Wigan Album

Where was Wigan Public Hall?

I remember going to the Scholes Pictures and seeing the film Houdini with Tony Curtis and Janet Lee. He died at the end in a big glass tank full of water - he couldn’t free himself. The silence was deafening ! I don’t know if that was true or not. I never knew he had been to Wigan though …who’d have thought it?

Veronica It was a guy called HOUDIN who appeared in Wigan. HARRY HOUDINI i.e. Eric Weiss, pinched his name and added an' I 'to the end of it.

Colin the PUBLIC HALL was opposite the Baptist Church in King Street Later became the WIGAN EXAMINER office

Obviously wasn’t in an Actor / Entertainment Union Ron.
I don’t think that would happen these days.

Thanks Ron, now I know exactly where you mean.

Ron, wasn't the old Public Hall located on the corner of Rodney Street and King Street from 1867, it later became Wigan Town Hall.
The now defunct Wigan Examiner offices were based at 62 King Street from 1852 to 1961 when the paper closed.

See link for its location
https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=31735&gallery=Wigan+Public+Hall&page=1

"Spiritualism and Slate-Writing will be Fully Exposed", promised Houdin. Nearly 50 years later Houdini was also trying to expose the trickery associated with Spiritualism. On one occasion he performed a trick in front of Arthur Conan Doyle, and explained how he'd done it - but Doyle refused to believe what he'd seen with his own eyes.