Wigan Album

Is that a common thing in Wigan, "owning a wall"?

Stantheman: In North Ashton your nobody until you’ve got your own wall.
Let’s face it when did you see a better wall than this.

Does it mean when the building is demolished they have to leave that wall standing!? Hrummph!

John G, I remember that saying being brought up in North Ashton, Veronica it seems strange to put a stone at the rear of a building in the wall, usually they are over the front, this is now a listed building I remember it being there on hope st when my mother used take me shopping as a youngster.

There is also is or was a letter box in the entrance to B&M marked British Home Stores.

Veronica: They have to it belongs to British home stores. One time it was pigeon racing, not now it’s walls and brick work. Times are a changing!

Dave Lewis, you also mention the plaque here: https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=26235&gallery=market+outdoor&offset=0

For those rice custard tarts that are mentioned you can get recipes online, either Belgian or Italian versions, the Italian ones can have grappa soaked raisins in and also lemon zest which sounds very nice indeed.

Hi Cyril, yes I remember putting that on I didn't know at that time BHS had changed it's name, I could only remember it ever being BHS and wondered when it was actually built, I thought it strange to put a plaque there stating that the wall belonged to them but not date it..

Thanks, Dave Lewis, I’ve never noticed the plaque. Is it still there?

Hi Joanne, the plaque is still there but the public have not seen it in 32 years, the building of the galleries back in 1989 blocked it off, it was on the footpath of the shortcut from hope st to standishgate, I don't know if this street had a name but I do remember it.

Joanne, from hope st end there was a shop named uptown girl on the entrance to the thoroughfare and half way down was Liz elastic, these pics are on WW Album under places (hope st) someone says it was called little hope street.

Thanks, Dave. I’ve looked through the pics, but don’t remember the area well before The Galleries was built.