Looking Back: Bolton Wimpy Bar and sun brought crowds to Victoria Square

This photo shows Victoria Square in Bolton in the sunshine. The benches outside the shopping centre are full and summer is clearly in the air. Among the shops are British Home Stores, Clegg’s, Saxone and at the far right a Wimpy Bar.

Did you ever head into town for a Wimpy burger?

To put you out of your misery, the picture was taken in June 1969.

Source

Didn't there used to be a Wimpy on the on the opposite corner to where it is on the picture? I'm sure i remember it being on the other side of the walkway that went down to St Andrews Court?

Norpig wrote:Didn't there used to be a Wimpy on the on the opposite corner to where it is on the picture? I'm sure i remember it being on the other side of the walkway that went down to St Andrews Court?

Yes! It used to be where Tiffany's is now.

It used to gave a big sign in red with white righting on but don't recall ever going in as a child though but always went past.

Andy's records was where Wimpy was in that photo above.

I'm pretty sure it was the first burger joint chain in the UK to give table service as well from memory!

After having a good look at this picture again and google street view, I think it is the same place as that part of the building looks stepped back a bit on the photo.

Ah yes you are right KP! Didn't notice that first time round, should have gone to specsavers!

Norpig wrote:Ah yes you are right KP! Didn't notice that first time round, should have gone to specsavers!

You are not the only one!

Used to love the fountains on the square when i was a kid. Remember the birds in the Arndale as well?

Norpig wrote:Didn't there used to be a Wimpy on the on the opposite corner to where it is on the picture? I'm sure i remember it being on the other side of the walkway that went down to St Andrews Court?

It is clearly shown on the picture as you say later but I too remember a cafe on the left hand side - and unless my memory is playing tricks on me, I used to meet a mate of mine in the downstairs part of the cafe, after school.

Maybe it wasn't the Wimpey and was a cafe with a different name, or maybe it was and the Wimpy moved location from, or to, where it is shown on the picture to where we remember it to be?

How odd that three of us remember a cafe to the left of the picture - something must have been there.

Thinking about it, the Wimpey in the picture IS correct (I do remember it being there now) BUT it wasn't part of the Arndale - there was a walk-through (maybe even a small road I think?), with Andy's Record shop down the side and facing the side of the Wimpey.

i didn't look at it closely enough initially and the angle its taken from made it look like the same block.

Norpig wrote:i didn't look at it closely enough initially and the angle its taken from made it look like the same block.

Yes, I understood that.

What I was trying to say was that I remember a cafe being to the left of the picture, towards the Mothercare end.

I can't remember the name of it and maybe I'm simply just misremembering going downstairs at the Wimpey where it is shown on the picture.

I've misremembered a couple of things of bygone Bolton from 50 years ago on these threads recently, so I'm not saying I'm right in what I remember but merely that is how I'd remembered it being.

I do remember the budgies in the budgie cage though - I remember the Arndale being built actually.

The budgies didn't actually last that long before the cage was left empty and remained like that for years after.

As for the fountains, it was always fun when someone poured washing up liquid into them and the place was covered in foam bubbles.

Are you not on about Russell’s? This is the only place that has stairs to a downstairs cafe that I know of. It’s been there a very long time and not far from the market hall and Knowsley street.



Norpig, I don’t remember any birds in the Arndale or Ship Gates as I remember it as. It had a right funny smell in there when walking from the crompton place of lacquer or similar.

Thanks but no it wasn't there.

I just remember there being a cafe or similar, maybe a Greggs type shop (although it was before Greggs became popular) that I seem to remember being on the front of the Arndale, to the left as you look at it, towards the Mothercare side of the Square.

I might well be wrong, its just that it is where I remembered it to be.

It's 50 years ago though now and I've proved to myself on here that my recollection of these things isn't perfect, so I'm not claiming I'm right about what I remembered, it is simply how I do.

As for the budgies they were only there for a short time, I think they got sick and died.

(I think the cage was restocked and they all died again?)

And the cage was left empty for years after that.

Well that's how I remembered it anyway!!!





Seems I was right, sort of...



Bolton Arndale Centre's new tenants revealed - 40 budgies!

HUNDREDS of people crowded into Bolton’s Arndale Shopping Centre in 1971 to greet the centre’s newest star attraction - 40 budgies!

A large aviary had been installed in the centre and had previously housed a number of parrots. But when one of them became diseased, all the parrots had to be removed from the centre.

Manager Joe Ducker said that the cage had been given the all-clear and that it was safe for the budgies to be moved into their £1,000 home.

The birds were supplied by local breeder Mr A S Cooke who is pictured letting them loose into the main cage in the centre.

The centre had appointed a member of staff - Joe Howarth - as the man in charge of the new tenants.

“They seem chirpy enough,” he told an Evening News reporter as the birds were being introduced to their new home.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/19230363.bolton-arndale-centres-new-tenants-revealed---40-budgies/

Christ, all this nostalgia is making me feel old.

I remember the birds in the Arndale as a kid so must have been late 70s/early 80's?

Norpig wrote:I remember the birds in the Arndale as a kid so must have been late 70s/early 80's?

The article above says the parrots went in, in 1971, the budges were before then.

I've no idea how long the parrots lasted but if you remember them and you're 52 (as per your avatar - I've not been stalking you!), then it probably is around the time you suggest.

I'd thought they gone long before then but my record of remembering stuff like this is clearly pretty bad!

Sluffy wrote:

The article above says the parrots went in, in 1971, the budges were before then.

I've no idea how long the parrots lasted but if you remember them and you're 52 (as per your avatar - I've not been stalking you!), then it probably is around the time you suggest.

I'd thought they gone long before then but my record of remembering stuff like this is clearly pretty bad!

Great hearing these memories. I always thought that, come retirement, I'd return home to live out he rest of my life, but it didn't happen. 
Don't think it will now, and I'm not sure why. Maybe I'm just too old to want the upheaval now.
Maybe I'm better off paying the odd visit, and just living on the memories.
As a young man I used to roll my eyes listening to the old codgers nattering on about the old times, old haunts, old mates. I'm not so cocky now.