Wigan Album

I remember that Tesco, Ron, and The Court Cinema. There was a little sweet shop under that verandah over the cinema entrance , next to Tesco; you can just make out the glass window. I saw Mary Poppins four times in a row at that cinema, as a child, trying to learn the words to "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", (there was no Google back then!). Maureen has a spooky tale to tell about the cinema!

IRENE the sweet shop was MEESONS there is a picture of it under KING STREET they also had a shop in Market street. It was a "High Class" sweet shop always a bit more expensive that the ordinary "Toffee Shops" and always had a nice display of chocolates in the window. Being in that location in King street must have been a "Gold Mine" COURT, COUNTY, and PALACE cinemas and the HIPPODROME

Thankyou Ron. I remember Meeson's in Market Street; it was down the bottom end near Woodcock Street. When I was still at school , (it was the Christmas of 1968), we girls made Christmas cakes in stages, week by week, (cake first, followed by marzipan, followed by flat icing, followed by fancy decorations), and we had to have a tin to keep it in. I paid half a crown for a Quality Street tin from Meeson's, (it was the days when the tins weren't thrown out but were sent back to the chocolate manufacturer to be re-filled). I for one can definitely agree with the people who remember the size of the tins back then compared to the measly plastic things we have now!

I only knew the toffee shop as Westhead’s.

Worked opposite here from 1968 to 1974 at old TSB bank( now Platt and Fishwick) which then relocated further down into new premises,where Revolution bar is now.Worked with some great people there.x

Elizabeth, I think I met you for the first time in "Revolution" when Alastair Gillies left The History Shop and invited a few people for a drink. I remembered you from school but hadn't really known you personally then, but I bet you made one of those Christmas cakes in Mrs. Heald's Domestic Science Class too!

Pw..it was only known as Westheads as long as I’ve known it they also had a sweet shop at the top of Beech Hill..the owner..one of the Westheads has closed it down but I believe she has kept it just as it always was ..full of sweets..and lives in the back..the sweet shop in this photo was at the time when I used to call was run by someone named Frank Hilton.
And yes Irene I will wait until someone asks about the spooky tale about the Court cinema.

I’m sure the toffee shop was Westhead’s : they also had a shop at the top of Gidlow Lane and a stall in the old Market Hall.

Westhead’s curly aniseed was one of my favourites.Plenty corner shop sold Weshead’s toffees.

Are there two sweet shops in the photo?

Mike,I remember the one in the market hall,it was run by an old school friend of mine who’s name was ..is..Lilian Westhead…but I haven’t seen the shop open any more.

Yes,you're right Irene,I remember that evening meeting you.I had known you 'from a distance' before that as we had attended the same schools,but were in different years.It was lovely to get to know you properly.I do remember making the Christmas cakes with Mrs Heald,and the various stages ! The sweet shop I believe was Westhead's,later we just called it 'Frank's'.I think Meeson's may have been further down but on the same side,more or less opposite the County Playhouse.x

Was Westhead’s shop under the canopy of the cinema on the left?

For all doubters... In the 50's and probably early 60's The sweet shop was MEESONS Check out the link below..
https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=28502&gallery=King+Street+%2526+King+Street+West%252C+Wigan&offset=20

It must have been Ron if you’ve seen it in writing..I only started going to that area when we moved to Warrington Lane in the Seventies.

MO, HIGHLIGHT THE LINK AND CLICK OPEN. AND YOU WILL SEE THE PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING THE SHOP FRONT. SADLY CLOSED DOWN.

Was Westhead’s shop under the canopy of the cinema on the left?

The sweetshop WAS on the left under the canopy, Pw, but seems to have changed hands over the years. Ron, I have just copied your link and managed to find the photo showing it was Meeson's....I highlighted it as you instructed Maureen to do but couldn't find "open" to click onto....however, I fathomed it! Wonders will never cease as I am hopeless with technology, and am proud of myself now!

The photo of Meeson’s shop posted in 2016 should appear in
‘ recently commented’ at the top of the page.

Well Irene,youre cleverer than me ,I still haven’t got it,but I’ll be seeing Ron soon so he hopefully will show me. DOH.