Wigan Album

Brilliant photo, Veronica. We have had some really good ones this week. I remember those litter-bins! And look how busy it was! I wish I could do a "Garry Sparrow" and go back, just for a few hours.

A typical picture of a 'bustling' town centre, that Wigan is anything but these days. The tudor style buildings on the right of the picture are just in front of where Iceland is now. I believe they were demolished in the mid 1980s when work began to widen Powell Street into the existing Northway dual carriageway. Very sad these beautiful buildings are long gone from a town which lost it's character and charm many years ago.

CJ

Really interesting picture . Busy Irene yes , but one might say congested and full of traffic fumes like most towns before the M6 was built .

Looks to me like late 1950s to early 1960 looking at the makes of vehicles. Really interesting of how Wigan was and how I remember it. These recent photos have brought back some great memories.

Some great photos Veronica, along with interesting comments as should be. A wonderful scene that wouldn't really change until some years later, that was when the lunatics took over the asylum and the town centre began to be decimated. The sign on the shop gable looks to be for for Preston's furniture shop which is across the road beyond the Dog i'th Thatch pub, the man who owned that shop was a wrestler and he always looked as though his biceps and shoulders were about to burst out of his suit.

The Dog i'th Thatch was a good pub, and was another building that should have become listed as should those across the road, as they had been built around 13th century buildings, sadly this only became apparent when they were demolished. Part of a 13th century wooden wattle and daub frame from the Standishgate buildings which was rescued from going to the tip can be viewed in the original Blue Coat school on Bishopgate.

I have a full book of Observer photos Cyril, I’ll get through them gradually.

A larger image is already on the web site,
https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=10185&gallery=Standishgate&page=3

Can't wait to see your photos from the Observer, Veronica.