Wigan Album

The Kinks stayed there, after their first T.V. appearance in Manchester. Still got the autographed menu somewhere?

It's quite strange, I referd to The Grand. Hotel earlier this week ,regarding The Brocket Arms photograph as mentioned then it's in a sorry state now .It is to be hoped that something is done soon , it gives a poor impression of Wigan,particularly being so close to the bus station. In its hay day it was the premier hotel in the town.

Buddy Holly and the Crickets stayed there as well!
Also, I had my wedding reception there, in 1973.
The Grand used to be a nice place.
Good pic, Tom.

The Grand Hotel had the right name GRAND. We had our wedding reception there in 1961.

This is where I met my wife, on the 6th February 1981.Brings back a lot of memories. So sad to see it in the state its in now. Drinking in the lower bar (was it called the Colliers Bar ?), you were a bit posh back then. Having said that, you really were posh if you took your date for a drink upstairs in the Cocktail Bar on the Clarence (now Harrys Bar). How times have changed.

Very Sad to see such a fine place so badly managed, I used to go there every week as a member of Wigan Round Table 78, in 1960s, we held our meeetings in that cellar dining room until one day we saw a pretty big rat crawling inside of one of the overhead light diffusers.

next door , what is now the anvil was the all saints tavern , first pub i ever bought a pint i was 14 and it was a sat afternoon , then mates dad followed us in and turfed us out

Played our first ever gig in here, around 1978. I was with Katch5 - and I bet not a soul remembers them?

There are pics of Katch 5 on the album; under "Assorted", then "Abram Pop Groups".

Hey you're right Irene. I'd forgotten about them. The brain cells are dwindling fast now !

Been to Wigan today and out of curiosity walked down Dorning Street where I worked in the 60's, The Grand Hotel is completely different today to the one in the photograph. Such a shame.

My mum Diane Winstanley new McKenna used to work here in the early 90's behind the reception. I used to love going to visit her at work but the stories of the building being haunted scared me as I was only about 5 or 6. Y mum and step-dad had their wedding reception held in the room downstairs in May 1993. I can still remember the smell of the hotel now!

Hello. My Grandfather (Jack) was a part owner of the Grand. WHen he died in 1965, my Dad (Gordan) and his borthers Cameron and Roger took on the job of running it. By then the whole family had moved south to Guildford. So as a yong lad I would be bundled in the back of the car for the trip back north so Dad could attend meetings. Many happy memories of helping serve morning tea ot guests with Fred the Night Manager and then in the Dining Room and Kitchen mostly getting in the way. My Uncle Roger was in the wine trade so the Grand had a pretty good selction of vino. The Grant Room (for functions) was named after my cousin, son of Cameron. Luckily for everyone nowhere was called the Tarquin room

I took a phot a series of photos from the same spot yesterday.
Tarquin, you would be shocked at how it has been neglected for many years and is now in a state of disrepair.
A more current one that I have posted might in the near future be popping up on Wigan World Photo A Day.

Thanks Colin. I plan to come up to Wigan this year to seek out some of the places my family lived in between the 1840s and late 1940s when my Grandmother decided she wanted to marry her three sons off to 'nice gals' from the Home COunties. She wasn't impressed with my mum - a Variety singer and dancer. :-)
So sad about the Grand. My son was up last year and sent a photo.

How strange, I had a great uncle who left his wife and child in Wigan and ran off to London with what I might term a Show Girl, I think that was in the 1920's or 30's. He had businesses in London including a Taxi firm and was severely injured during the Blitz.
They eventually settled in Brighton and from what I can gather they lived a long and happy life together. I remember my mother, grandmother and other relatives going down for his funeral, that must have been around 1952.