Photo-a-Day  (Monday, 19th November, 2012)

Sad photo. Apartments for rent, no deposits please.

These birds are a real pain for us at work as once in a while one flies into the workshop and it is a hassle trying to get it back out again.

Ha ha!!!! Thomas anywhere for a safe roost I guess, good photo, but where is it? Cheers!!

What a disgrace that a fine building like this is allowed to decay while millions of pounds are spent on demolishing our heritage to build useless shopping arcades and the like.

The town is going down the drain, I'm afraid.

Senior moment!!! 118 Standishgate of course, silly me!!

Interesting! Like the pigeons, but certain of our WW photo a day "clique" may object to the wildlife! The building looks interesting; I like the brickwork.

My husband used to work in a Motor Factors here; the actual warehouse was up the entry by the side of the building but the address was 118 Standishgate. The building itself was let out as flats. This was in the 1970s.

Hear, hear Michael !!

such a shame to see old building crumble & die, at least the birdies like it

Who owns it?

There a video here of what it looked like 2 years ago.

http://youtu.be/H3KA5IGbUqI

I remember this house in the mid 60s.A school friend of mine lived in this house with her mum and sister.Went in once,the living room was on the first floor and stretch the width of the house.Shame its got in this state.

Wasn't that the antiques shop Sheargold's at one time.

Its only bricks and mortar. Nothing lasts forever. We have to move with the times not live in the past.
The rose tinted image of the past that some people have, defies logic.
As an instance...take the 2nd World War. Diptheria, rickets, polio, slums, ad infinitum.

It's the respect people had for each other, the lack of foul language in the streets and on buses and trains, especially to little toddlers, the lack of fear of walking past a gang of youths, the ability to be able to tell someone off without getting beaten up. As for the bricks and mortar, there was workmanship and pride in some beautiful buildings; of course they won't last forever, but if they would only replace them with something pleasant to the eye instead of characterless boxes.

Dennis, the tenor of your comment seems extreme! Any right thinking person would agree that "2nd World War, Diphtheria, rickets, polio, slums" should be swept away. This has nothing to do with recognising fine old buildings and retaining them when they have value to society. We have been poorly served with the slogan "move with the times" particularly in the sixties and seventies (i.e. when the country recovered from the war economically). Now, many of the building are/have-been demolished as not fit-for-purpose. e.g. High-Rise flats, other flats, bus stations, shopping centres/malls. Of course, at the time money was short but it was short-sighted thinking that was the problem not shortage of money.

The last time this building was used I think it was an Italian restaurant.It was by the side of Fred Grimes Car Sales.The restaurant lasted six months at the most.The land that this building and Fred Grimes,and Sheargolds was on was bought and apartments were built on the land.Sheargolds was the next building going up Standishgate after Fred Grimes.

Irene,What was the Motor Factors called who had the place up the side of this building.Was it called Barnses?There is a mechanics up there now.Is it called Acton Garage?

Neil...there's NOTHING nice about that old building! Its just a box. Some recent modern buildings are superb.
Then there's the practical side - design and building costs. Rightly or wrongly, like it or not, times change.
Before long, we'll all be back in mud huts anyway!

Irene...I've not really noticed much change in the behaviour of Wiganers. Apart from the fact that women now have more freedom. Husbands no longer consider it their right to beat their wives and kids aren't going around without shoes or food in their bellies.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What one finds beautiful in buildings (or anything else for that matter) is another mans (or womans!) folly!

Anyone noticed the frontage of the old Town Hall at the bottom of King St . If not, go and have a look at Wigans BOMB SITE.Any comments????

Dennis, my comment was more general than the building in the picture and I agree with you about boxes and some good modern buildings. In the case of this building, which I agree has no outstanding features of its own, it harmonises well with the other buildings around, particularly the one the right (when facing), which seems to me clean and has a pleasant, utilitarian aspect. If the building in the picture were torn down and replaced with a "modern looking" building it would (probably) be incongruous and the road, overall, would be less pleasant.

Dennis, when I was a little girl, 1950's/60's, you heard the f-word just now and again from a "wrong-un", and even his mates would pull him up about it, saying, "Ey, Shurrup, there's a woman there", and adults would immediately admonish him. Now it's everywhere you go; there is no respect whatsoever for people of any age, the girls are as bad as the lads, and young mums eff-and- blind at little toddlers in prams. You daren't say anything for fear of being attacked. A lot of older Wiganers haven't changed, that's true, but less and less are being taught manners and respect by their parents.You only need to look at the Court Report in the Wigan Observer to see that men DO still beat women!

John, yes the Motor Factors was John Barnes & Co. It was owned by two brothers.

I've not come across any real lack of respect in Wigan, Irene. In fact, things have never been better. In the 1960s gangs of rockers and teddy boys used to roam Wigan looking for trouble. Many carried motorbike chains! A friend of mine was beat up twice just for looking at them. Mods and rockers clashed daily. Husbands beating their wive's was the 'norm' and accepted that's why they didn't end up in court.
As for the 'f word' , its only a word.
Things always appear better in the past, but the reality is very different.

Thanks Irene for that information.I worked at Fred Grimes and we use to get our polish and valeting stuff from there.I worked at Fred Grimes from 1965 to 2002,that is when they sold the land for housing.

Well I'm afraid I HAVE come across lack of respect, Dennis, which is why we differ, as we are entitled to. I remember well the mods and rockers and just about recall teddy-boys, but even they seemed to have a code of honour...yes, they did have vicious fights and it was wrong, but they seemed to fight with their own age; you hardly ever heard of them attacking the vulnerable....pensioners and children, who are often attacked these days for pitiful amounts of money. This isn't an argument, Dennis, (there's enough of that on here!) just different points of view, and I am sorry to hear about what happened to your friend. I can see your point of view from that story.

We must live in a different Wigan. Irene!
Things have changed, but in my experience they are for the better.
Considering the large population of Wigan in the 21st Century, there is very little trouble.
Schools too have improved. I went to Rose Bridge in the 1960s and the teaching was atrocious. (That is if the teachers turned up for lessons)
Rose Bridge is now a school to be proud of - despite the poor buildings. The canals used to be filthy and were used as rubbish dumps. Dead dogs were thrown in there. Many houses still had shared outdoor lavatories and (in my case) the houses were slums.
I've been out late at nights twice a week for a pint and have never encountered any threats to my person in the past three decades. Prior to that, I was regularly accosted by various gangs.
There are no 'good old days' only good memories with the bad bits forgotten.

We will agree to differ, Dennis, and I have enjoyed talking to you!

I'm with you Irene I was a kid in the 50's, not a care in the world and able to roam in safety. Cheers!!!

I find myself agreeing with Dennis. My childhood was terrible. A violent father, no money, bug infested house, constant illness, outside lav (not flushing!) that was shared, muck middens, no hot water, terrible gas lighting, filthy streets and foul air from coal fires. Only jobs were either down the pits or in the mills. Education was so poor only a few ended up with decent jobs.
I thank God for all that modern life as given us and I can put up with a few negatives. The good outweigh the bad to my mind.