Wigan Album

That's Belle Green Lane, Higher Ince. The large building at the back left was Smith's Dairy. The shop on the left with the Player's Navy Cut advert was Boardman's Newsagents and Sweet Shop and just to the right of the ladies with the prams, (and just out of sight), was Ashurst's Pie Shop which had once belonged to my friend Neil's grandad, Jimmy Cain, and was still known as "Cain's Pie Shop" by most Incers. Their pies were delicious as any old Incer on here will verify! Sally Foy's Chippy was next door and both shops had queues outside every day. There was also Annie Capper's draper's shop behind the prams, selling clothing, baby linen, hosiery and wool.....what a wealth of individual shops we had back then! I still carry a wicker basket like the lady crossing the road; they are brilliant for carrying bread, cakes and pies as they don't get squashed as they would in a plastic carrier-bag. Thankyou for posting this, Veronica.

At a guess this looks like Belle Green Lane, Ince. The pub (don’t know it’s name) with the Tetley Walker sign was on the corner of Engineer Street. I do vaguely remember the pub building standing on the corner as you following the one way system onto Engineer Street some twenty years ago, but the pub had long since closed by then and I’m sure the building has since come down.

I’d be interested to know what the large building is further up Belle Green Lane. I’ve never known it be there in my lifetime. There was some sort of mini industrial site at the side of what was the Belle Green Pub that I always thought was owned by Wigan Council. You drive in through a gate into a compound that had some garages.

Speaking of the Belle Green pub, there was a lad I used to social with when I was in my late teens/early 20s who lived just off Kendall Road. We used to have a couple of pints every now and again in the Belle Green or go for a game of pool at the Fox Tavern. Most of the Ince pubs are now long gone.

CJ

Looking up Belle Green Lane ?

CJAlan, the pub on the corner of Engineer Street was The Engineers' Arms, know locally as "Th'Engine". I'm surprised you don't recall The Dairy but it will depend on how old you are, ( oh dear....I forget how old I am sometimes!).....it was a landmark that could be seen from quite a distance away. The mini industrial estate is, (I think), still there and is situated either near to or behind where The Dairy once stood....I think Sutcliffe's Tripe Works was there many years ago, adding a not-so-fragrant pong to the Ince air!

Thanks for your message Irene. I’m in my late 40s now. It would probably have been the end of the 1990s or start of the 2000s when I frequented Ince as none of my family ever lived in that part of town. I did also work for a short time at the Tibbett & Britten warehouse at the top of Makerfield Way (near the tip) and even back then Manchester Road was like a car park, so I used to drive up Petticote Lane & Kendall Road to cheat the congestion and I do recall ‘the Engineers’ on the corner as I nipped down the one way system but by then it was no longer a pub and may have been used as living quarters. Funnily enough, I drove up Belle Green Lane about two years ago on an errand and I genuinely feel that even in my lifetime the area has changed massively and not necessarily for the better in some areas.

It's no earlier than autumn 1968, as the car is a 'new' G plate.

I remember the hat the woman is wearing. They were in vogue about late sixties . I had a dark green one. They weren’t very flattering - part scarf that tied under the chin. Strange what you remember….

The prams on the right I remember were called ‘ Cumfi - folders’ I had one for my son. Later striped buggies were the norm I had one for my daughter . It was brand new I got on the bus with it and someone took mine and I got off with an old one!!! The wheels were worn down I could have wept my daughter was only a few months old.

The car has GB plate on it so the owner could have driven it abroad and the door looks unlocked,must have had a few bob in those days.

This looks like a Frank Orrell photo.
He has taken some great snaps over the years.

Yes it is you can always tell his photos. Sorry I forgot to give him credit.

Just beautiful and fantastic, great memories of all in this photo. Covered many houses coal bagging around Ince back in the day.
Thanks Veronica.

Ince didn’t lose as much of its community Garry unlike Scholes. They still have quite a lot of housing left. I was very surprised just how much of the back streets were still left a few years ago when I went on a replacement coach from the railway station. I think the main road through Ince lost a lot and we’re replaced by trees. Nice to see you commenting.x

Veronica xx

The car, Blackpool registration NFV489G is a Fiat 124, this is the same type of car as the later Russian made Lada.