Photo-a-Day  (Sunday, 3rd August, 2025)

I’m always impressed with the Health and Wellbeing Centre as I pass often Dennis.

I remember when Doctor Cooke had that tiny little surgery on Haigh Road Dennis. I wonder what the Cooke family would make of this. We didn't need appointments back then, just take a seat and wait your turn, Where we live now it can easily take two weeks. Thanks for a good photo marra, nice to see owd Aspull again.

When the health centre was being built I thought it would be a blot on the landscape but it is a neat and tidy sort of building and has blended in well. Dennis's photo does justice to it.

I’m impressed with all the green space and envious of Aspull having a Health Centre something the next door neighbours haven’t got in W/H unfortunately. I do miss the bus running through Aspull though.

We have more and more of these welcoming Doctors surgeries and health centres but we find it difficult to book an appointment.

The new build looks impressive but as it got a car park.

I agree with comment saying wondered how it would look on completion.It is a neat unobtrusive building and has lots of greenery surrounding it.It is a welcome addition to a lovely area.Veronica, you are right about missing Aspull because of changes to bus routes, I still miss the 559 which used to go from Hindley up to Aspull and on to Wigan.

Dr Cooke’s wife used to make her own medicine didn’t she Walt?
These days a cough bottle can cost £7 or £8. Mrs Cooke’s brew cost nowt and was just as good.

When this place was built I thought there would be a problem with parking, but it has turned out not too bad.

Dr Haworth’s old house on Copperas Lane is in the process of being rebuilt at the moment, twice the size of the original.

By the way is this a
‘ walk in centre’? If it is there’s no need for appointments. It’s certainly what’s needed these days.

The chemist I used to work for in Standish made his own cough mixture and it was very good and very popular. Walt and Dennis's recollections are spot on....my local doctor's as a child was in Ince but sounds very similar to Aspull. You just walked in and sat down, noting who was "in front" of you in the queue. There were hard wooden forms around the perimeter of the waiting room, and the walls were painted in depressingly bilious shades of green and brown. There was a gas-fire with broken filaments that was about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike....we got more heat from the gas-lamp outside in the street!.....and a single electric 60w bulb hanging from the ceiling. Everyone spoke in whispers and looked up when somebody coughed. You felt worse when you came out of the doctor's surgery than when you went in!

One thing I dreaded about going to the doctors in Greenough St was hearing Dr Johnson’s booming voice with his patients. You could hear everything he said! I too remember sitting waiting our turn on the benches around the walls. They were covered in a dark leatherette material. The waiting room was at the back and two surgeries at the front where I’m-sure the buses running down Greenough St could see through the windows from the top of the bus.
I recall going for an injection in my arm when I went on my first holiday to Spain. I had to take my blouse off!!! I never went again without my mam! I still have the mark on my upper arm…

I must confess when I first saw the building going up I didn’t know what to make of it or what it was for, it looked out of place on that corner.
Now I think it looks good although I’m sure many don’t like the modern architecture.
A new and modern asset to Aspull but if like many Medical Centres these days, trying to get an urgent appointment you first of all need to get past a receptionist trained to say ‘computer says no! ring 999’ or you need a degree in computer technology after being told to go on line by which time you need a psychiatrist and not a doctor!
Nice one Dennis.

Woe betide you if you mistakenly got up before your turn Irene, the place was usually as silent has the grave, but if you tried to go before your turn a storm would suddenly begin to rage about your head. You had to perform an act of abject submission before quiet returned.
At least the stares and black looks you got from the old ladies in the queue before you took your mind off whatever ailed you!

A walk-in-centre is for minor accidents, in'it.