Wimpy Burger Bar .... Burnley

Clarets4me · Post by **Clarets4me** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:15 pm

Had friends round for lunch today, got to talking about old shops in Burnley, Freeman Hardy & Willis, Ames Records and the Wimpy ...

Even though she'd worked there in the late 70's as a Saturday girl & during holidays, neither Mrs Clarets4me nor our Guests could place the Wimpy ... best guess was St James Street, somewhere near where Althams is now ?

Anybody know ??

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:17 pm

Right where mc Donald's is....and you could smoke!

Somethingfishy · Post by **Somethingfishy** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:18 pm

It was on the balcony in the corner of the market square....basically upstairs of The Entertainer toy shop now.

gawthorpe_view · Post by **gawthorpe_view** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:19 pm

Top deck, now gone, of the market Square, in the corner, opposite the automatic doors that lead into the covered market.

Somethingfishy · Post by **Somethingfishy** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:20 pm

I remember one being on St James St too..think it moved but not sure which way round. Opposite McDs.

ontario claret · Post by **ontario claret** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:20 pm

Biggest rip-off in the world, all designed to part tourists from their money. I went into one in Manchester. My reaction? Is that all there is?!?

Devils_Advocate · Post by **Devils_Advocate** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:20 pm

As above I remember it being on the balcony on the WH Smiths side but more in the corner

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:22 pm

Opposite McDonalds slightly left.

A big deal at the time.

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:23 pm

Somethingfishy wrote:I remember one being on St James St too..think it moved but not sure which way round. Opposite McDs.

I must have been looking in a mirror right where McDonald's is now or ajacent.

Devils_Advocate · Post by **Devils_Advocate** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:25 pm

Quickenthetempo wrote:Opposite McDonalds slightly left.

A big deal at the time.

I remember one being here too as well as the balcony in the market square. Not sure which came first or if it was the same one but it moved

Somethingfishy · Post by **Somethingfishy** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:27 pm

tim_noone wrote:I must have been looking in a mirror right where McDonald's is now or ajacent.

Hmm I won't say no because maybe I am too young but i vaguely remember one roughly where Althams is opposite and definitely remember the one in the market square. Remember being taken by my mum and her pouring sugar on her chips as she used the wrong dispenser

Clarets4me · Post by **Clarets4me** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:27 pm

When I googled it, I was amazed to learn that there are still 80 Wimpeys trading in the UK !! I haven't seen one in years ....

From the responses, either Burnley had two Wimpeys, or the one on St James St. moved into the Market Sq. at some point ??

Clarets4me · Post by **Clarets4me** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:30 pm

Somethingfishy wrote:Hmm I won't say no because maybe I am too young but i vaguely remember one roughly where Althams is opposite and definitely remember the one in the market square. Remember being taken by my mum and her pouring sugar on her chips as she used the wrong dispenser

Is that the reason for your username, one of your first memories was your Mum saying " There's something fishy about these chips " ... ?

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:34 pm

Burnley did have 2 Wimpy's - one in the market square as said above and one on the row facing McDonalds in St James St

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:34 pm

The first one and only one I was aware of was 69/70 honky tonk woman on the juke box.the one roughly where Mc Donald's is now..later to become The Musketeer eating place. I relocated to pastures new not long after.

claretfern · Post by **claretfern** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:36 pm

Clarets4me wrote:When I googled it, I was amazed to learn that there are still 80 Wimpeys trading in the UK !! I haven't seen one in years ....

From the responses, either Burnley had two Wimpeys, or the one on St James St. moved into the Market Sq. at some point ??

I would say it moved at some point. I remember the old Wimpey Bar being at the side of the Palace bingo (where McDonald's is now)...it turned up again in the Market Square, corner of the balcony ( as mentioned)

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:42 pm

claretfern wrote:I would say it moved at some point. I remember the old Wimpey Bar being at the side of the Palace bingo (where McDonald's is now)...it turned up again in the Market Square, corner of the balcony ( as mentioned)

Thank f..ck for that...

