Wigan Album
HARRY WALDER
17 Comments
Photo: RON HUNT
Item #: 31363
Sorry, not one Harry's better ones. The cars look like they are from the USA.
Albert, is that you on point duty?
Shouldn’t think so Alan. H. If it was summer, like it seems to be, the bobby on point would be wearing a white linen coat. If winter, a waterproof, heavy rubber coat. Couple of times when called off point to trouble, in the near by pub (Red Lion)?., wearing the heavy rubber coat, I’ve got myself jammed in the circular door’s structure.
The Bobby looks more like Peter Crouch doing the robot dance. Nonetheless a vibrant and dynamic painting I think.
Lot of movement with this painting - even the buildings seem to pulsate!
It looks like the Artist was taking a leaf out of Isherwood's paintings slightly...perhaps this is earlier work.... He has caught the mood anyway.
My Aunt Mary..my Mams step Mother used to live at the very top of Moot Hall.( I never knew why the top was taken off ) also she had a cat that one day fell from the very top..got up and ran back upstairs.
That's why they say cats have 9 lives Maureen. I've heard of stories like that before- I think they must land on their feet...
Yes Veronica,I've seen footage of cats falling from great heights,they twist and turn many times before landing..I must practice that next time I climb a ladder...not.ha ha.
The picture at the top of the building, is that a Wm Younger’s advert?.
Black Horse, Albert.
Albert - weren't the point duty coats kept in a cupboard in the recessed doorway of Crook and Edmonson's barbers, in Library St?
I think it is a Tetley sign Albert.
You are correct Mick LD I cannot remember the cupboard ever being locked. I recollect it being in a very obscure place, but I shouldn’t think that you would take a chance on it these days, left unlocked.
Many thanks Albert.
I remember John Lydon telling me of how he spotted a man wanted for an offence walking up Library Street.
John managed to conceal himself behind the cupboard door (no mean feat, given the size of the cupboard, and his hefty build), and when the man walked past the shop doorway, John emerged from the cupboard, and collared him. The offender thought he had materialised from thin air.
Market Place point was covered by automatic signals when I started at Wigan, but the cupboard could still be seen until fairly recently.
Can’t remember what we did with coats that we used at the top of King Street, probably took them back to the station. Bert Hitchen was one of our section sergeants’. Ex Coldstream Guards. On nights he would march us up King Street, and dismiss us, at the top, for us to disperse to our respective beats.
There are many comments relating to changes that have been made, especially since the sixties, to the structure of Wigan town centre. Many changes have also been made to other past items, especially to the different public services that. serve the community. I can only relate to the police, in which I once served.
The time has come, the walrus said to speak of many things, when streets, and streets were bobbies beats, but alas they are no more. In there place, it’s just a case, of patrolling on four wheels. So Instead of streets, that once were beats, It’ seems now, it’s districts to patrol.