Wigan Album
Central Park
14 CommentsPhoto: RON HUNT
Item #: 29873
Not only does this photo show an early Central Park but unless I'm mistaken - Westminster Street also, the birthplace of George Formby at # 3, May 26th 1904. When I was a child in the 1950s my mother would point out which house as we walked by. Thanks Ron, keep um coming !.
Down by the side of Westminster St wasn't there some stone steps leading down by the Douglas? That's the way we went on walks. Are they still there? I remember the railings and the cobbles.
Ron - memories
Veronica, Westminster Street and its surroundings have long gone, cleared many-many years ago, replaced by River Way but I do remember those steps you mention.
Thanks for that JP I always meant to go down there sometime when I came to Wigan it's over 50 yrs ago the last time I walked along there. Then it must be blocked off now!
There's a plaque on the wall in River way where George Formby was born, The photo dose not go so far so is that incorrect?.
Veronica the steps you are talking about were at the bottom of River street which is on the lower right of this picture. There were two big houses on the left as you went down to the douggie always had sweet smelling red roses in the front garden possibly the only 2 garden houses around there.
That's right Carl I can't understand how they cannot be there anymore!!! Daft I know!
if you look to see the end of tall chimney shadow that is were Formby lived , steps that went down to the river were at the bottom of the next street along on the left,
Dose anybody know what the factory, with the chimney, bottom left is?
Tuddy, looking on a 1929 map, the building with the chimney is Water Heyes Cotton Mill
There was a company called Water Heyes that specialized in flameproof electrical fittings. By all accounts it was on the left hand side if you turned left at the Little theatre. I think the Mercure Hotel is on the site. There is an old photo of it here on WW.
I remember the Water Heys electrical works, I didn't know they had a cotton mill as well.
The lane itself, from Greenough street along the river to the Little Theatre, was called Water Heyes. Before the area was built on it was the name of the fields there. It was a coincidence that the electrical works was owned by people called Heyes. The name "hey" for a narrow lane is found in Standish (Squires Hey) and Liverpool (Hackins Hey) and no doubt elsewhere.