Clarets4me · Post by **Clarets4me** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:52 pm

tim_noone wrote:Thank f..ck for that...

You know what they say about the 60's, " If you remember it, you weren't really there " ....

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:59 pm

Clarets4me wrote:You know what they say about the 60's, " If you remember it, you weren't really there " ....

Correct I was under the influence of Largactil and in a tangerine dream!

basil6345789 · Post by **basil6345789** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 12:08 am

3 sites; first in Palace building, then on balckny in Market Square, then finally back to St James' s St but on other side.

BFCmaj · Post by **BFCmaj** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 6:43 am

Was there also one in the Nelson Arndale?

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:20 am

I seem to remember both Wimpy’s being open at the same time?

It was always the one on the balcony in the market square I went to. The place I missed was the El Greco when that went. It was quite big as well, and was often busy at weekends.

Vintage Claret · Post by **Vintage Claret** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 8:14 am

Ah memories..
My favourite was The Record Exchange up Standish St, used to spend hours in there browsing through hundreds of ex juke box 35p singles and 2nd hand LP's

Do remember the Wimpey on the market square balcony but not the St James St one though Mrs Vintage Claret remembers one being opposite side to McDonalds next to Benn's toy shop where there is a chippy now.

CharlieinNewMexico · Post by **CharlieinNewMexico** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 8:25 am

BFCmaj wrote:Was there also one in the Nelson Arndale?

Yes. Ran all the way across the back on the balcony above the stairs.

wilks_bfc · Post by **wilks_bfc** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 8:25 am

BFCmaj wrote:Was there also one in the Nelson Arndale?

There was. It was up the stairs from the upper floor

BFCmaj · Post by **BFCmaj** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 9:48 am

Thought so. I remember having lime milkshake there as a nipper.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 10:14 am

The only photos I can find on the Burnley/Lancashire history sites are taken from where the Wimpey's were facing outwards.

I'm sure I have seen photos of the old Wimpey's before though.

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 10:26 am

St James’ St Wimpy on the right.

St James’ St Wimpy a bit closer

Balcony being ripped down in Market square

The Balcony Wimpy location

The original Wimpy next to the Palace Theatre

Clarets4me · Post by **Clarets4me** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 10:51 am

That's brilliant " Claretforever " ....... Mrs Clarets4me has promised to roll back the years and flip us a couple of Burgers for Tea !!

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 10:58 am

I remember the one shown on the pics from when I was a kid so it was there some considerable number of years ago. And brilliant pics Claretforever.

ŽižkovClaret · Post by **ŽižkovClaret** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 11:39 am

Miss aladins cave which was next to it on the balcony. Used to have a scrap every other week on the school bus so only bought cheap headphones haha

burnmark · Post by **burnmark** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 12:17 pm

Did the one on the balcony become ‘Burger Chef’ in later life?

We stopped in Woolwich for the game at Charlton that clinched the Championship. We were all surprised to see a Wimpy there across from The Wetherspoons we were in.

Chobulous · Post by **Chobulous** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 12:32 pm

I always had it in my head that Sonny Liston came to open the original Wimpy, because I remember going down town to see him arrive, but by the power of Google it turns out he was presenting a prize at Palace Bingo.

Chobulous · Post by **Chobulous** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 12:35 pm

Something I always wondered, was Wimpy named after Mr Wimpy in the Popeye cartoons or maybe vice versa?

Spike · Post by **Spike** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 1:02 pm

was the Broadswords on two levels?

Vino blanco · Post by **Vino blanco** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 2:27 pm

I went in the first Wimpy bar, roughly where McDonalds is now, with my mother and my older brother on the second day it opened. I can still taste that first bite into this strange new type of food and thinking how wonderful and different it was. I came out of the Wimpy bar feeling American in a sort of way.

pureclaret · Post by **pureclaret** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 2:50 pm

And native elephants taxis

ontario claret · Post by **ontario claret** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 4:06 pm

We still have a Wimpey's five miles from where I live, in Whitby, Ontario, but they're not related, I'm sure. Their food is actually edible.

hampsteadclaret · Post by **hampsteadclaret** » Mon Oct 22, 2018 4:23 pm

Spike wrote:was the Broadswords on two levels?

