Wigan Album

What shame that they knocked down the old hump back bridge

It's still humped isn't it Mick ? Possibly more humped now than it was then.

Your comments about the bridge led me to look at the other Appley Bridge pics which feature this area - and at Google Earth. The latter seems to show that the shop pictured here has gone. I thought this surprising - it doesn't look dilapidated here. It is also visible in a b&w view looking back from the bridge, and in the 1928 aerial views of the lino works opposite. Those views also show that the space between the shop and the houses has been foreshortened by the camera - there is quite a distance between them in fact - including the opening for Mill Lane, which runs down the visible side of the houses.
Closer inspection leads me to conclude that the building which houses the shop here is still there - but much altered. From Google Earth and the 1928 aerials you can see that behind this frontage is a row of cottages. However, in 1928 that row was roofed by a short-pitched roof, alongside which was another similar roof - with a valley between - just what can be seen here. The probability is that those roofs covered back-to-back cottages - one set facing down the hill, the other up the hill. At some stage they were knocked together to former larger units - and they were also re-roofed so that a single pitch replaced the two earlier roofs. Whether this shop in the gable ends of the cottages was incorporated back into the rows then, or later, others may know.

The shop building is still there Rev but with a new roof, I remember it when the building had two big shop windows.

The shop further up next to the school on Google used to be the post office and you can still see the post box on the front of the house

In the early 40s I used to go to this shop with my grandmother as a 4 yr old. It was then owned by a Mr Tabernor, a lovely man,who used to call me "Dolly Oxo ", because, I am sure you can realise , I loved oxo drinks.The building near the bridge that look like two houses were two shops at the same time, one being a chip shop.In later years as a teenager, I used to congragate with other teens on the area in front of those shops.Thank you for sharing this photo, it has brought back memories of a lovely time with lovely friends.

Mick, the school you mentioned was where I started as a 4 yr old in 1944.It was only one room with children 4-7 on the left hand side and 8-11 on the right hand side.Thinking about it now I would think it was very difficult to teach in those circumstances. Then on Sunday it was All Saints Church.

Evelyn I only went into the school when it was being used as a youth club run by Captain Roberts

Nice to see Captain Roberts get a mention . I went to All Saints Mission Infants School with his daughter Pamela in the 1960's . The residents of Appley Bridge helped raise money to buy a little scooter for him , to help him get around the village , when the family were living at 154 Appley Lane North . Think the family left around 1967 / 68 and was replaced by the Revd. Linton .

Brilliant! Ant info on the WINNARDS?

I used to go to the mission school Appley bridge I remember teachers Mrs fairhurst and Mrs simm and Mrs Houghton the dinner lady ,I remember Jimmy frosts electrical shop , my granny lived at no 9 canal bank with my aunty Mary , I remember the old Wigan corporation double decks ,backing up on the old humped back bridge ,