Wigan Album

I imagine the more "well-to-do" people from up Wigan Lane would have bought their furniture from Pendlebury's. Most people where I lived , in Ince, would have had hand-me-downs from the family, or paid weekly for furniture from such places as The Ribble Cabinet Company in Millgate. In Ince, most people bought on "easy terms" from Grundy's furniture shop on Manchester Road. I can remember when I was a young girl and my parents bought a writing bureau from Grundy's....the delivery men accidentally gouged the wood on the "drop-down" desk top as they were carrying it out and Grundy's sent a french polisher to our house to fix it. It was a slow and painstaking job but fascinating to watch; I have never forgotten it and you couldn't tell where the problem had been when he'd finished. These days, they'd just chuck it and send another one!

My old neighbour had furniture very similar to the picture on the right. The sideboard especially. He was a teacher and ended up as a headmaster so I suppose the furniture reflected his position. Mrs H ( his wife) if in conversation never failed to say that she hailed from Cheshire! I always had the impression she had married beneath herself!
After 30 years I got used to her ‘ hi-brow’ ways but she never forgave me for hanging washing out on days other than a Monday! …;o))