What was the ground floor of the Broadswords, was certainly at balcony level. [in the corner next to the cinemas..]

Pretty sure there were some stairs inside the pub, taking you up to another level..[first floor]

Socially it was an OK venue but it sold those truly vile Younger's beers..Tartan bitter and the like - that minimised my visits.

I believe it became a proper drugs den eventually, and that led to it's closure..

- just like 'The Hop' to be honest

Eloise Laws · Post by **Eloise Laws** » Tue Oct 23, 2018 5:15 am

I remember the Wimpy in the 60’s, pyrex coffee cups and saucers and it had a window inside that over looked the ‘tunnel’ leading down to the side entrance to the old Market Hall & Websters toy shop. The two newer Wimpys that were on the Market Balcony, and St James St were open at the same time and owned by a man called Neil Slinger he also opened the Nelson one - paid us just over £2 for a Saturday job!

Clarets4me · Post by **Clarets4me** » Tue Oct 23, 2018 10:42 am

Eloise Laws wrote:I remember the Wimpy in the 60’s, pyrex coffee cups and saucers and it had a window inside that over looked the ‘tunnel’ leading down to the side entrance to the old Market Hall & Websters toy shop. The two newer Wimpys that were on the Market Balcony, and St James St were open at the same time and owned by a man called Neil Slinger he also opened the Nelson one - paid us just over £2 for a Saturday job!

Mrs Clarets4me remembers " Frothy Coffee " and the best selling " Knickerbocker Glories " ....

Eloise Laws · Post by **Eloise Laws** » Tue Oct 23, 2018 12:41 pm

Mrs Clarets4me remembers " Frothy Coffee " and the best selling " Knickerbocker Glories " ....

I will take credit for that then as i worked the ‘stills’...making coffee, teas, ice cream sodas, knickerbocker glory, brown derby, banana splits, and tge rest!

longhair · Post by **longhair** » Tue Oct 23, 2018 2:16 pm

The brodswords and the cinema closed because they were going to gat the market square but it never happened

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Tue Oct 23, 2018 3:35 pm

longhair wrote:The brodswords and the cinema closed because they were going to gat the market square but it never happened

Good cinema that... Saw Enter the Dragon and clockwork Orange on leaving the cinema every one was Bruce Lee...or mc Dowell? In white skinners

didn't bother with Last tango in Paris!

Spaceman · Post by **Spaceman** » Tue Oct 23, 2018 5:32 pm

I was so used to getting a chip butty in wimpys that I thought it was a menu item. When I asked for one in that London I was laughed out of the shop.
Broadswords was for denim clad rockers wasn't it? Status Quo and all that.

Mala591 · Post by **Mala591** » Tue Oct 23, 2018 5:44 pm

If my memory serves me correctly

The Atlantis had a pin ball machine upstairs
The El Greco had excellent giant cheese and tomato teacakes
The Wimpy had a Jukebox with lots of American soul music

What more could a bored 14 year old ask for!

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Tue Oct 23, 2018 5:45 pm

Spaceman wrote:I was so used to getting a chip butty in wimpys that I thought it was a menu item. When I asked for one in that London I was laughed out of the shop.
Broadswords was for denim clad rockers wasn't it? Status Quo and all that.

Not in the early seventies ...

Steddyman · Post by **Steddyman** » Tue Oct 23, 2018 10:19 pm

Somethingfishy wrote:It was on the balcony in the corner of the market square....basically upstairs of The Entertainer toy shop now.

Exactly. I used to go there every Saturday morning with my brother and get a Knickerbocker Glory.