Wigan Album

The artist has certainly caught the atmosphere. I love it... looks like houses were there at the time.

Very interesting illustration. I posted photos of the similar scene earlier in March 2015, but without the overhead arch and lamp, it can be compared with this one by visiting,
https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=4&id=26108&gallery=Church+Gates&page=1

He is just taking the Christmas offertory to the Bank.

Church Gates always reminds me of my Mam. We always walked down there when we went to Wigan. I'm not sure where we would have been heading for...maybe somewhere in Hallgate.....but I always think of her when ever I walk down there.

He does look as though he is carrying a bag of 'swag' !

Just love that picture.

It's Les Dawson's greatgrandad with a shady character looming in the background.

Nice painting but conditions were very bad back then you can read about an official of the government came to wigan his report is on wigan world, bodies were left outside the parish church waiting to be buried

see the same today with door sleepers carrying their belongings

I wonder if the lady at her doorstep is throwing crumbs out for the pigeons! If she is that's why they're still flying about these days,.

Is this the passageway that leads to the cenotaph?.

It is Albert you are correct. I might have a walk down there and see if I can see any remains of the doorsteps. (The flags which would have been in front of the steps, you never know....))

The gap between the two buildings in the distance, just where you can see the horse, I presume is the Wiend.

Josh, yes it is the Wiend

No Josh you are in the wrong area. The Wiend is over on the other side behind yourself to the left - looking down the passageway.

Oops! I beg pardon I was looking down the passage way. I have an appointment at Specsavers on the 1St of Feb!

Wasn’t it The Wiend where the Empire Cinema was situated, and the other end of The Wiend entered Millgate?. I may be mistaken, but I seem to recollect visiting a chiropodist many years ago, in The Wiend.

I doubt if the Wiend would have been in the line of sight from Hallgate

Albert is right.The Empire where my mother dragged me to see Jeanette Macdonald & Nelson Eddy in some sentimental slush
Were they singing "When I'm calling you, whoo,hoow.woow,hoo hoo hoo/?

The wiend is the passage in the Market Place, leading up to The Life Centre.

From the vantage point where I was looking
( mistakenly) in Market street where the entrance to the old Lowes was, it would have been possible to see the bottom end of the Wiend.

two pubs either side of church gates BULLS HEAD & BLACK HORSE, OLD DOG pub in market place behind the horse

Veronica.You are quite right

I hadn't read the caption and assumed it was the Dorning Street side

It's not often I'm right Donald. Lowes was a tad further down than the opening of Church gate. I did look behind myself and the Wiend was very much nearer than I thought! I went up and down today, just looking at the paving stones to see if I could detect anything that would have indicated were the doorsteps where, although they are the original stone paving I couldn't see anything remotely near where they might have been. The walls of the building look like they have been rendered as well. It's still oldie worldie.

Hi Albert S, I think you’ll find that the Empire Cinema was situated in Cooper’s Row, the next opening along, to the left of the Wiend opening. It was entered next to 17 Market Street (Galloways the baker), whereas the Wiend was entered next to 7 Market Street. I knew of its location but it’s taken me quite a while to find the name, Cooper’s Row. There is a photo on the site showing a shop in Cooper’s Row but that’s far more difficult to find without having its name. However there is a map I posted a while ago, showing its position
https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=32729&gallery=Market+Place%2C+Wigan&page=6
I believe the John Bull Chophouse is situated there these days.

If you look at the 1840 map of Wigan that has recently been put on the site you can see that it is most likely to be the Wiend.

This reminds me of the Bridge of Sighs in Oxford.