A chippy dubbed 'one of Bolton's finest eateries' by Paddy McGuinness has celebrated its 40th birthday.
Rigby's Chippy has been part of the fabric of Deane Church Lane since Madness topped the charts with House of Fun and it even made an appearance on an episode of Top Gear back in 2020. Last Monday (June 6) marked 40 years since it opened its doors for the first time.
Matriarch Margaret Rigby has run the family chip shop for the past four decades, firstly alongside husband Norman and now with the help of daughters Andrea and Diane. Margaret, 80, told the Manchester Evening News how Norman told her that he had taken the building over while he was off work.
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"We lived across the road and my husband had an accident and had been sat outside for quite a long time," she recalled. "I said 'are you coming in, you've been sat out here for hours' and he told me that he was thinking. He went back inside and got on the phone and after that he said 'I just bought you that chip shop'.
"It was an absolute dump. I couldn't believe what he'd done!"
Along with traditional fish and chips, Rigby's is especially loved in the local area for its 'mixes' - featuring smaller portions of fish, pie or pudding, with sides such as chips and mushy peas, for those who just want a little meal, without breaking the bank. A fish mix, featuring half a fish and sides, costs just £2.90, the same price a full fish.
Trying to pinpoint the secret of her success and longevity, Margaret explained it quite simply. "Just being friendly," she smiled.
"We have a lot of friends here and we've never had any trouble thankfully. No one comes in to torment us!"
Margaret's most famous customer is Paddy McGuinness, who visited the show on the opening episode of the 29th series premiere of Top Gear. In the episode, the hosts had to spend 24 hours in a car without leaving and Paddy visited Rigby's for some lunch and described it as 'one of Bolton's finest eateries' on the voiceover.
Margaret said that her relationship with the McGuinness family goes back a long time. "I used to be friendly with his dad and we've kept friends," she said.
"I see him now and again. I can phone him whenever I want but I don't pester him because he's busy but we still keep in touch.
"That day, he rang up and said they were coming for their dinner because they couldn't get out of their cars for 24 hours."
