Wigan Album

Thanks for uploading this.

I certainly remember C&A - my mum used to buy my school trousers from there for many years when I was at primary school.

Clarks shoe shop was on the opposite side of the street, with the children's section upstairs. I remember they had a climbing frame and a machine that measured the size of your feet.

CJ

Ron, I think this picture is Standishgate, with C & A store on the left,
and at the traffic lights ahead, Crompton St left, and Mesnes St right.
Cheers, Ray.

CJAlan,yes,Clarks shoe shop was brilliant,you'd be hard pushed now to find a shoe shop,I think we only have McNultys down Library Street now..just look at the number of shoppers on that one photo,C&A,Woolworth,British HomeStores,M&S..all gone.its a sin what they've done to Wigan..and now the Market has to go..everything is going down to the retail park..why don't they put a bus service on for people that can't get down if there's no car..taxis cost quite a bit now.

Still looks very busy in the eighties. A brilliant town for shopping in. There was a Gas Showroom on the right where I got a new gas fire and surround about that time.

Stairgate is off Millgate opposite Hewlett St.

I should have said there were electric fires and cookers as well as Gas goods in the shop. I certainly missed it when that went.

Had quite a few pints in the White Horse. The Almond’s nectar bitter. H’mmmm, lovely.

Ron, was there any particular reason why this photo was in the Guardian on that date?

John I still have newspaper cutting it was under a HERITAGE heading "An everyday story of urban folk" I'll upload it

I can't believe that no one has commented that the Parish Church cannot be seen from this location. It has obviously been "photoshopped" (and not very well) as it far too near the foreground.

It would seem that maintenance work is being carried on, on the tower of the Parish Church, seeing the scaffolding around it.

The Parish Church is not visible from here. Mark Williams was on the left and I remember watching the screaming pigs being unloaded into the entry.

jI correct my last comment, the church is visible like this if you go back to powell street then zoom in to just show the White Horse on the left of the picture.

Peter Walsh - you are correct with your last comment.
This pic has been taken from all around the old junction of Standishgate and Powell Street from where the church twer can be clearly seen. It's eiter been taken with a zoom lens, or a 'crop' of the original pic has been used.
It certainly hasn't been photoshopped. I have over forty years experience in photography, processing, and image editing, and I can say this image hasn't been altered.

The store C&A ,or more correctly as is was named C&A Modes, was opened in 1962. In later years it became C&A. After they closed their British shops, they remained open in Europe. I often wonder if they are still trading. It was a good clothing store for men, women & children.
Visit any town or city now and you don't see the same amount of crowds as back then.

I still have a pure wool navy blazer from C&A's under the 6th Sense label. It must be 25 or more years since I bought it. I still wear it now and again as it's very smart. Better than all the polyester stuff. Wool does keep its shape and good looks.

Barrie, according to Wikipedia, C&A are still very much alive with around 2,000 stores and 50,000 employees world-wide - at least they had in 2017

BonMarsh it seems has finished trading. I can see their store on the corner of Standishgate, and Mesnes Street.

Only just noticed I have posted this under the STAIRGATE heading