Wigan Album

I remember Joe Parker (Joes) very well. it was just like Open All Hours on the telly. We lived in Scholes but Mum's family all lived in Aspull. When I was a little boy in the 1950's my Grandmother would take for a walk to Joes in the morning. She would sit in a chair by the counter, give him her order and we would walk back to her house. In the afternoon a boy on a bike would deliver it. So much for home shopping being modern eh! The other thing I remember about Joes is that he sold rice tarts. Nearly every grocer/confectioner in Wigan used to sell these but they seem to have vaishe without trace. they were like individual custard tarts but instead of custard they were filled with something like rice pudding and usually had rasins at the bottom of the tart. I haven't had one of these for nearly 50 years and still remember the taste.

The other thing is that there is an advert for A Winrow. Is this same family that became builders in the 1960's and built the estate off Scot Lane (Lincoln Drive etc).

Arthur Winrow had a shop a bit further up the hill from the Moorgate Pub. He used to bake Meat and Potato Pies in the back room and they were fabulous. I can see him now through the open door wearing a long white Pinny and his sleeves rolled up. He couldn't seem to work without a Woodbine in his mouth and it always had about an inch of ash ready to fall off. Maybe that's what made the pies taste so good.