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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Photo-a-Day Archive
Photo-a-Day Archive

Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 14th January, 2012)

New meets old


New meets old
A fine replacement for the old baths, the new sitting comfortably with the old.

Photo: Andrew Fishburn  (Canon EOS 5D)
Views: 4,163

Comment by: Duncan on 14th January 2012 at 10:12

Wonderful picture Andrew.

Comment by: Colin Harlow on 14th January 2012 at 10:16

That's a matter of opinion Andrew, for me, the old baths just needed modernising and bringing up-to-date...but that's Wigan council good at wasting our money.

Comment by: Mick on 14th January 2012 at 10:52

Colin to modernism the old baths would have cost more than it would cost to build the new one.

Comment by: Catherine on 14th January 2012 at 11:55

I think it looks really smart. The old baths were really tatty and something really needed to be done with them. Looking forward to seeing it for real in April.

Comment by: Bob the builder on 14th January 2012 at 12:25

mmm a bit like Lego blocks, there's more thought and character to the building on the right.

Comment by: Dave Marsh on 14th January 2012 at 13:34

It would be nice to see a few tables and chairs out there in the Summer.It looks like a good public area.

Comment by: Andrew Fishburn on 14th January 2012 at 13:52

Hi all, thanks for the kind comments.

Colin, i hear where you are comming from, but I suspect the old baths would have cost too much to keep running, however it was modernised. It was also a stunningly ugly building, the new more in keeping with it's surroundings and it will be a whole lot cheaper to run. Hardly a waste!

Comment by: Cyril on 14th January 2012 at 17:35

The other baths had been shoddily built possibly due to the fact a lot of the allocated money was spent on making safe the old mine workings that they came across, resulting with them always having problems with condensation damage. Also there was the schoolboy error in converting Metric into Imperial resulting in the fact that it was short by inches to be an Olympic pool as was envisaged at the time, so the name had to be changed from Olympic Pool to International Pool.

In the basement there was also a large crack in the concrete under the sixteen foot end and that was always leaking water, I doubt it was ever going to be a problem in the short term but it was there.

Comment by: henry7 on 14th January 2012 at 18:53

It looks great, can't wait to take a proper look at it. Belting photo Andrew.

Comment by: wcml on 14th January 2012 at 19:31

colin was you a regular swimmer or are you just a passing motorist who just saw the rotten windows and the rotten pitch roof that was leaking more water than the pool'i bet you never put your big toe in the pool'lol.bob the bodger its called keeping up with time its clean and modern and a breath of fresh air to our town,i say our money well spent if it was left to you our town buildings would all look like the old town hall

Comment by: Jean F (Wales) on 14th January 2012 at 20:23

I`m glad I havn`t passed a comment !!

Comment by: Denise on 14th January 2012 at 20:35

You are right about the baths being updated,however they could have built the new building in line with the Libaray and the what is now the council building which were designed all long time ago with people who knew what would last for years to come!!! Today's design team need to go back to school for history lesons.

Comment by: ann aspinall on 14th January 2012 at 21:05

is there anybody out there got a school photo of abraham guest 4b 1962

Comment by: Ellen on 15th January 2012 at 01:50

To Jean F; me too!

Comment by: incer71 on 15th January 2012 at 13:20

window man got a job there with his shammy leather

Comment by: Garry on 15th January 2012 at 20:28

wcml...so you will demolish your house if your windows are rotted and your roof is leaking would you?
I've never heard so much rubbish in all my life, that is NEVER the reason why the baths came to be demolished and cost us millions for a replacement building, it's more like politics.

Comment by: michael s davies australia on 16th January 2012 at 07:42

you must realise that pols have to spend our money,they never going to reduce the Rates or our Taxs,better new swimming pools and updating the parks than spending it overseas on Wars or the Rich people in the poor countrys.

Comment by: Dot on 16th January 2012 at 08:30

not heard good comments about the changing rooms, or lack of enough seperate changing rooms and people taking shots with mobiles underneath doors. Hope this issue improves.

Comment by: wcml on 16th January 2012 at 20:06

garry did you see the size of those windows and that roof dont know what size of house you live in but if i had window or roof problems that big yes i would,the cost of replacing them would be ,hundreds of thousands and weve not said anything about the heating or cafe or changing rooms the list is endless so whose talking rubbish. polotics no chance

Comment by: incer71 on 16th January 2012 at 22:24

what the xxxxx as politics got to do with building our beutiful new baths,for crying out loud''we shud all be cheering from the roof tops .as for garrys comments,why do you think alot of these staitley homes up down the country close there doors its because of very costly repairs ie roofing work and replacment heating,windows and general up keep. i mean comparing your house maintaince to something as large as your local international pool...i ask you who's talking rubbish

Comment by: Art on 17th January 2012 at 00:49

Compare it with the building across the street.....

Another architectural box..

Comment by: Sue Wells on 17th January 2012 at 10:45

incer71 and wcml really do annoy me those type of people who hide behind their name with a decoy name sums it up, they can't even write plain English....the new baths is absolutely awful just like your grammar.

Comment by: incer71 on 17th January 2012 at 14:07

what is awful about the baths its modern and brings a new look to our town,its people like yourself who put or town down all the time,. i know my grammer is not up to much but i say it as i see it and will stand up for my town .as for my decoy name,idont know or want to know you and you me so names mean nowt,but i know what id like to call you lot...misserable dinasours

Comment by: wcml on 17th January 2012 at 14:18

its all about oppinions sue,we might not agree but i do agree with incer71,andrew fishburn,catherine,dave marsh and probaly most people of our town.and what is wrong with a decoy name many use them as i dont want my real name known as i am 'FAMOUS'and a bit iliterate..

Comment by: Bill Eatock on 19th January 2012 at 22:12

Looking good.

Comment by: wallpaper on 4th March 2012 at 20:12

The money was from the eu fund not wiganers or uk tax payers to build it,I think it looks great,a really bonus to the street ,im not the biggest fan of wigan council but the improvments to the paths and road on libary street are good.
the old baths were ridded with asbestos so any inprovements would of cost a fortune

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