Wigan Album

My dad once had a pony and trap (dont ask) in 1959 and decided to take it into town. I was about 6 or 7'at the time and I sat up beside him. The only memory I have of the trip was of us trying to get up Stairgate and having to get off and walk up.. He never did it again and gave up the pony and trap shortly after.

My memory of Stairgate is running down there in high heels over the cobbles to get home for the curfew of 11 00 . I wonder if the cobbles are still there underneath the tarmac.

This fellow (in link) became a cropper on an icy Stairgate too, imagine it would have taken a lot of tugging to get the lorry out.

https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=12946&gallery=Stairgate&page=1

Stairgate no longer exists, it is now in the Grand Arcade. Wigan civic centre council offices and Penningtons furniture buildings are visible. The car is an Austin or Morris 1800, but can't make out the registration to identify if it is an early one with horizontal rear lights or a later one with vertical rear lights.

The Millgate Civic Centre was opened in 1970, so this pic was probably taken in the 70s.

As a child, I used to attend swimming classes at Wigan Baths on Sunday mornings, my Dad would park on Station Road and we would walk up Stairgate.

I always thought it was a very steep incline and as a pedestrian it was always risky if any HGVs from Penningtons surniture store used it because there was nowhere to stand back.

CJ

That's an Austin 1800 Mk2, probably on a G plate, so 1968-69.