Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 14th June, 2014)

Good photo, nary a soul around, not even a dog from central
"Wiggin". Good to see old wuchie rook in the background, that's indomitable.

Note the 'Seven Sisters' on the first floor window lintels on the row with the Wigan News shop. Low centre right.

I believe whoever authorised this building should be shot. Absolutely dreadful!! Well done Andrew for not only showing the front but also the warehouse back. I'm sure many will say it provides jobs and services, but surely they could have come up with a building in keeping with what we had before.
Maybe change and progress has got the better of me.

That is a fantastic photograph! I see you have also caught the Seven Sisters... ;-)

Really brilliant!

Was this a very early morning shot Andrew? Not a soul to be seen

so quiet....

Thanks folks :-)

David, I took it a few weeks ago just before 5am!

That's a fabulous photo .... thankyou

JP - what do you mean by 'what we had before'? The entrance to the Grand Arcade replaces an empty space - Station Road. I don't remember anything of any architectural merit being there. The cinema facade at the end of the street view wasn't attractive, whatever nostalgia there may be around its past - and there was even less to be said for the ugliness of the cinema building itself behind - plain common red brick. Fortunately, as with the ugly industrial sheeting seen here, it was hidden from view from street level (except for the cliff-like rear visible from Crompton Street, as noted in earlier discussions).
Views taken from All Saints' tower in 2004 are in the New Gallery on this site - there's no sign of the Roman Baths which one stood hereabouts....
Great pic, Andrew.

Hi Rev, That street which lead to the Ritz, with Woolworths being where WHSmith is, used to be alive with human activity, people going about their business. This sadly was allowed to die like many other areas of Wigan. Millgate (check out album) used to have all kind of shops giving it a special atmosphere. Is the above better than the big arcade and little arcade (as we knew them) I think not. I suppose it all boils down to a matter of taste. Change and progress do provide much needed jobs and services but, as many people have commented, it is not always better. Millgate and the above are, in my opinion, are good examples.

Its a poor shot saying that you have climbed all the way to the top of the parish church to get

I love the WH Smith building! As others have stated, the big warehouse isn't visible at street level but how will the galleries look if the new building is put up? These big modern warehouse buildings wouldn't go up in the likes of central Chester, York etc

Jonathan - you haven't seen the dreadful market building beside Chester Town Hall, then? Wigan's Market is a palace in comparison - and the original Chester Market Hall was a far more impressive building than Wigan's Market. Google to check.
Sadly, big money talks loudly everywhere.

Mick, I'm sure you are correct. Just post a link below to one of your superior shots so I can learn from such a gifted photographer as your good self.

It was a very short walk indeed to the top of the tower.

Im not allowed up the parish church tower Andrew otherwise I would, its been said by many folk that I have a good eye for a photo, and I never touch them up.

Mick, the principles of good photography are the same, no matter what or where the photo. Just post a link to any of your photos then I can learn. Any photo will do.

Andrew, I like it because it captures a particular moment of the day very well. It's evocative and that's why you get complementary comments and why I write this (which I'm sure will not be to everyone's taste):-

The cold black cloak of night
seen from this towering height,
is torn-and-torn away
by the slow-slow creep
of a reddening seep;
stirring the babes from their deep-deep sleep.

Here you go Andrew [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/bigharold/Wigan%20area/DSC04332-1.jpg[/IMG]

But who said I was trying to learn you anything, I didnt I was just leaving a honest comment

Cheers Mick

Who or what are the 7 sisters (I can see them in the photo (which is very good, BTW!). What was the building originally used for? I'm amazed I have never seen them before as I do tend to look up at the older parts of the buildings as I walk around.

I also would welcome education as to what the seven sisters are. Also Ken R's 'old wuchie rook'

Jack.
The Seven Sisters are the carvings above the windows on the right. Old Wuchie Rook is on the centre horizon, highlighted by the dawn sky. It is an old mineral slag heap from bygone days, now covered with trees, the shape is built into the mind of all the locals, I lived about 200 hundred yards on the Aspull side of the left hand end.

Hi Ken, Much appreciated. I see. Any idea why they are called seven sisters? Old Wuchie Rook, What a name,,, wonder how that name came about. Cheers Ken for your insight.