Photo-a-Day  (Wednesday, 4th January, 2023)

A good clean would not go amiss

That is ugly !!! What on earth is it there for ?

You would think the friends of Scholes Village would get this famous Wigan rugby ball cleaned up.

Like many others I have good memories of Central Park and I do like the sculpture but it could have been put in a much better place.Also the shrubbery which seems the norm on car parks and the town centre always looks tatty and not well maintained and usually full of rubbish,a same really.

Alan it was a memorial erected by Tesco to commemorate not only the central park ground but also past members who's ashes were scattered on the rugby field. In 2019 Tesco were asked to clean the memorial but I don't think this got done? If it did it wants doing again. It should have been put in a more prominent position has it is tucked away and gets overgrown at times.

That is so sad it’s been neglected. I remember seeing a photo of it a few years ago when it was newly installed. It’s not very nice walking down the ‘ginnel’ from Standishgate either to get to Tesco.

Alan, it's there on Tesco's Car Park because that's where Central Park used to be. The ball has looked half-hidden, uncared-for and unkempt since it was put there and Wigan Rugby Players, their loyal fans and and Central Park itself deserved better than this.

Alan , it's there so people can buy food and stuff .

Irene, in this life people get what they work for, if the fans etc deserve a cleaner memorial, then they should clean it. It is of little interest to everyone else

It’s so hidden away that folk don’t notice it…

It looks filthy, tired and dated. Much like the ground that it commemorates was towards the end sadly, it's a great show of the town's strength and unity that the football club allow the rugby to rent such a great stadium from them

When going into Tesco I doubt many folk ever taking notice of that monument anymore, after all it is around 22 years since it was erected and even more since the rugby ground was there, and like all objects after a while they just blend into the background. The shrubs around there and the Tesco car park are maintained and clipped regularly and as for litter if there is any it would soon be cleared, nor is there any litter in the photo.

PeterP, maybe a better and more prominent site for it would be next to Dave Whelan's statue outside the DW stadium where the club is situated.

According to this WEP article Tesco was looking for a specialist contractor to do the cleaning in 2019. https://www.wigantoday.net/news/people/wigan-supermarket-urged-clean-rugby-monument-943494

Though personally I would have left it alone, with being it made from Bronze it should be allowed to weather to a natural lovely patina which some folk mistake for it being dirty, with all this cleaning it will end up being ruined. Wonder what sculptor Joanne Risley who designed and made the monument would say about it?

People, it's not Tesco's car park, it's Wigan Cpouncil's car park and it's Wigan Council's rugby ball. Neither is it in Scholes.

I've still not been into that shop simply because I didn't agree with it being built there!

It's best not to clean bronze and brass sculptures out in the open (or indoors unless you just like shiny things - but watching the Antiques Roadshow should have told you how much value is lost when bronzes are polished) - they gain a patina over time which ages well. Start polishing them, and you can never stop - how many tins of Brasso would it take, anyway?
The plinth and steps do need regular cleaning, though. The bronze is bound to leach chemicals downwards - this should have been allowed for when the materials were chosen and better, less porous, materials used.

Cyril,do you think that looks tidy?

Bushes need cutting back, concrete needs cleaning and it needs some new bulbs in the spot lights

freddie, I am not a rugby fan, I was just speaking on behalf of the many people in Wigan who are.

Cyril,do you think that looks tidy?

Pw, Cyril will have to look up whats tidy on Goooogle before he comes back with an answer.

Come on now Mick , there’s nowt much amiss with googling stuff in my view … it may be a bit misguided but we all do it don’t we ?

I do anyway , although I remain perfectly aware that the information received may well be at worst incorrect , or at best , somewhat biased.

I’ve just googled Liz Truss actually … remember her ? …
Well , it would appear that although the useless cow has been relegated to the back benches and is currently enjoying a well deserved rest , she still retains her position as m.p. for some backwater constituency on the east coast at a salary of
£ 84,144 per annum , …in addition to an annual allowance of £115,00 PA for 50 days spent pretending to be the leader of a once great country .

