Wigan Album

A historic photo. Think I can pick out some buildings. The Makinson Arcade top centre, The building Pendleburys moved to after the fire & the Grammar School, bottom left. What is the area that looks like allotments ?

Looking again, I can see Dicconson Street, upper left, with the Wesleyan Church on the right corner. Great pic for looking at & picking out places.

the grammar school building in the photo had a comparitively short life, it was built in the 1870s and replaced about 1930 by the building which still remains as the hospital out patients.

I see A.W....in true Wigan tradition, another one bites the dust. Can't be many places on this photo left !

This appears to be a pre-mid thirties shot. The Grammar School (now the Thomas Linacre Medical Centre) was opened in 1938, as was the old Market Square LUT/Ribble bus station, neither of which are on here. Given that, compared to today, it took forever to build any substantial building in the thirties, I would imagine building the school started about 1935.

O and G Rushton's warehouse, now the university technical college, in centre of picture.

Hi Helen, I might be wrong but I think the area or "allotments" that you refer to became the "Mesnes field" which WGS used for our cricket matches and sports day events, it also had a very fine, if not elitist, 5's court and good changing rooms. At the time this photo was taken it was unbelievably a rubbish tip. From what I hear this once fine field has been significantly altered.

Keith - I think Helen is referring to the area in the bottom right hand corner of the photo, which I think is in fact, part of the gounds and outhouses of Wigan Hall/Rectory.
The technical college buildings now stand on this location.

Keith, The Mesnes playing field has altered significantly. The fives court and cricket pavilion are gone and it has been partially built on in both Parsons Walk (The Youth Zone)and in New Market St by an extension to an Educational Facility now housed in what was O.G. Rushton's warehouse. (The title of this recently developed facility escapes me at the moment.) Additionally a pathway has been constructed in the remaining field area running from New Market St to Mesnes Park Terrace.

Too old for me this pic! From the date, must have been taken from hot air balloon!

On left near top is that popular stand at central park just In view.

Thank you for the update Derek it seems things have moved on apace.
I recollect that the Mesnes field provided a lovely oasis of green (if somewhat underused), it was well kept and always I thought, added a serene environment in contrast to the usual built up areas. Change or "progress", as it is sometimes called, is often with us, but not always for the better. A lack of imagination is often the problem, some would say commercialisation is a factor but I don't know the circumstances so I couldn't possibly comment.

You're nearly right Giovanni, probably 10 years out I think. It was in 1918 that air balloons, sorry Zeppelins, were over Wigan, they killed 7 people and caused considerable damage.

This brought back memories of the Whit Monday Walks years ago when all the churches met on the Market Square. Happy days.

Keith, do you recall in the very early 60s a proposal to rebuild Wigan Town Centre in the form which was the vogue at the time and taking place in places such as Blackburn? This proposal would have involved building on the Mesnes Field. I seem to remember that the consortium involved was called Murrayfield Developments.(or something similar) There was uproar in the local press, in certain elements of the Council and amongst Wiganers generally and after dragging on for quite a while it all came to nothing and we were spared for another 30 yrs or so for what some see as the destruction of our Town Centre

Where did you find the pic, Eddie - are there any more of Wigan?

Hi Derek, yes I do remember very well the proposals for town centre development, the local papers must have loved them, they seemed to fill the headlines for years on end. When I removed myself from the Fylde area to Wolverhampton I realised that what was proposed in Wigan for years had actually taken place down here. I think there are pluses and minuses depending on your point of view but certainly I do think that as a result of the delay Wigan probably got a more sympathetic development than otherwise it would have done without the delay.

Thanks for the info, Frank! Those Zeppelins were very dangerous, full of inflammable hydrogen!

The fourth grammar school, now the Liancre centre, opened in October 1937. The fives court on the Mesnes field opened in 1935.
The photo above shows the third Wigan Grammar School which was demolished to make way for it's successor. The 1920 date is probably correct.

It is strange to think this is the Wigan my grandparents would have known when they first arrived from Scotland.

It is wonderful to see how people preserve the history and heritage of Wigan. Thankyou for sharing this photo Eddie.

I grew up near to Wigan centre and knew the boy whose
house backed on to the cricket field..and as children we would run and play all over that field,I would love to
know if anyone knew him..his name is Graham Smith..they
were very happy days.

It's dated August 1920 and is a straight lift from BFA
http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/epw005023?search=wigan&ref=2

Hi Bob. This appears to be a good website. At least seven pictures to view.

I remember meeting Geoff Boycott at the cricket pitch back in the late 80's.Shame this pitch is no longer there.