Wigan Album

Many if not most people will not know that Ben Turner's was a butcher's shop. Why not give BASIC INFORMATION when posting photographs of this kind?

bluechieftain2, blame me. Shirley very kindly sent me the photos to publish on the site.

They're open to comments so its great that anyone can contribute more info.

Not blaming anyone, Brian, just making a suggestion. These are great photos of Woodcock Street!

I know you're not blaming anyone... Twas an oversight by moi. ;)
The point I was trying to make is that comments are welcome, so that between us all we can create a better understanding and awareness of pictures/locations etc for future visitors.

Thanks for your comments.

Must have been some butcher's shop, all those people !

I worked in the office there from leaving school in 1962 for about three years.

The Hockery Brook pub in Hindley was built for Ben Turner as his house,so I have been told,it then became St Peter's Vicarage which I do remember,then the Amberswood Pub,finally the Hockery Brook.

can someone help i am dying to know where woodcock st is or was??

Woodcock street was opposite the front of the old Market Hall, on the same side as the bottom entrance to the Grand Arcade to the left, Ben Turners was next to what was once upon a time fish stalls,

I bet that was a grand day out.It's photos like this that help my age group see a little of our parents lives.

To the right of the single storey shop would be a National Westminster Bank Branch in the 1950's and 60's at the bottom of the Bank Yard. On the other side of that was the lower entrance to the Makinson Arcade.
Opposite on the other side of the road was a superb wrought iron front of the old Market Hall and to the right of that were some fish merchants stalls. Turning the corner was the fruit and veg area of the market hall. The taller property to the left in the photo in the 1950's and 1960's was Crank & Burtons Hardware shop, which I think was moved from the old Central station site which has now been subsumed by the new shopping Mall.
As to the Number of staff I believe there were shops in Woodcock Street,Whelley, Lower Ince, Hindley and Abram all supported by a single slaughterhouse.

Just a simple comment, a brilliant photo, recording the past so clearly.

The small shop in the photo many years after this became a dolls hospital, and later still became Fred Dones bookmakers which then moved to Mesnes St and is today Betfreds.

The tall building to the left of Turners is "Ashtons Cold store and Ice merchants" They were fish and fowl sellers and my mother worked there as a cleaner. Round the corner into Hope Street was Davies's fish merchants where my ex wife started work in the office. Next was the Salvation Army where a few of my friends attended. Next was the back entrance into British Home Stores where my daughter worked on a Saturday.

Notice billboard advert for alsteads based on dicconson st.
http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/images3/wv45.jpg

Thank you whoever put the info. on about the dolls hospital. My best doll was mended there and I did wonder where it was. I also had a Silver Cross doll's pram which must have cost a fortune in the 1950's and Ces Mountford's wife,so I was told, knitted the pram blanket for it. Apparently the Christmas Day I got it I spent most of the day playing with a 9d cash till bought from Peacocks stall as a stocking filler,ignoring the pram and contents. Always was an ungrateful brat!

Think the M W on the side of the cars or buses stands for Middleton and Wood.They ran a car hire service as well as the funeral service in them days.

Amazing what you see when you actually look at a photo. It seems to say ' Daily Service- Wigan Blackpool ' near the running boards. Perhaps that where they were all off to...Blackpool. Really interesting pic.

Frank,the Salvation Army Hall was on Hope Street and as I remember there was a fish shop next door. On Sundays, going to meetings, there were always a good few fish heads sbout, by the front door,- and a strong smell of fish!
The Salvation Army were at Hope Hall for a good number of years, from about the 1920's or before?? until the late 1950's when they moved to premises in Millgate before moving to their current Hall in the Scholes area

Wasn't the Fish shop James Reid and Sons, next to what became the "Wishbone" Cafe ? I remember the open fronted "shed" that was the Fish Market until the early 60's just along to the left of this photo. It must have been bloody cold working in there in the winter as they also had ice on the slabs which made things even worse. What was the name of the little alleyway beyond the fish stalls that cut through to Standishgate ?

Take a look at this for comparison...

http://wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=2134&gallery=Woodcock+Street%2C+Wigan&offset=0

You will need to copy and paste

I do wish you could do live links on here! :-D

I remember the alleyway and also a "fent" shop by the name of Cain's, but I cant put a name to it. One of the fishmongers under the verandah was Harry Finch whose brother Arthur was one time Rector of Wigan. Another fishmonger was Benny Naylor.

Dave and Fred - the alley was Little Hope Street.

<a href="http://wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=2134&gallery=Woodcock+Street%2C+Wigan&offset=0">Link text</a>

When we were married the best man and I had suits made by Alsteads The salesman was Jack Simm. He had a daughter, Evelyn who was a head teacher in Wigan somewhere. She died a couple of years ago aged 90+