Now you can choose to believe that , or you can choose not to .

But when it comes to an oxidised , oversized , overpriced statue of an oval bronze ball , then you can most definitely believe that I personally couldn’t give a flying fadge … one way or t’other .

And there goes another post that most likely will not see the light of day .

Pw, if you're not happy with how it looks and you're able to then go down with Mick with a mop, bucket and scrubbing brush, don't forget clippers and a hoe, as Ozy rightly says, and well said Ozy why should anyone else but the RL fans and those who are complaining about it go along and clean and tidy it.

Bruce there isn't anything there that belongs to the council Tesco paid good money for the land from the rugby club and they now own it, read the WEP article about how Tesco paid for the ball monument as a gesture of goodwill.

You'll be lucky to find light bulbs for them fittings Mick, wasn't they banned in 2021, have a look on Google or ask your Shevy mates Syd or Bruce.

Cyril,do you think that looks tidy?that’s all I asked.

The picture says it all Pw. Surely.

I hope you weren’t waiting of a cock crowing Pw… ;0))

Veronica,The second time my comment came on is a mystery to me,it has happened to me many times,no idea why.

Cyril,do you think that looks tidy?that’s all I asked.

Someone is taking the Mick.

Ha ha ha, oh dear Pw. Sometimes mine don’t appear at all -same as Ozy! It must be the inspectorate…. Being vigilant ..

I have heard rumours that Tesco are not happy with that Wigan store, because it does not make enough money, and I can't see Aldi or Lidl wanting a store and car park of that size, so the land will probably be sold off for housing.

You're right Pw, someone is taking the Mick.
Mick, I do have Google Chrome, though other search engines are available. I've searched 'Tidy' and a synonym is 'Chipper' and that's a word I'm sure you'd prefer to hear, especially with a potato going through it.

The link below shows the monument when unveiled and the shrubs are but twigs in the ground.
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wigantoday.net%2Fimages-a.jpimedia.uk%2Fimagefetch%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.lep.co.uk%2Fwebimage%2FPrestige.Item.1.110708961!image%2Fimage.jpg%3Fwidth%3D640%26quality%3D65%26smart&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wigantoday.net%2Fnews%2Fpeople%2Fwigan-supermarket-urged-clean-rugby-monument-943494&tbnid=paUN8gVdOBeUHM&vet=12ahUKEwiq8-yH1bD8AhWARKQEHUW5DfwQMygCegQIARAm..i&docid=qyEDyIpLwbniGM&w=640&h=478&q=photos%20of%20the%20rugby%20ball%20monument%20at%20Tesco%20Wigan&ved=2ahUKEwiq8-yH1bD8AhWARKQEHUW5DfwQMygCegQIARAm

Cyril I have problems doing these links sometimes it does it but more often it doesn’t so I’m not even attempting this one..being the gentleman you are I know you will understand. Never mind what Mick sez from that house over there in LaLa Land..

Ps usually there’s some chap collecting trolleys when people leave them in curious places. He could go around with a mop rag and bucket to clean the monument if it belongs to Tesco and it’s Tesco ground. While he’s at it he could clean the mucky ‘ginnel ‘.
.

Veronica, the photo in the link shows Billy Boston and others with sculptor Joanne Risley at the monuments unveiling, what I didn't do is to thank Johnston Press for the image.

That ginnel has been awful for a good few years, with muggings, rapes and attempted rapes, I'm surprised it hasn't been gated off before now, unless who ever owns it objected. I remember Tesco at one time wanting to have part of it for an alternative in/out route; the road would have gone onto Worsley Terrace and onto Standishgate, but the council threw the plan out.

Sir Bob, there have been umpteen rumours about this Tesco store closing and the land being used for different purposes over the last twenty years.

Tesco bought the Central Park lease.

I tend to use that ginnel on a regular basis actually Cyril , but as yet I have never been the victim of rape , or attempted rape even .
What would be the best time to go down there do you reckon ?

OOH ! … have you seen the muck in here ?