Photo-a-Day  (Friday, 6th June, 2025)

What a waste of space above the stalls and the artist impression of the new market hall are doing the same.At one time photos were not allowed to be taken in the market hall

I remember the 'old' market hall, how has it come to this ?

I wish all those traders well if and when they move into the New Market Hall which I must say will be closer and more accessible than this now isolated position.
That said, I still find it incredulous that Wigan Council still plan to demolish this valuable asset with great potential, to build a few blocks of flats.

We were in there yesterday after curtain hooks and filters for a vacuum cleaner. Two very helpful stall holders. We had sent for filters "online" and been sent the wrong ones and had to answer questions to "virtual helper" via typing as to why they were wrong and they sent a return label via email for which I don't have a printer! Amazon wanted £5 to send me a packet of curtain hooks.....that was just postage, not the hooks. We are going backwards, not forwards. I am sick of "online"! What a joy it was to buy simple things from lovely people in the Market Hall.

It looks a dam shame not many people and not many stalls left how has it come to this at one time it used to be thriving with people.

Totally agree with you Irene !

For Alan in Canada, just in case you didn't see my 2nd comment yesterday. Vancouver , a wonderful place. Went there when visiting my brother in Seattle. All good wishes to you.

They could fit Silcock’s Fair in there along with Butterworth’s black pey’s, toffee apples and candy floss stalls etc. around the edges.

Irene, did you check out Sheila’s stall for ladies jumpers?
She has a nice selection and if you mention my name you might get a discount. Er both worked together over fifty years ago but have always kept in touch.
Thinking about it though, she might charge you extra!!!!!

I've heard the council are having a rethink about its next use... It's going to become a H.M.O.

Technology is definitely not all it’s cracked up to be. I agree Irene. This week it was my medical prescription ordering on line and ‘Locked out’!! Reason unknown! Been without now for 3 days! Having to discuss the problem to a receptionist protected from the hordes behind glass. Bent double speaking through a hole for others to hear everything said! No privacy -in the end I asked to speak to someone in private and ended up in a corridor…that was Monday it’s now Friday and I am about to traipse up the chemist hopefully the meds have arrived. Life used to be so simple.
I can only think of one word for today’s photo and that is ‘Souless’.

Well Veronica, your ‘technological’ week and ‘customer service’ experience has put you in a right old mood this morning.
Hope you have a better weekend X.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, they should never have knocked down the old Market Hall......

No I didn't buy a jumper Colin but it's nice to know she has hung on with her stall. The cooked meat stalls, the cheese stall and the pork butchers, (the only place you can buy bacon ribs for pea soup), are still there and my son and grandson praise a food stall where they often get their dinner. But all the butchers stalls are now gone except the pork butchers. I hope they get enough stalls to warrant the building of the new market hall or it will be money wasted.

The point is it’s
‘technology ’thats brought us to empty shops. It’s all been said before it only needs a glitch and everything is turned on its ‘head’. Even M&S and others are still not sending orders out. How much money have they lost because of the scammers. Still not got my prescription - tomorrow predicted..I thought technology was supposed to be quicker and smoother. Balderdash!

Ps Jack Tomorrow would have been quicker… at least it was only a day late!

If they move that bollard they could tap 42nd Street for the shoppers- or is it a case of ‘ just my imagination, running away with me…’

The old market hall was a crumbling, cold, windy, vermin infested relic of the past like most of Wigan. I think it too unhealthy to focus too much on the past, those days are gone so focus on the future.
The Market Hall on this photo was for most of its short life a bright and airy success slowly going down hill until the Galleries was demolished.
Now has I said it’s an isolated, vacated White Elephant but I see no reason to pull it down, just use some imagination rather than build flats for students or whoever the Council plan to populate these blocks of flats with.

WN6 that is the best idea yet for the new town centre - pity it could only evolve in our dreams. I'm sure it would draw in far more visitors than the planned entertainment, bowling, cinema etc which will be identical to almost every larger town in Britain

Veronica, what lovely memories you brought back of Jack Tomorrow's chemists at Birkett Bank
The shop may have looked shambolic and you always had to "come back tomorrow " to fulfil your prescription, but it was HUMAN, with not a computer in sight. And your tablets WERE ready next day.

He was human and an old chap, but great memories of him and the Chemist. Jack tomorrow...fantastic.
I'm so thankful I was around from the 1950s, 60s and 70s, the best time of my life and life in general.

Too many patients on the books today Irene.
It’s all pressure and stressful when things go wrong. When I finally got there folk were queuing up outside the door. At least we could mutter amongst ourselves…that was the human side of it.

A workmate of mine said he once went into a chemist on Birkett Bank for something for Atheletes foot and was given cream and the chemist advised him to change his socks twice a week.I don’t if it is the one you mentioned Irene.

Another Dave, what about Clog Dancing, best dressed Pit Brow Lass, or a weekly Por’ing competition on that vacant space?

A workmate of mine said he once went into a chemist's in Wigan for something for Atheletes foot and they gave him a pair of running spikes.

Colin just got home from spoons and enjoyed fish and chips + curry sauce but the fish was half the size that you would expect so maybe Olympus when we venture out at Bolton.

Pw.....that sounds like it could have been Jack Tomorrow!