Wigan Album

Spent many an happy hour or three in there in the 70s and early 80s

me and a friend one night went down the turnkey we were supposed to go to the palais but where starving.my mate ordered chicken and barley broth on my recommend.he just had another bowl and skipped the main meal.it was delicious.

I can remember going for a meal there in the early 1970s, and also recall going for a night out when there was a group on. They sang Nutbush City Limits, which is all very well sung with a slight American accent, but the lead singer sang it with a Lancashire accent as broad as a pitman's clog, and everyone was just falling about laughing!

Had some fantastic steaks in there in the early 70's. The pearl barley soup was fantastic. The tall lady on the desk was really helpful, was she the owner. Loved the way The Turkey was decorated with lots of Victoriana. Great memories.

You went to the Turnkey for a special meal in the 70s - it was a treat to go there.

Henry7 - was the lady you mention Barbara, the wife of the owner, Roger Doxsey?
She was later at the Wiggin Tree, on Parbold Hill.

Mick and henry7, the lady you mention was Barbara Chew. She was not married to Roger Doxsey, or to anyone else for that matter. She was originally from Blackburn and moved to Wigan to be Manageress of The Turnkey in the early 70s. She lived originally in one of the streets near to the infirmary, but was our next door neighbour here in Standish from 1976 until 18 months ago.

That is a funny story Irene, I would loved to have heard that!

Love the expression,"Broad as a pitmans clog ".

A friend of mine named Josie Byrne worked on the front desk. In the 70s too

tbone steak for 2.50 brilliant wonder who got the 100 year old bottle of whiskey when it closed.

Used to go every week for the chicken & barley broth, Yum! We had our wedding reception there in 1969. I still have the rolling pin the management gave us with the Turnkey burned into it!!!

I was head chef there in the mid seventies. I remember making the chicken and barley broth. I used to love doing the Lancashire Nights so I could have bangers and mash. One of my second chefs was David Atherton, if you see this Dave, Big Al says Hi.

My family went to the Turnkey for special occasions in the seventies. Always remember dressing up and the smell as soon as you walked through the doors. Great memories!

I went to the Turnkey as a child in the 1970s for a meal, it was one of the few pubs to let children in. I remember the children's menu was railway themed, e.g Fireman's Favourite, Engine Driver's Special (which was fish fingers/ sausages, chips etc), and the tables were set out in a mock cobbled street with Victorian shop windows. It was a real treat!

This was our go to restaurant for a great family meal in the 1970s. I believed (true?) it used to be a gaol hence the name and the display of old handcuffs etc but maybe just marketing. I particularly recall the apple pie and the friendliness of the place. Happy times!

Had some lovely meals down there in the 1970's, it seemed so special with its walls set out like a Dickensian street with bowed and bay windows.