Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 12th March, 2022)

Maybe it will be incorporated into the new build along with Diana's plaque.

It may end up in the History shop

This photo says it all....your eminent councillors have lost the plot completely.

It's a tragedy to pull down the Galleries, they are far superior than The Grand Arcade to my mind.

It would be an absolute sin to demolish the Galleries..but what do we the public know.

The public know nowt.
Its all about Money Money Money that is what keeps the our bright and beautiful world going around.

And you know it all do you? How arrogant.
But not surprising coming from you.
The world isn't such a beautiful for many, many people. Ask the people of the Ukraine, as their world is being destroyed around them.

Haven't you found a "London World" to irritate yet?

This little planet of ours is such a beautiful place, why do we insist on tearing it apart for the greater glory of people like Putin?
I sometimes wonder if we humans deserve to be in control of this world. All we seem to do is destroy things wherever we go.
In the words of the great Freddie Mercury “ What the hell are we fighting for?”

It should be demolished with the place and that awful Diana one for good measure.

I can't remember the last time I was in the Market Hall or The Galleries, but I do agree they're far better looking buildings than the Grand Arcade, I also can't recall the last I was in there, even the number of times I've been in would be in single figures and definitely less than five.

You make me laugh, you all grumbled at the "horrible" Galleries development, with your "it doesn't fit in", "it's not Wigan" and "they're ruining our town".
Now, you say the Galleries should be left alone?

Ive just done 26 miles circular tour of Wigan via crooke, beech hill, plantation, new springs, ince, hindley, platt bridge, ashton, garswood , billinge, orrell and gathurst and the world I saw was beautiful.
Only thing spoiling it for me was that stiff wind.

I have always liked the Galleries,the layout and design and will be sad to see it go.

Mick, the places you mention ARE indeed in a beautiful world....it's Wigan! But I thought you were in London! Have you not moved there yet? I think we're all a bit puzzled as to just where you are. Please enlighten us.

Will the ' Real James Hanson' please stand up. I never grumbled about the Galleries. It combined nicely with the added extras of marble pillars and posh shops and a nice cafe.

Galleries were much better design than the Great white elephant that is the far from Grand Arcade ! I don't remember anyone moaning about them anyway ,lovely red brick.

When I went to work at Boots in 1992, (I went back to shop-work at 40 years old when Jamie and Ashley were 11 and 15, after years of bar-work). I was proud to work in The Galleries. The Outdoor Market was still thriving and had colourful canopies over the stalls and there were hanging baskets all around The Galleries. It was September, and I remember walking round the market in my first dinner-hour and thinking how fresh and pleasant it all was. I do think Online Shopping has done a lot of damage....young people now have known nothing else and it's such a shame.

Irene Im still stuck in Wigan, the solicitors take their time doing the paper work for house sales.
But if I do post from London it will still be the same, there wont be any time difference or anything

They have started digging up, opposite Shoe Zone, under cover leading to the bus station. it will all be soon ripped apart.Its not 2 minutes since they were building it. It's criminal!!

On Friday I noticed that they were digging up the pavement, outside of The Galleries in Mesnes Street, and on New Market Street, outside of the Market Hall, and the now disused taxi rank, and it looked like they were locating cables and pipes, so it would appear that the cutting off, of the utility services to The Galleries is fast approaching.

That Foundation Stone in the picture is 'stupid' because that must have been for the construction of The Galleries 'phase two' which started with the demolition of the old Market Hall, and involved building the top part of The Galleries, it being completed in 1992.
But construction of The Galleries 'phase one' started in late 1983, so is there a separate Foundation Stone for 'phase one' well I don't think so, hence my 'stupid' comment, because our council in Wigan, are so 'stupid' that they could not even lay a Foundation Stone correctly.

It took the best part of a decade to build The Galleries, and it was built far to large for the size of the town, and so it was a white elephant from the start, but surely it would have been better to repurpose The Galleries into none retail uses, converting the existing buildings into apartments, leisure facilities, offices etc etc etc, and I know The Galleries would need millions spending on it to facilitate the re purposing, and probably costing more than demolishing the entire complex and starting again, but for me by building 462 apartments on The Galleries site, with very limited parking facilities, our 'stupid' council, are going to replace one oversized white elephant, with another white elephant, meaning that instead of having empty retail units, the new blocks of flats, will have empty flats, because the upmarket tenants, who our 'stupid' council are targetting for those flats, and no doubt intending to charge them silly rent prices, that won't happen, and the council, our silly 'stupid' council, will end up housing the present drug addict community from Scholes, in those new flats, and will then demolish the vintage 1960s existing flats at the bottom of Scholes.

Stupid, Stupid, Stupid

The flats will attract people from out of town who can afford to buy these new flats.
No need for car parks because everybody in the future will be riding fold up bikes using the new green electric trains to commute

Yes course they will Mick !!! Please get in the real world rather than the parallel universe you inhabit.

I think we should fold you up and ride you out of town on a rail Mick.

I wonder if a cardboard cut out will be left in the Parish Hall at Shangri La.

There'll be more than one and be bent over and used for parking front bike wheels in.

another plack death of wigan town galleres by wigan metro

Sadly it won't see 40, still a baby in building years! The brickwork still looks new, yet down it comes comes to fill the council coffers and the deep pockets of the developers with lots of cash.