Brilliant black and white pictures of Wigan mill staff at work and heading on holiday with their families

By Charles Graham

Published 16th Jul 2026, 15:45 GMT

Tens of thousands of people once worked in Wigan’s cotton mills, the majority of them women, and some feature in our latest nostalgic collection of photographs.

We have wound the clock back several decades with pictures from the Wigan Today archives of staff at work as well as on their way to holidays, with their families, during wakes weeks.

13. A Wigan youngster ready to set off

. Photo: SUBMITTED

Photo Sales

14. Workers at Trencherfield Mill in Wigan say farewell to one of their retiring colleagues in 1966

. Photo: Gary Brunskill

Photo Sales

Wigan Tens of thousands

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Brilliant black and white pictures of Wigan mill staff at work and heading on holiday with their families

Tens of thousands of people once worked in Wigan’s cotton mills, the majority of them women, and some feature in our latest nostalgic collection of photographs.

13. A Wigan youngster ready to set off

14. Workers at Trencherfield Mill in Wigan say farewell to one of their retiring colleagues in 1966

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