Photo-a-Day  (Thursday, 13th June, 2019)

Like the sky, not sure about owt else

Would be nice to have a bit more info Mick, where was the dining hall ?

Where is this, please? It looks like Trencherfield or Eckersley's Mill but I can't imagine the women would have had a dining hall at all....I think they would have just sat down by their looms. This reminds me more of a Workhouse or Institution.

I worked on that complex many years ago, biggest canteen I ever seen, it was later used for a roller skating rink.

Is that barbed wire there to keep the wimmin diners in or to keep them out?

I never knew there were women in Colditz.

Trencherfield I think. interesting that men and women ate seperateley. I suppose they all had to take their own food though and i bet they didn't get long to eat it and rest.

Yes like Dave says its now the back door of the roller skating rink on Fourteen Meadows road
Look like you women where lucky to have your own dining room, while the men just sat down on a upturned bucket next to the looms.

Sorry Irene, this is Eckersley mill looking at angle of pic it looks like mick snapped it on fourteen meadows.

Yes, where has it all gone...? Dear oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.. If only I could go back to Colditz again. So much better than the modern Wigan we have now. What have they done to my beloved Wigan. I'd bring back the old days any day.

I suppose the separate dining area was an assurance for the 'paternalistic' mill owners , that there would be no 'hanky- panky' going on in the dinner break.

Truth is Veronica the ladies outnumbered the gents probably 100 to 1, the ladies were weavers, spinners, knotters you didn't have as many males who were mechanics, fitters, and boiler men, that's why ladies had a massive canteen.

Not surprising the walls of the weaving sheds have now collapsed looking at the state of the brickwork, can imagine the owners wanting complete demolition so the site can go for housing, the ones with views of the little waterfalls and leaping salmon will be pricey, same with Pagefield mill being left to decay, that'll be another prime site for housing with Mesnes park for a backdrop.

Great shot. A piece of history.

Impressive buildings but must be hard to put to good use.Mick,had you fallen of your bike to get this shot?

Wigan and other towns owe so much to the working class of that time. You would have thought the men could have had a compartmentalised area inside the dining hall Dave. Well the building appears to be 'frozen in time' so perhaps demolition and land for houses then? Museums don't seem to be popular anyway if the Pier was anything to go by.

I only remember 3 engines at eckersleys but I believe there was 5, I also remember very well servicing hamworthy dolphin boilers which provided the heating and steam for sizing rooms, on this pick of micks to the right was an engine room, the actual size of this complex was a mile in circumference and was problably the largest in the world, I worked there with an excellent fitter and boiler man by the name of Robert lomax (Bob) who's father also worked there back in the day, it brings tears to my eyes now to walk round there and see it in such a state, if this large mill could have been maintained it would have been a world beating attraction.

Hi Veronica, the mill in the day was so busy the men always stayed on hands reach especially the boiler men who took pride in their work, they ate their lunches at their machines and wouldn't leave them till the end of shift, they loved their job and were very proud, some gents did use women's canteen but wouldn't have dare say a wrong word.

Not forgetting the camaraderie either with workmates Dave. Better than working in an office!