Wigan Album

How did what looks like good tiled roof fit into what was the new development? Why was the wall retained ?

Re my comment above. Is it one side of Makinson’s Arcade ?

What are you referring to here? I'm looking for tiles, on a wall, but can't see any.
"in front of the old Crofters pub"?
The Crofters has / had tiled walls to the front and side.

Do you mean 'slates'?

Re my comment above. Is it one side of Makinson’s Arcade ?

Philip, yes, that's the roof and rear wall of the row of shops on one side of Makinson arcade.

Now I've seen this photo, I realise I did actually see a bit of that wall the other day, (the extreme left of it), through a gap in the fencing where they have made a little tunnel to access the Makinson Arcade, but it just looked like bricks painted white, not tiles. Are those the tiles more to the right? I am still a bit unclear but Thankyou so much for taking the photo Standisher. At least we have a photo now before it disappears altogether. John Noakes, the photographer meant he was standing in front of The Crofters to take the photo, but he would have been standing with his back to the pub.

Wall located. Some confusion. My comment should have said slates not tiles . Is the comment from Standisher referring to the tiled wall that was just below Sid Smith’s stall as shown in another photo. ? I can’t identify these.

Perhaps leaving the tiled wall was the builder’s idea of trying to be like the Romans leaving some mark behind. It was probably thought it would be a hundred or so years before they were seen again! Little did they know…

Just for clarification, I was stood in front of the Crofters as Irene said, and was looking towards where the ' old ' supply ramp was on the opposite side of the road. I took 2 photos of the wall and it was only when I got home and downloaded them to my laptop that I realised I could see the roof of Makinsons Arcade behind and above the wall. The tiled was must be to the rear of the shops on that side of the existing Arcade. I took 12 pictures in all during my lap of the Market, some near the Market Tavern, some of the old Commercial Yard location and some of what's left opposite the old Gas Showrooms. I was struggling to upload the photo and Ron very kindly got it done for me in cropped form to go in the album. I will continue to pop down and take others, who knows what might turn up before the bulldozers have finished.

The top end entrance came out from boots, however confusingly I was told that the upstairs of boots looked really old. So possibly the upstairs may have been there when the arcade was there and the arcade entrance was the downstairs of boots. Also if you look at the back of boots today the brickwork goes behind the building.

The old Boots if I remember was extended to the left into Makinson’s Arcade if i’m correct. There was a side door leading into the Arcade. Could have been the seventies
when that happened. Well before the move into the Grand Arcade.

I can see why there is some confusion, the 'tiles' i originally referred to are on the bottom half of the wall, just where you can see the red plastic whatever-they-are! Irene is right, lower down (where i first saw it), You get a better view and look of them. Now, they could be painted brick - But i find it a bit strange that on the same wall 60 years ago, we can see a very similar look to right now, especially as it's been covered up all this time too.....

Now we have at least 2 old favourites in view, why not incorporate them into the 'new exciting' project? How difficult would be it be name parts "Market Arcade" and "Commercial Yard Entrance"?? On the other side we could have 'Hope St' entrance etc. But NO, instead we will have a committee - Being paid of course - To name parts something like 'Twitch.com Street'.

Yes, you are right Veronica....the old Boots did extend into the Makinson Arcade and their photo dept. was in there, through a door which opened into the Makinson Arcade. I worked at Debenhams at the time and got married in 1974, and remember taking a film of my wedding reception into Boots to have it developed via the door in the arcade. Then Boots later moved to Market Street, and I worked there from 1992 until 2007, by which time it had moved AGAIN to The Grand Arcade Just as a matter of interest, when the Old Arcade was still standing, the shop at the Standishgate end of it was Bolton's Ironmongers, with Syd Smith's Bookstall at the other end.

sorry I didn’t clarify I should have said Boots Opticians next to the jewellers. The One that recently shutdown and not the one that used to be in the Halifax leading into the Makinsons arcade.

Thank you Standisher for the interesting photograph. I’ve been down there today. Your photograph shows the whole length of tiles quite clearly. On my phone it does look like concrete that is part of the now knocked down buildings.

did they find any evidence of wigan being bombed mercilessly during the battle of britain blitz in world war 2?

Mick, we could end up with the Forbidden City with the Chinese state owned Biejing Construction Engineering Company building it.

The evidence is there for all to see wiganer 1, of the current ' bulldozer blitz ' which is ongoing. It's a right mess. If the bricks or tiles are at the back of the shops on Makinsons Arcade, then perhaps there's a good chance they'll be left in situ when the new build gets started.

Looking at it again tonight, you can now see all the wall up to the building that was put at the top (What was or still is an Opticians). All those tiles look in great condition, they can easily incorporate that wall into the new thing. Make it a walkway, keep the tiles, name it Market Arcade and put up old photos along the wall. Easy.

Very interesting picture, I have seen this view many times as the destruction of Wigan Town centre continues.
I cannot get my head around much of what is proposed in it's place, a Climbing Wall (At 75 I cannot wait to use that) Luxury Bowling! (Are the bowling balls covered in mink?) Anew Market Hall that looks more like a big industrial shed (Nothing wrong with the old one if they would just clean it up to make it more attractive that attract more stall holders and visitors) and some of the slogans on the hoardings 'A Greener Future' with a vast expanse of concrete paving with few pot plants, they refer to this as 'A Landscaped Public Realm' Honestly do they think Wiganers fall for all this flowery language of nonsense. 'Protecting Our Heritage' when over the last 50 years the council have demolished the lot, I'm surprised the Parish Church has survived but give it time!
And to top it all 460+ residential units in 7 blocks and a 144 bedroom hotel, just how do they gain access by road and where is the parking??? I see no indication of this in the plans.
Don't see much mention of the Cinema anymore particularly as the Empire Cinema has closed at Robin Park.
Finally who is going to use or live in them? With The Britannia Hotel Standish a disgrace and Kilhey Court Hotel being turned into a fenced off concentration camp there's not much guessing! Wouldn't it be cheaper just to bring the the Bibby Stockholm up from Dorset and plonk it on the the vast expanse of rubble they have created?
By the time it has all finished and the Chinese have taken there money there will be plans to demolish the lot and start all over again.