson and Sons.My father, a plumber, was a regular customer In the 30/40;s The station was on the L.N.E.R. line ( Referred to by some as The Long Never Ending Line) It Was possible to go To Southport from there but it could take 3 hours Whilst from N.W station via LMS it was 30/45 minutes As a boy my bedroom overlooked the Goods yard and this line , and I would describe this line and Station as lightly used

The photo at the bottom was taken om 18th Feb 2003, the same day they did the Wallgate station one.

Reference my previous comment ,should have been Long and Never Ending Railway.I Slept within 60 yards of this line and it passed over the Warrington Lane School yard and as I remember it never constituted a nuisance or interference.

AR. it was Wigan Wallgate to Southport.7c7

Alan You are correct,It was Wigan Wallgate.

the original destinationfor the great central line was blackpool .however thefirstworld war interfered with cthat plan.after the war the newly formed lner swalled the great central and so wigan central was a terminus forever.it's not true that the station was never busy,before ww1 it was extremely busy.like all railway lines the transportation of goods was the priority and coal was the priority.opposite the rock hotel in lower ince was the site of the great central wigan motive power depot,closed circa 1952,then developed as quik save ,latterly housing

The first car is a Talbot Samba, made in the mid-late 80s, not a Nova.

Sorry, Paula. Can see some slight resemblance to the Samba (what a heap of rubbish, by the way) but the first car is definitely a Vauxhall Nova.

The first car is NOT a Talbot Samba, it's a Vauxhall Nova

Cars didn't have door mirrors in the 1960's

Harry. C. If the vehicle was a duel purpose vehicle, even in the late fifties, then it was unlawful, not to have an offside rear view mirror.

Sorry for the spelling mistake, duel, when it should have been dual.

I had a 1966 Victor 101 which had door mirrors.

Someone's fitted them, keenee, not from the manufactuer.

Straight from Vauxhall !
If you look at photos of Victor 101s most have door mirrors.
Cortinas had them from 1970.

Re Vauxhall 101 exterior mirrors. From the factory, they either had no mirrors or door mirrors. If on the front wings, they were owner fitted.

There seems to be a lot of arguments about the date of the lower picture. Don't know the exact date but you can see the multi storey car park through the trees which makes it 90's or early 2000's