Wigan Album

If you look closely on the original mode you can make out a ghostly figure of a person walking past the centre of the iron gates, Mabel perhaps or a time lapse trick of the camera.

I am more intrigued with the little girl stood on her own outside the gate and nobody about ... Has she been sent out for being naughty!

Just been having another look through a magnifier and I now assume the apparition to be just a trick of the light, though I can't make out what is at the front of the brick pillar.

Do you mean in the middle of the road Cyril towards the cross? When I enlarged the photo I could see a bent shadowy figure, unless my weary eyes are deceiving me....

Apologies for being such a pain in the backside landlord , but could I just have a half pint of whatever it is that Cyril and Veronica are drinking please?...Oh! , and if it's at all possible, could you please serve them both with another shot of absinthe and put it on my tab, as I'm intrigued as to where this may possibly be leading.

Veronica, now you've mentioned a girl I can make her out now with her white pinafore dress, I can see what you mean in the centre of the road too, though I'm sure they are tricks of light and shadows. Ozzy look in the centre of the gates, the shrubs in the garden and shadows appear to make out an old man with white fuzzy hair and white bushy beard walking by, maybe the absinthe has dulled your artistic views, you'll be cutting your ear off next.

I can still 'see' my ghost, striding across the road , they are definitely shadows of light because they are ghosts! Mine is dressed in 'hose' with a costume of sorts coming down to the knees, darker at the top and lighter over the striding legs! I would say 1600's ( sticking my neck out!) They do say Wigan Lane is haunted..... Cyril your ghost looks later, more like a country gentleman 19th century? Ozy you will have to peer a bit longer....something will turn up - you might find that top set! ;o))

You see! It’s not just me who likes to start Christmas early, Cyril and Veronica have started early too. Welcome to my world of boozy befuddlement, pretty soon you’ll be seeing strange things all the time. Merry Christmas and mine’s a double.

A bit of ' boozy befuddlement' is ok at this time of year Dtease. I'm a shadow of my former self, I think we all become shadows of ourselves as we age! When we pass over into 'Great Beyond' the process is complete. Thus seeing ghostly shadows on Wigan Lane is only natural.... I think there's one or two shady characters on here as well. My ghost must be the ghost of Christmas Past and what better time to look and peer at pictures from the past on WW. Your good health Sir and all the other shadows who look in on here....;o)) (definitely tongue in cheek!)

And perhaps the head of . . . hic . . . Agricola set upon a plinth of Carrera marble, about a quarter of the . . . hic . . . way in from the left.
And thanks to Veronica for identifying the little girl; My first impression had been that of a young lad, selling the Football Pink.

Anyone any idea as to what the long building is on the left of the picture?

This photograph must have been taken about a century ago in c1920, as the electric tramway is evident on the route to Standish. Wigan girls high school was built in 1915 and became Mab's Cross primary school in about 1970. Mab's Cross monument was moved to across the road in the 1930s.

Some excellent information on this photo about the school in 1906 from off the Album, wonder if that building was demolished to make way for the present building with, as mentioned, the pupils moving into a Tin Tabernacle whilst it was being built.
http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=2&id=461&gallery=Wigan+Girls%27+High+School&offset=0

I never knew that there was a metal plaque on the ground where the cross was then until it was pointed out by a friend.

Mr X. Mab's Cross was moved across the road in June 1922 so we can say it was before then.

Comment by: RON HUNT
"Anyone any idea as to what the long building is on the left of the picture?"

Where the archway is was a cobbled entry which gave you access to the rear of the houses on that part of Wigan Lane. That would be in the 1960's.
If you went down the entry and turned left there was a gentleman and his wife who used to sell fresh fruit and veg from their shed. The same chap also used to drive around the local streets in a small estate van with the sides cut off, and sell it from his van.

Firstly, I want to discuss the building which Ron is asking about and what Rich. mentions.
Rich., I am not so sure about the building (photograph) being what you and I obviously remember as the cobbled entry which had walls on each side and a ceiling. The building which we remember was not as long as the structure seen above (photograph). Also, there are two structures on the roof of the building which are chimneys or some kind of funnels - these might be used to help to ventilate the building.
I wonder whether it is a food hall or an indoor food market. The archway is obviously large enough for vehicles to enter and leave. Also, I am quite sure that all Central Park (Wigan Rugby: two pitches, stands, car park etc)) was a farm before it became Central Park and this land is directly behind "The Girls' High School" and the houses in the distance, beyond the school.
Rich., wasn't this covered cobbled entry (crica 1960's/1970's) only the length of the gable end of the row of terraced houses?
Also, next to the archway was a house which was part of the row of terraced houses. What we can see above does not look like the front of a house, but more like the front of a market hall or small factory.
Possibly, some of the structure was kept and a percentage was demolished to make way for the houses.
It would be interesting to find out when the row of terraced houses, which had bay windows, were built. These houses could still be there. But, if they are the houses of the 1960's/1970's then they have been totally renovated beyond recognition.
In regard to the building in the photograph, the depth (length) of the building, which Ron is asking about, looks around 25 metres, possibly 30+ metres. This is a much greater length than a gable end of a normal terraced house.
By the way, Rich. is correct in what he says about a cobbled entry. It did lead to an open area behind the row of terraced houses; the area was completely cobbled and there were small buildings on the right (across this yard from the back doors of the houses). Some of these were garages, but not all.
Rich. mentions "a gentleman and his wife who used to sell fresh fruit and veg from their shed." The "shed" was virtually opposite their back door and most of the fruit and veg were displayed as they would be in a small shop.
You could get to the shop/shed by going down a covered narrow entry, which was between two houses and at the side of their (grocers') house.
The grocer's (man) name was Andy Clarke - I am not totally sure whether his name was spelt with an "e" or not, but I think that it was.
Yes, he did have a van and it possibly was a small Ford van, which he used as a mobile shop. I believe, he once had the shop on the corner of Douglas Road as a fruit and veg shop, which, I think, later became 'Finch's Batteries'.
Also, I believe. Andy owned some, if not most, of that property and possibly owned the corner shop.
Rich., I think, the lady was Andy Clarke's sister and not his wife.

Ron, I've had another look at the photograph and come up with a thought of what the building could possibly be. What about it being originally used for the trams and horses?
This would explain the ventilation and, what looks like glass panels on the roof.
Also, being positioned where it is, on Wigan Lane, is definitely ideal.