Wigan Album

What a great Wigan photo, thanks for posting.

Looks like a multiple funeral as there appear to be 6-7 in the courtage.there is a possibilyof a pit accident.
I would be interested if anyone has any more info

Only appears to be one hearse though Carl. The rest look like carriages for family and guests. Possibly funeral of a local dignitary, or someone with plenty of brass.
Looks like pic taken at junction of King St and College Avenue.

Great photo, must have been an important person, probably a pit owner or mill owner. What great buildings wonder what happened to them!!

look's more like library street ??

Just come across an advert for the Eureka Cooker on the internet - I assume the same as the one advertised in the windows of the shop in this photo. Made by Wright's of Birmingham, they describe it as "the most up to date cooker in the market" - the date 1903. They also made gas fires.

all buildings are still there

The first "street" on the right I imagine would be College Avenue, leading to the Technical College, and where in the 1960's at least there was a coffee bar named the Bodega, in College Avenue itself.

It is King St and College Ave. The Bodega was a pub then.

what a great photo of times gone by would love to know more

The horses are at a stand still which suggests that the coffin and service are being carried out in the church opposite

That cortege was provided by Middleton & Woods. I used to work with Ted Warren, Billys' son in the late 60's, also met up with Ted later when he was accompanying the NatWest teller at Standish bank, after retiring at M&W. He lived in Holme Terrace behind the Brocket at the time

The cortege and the car behind are facing down King St. I can only remember King St being one way, that was up. The building in the right edge was a church as well. Its where the first Tesco was built.

On the right there was a church which was pulled down to build tescos,in the street next to it was the old transport club and at the end, next to the last horse is what became Grimes Arcade, named after the music shop

The Funeral Courtage is stopped outside what used to be a Methodist Church to the right and just off the picture, which was demolished in the late 1950's early 1960's to make way for Tesco. Its now the Hard Rock or something like that. The photo is taken looking up King Street towards Wallgate. The Bodega later became the Wimpey Bar and then the Bier Kellar in the 1960's.(Not to mention the King Of Clubs a little further up).It then became became "Liquid". The building which can be seen in the background, (slightly prominent of the row of Offices and shops) is what was Grimes's Arcade, now boarded up.
A far cry from the litter strewn (and other things!) King Street of today.

When King Street was one of Wigan's best streets - far cry from the King Street we know today!

It might be a bit later on, possibly 1920's. Everybody's missed the car behind the procession on the left hand edge of the photo

Should imagine it's at least the 1920s.
The photographer who took the pic, Joseph Worswick, was only born in 1899.

Obviously predates when King Street went one way. This could give another clue when the photo was taken

Middleton & Woods (1919) Ltd. Gives a clue to when the firm was founded. Since being taken over, they've dropped the (1919) from their name.
When I worked there, George Wood, who lived in Parbold (house name "Timbers") & Bert Webster (of Websters Coaches) were directors, Norman Tonks, company secretary. Billy Warren, as far as I know (from Teds' tales) was in charge of the horses, as well as being a driver on funerals...
(Just a bit of background ;o) )

Billy Warren is my great grandad this photo now belongs to my mum I thought it deserved to go on Wigan world there are a few more too if there is enough interest ill try to get around to uploading them

Look forward to seeing them Rob.
This sort of photo is what the site should be all about.

This photograph appeared in a Way We Were publication by the Wigan Observer October 18 1990.It says that the exact date of the funeral is unknown,but the photo owner Barbara and John Hough of Beech Walk Standish ,date it in the early 20's Barbara said:"My father ,Frank, who died ten years ago[1980] is the driver of the first hearse" so it could be adouble funeral as there are flowers on the first two coaches.

I hadn't missed the car Bob, but I'm intrigued by the clock - does anyone know on whose premises it hung?

Art, do you remember Ted Baily. He was foreman at Miry Lane and he used to drive a hearse?

William Warren was my granddad I never knew him because he died before I was born Edward WArren was my Uncle my mothers brother I am curious who Rob is .