Wigan Album

Could have been covering the protests about the news of the plans to demolish the market hall and other buildings and to build a new market hall and the Galleries shopping arcade, that what's just been demolished.

Not Hope st but looking across the Market Square?

Is that not Hope St in the background with the buses?

I think the photographer would have been stood with his back to the old market hall, where the fish market was, looking across to what was once The Gas Showrooms, where the buses are going past. The building far left is the tech, where the big wheel used to be on the wall, (it's been moved round the corner now).

On second thoughts, is that the old bus station where the buses are?

No idea what the event was for but there is a large crowed of onlookers.
Fully agree with Irene Roberts first comment in that that is the old gas showrooms at the back with the parsons walk Tech College hut to the left on the corner of New Market Street..

No, i disagree - Look, you can see Morrisons in the middle of the shot, the white sign with yellow writing, with Arcadia next to it. So this is with the Gas Showrooms on the direct left out of shot - The building on the far left we can see is the one on the corner of Mesnes St opposite what was the cricket pitch, the one that is now used as the Job Centre.

Mick, I think you are correct, the more modern building on the left and might have been a Job Centre was at the corner of Bridgeman Terrace and New Market Street (which leads to Upper Dicconson Street). I think this was demolished and the even more modern building we see today (still as ugly) constructed in its place.
Always good to get umpteen views and opinions and create a conversation. Eventually we arrive at the truth.

Mick Rathe is correct. Definitely Hope Street. Morrison's supermarket, Arcadia Amusements, then Ribble Bus Office directly behind Bob's yed. Cricket pitch to the left across New Market Street.

If you could decipher Bob's lapel badge, you might get an idea of the occasion. The prominence of the 1956 Morris Minor convertible behind him would seem to suggest something to do with old cars. Googling reveals that the car is still going - it's presently in Northern Ireland.

Mesnes House in the top left hand corner. I worked there around 1970. It was occupied by, amongst others, the District Valuation Office which was a branch of the Inland Revenue. They previously occupied the Mount at Orrell.

I met Bob Greaves at the Albert Dock studio in Liverpool about 1990.
My part time job was to drive Tony Christie to various theatres, clubs,
and TV studios. Bob did a live interview with Tony and Vince Hill RIP,
regarding a Double Top Of The Bill theatre tour of the United Kingdom.

Rev David, Bob's lapel badge says "Granada Reports - GRANADA 25 - On The Road".

The Moggy would have been 25 years old in 1981 - so perhaps it was simply part of celebrations to mark the anniversary.

Bob Greaves died about 10 years ago and was a Granada presenter while Stuart Hall was from the BBC and he also came to Wigan a few times. The Ribble bus is an early Leyland National, one of 371-460 PTF717-766L, NTC601-640M on account of the long heating pod (later Nationals have short pods, one is to the left of Bob's head. The third bus is a later National 2 with curved windscreen numbers 813-898.

Chris Evans isn't dead yet and was a Channel 4 presenter who also came to Wigan a few times., while Haigh Hall is no relation to Stuart Hall and has never been to Wigan as it is a fixed construction in a neighbouring township. Trevor Hyett, however, worked alongside Bob Greaves, before he died, and had been to Wigan more times than any of them.

It is no where near Hope Street, which is at the other side of the old bus station, to the right of the crowd of people is where all the old Market Hall bins were kept, to the right of Bob Greaves who is actually stood on the old Market Square, there would have been the revolving doors of the old Market Hall.

Hope Street - https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/images3/mem4.jpg

Oh so it's not Hope St. Ok good to know. Take the picture down, erase my comments and ban me for life from this site.

Mick Rathe said:

"Oh so it's not Hope St. Ok good to know. Take the picture down, erase my comments and ban me for life from this site"

Yes, and yoo go and sit on the 'naughty chair' in the corner facing the wall.

My mother said, "it's definitely Hope Street".

Mosses dance school was in one of those buildings.

I do recall very vaguely that Granada news in the 1980s was presented by Tony Wilson (the late Factory Records king) and Richard Madeley. I also recall Stuart Hall was originally on Granada, but he switched to presenting BBC North West tonight with John Mundy in the 80s.

Granada news didn't become Granada Reports until the 1990s.
Bob Greaves was one of the reporters who went 'out and about', but in later years he became more studio based as a main anchor alongside Lucy Meacock.

Bob was also a continuity announcer for Granada (does anyone remember these guys?). Jim Pope and Charles Forster were also regular faces who told us what our TV line up was each evening. How television has changed!!!!

I am assuming this Wigan photograph was taken during a 'roadshow' feature when the Granada team visit different locations in the North West. The crowd numbers behind Bob suggest something positive and enjoyable is going on rather than Bob reporting about multiple job loses at a local mill or a murder in the town centre.

CJ