Photo-a-Day  (Tuesday, 11th October, 2022)

Thanks for sharing Dennis, looks like a lot of work going on in Grimes arcade.

If Wigan had a Tory leader all these improvements would have been done years ago.
Its good that they have put up a sign saying that the road is closed because they must think that some Wiganers might try to drive up it, but all we can hope for now is for them to relay those cobbles.

I used to love all these ‘nooks and crannies’ around Wigan. Shops hidden from view around various corners. To the right was my favourites, Crawford’s Wool Shop, opposite was Valmar Fabric. I must have spent hours in both places. Just to mention two. Cobbled walkways from top to bottom.

Mick/Syd, no one writes rubbish like you do.

Last time I was in Arcade street was when I came out of wallpaper supplies with 5 rolls of anaglypta wallpaper, I remember walking up rowbottom square and the paper bag containing the wallpaper broke and all 5 rolls went trundling down the slope.

For us Wiganers who "might try to drive up it" the sign should have said "'Owd thi 'orses. that cawnt cum deawn 'ere". It would have brought a smile to people passing!

Great minds think alike Dtease..as they say.

It is good to see that there seems to be some work being done to, hopefully, return the arcade back to how it once was in its early days.
In response to Syd's opening sentence, I am quite sure that the arcade was privately owned and it is possible that it is still privately owned. Therefore, it would be difficult for any council to carry out work on an area such as an arcade which is not owned by the council. Of course, the council could attempt to put a lot of pressure on the owner, but as many of us know, this seems to be quite futile - we have seen buildings in and around Wigan left to become in such a dilapidated state that they ended up being demolished and there are some buildings which are being neglected and possibly in the hope that the owner(s) can demolish the building. For example, Brentwood House is on its way to falling down and giving the owners what they want; that is a large piece of prime building land to stick as many little detached houses on as they can and charge an arm-and-a-leg for these boxes.

Robertos just around the corner

Being a proper Wiganer I know who owns the arcade, its NK, & Number 15 man.

I thought it was the many entrances to the Market Square, were the Old Market Hall used to be......Happy Times, you can't go back!!!

Is a proper Wiganer greater or lesser than a true one ?

It's very easy to talk about "a £2m masterplan" but the key point here is "£1.2m is available through Historic England". Nobody in their right mind would put £2m of their own money into any business in King Street. Nothing would provide a return to match that investment. But, it's a different matter when it's somebody elses money being put into it.

I always consider myself to be a Wiganer Syd but I’m really a platt Waze right.

Considering that all churches in the Wigan area are within either the Diocese or the Archdiocese of Liverpool, does it mean that any Wigan person who was Christened in a Wigan church is a Scouser?
Our milkman is from Warrington, does that make me a member of the Cheshire Set?

So, it's not just the town centre all boxed in, it's here as well.Syd is it one of the Kay brothers, who has just bought the little arcades down Market St.Who own Grimes arcade? Irene you comment made me laugh.

Edna, I believe that it is one of the brothers; along with Cal.

Edna, I was on the topic of Grimes arcade. I am not sure what you mean by "...the little arcades down Market St." as the only three arcades in Wigan town centre that I know are: Grimes Arcade, Makinsons Arcade and The Royal Arcade.

Ian there’s a tiny ‘modern arcade’ that leads off the bus station which is a tad obscure unless you know about it. It’s not always been there, I was looking for a Hairdressers a couple of weeks ago that someone directed me to. The entrance is at the very end of the bus station it consist of about half a dozen shops. It’s quite nice I was surprised it was there. Not living in Wigan and coming in mainly by train I must have missed it. I don’t know how long it’s been there and I don’t know the name of it. That could be the one Edna means possibly.

"Outsider Alert!", "Outsider Alert!", "Outsider Alert!"

Immigrants coming from Bolton, in little dinghies, down the canal. They'll all get council houses and benefits.

"Outsider Alert!", "Outsider Alert!", "Outsider Alert!"

Yes Ian and Veronica, those are the one's I mean, they have Arcade written on two little green verandas, Ian, they are slightly a little bit further down than the Queens Hall. Hairdresser's Veronica, don't bother,I asked for a price list when she first opened. It said £50 for a cut & blow.If you go to Salon Rouge in Mesnes St Tues, or Wed, it's half price.I don't think the new one will be open long at those prices.

You can access it from Market St, I went inside from the bus station side and left by. Market St.

Edna and Veronica, I don't know the tiny modern arcade which you both have pointed out to me - sorry for my lack of knowledge regarding this arcade. The lower end of Market Street is an area which I normally do not visit and even on the number of times - in recent years - that I have walked to the bottom of Market Street, I have never noticed this tiny arcade and possibly because, as you stated, Veronica, "a tad obscure".
After first answering Edna, I thought that she might be referring to the passageway which comes out on Hallgate from Wigan Bus Station; this is why I typed, "I was on the topic of Grimes Arcade.".
But! It is now clear. Thanks!

No need to apologise Ian, if you didn’t know the Arcade was there
( as I didn’t) . It’s not in the same class as the main Arcades - The Royal, Makinson’s and Grimes Arcade , which I hope to see renovated in the near future. So much of Wigan’s character has been destroyed… it’s unbelievable. It was a town of some stature.

Veronica, it's a tragedy. So many of those wonderful structures, which I walked past so many times that I can't come up with a figure, are no longer there.
I grew up in Wigan, a stone's throw away from the shops, and spent so much of my life in and around the centre.