Wigan Album

Whitesmith's?

Dennis you mustn't come from Wigan. or you are too young.

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/5/sv36256u.jpg

You're right Ron, I lost my bearings there for a moment. I don't know about being too young I think maybe my tired old brain is getting too old.

The other end takes you onto Dicconson Street.

John D. The other end of Brick Kiln Lane takes you to Dicconson Terrace and nearly opposite to Acton Street. Dicconson St is accessible across from where St John's school gate is in the photo.

Mike,you are correct, my mistake. I'm getting my Dicconsons mixed up. To the right of Acton Street is Dicconson Crescent which is anything but a crescent.

You're right John D. But it sounds better than Dicconson Dead End or Dicconson Cul de Sac.

Yes, that is the Whitesmiths on the right hand side of Brick Kiln Lane as viewed from Standishgate, I think there was a sweet shop on the left hand side.
The entrance to Brick Kiln Lane from Standishgate appears to have been moved, now putting the Whitesmiths on the left hand side as viewed from Standishgate.
I was walking around there yesterday taking pictures and this relocation had me a little confused until I saw this picture.
The pub and the outbuilding to the back are still there.

Colin, there were two shops on the left side which sold sweets. The first one was a small newsagents (but, also sold sweets) and it was very dull inside as it was poorly lit.
The second did not sell newspapers nor magazines, but sold a vast array of sweets, cold drinks (non-alcoholic), ice lollies etc. - and, it was brightly lit due to the fluorescent lighting - and the mirrors and glass created even more brightness.
If I remember correctly, the first shop was the second building along from Brick Kiln Lane and the second shop was the third building.

By the way, when I was a kid, Whitesmiths was a Fish and Chip shop and not a pub. I am also sure that it had a room which was used as a cafe, which would offer customers to eat inside - the Fish and Chip shop that was at the top of Wrightington Street also had the same.

Thanks Ian. I never knew that the Whitesmiths was once a Fish and Chip shop.
Being now closed (again) perhaps it should now reopen as one, as the Pub trade is on the decline.
What goes around comes around!

Also In the row of shops to the left of the photo was a bookmakers.
I remember the Whitesmiths being half a cafe and half a pub! The cafe entrance was next to Brick Kiln Lane and the pub door entrance was further up.

Rich, I had second thoughts about it and wasn't 100% sure whether part of it was a pub or not. I remember that it was definitely (part or whole?) a pub in the late 1980's. But, as kids, I don't think we really noticed that part of it was a pub or it was only a chippy. We were only interested in going there to buy a bag of chips or chips & gravy etc.
I certainly remember the two pubs close to Whitesmiths: The Royal Oak and The Griffin, which are still there. Although, The Griffin looked in a sorry state when I last saw it now too long ago.

You are right with the entrance - which is shown on the photograph (the pale yellow door) - being the entrance to the chippy.

By the way, the bookmakers may have been the first building - would have definitely not been so noticeable to us kids.
I remember that after the second sweet shop, there was a double-fronted furniture shop; it seemed to sell a lot of dark oak furniture and on the corner was a shop which was part mock-Tudor and sold prams, toys etc.

Ian.
I think the bookmakers was Wally Mills.
The paper shop you refer to was Alkers and the sweetshop was Thomas's.

Rich, thanks for reminding me. It was Alker's and the other shop was Thomas's.
I remember that the man (Mr Alker), who seemed old to us, was grumpy. He would quite aggressively complain if we took too long to choose. But, it was okay for us, because we just accepted that he was a grumpy old man.