Wigan Album

FRED GRIMES

That's the one Ron, he always had some nice motors in but they were usually way above my pay scale. I was more your bangers for patching kind of motorist.

Was there, a long time ago, a Girls High School in this area ? I have a mind that my Mother was at the school.

I think this photograph of Mab's Cross monument was taken about 1990, as the concrete lampposts are being replaced with metal ones. There are no vehicles in sight so was after Central Park Way opened took traffic away from Standishgate and the lower part of Wigan Lane. The cherry blossom means it is late April or early May. And Wigan Parish church is visible and the spire of another former church, I think it was St Paul's United Reformed.

The cross used to be on the opposite side of the road. I wonder why it was moved?

Yes Helen, the monument pictured was directly in front of The Wigan Girls High School.

Roy, thank you for that information.

Mr X, this photograph is well past 1990. I grew up in Swinley - the concrete lighting columns along this stretch of Standishgate & Mesnes Road were still up and running well into the 2000s. The street photographs on this site will confirm this. The one in the picture is probably an odd one that needed replacing if it's been damaged in a road collision or something.

Jack - the cross was moved in the early 1920s, as part of a road widening scheme.

Thanks for that Mick LD.