Wigan Album

I agree with your husband, Deb. I loved the Powell Children's Library and went on the bus from my home in Ince most Saturdays. We only had the mobile library in Ince, but I loved that too. I can feel the atmosphere in the Powell library yet; it was a "proper" library in that it was hushed and peaceful and you had to be quiet. It made me want to work in a library, although I never did. My schoolfriend Christine and I used to play "library". We had a stamp-pad and a date stamp and we stuck empty After-Eight chocolate sleeves inside the book-cover, (I think After Eight had only just come out then), and we made little cards to go in them. I still hsve a few proper library books with the card in the little "pocket" and the stuck-on sheet on which the due-back date was stamped, and I still have my cardboard tickets from Abram Library. I hate the fact that we now have to have a plastic card and have to "do it yourself"! And the "glass box" library in Wigan has about as much character as a bin-bag. Thankyou for posting this lovely photo.

"as much character as a bin-bag": perhaps we should call the style of architecture 'Bin Bag' Maybe somebody would get the message then.

I remember the Childrens Library on Powell St. The had some Civil War artifacts there on display that had been excavated from the Bloody Mountains at the back of Central Park!

Oh thank you so much for your lovely memories Irene. My husband agrees with you completely. He also wanted to work in a library but sadly it wasn't to be. Thank you for your comments. Deb

Lovely memories Irene.

Another bit of old Wigan that is sadly missed, there used to be the museum upstairs at the children's library building and Davenport's Watch and Clock repairs was just to the right of the Horseshoe.

The museum upstairs was a fascinating place to visit too, I've often wondered what actually happened to all those exhibits.

The original libraries also had a very distinctive and unique aroma.

Every Saturday morning, after I'd had my swimming lesson at the baths across the road, I used to go to the library with my Mum to get books to read for the week ahead. I loved it. All the wooden shelves, the hushed atmosphere, the musty smell of the books. Fabulous place. As much as I love new libraries, you just can't beat an old library and Wigan's childrens' library was one of the best.

Look at the brickwork of those lovely buildings.

Any one remember the Museum.

What a good idea, AP...perhaps we could start the 'bin bag'list with the ugly new monstrocity on the corner of the WGS field, closely followed by the new building (I use that term loosely!!) on Library St.
If you saw someone walking down Library Street 3 weeks ago,dripping wet with the incessant rain and struggling with parcels and bags and shopping and berating these ugly edifices IT WAS ME.
By the way, Colin, where was your bike? lol

Tricia, Colin who..there's no colin comments on here???

Oh the memories,i used to work at the hairdressers next to the library.

Children's library,that's were I got the reading bug age 8/9 Enid Blyton Famous 5 etc.I remember going to the library with a school friend, when I was at junior school,on our own.That would be unheard of today.

Glad to find out the name after all these years and the location. Does anyone know what year the buildings were knocked down and what year the library shut down? I only remember going there when I was really young. Was there a church near there as well? My granddad gave an item to the museum as well. My mother told me about her father donating the iteam. Back in the 70s.