Legendary Bakery Offers Warm Welcome to All, Including Peter Kay
Marie Walsh, 88, remains a familiar presence at Ye Olde Pastie Shoppe in Bolton. She has spent more than 60 years connected to the shop.
Historic shop and Churchgate life
The shop premises date back at least 400 years. Wright Rigg, Jack Walsh’s great uncle, began the business decades ago.
Churchgate was once known as “Theatreland.” The Grand and Theatre Royal drew regular crowds and touring performers.
Family roots and early work
Marie was born Marie Norton and grew up on Bath Street at the top of Knowsley Street. Her father was Bill Norton, a former Bolton Wanderers and Bury FC player.
Her grandfather ran an ice-cream shop where she first served customers. During World War Two the shop briefly closed and her grandfather worked in a pit and later at Green’s pie factory.
Her father made deliveries for the Co-op dairy and worked alongside Bill Naughton, who later became a noted writer. The family later ran a temperance bar beside the Man and Scythe pub.
Marriage, children and the recipe
Marie married Jack Walsh in 1961 and the couple bought a house in Deane. Marie worked full-time in the pastie shop for many years.
The business originally sold only pies and pasties, made from a secret recipe. That recipe passed to Marie and to her son, Chris.
Marie and Jack had two children, Chris and Kay. Kay now lives in America with her family.
Generations at work and international visitors
Chris is married to Elena. Their sons, Nikolai, 15, and Christian, seven, enjoy working in the shop.
The premises now produce soup, pie and peas, cakes, tarts and bread on site. The pasties draw visitors from many countries to sample Bolton specialties.
Local fame, celebrities and community role
Performers from the theatre era were regulars. The Irish tenor Joseph Locke once visited the family kitchen between Grand Theatre shows.
This legendary bakery is known for offering a warm welcome to all. The shop has even served celebrities, including Peter Kay, who have dropped in for pasties.
Canine interests and civic life
Marie and Jack kept five Irish Wolfhounds at one time. She served as president of the Tonge and District Canine Society.
She was also vice-president of the national Irish Wolfhound Society and travelled the country as a judge. Her involvement helped raise the shop’s local profile.
Health challenges and continuing spirit
At age 70, Marie suffered a thrombosis while in America and almost lost her leg. She later faced a diagnosis of colon cancer.
Despite health setbacks, she worked into her seventies and stayed deeply involved in town life. Her memory of names and local events remains remarkable.
The Walsh family business continues under Chris’s stewardship. Filmogaz.com prepared this report from local records and family accounts.
