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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Photo-a-Day Archive
Photo-a-Day Archive

Photo-a-Day  (Sunday, 12th November, 2023)

Sir Francis Sharp Powell


Sir Francis Sharp Powell
Statue in Mesnes Park with detail and inscription.

Photo: John Gaskell  (Nikon Z6ii)
Views: 1,428

Comment by: Maureen on 12th November 2023 at 06:17

I don’t think there’s a mum in Wigan that hasn’t been held up to touch his shoe as a child ,and who then passes it down to her own children.. by the looks of the shine on his shoe it looks like it’s in the thousands.

Comment by: Colin Traynor on 12th November 2023 at 08:05

The thing to do as kids was to go up and rub his foot for luck, you can still see that the shoe is shiny!

Comment by: PeterP on 12th November 2023 at 08:41

Was looking on Albums and there is a photo on from 1913 nothing much as changed except there where chains around the plinth

Comment by: Irene Roberts on 12th November 2023 at 09:36

A lovely photo of Sir Francis. He looks to be in deep contemplation; I bet he's thinking "Now I wonder what photo-a-day is today?.....Oh, it's me!".

Comment by: Brendell on 12th November 2023 at 09:51

I wonder what the subscribers to this statue would think if they knew that over 100 years later children were still rubbing his shoe for luck even if they have no idea who he was.

Comment by: freddie on 12th November 2023 at 10:51

Cant wait to see a lisa nandy statue

Comment by: Veronica on 12th November 2023 at 11:02

He must have been an outstanding MP to have a statue erected. I think most people knew him as ‘ that mon in’t park wit stone belly’. Mind you that was in Scholes or Ince and perhaps Wallgate . It was the answer to many a question I asked ….he was blamed for everything! It didn’t stop me rubbing his shoe for luck ……

Comment by: Gill on 12th November 2023 at 16:54

Great photo - oh yes I'm another who rubbed his foot for good luck on more than than one occasion- it's a tradition!

Comment by: Ticsmon on 12th November 2023 at 18:49

The good luck must work because Roberto before Latics FA Cup win!

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