Photo-a-Day  (Wednesday, 16th July, 2025)

We last went in many years ago when my husband had treatment for varicose veins and we had to wait half an hour before going home to check that all was well. The cafe was lovely back then and looks to be nice now. I remember the old gents' toilets that once stood there though, with a bad reputation!

Fantastic and different Mick, good photo.

There is a parking meter at the front but the bays are permit ONLY to the right of the meter. Entrapment at its best if you don't know. No markings to separate the permit zone from the rest of the parking bays,same at the front of Pier Alarms only small plates on a post

Nice one Mick, a different and welcoming change , does the cafe do well.

Sadly, this site is turning into a bit of a joke.

Agree Dtease. Never thanks his ‘fans’ does he….

Good cafe, good photo Mick.

Looks very welcoming after a hospital appointment, lovely photo angel.
I'll have to try it.

My motto is...If you can't think of something pleasant to say...say nothing.

Some comments are a complete joke, why does the same person use multiple names? What a seriously sad life he must have.

Agreed Veronica and DTease . The same person praising their own photo over and over again. One of my Mam's favourite sayings was "Self Praise is no recommendation " and she was right. But please don't stop posting, Veronica and DTease. I love reading YOUR comments, and many others.

It is a good photo I have to say.
It’s become ‘Mick’s World’ though….

The last time I called in there, it was just to have a pee.

No wonder there's been an exodus .

I'm reminded of lines from ' As You Like It ' .

'Last scene of all
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything '.

I met the couple who started this cafe off a few years ago, I took some photos and posted them on a Wigan Facebook, I was told by the Facebook admin to remove them because they didn't want adverts, I said sod off and I was banned.
The name it opened with was the Allotment, the reason was that the owners said that they had an allotment in Whelley, and they were going to use their own freshly grown veg. I said that's funny name for a cafe and that I didn't like it, but they didn't care.
A couple of years ago, I went in for a butty and a cup of tea. I had Chicken Bacon Lettuce and Tomato on Ciabatta bread, very tasty but not cheap.
I don't like The Gate for a name of a cafe, if I owned it, I would name it Marylebone Park.

I have actually see the cafe many times but never been in, problem parking.

Interesting photo Mick of the former smelly public toilets repurposed into a very nice and attractive cafe.
Unfortunately all the questionable comments from anonymous and dubious people have really taken the edge off for me.
Anyone posting photos on PAD, commenting or interested in what ‘Real People’ have to say, including myself could do without this constant childishness.

A few years ago this cafe featured in Location, Location, Location the property show featuring Kirsty Allsop. They described Wigan and the Swinley area as "up & coming". Wonder if the couple involved ever bought a house up there.

The name that it opened with was ‘ The Orchid Room ‘ , and it retained that name for a number of years before becoming ‘ The Allotment ‘.

Never seen the inside of the place…
… Wanna know why ?

If I want coffee , I can mek mi own … so theer !

And despite folk constantly skrykin’ poverty , it strikes me many of ‘em appear to have money to burn .

Colin, what the real people should do is ignore any name they are not familiar with, and they should also stop ganging up on certain people who have sent in a photo.
Today's photo, I've just been told, has made it onto the Wigan Nostalgia Facebook page and is getting some interesting comments from what appear to be interesting people.

I too have never been in besides living not far away, the original owner who demolished the toilet block and built the cafe and florists did a good job, but as others have said, those toilets still remain in the memory.
We've had a few dogs and I would walk them around the little park for their last walk of the night, however one night there was a man sprawled out on the pavement near to the park path, around where the man is sat so not far from the toilets, I gave him a nudge with my foot and shouted if he was okay - nothing, so with my hand I gave him shake and he was stone cold, plus he was bleeding from his face or head, so I assumed he was dead. So, I asked at a house opposite to phone for an ambulance, the ambulance crew did manage to turn him over, it turned out he was dead, 'dead drunk', and in-between projectile vomiting, he was swearing at the ambulance crew. If he was taken to A&E to have the cut looked at, or if the police who'd also turned up, took him away for a night in a cell, I don't know. I've never before seen anyone that was so intoxicated; they appeared to be dead, though obviously it's happened many times for the phrase 'dead drunk' to be coined.

Mick, maybe Wigan LGBTQ would prefer the cafe to be renamed 'The Cottage'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottaging

The police on many occasions would be seen taking in equipment into the toilets, they would then go up into the lofts to spy, and try to catch men 'up to no good' as the saying goes, I was once told I'd be very surprised as to who had been 'caught in the act', so to speak.
This strange article is about a London lawyer who defended men caught by police in toilets down there: https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/toilet-photos-that-saved-gay-men-trial/

Take no notice Mick, there are some rude people about.
You keep on taking these fantastic photos.

If I owned it, I would call it Marylebone Park.

I've just been thinking back to when I was having that chicken bacon lettuce and tomato butty, and it's taken me to Lagos, Nigeria. I was in the bar of a posh hotel with some workmates, and I looked at the bar snack menu.
On it was a BLT club sandwich, I'd never heard of them, and my toolpusher at the time, a Texan named Billy Regions told me it was a Bacon Lettuce and Tomato on three thick slices of bread, which sounded good to me, so I ordered one, and it was very good, Ive had many since then and even made my own sometimes.

Cyril, when I was in, they had a wall full of photos of customers' dogs. I took a photo of the dog photos and sent it to PADS, but it never appeared, as far as I'm aware.

Cyril, you didn’t happen to come across Ozy’s top set when walking your doggy around there did you?

Given that the wall was full of dog photos , mebbe they should have called the place
‘ Marylebone Bark ‘ eh ?

What do you reckon Mick ?

Good un or what ?… eh ?

Yeah o.k. … I know .

Look ,… tell you what … just cancel the booking at the Palladium and I’ll get mi coat … if I could only remember where I left the damn thing .

Fantastic and different Mick, good photo.

I was told they served 'fruitcakes ' at that cafe and now it's clear they do .

I’m thinking if you come out of the plantation gates cross the road turning right you’ll pass that cafe.
I wonder if mick is also a ventriloquist.

By the way Sue what’s-so ‘rude’ about people having an opinion?
For your information there’s other people who can take just as good or even better photos than your friend Mick.

Cyril, the old toilets were not demolished, the building was just converted into a cafe, the toilets were built in that style, so as to fit in with the posh area.