Wigan Album

I waited many times at the bus stop to get the bus up to my Grandparents house...at Whitley..as I understand the area is called. I knew Wigan from 1947 onwards & the pic shows a Wigan that I recall well.

I remember it well, i would have caught the Standish (no 5) bus there as a child with my mother in 1945 but it would be 1949 before i would have caught it on my own. As a young lad i cant remember the Market Place being totally cobbled but at that age i probably wasn't looking at things like that. The 'ladies' part of the 'white city' is just in view next to the bus. Lowes, Alexandres (menswear) which by the way i always though was spelt Alexanders, Dewhursts the butchers, the Corporation bus office all in the photo, plus Salters (The Shoeist's)?? I always thought Salter's had chemist shops. Help!! what's a Shoeist i know what it may well be, but i've never heard that expression before. At the first look i thought is said Shobist but with further scrutiny i decided it was Shoeist.

James
This picture sure brings back memories, I still can see the people I used to meet there. Thank you.

James. Is there a date stamp,over the postage stamp? Just wondering whether it was posted before, or after, V.E. Day.

I was born in 1936 and I don't remember having seen the O G Rushton lettering above the shops. This photo must be before 1945

Alan H, I was born in 1938 and I don't remember the bus offices looking as they do in this picture. I only remember the outside of them being covered in a beige coloured tiling with a square three sided clock over the entrance. I think this is probably an early 30s shot.

Roy I would catch the number 5 or 5a to Graham Farm and walked to my house in Pepper Lane... :)

Roy; Re your comment, where does `white city` originate? They were just toilets to me.

Hi Ernest, commonly known as the White City by all the lads who knocked around Wigan in my time. Just because everything except the doors down there was white, eg, white tiles floor to ceiling, white ceramics etc.

Albert,
Unfortunately the post mark is unclear. It was posted 12.15pm 13th --- 1945. The month is almost non-existent.

Alan H.
I would certainly expect the photograph to pre-date 1945 but by how much is anyone`s guess.

The postcard was printed by Valentine & Sons Ltd., Dundee & London and bears the following quote.

"We shall continue steadfast in faith and duty till our task is done." - The Prime minister