Wigan Album
Millgate
31 CommentsPhoto: RON HUNT
Item #: 33347
A WIGAN ARCHIVES PHOTO.
Ron. To the right. Would that be Station Road, and opposite, Scholes, and the Horseshoe pub?.
ALBERT, YES THAT'S CORRECT THE BUILDING WITH THE AIREY'S SIGN WAS THE BATH SPRINGS.
This must be before the old, old baths. I do remember the corner toffee shop on the left. When you walked through the door a bell rang and an old lady served in the shop. I used to like the milky bottle sweets.
Veronica the baths are there its the building with the flag
Ah! I did notice the flag Ron but didn't think it was the baths. I can see now the plain brick wall. Thank you.
Ron. There was a Bath Springs pub, on the corner of Lime Street, Warrington Lane. Benny Benison’s parents were the licensees.
I learned to swim in those old baths,and there used to be a shop facing where we would buy a small brown loaf. after we came out.
Great early picture Ron
Ron;correct me if i am wrong but i think the pub was the baths hotel?
You're right Albert, I once got into a right to do with a cleaner at St Catharine's who was once a barmaid at the Bath Springs over the name and location of these pubs, I too like Ron was always under the impression that this pub on Millgate was the Bath Springs, but it wasn't as it was the Bath Hotel, with as you say the Bath Springs being on School Lane.
I too remember those 1d (penny) mini Hovis loaves Maureen, but I'd forgotten from where we got them.
Cyril,thank you for remembering the price,I kep thinking a penny but thought..no..they can't have been that cheap,but you're correct..and weren't they good.x
They was good Maureen and I suppose very nourishing too compared to the penny trays in shops now. Even with them only being a penny the amount of children and most likely adults too buying those loaves when coming out of the baths; I'd imagine the shop being a little gold mine.
Yes it was the BATHS HOTEL there is a photo of it on the site.
The building on the left looks well built. I can't remember if it was attached to the other official buildings around the corner. It looks more like a hotel with the curtained windows.
Fascinating these old photos of early 1900s.I wondered as well, what the building on the left was.
Veronica. Continuing to the left of the photograph was the fire station, before it moved to Newtown. Just after the fire station was the door entrance to the Wigan Borough Police parade room, round the corner, into King Street were the Borough treasure’s offices. Opposite the fire station there was a church, and a pawnshop, also an entry that led into Harrogate Street.
Sorry to be a pain, but would that corner building be on Rodney Street, Ron?.
I think I am getting a bit mixed up Albert. Where the corner shop is - that's where the new baths where built
( now demolished but the new one in its place). I just cannot place the building on the left, I also think a car park was near there with a railing/ bars around it. I would love to know what the building was, somebody will come up with the answer I'm sure. I do remember the fire station you mention, near the old adult library ( now The History Museum) it's still there I walked past it the other day. The wooden double doors locked. On the corner opposite was what my mother called "The Rates Office". It almost demolished itself being left to fall into a terrible state.
I recollect getting a halfpenny, or Penny squirt of Brylcreem after coming out of the baths. The machine was in the foyer.
Spent quite a few Saturday nights there, dancing the night away. They covered the pool over. I believe the admission was a shilling. A nice little band played there. Early fifties.
Veronica, the car park between Rodney Street and Chapel Lane was where the cement rendered house with the lace curtains must have been, link to a photo on Album along with info on sweet shop on the corner of Rodney Street and Millgate. https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=12674&gallery=Baths&offset=0
It seems it maybe was on the site where the Douglas Tavern was and probably later became the printing works that is mentioned?
That area too was cleared by the 1950s as shown here. https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=26992&gallery=Millgate&page=1
Albert, here's a postcard advert for the baths from the Album and shows the dance floors. https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=20676&gallery=Baths&offset=0
Cyril. Found the photograph under stuff. Item
#12514.
Cyril. I have tried to get the photograph back using that number, but no joy. In the first place I went to stuff. In the top right hand corner I typed ‘ Wigan baths, used as a dance hall’ It produced the photograph, showing the pool covered, and a lower photograph where tables, and chairs were set out.
Cyril. What I didn’t do was to place in the registration the two dots. I should have put #..12514. Then the photograph is then produced.
Thanks Cyril I looked at both photos which are brilliant. You are right the car park I remember was where the building on the left was. I wonder if there's a photo of the
Douglas Tavern anywhere no wonder I couldn't place it. I have 'saved' both photos so can look thoroughl at them.
Wrong again Cyril. Should have put #:12514. It certainly is senile dementia portraying itself.
No it's not the Douglas Tavern Cyril that was more on the slope from Scholes uphill I do remember it. This building is a mystery - unless like you say it became a printworks.
Veronica, there is a photo of the Tavern on the Album, https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=1025&gallery=Chapel+Lane%252C+Wigan&offset=0
Happy that you got there Albert, looked quite a classy place when festooned with decorations.
I also remember the baths as a dance hall when St Pat's held the annual School Ball there. I remember going in a taxi with others from our street and feeling like Cinderella going to the Ball. It was so
exciting !!! ;o))
There's what looks like a sketch drawing of the Douglas Tavern under Album- Street names -Chapel Lane
Love this picture as I have not seen it before.
Without doubt the picture is taken from the top of Douglas Street, to the right is the shadow of the Douglas Tavern which stood on the corner.
Wigan Printing would be on the left hand side behind the camera.
Cyril mentions a link to a picture taken from the opposite corner of Millgate showing the lamp post in the middle of the road with both the Douglas Tavern and Printing works either side of Douglas Street.
Those building in the foreground of the picture where long demolished by the 1950's and was a car park with low rails around., don't know why it was demolished because they look quite sound, but that's Wigan for you!
Rodney Street is behind that building, the corner shop was still there until all those building on Rodney Street and the Pavilion Cinema, Library Street were pulled down around 1961 for the new International Pool to be built.
I remember distinctly the progress of the new construction from the top floor window of Wigan Printing looking out onto Chapel Lane where I started work just after Easter 1963.
Further to my pervious posting, please refer to the most recent posting of Douglas Tavern for the view from the other side of the road at the bottom of Millgate, things may become a little clearer.