Photo-a-Day  (Friday, 3rd January, 2014)

Nice shot. Such lovely stonework " IMO' spoiled by inserting brick, why couldn't they have gone to all stone. ?? I have always thought that Wigan was a "brick" town as Bolton was a "stone" town.

Beautiful image Dave and what lovely architecture.

ok. I've got it now.

what a interesting photo

Thanks, Dave, for the memory; I had a very vivid recollection of standing for "Land of Hope and Glory" at the Queens Hall. However, I forget the occasion! Tempus fugit!

Wonderful stone work and a wonderful photo of it. I seem to remember another photo of the same building some time ago, with more foliage at that time.

I agree Ken, Wigan was built on the cheap, if you look around the backs of some of these building they are just rotting away.
Just look at what happened to the Town Hall.

Like you say Bolton was built to last from stone and it wasnt just Bolton, Burnley, Blackburn, Manchester, Liverpool and Rochdale where also built with good quality stone and are still standing strong.

Very nice picture Dave....it would look great in mono also.... :).....cheers!!

That's impressive Dave, was it taken from the Galleries car park?

What was the tower used for?

Yes Harry - from the car park.

What lovely memories I have of this place - Speech Day, concerts - classical. Another thing that amazed me was that the interiors of these places were all built to the same plan. You can go to the New Rooms in Bristol - the first Methodist church & you recognise it immediately.

I recall going to some good concerts at the old Queen's Hall, Grenadier Guards band for one. Used to like their Saturday morning charity sales that were held about once a month.

Wigan photographic society had there darkroom immediately under there. Lecture room and studio situated each side.

Like Maggie I have memories of the school speech days. It seemed a massive building then.

The brick and stone architecture is in fact emulating the Tudor Gothic period.... take a look at Hampton Court. It has nothing to do with being cheap, but copying a classic style.

Please don't compare other towns against Wigan will you...no contest.

Well said Dennis, Wigan wasn't built on the cheap at all, Wigan had many very grand architectural buildings far outmatching any other northern town or city, these were demolished in the past to make way for powse concrete and glass monstrosities, it's these modern buildings that are an eyesore and being built on the cheap a perfect example is the tin shed that's been erected on the Mesnes Field.

Like Ellen,I remember singing in the Queens Hall in my School days..and in particular Land of Hope and Glory..every time I hear that song I am back in the Queens Hall..but like Ellen I can't remember the occasion,just the magnificent singing.

Lovely photo Dave. I wonder how they built it, and all the other beautiful buildings in Wigan, in that day and age with no scaffolding to haul that tower up.

I remember attending many concerts at the Queens Hall,the Halle Orchestra and several Brass Bands. CND held meetings there in the 1950s. The acoustics were second to none

Ann - they had scaffolding