End of an era

Brothers Keith and Gordon Jackson have for the past 21 years run the Queen Street business founded by their grandfather back in 1905. The premises have been sold for conversion to offices.

Keith is retiring, and Gordon, Leigh Business Partnership chairman for the past seven years, is going into semi-retirement.

The bazaar story began when James Jackson moved to Leigh from Risley. After 12 hours on nights at Butts Mill he would sleep for four hours then mend pushbikes during the day.

He set-up a cycle business at 23 Queen Street and, in 1911, opened number 9 as Jackson's Bazaar. A year later he bought the present site alongside the railway arches. The family cycle shop closed in 1975 when Keith and Gordon's uncle,Wilf, retired.

At one time the whole family was employed when Jacksons had 14 staff and three horse-drawn shops.

The brothers' father, Stanley, took over in 1947 they related some amusing tales about him.

Hair grow

Keith recalled selling phostrogen loose in tubs and said Stanley regularly took off his cap, dipped his hand in the tub and smeared it on his head: "He swore it made his hair grow."

Gordon will continue his LBP role: "I am determined to see the regeneration of Leigh town centre to make it a better place."

Jacksons have been familiar figures around Leigh since the turn of the century but they were prominent in the community much further back in time -- as cattle rustlers!

Keith has traced the family roots back to 1561 when cattle rustler Athelston Jackson was chased-off Lord Holcroft's land in Risley by his lordship's son-in-law Captain Blood. By 1600 the Jacksons were yeomen farmers, presumably raising their own cattle!

Keith was helped in the ancestry quest by uncle Wilf's son, Donald, who now lives in Monmouth and is the Queen's Scribe. The top caligrapher is still working on a five year project which has earned him two million dollars from an American Bible group to translate the St John's Bible into illuminated script.