Wigan Album

An excellent find Veronica, I always wondered if a photo existed. I can see the dome and roof of Central Station in the background and the construction of Crompton House taking place behind the Church.
I never went to Sunday School at St John's to be indoctrinated but in this one they they read good stories, played games and gave you a lollipop on the way out, what more could you ask for.
My dad being a staunch Catholic would have gone mad if he knew!
Those men look quite bewildered at the scale and rapidity of the change.

Thanks to Cyril for finding the photos he’s very good at googling! I bet the men are at a loss because the Bluebell pub is no longer there and all the other pubs on Scholes have gone the same way. I would love to know what is being said!

Veronica, I was sure that I had seen the image somewhere, and I'm still convinced that it's somewhere on this site. So it is a big thanks to Frank for taking the photos and of course his then boss at the Wigan Evening Post for sending him out to take the photographs of Scholes at the time of so much demolition, as I had never seen this nor a lot of other buildings in Scholes.
I'm not on Google now as I had to do a Windows reset with Google having gone corrupt, I was thinking someone had been trying to hack into it, I did get a message a few weeks back more or less saying as such, but ignored it presuming it to be spam, so I'm having to use Bing at the moment.

I think that's Brook House flats that are being built.

Ruddy, Brookhouse flats were built roughly on the site of The Stanley Arms on Warrington Lane opposite Hardybutts.
For many years there was a pub on the ground floor, The Water Wheel. Now it too has been convert onto a flat.
The flats on the above picture is definitely Crompton House on Derby Terrace / School Lane and opposite Wigan Little Theatre

I remember going in the Waterwheel with my intended. I thought it was a lovely idea for the residents of the flats to meet together in there. I never went in again as I came to live in Westhoughton which still retained the old fashioned community atmosphere similar to Scholes which made me feel at home from the very beginning. Over the years Scholes seemed to lose that atmosphere of community with all the breakup sadly .

It does say on the photo in the WEP article that it is Crompton House seen being constructed.
Mannion House became to be constructed all about where the church and the street is in the photo, it was named after local Councillor, Alderman John Mannion who was tremendous in helping the folks of Scholes, he was well respected around Scholes and by the other Wigan Councillors too, see article in link:

https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=6&id=21392&gallery=Manion&page=544

I had a drink or two in the Waterwheel a couple of times, I'm sure it would have won a competition for the snuggest pub, it had a good atmosphere and a good barman, there was a sign on the bar - Free beer next Tuesday - see John, of course John was never in and the next Tuesday became the next Tuesday and so on.

Any idea of the year, it would help.

I don't think anyone knows the year Peter, but the Central Station in the photo closed in 1964 and completely demolished in 1974. Hope this helps.

Guessing really but I know the flats that were built to the left of the church were in situ in October 1968. I had a friend who had just had a baby and I visited her she was on the top floor. I was still living at home and worked at Euxton. The only time I ever went in the flats and the view over to Haigh Hall was awe inspiring. I never forgot the time as it was before I was married in 1969. The flats must have been built around 1967 I think.
It may have been about ‘66 when the photo was taken.

It would have been 1960/61 when we moved into the newly built Douglas House from Harrogate Street.
From our windows over the following years we watched as all of the old Scholes and surrounding area was street by street bulldozed and new blocks of flats and houses rose out of the rubble.
Woodcock House was the next to be built followed by Crompton, Derby and Manion.
Between the three blocks there were two bays of garages, effectively underground as there was a large tarmac play area on the roof. I rented one of these for my first car, that would have been 1970.
Those garages were eventually demolished as they did attract undesirables at night.
So in conclusion I think Veronica is about right for the photo, I would say 1965/66.

I know there were loads of complaints about teenager’s running amok on the steps and corridors of the tall flats. They would definitely have been built by 1966.
It was awful for the residents. That was when I was still at home. My parents lived at Lowes’s House and moved in there in 1966. I know I was there when I was 21. Which would be ‘67. They moved out later.

Fantastic piece of History from Alan, Veronica and Colin, thanks.