Photo-a-Day  (Thursday, 14th May, 2020)

I Appreciate you photo Mike Thank you, but I like many others don't like the new Grand Arcade it robbed Wigan of so much history and looks like a giant greenhouse between the surrounding buildings.

When it was Woolies it wasn't crooked.

Now because its quiet you can see the cheaply done repairs done to the pavement.

Wigan town centre is always like that

Deserted it may be but it looks like the Wigan I knew...except for the totally out of place greenhouse.

A good pic that wont always look this empty...hopefully.

At last a pleasant and cheerful change to the load of bollards we've had to put up with lately.

The council can be very proud of the town centre paving.

Looks like somebody has dropped a fiver on the ground. It is has it should be - for the time being anyway...

So sad to see our shopping centres empty.Awful times.

Get used to it! can't post on comments but tonkers question about make of car, is it nto a bristol 428.

Looks almost picture postcard material and only one piece of litter.

Helen, can you still imagine Station Road and The Ritz where the Grand Arcade now stands?

Quite a shadow coming from the right. Mick. Very nice.

What would they say, if here today -
Those men of Cocci' head -,
When marching by yon' ailing 'Way …
I give "Quite badly led".

I cant think we ever went down the that street further than The Ritz Irene. I remember there was a side entrance into Woolworths along the street ?

Nice photo, but a Million miles from 1960s era. Wigan was really a great shopping town and like many other places all gone.

Yes Helen,there was a side door..it's the one I used to go through after leaving work at Wilbrooks which was just around the corner,where oh where did our lovely town go.we where robbed...and there was a lovely little shop down there that sold rosary beads,prayer books etc...all gone in the name of progress.

I fully agree with you Garry - you could buy anything in Wigan in those days. Fantastic shops and wonderful architectural buildings.

Helen, stand with me at the entrance to The Grand Arcade where it says "Connect With Us" and let's do a "Garry Sparrow" and go back to the sixties. Come on, Wigan Worlders, you come too. On our right is Oxley's department store. As we walk forward, Woolworth's side entrance is on our left and just further along is The Ritz Cinema where we can join the queue for The ABC Minors' Saturday Morning Pictures. (And no shoving, you lot!).

Reminds me of Sunday mornings before the blight of Sunday shopping was inflicted on us.
After the hustle and bustle of Friday and Saturday, a pleasant walk round the Town Centre followed by a quiet pint in the Park Hotel or The Market was not a bad way to spend a day in Town.

Hi Helen , I said to my sister just two days ago , do you remember the side entrance into Woolies . I was showing her some pictures from WW . One was before this greenhouse was built and the street was getting ready for the knock down . So so sad to see a dead empty street when once it was absolutely jumping with activity .

The buses all queued up in Station Road. Was there a furniture store in Station Road (across the road from Woolworths?)
I remember the little shop which sold rosary beads, etc. Bought many First Communion cards there. Lovely times.

Pat McC. On the corner opposite Woolworths was Oxleys, which then became Waring and Gillows Furniture Store.

Kath H. Waring and Gillows and Oxleys were both on Station Road at the same time.
I worked at Oxleys and when I was getting married in 1964 we bought quite a few things at Waring and Gillows.

Just passed the shop that sold rosary beads was bill taylors bookies and on the corner before the casino was the newway cafe that all the regulars called sams.

Before Oxleys, was it not called Pooles?

Jean, yes I remember now, wasn’t Waring and Gillows on the corner, and Oxleys a bit further on. My Mother and I used to shop at Oxleys and then like you we bought furniture from Waring and Gillows in 1968, when we got married.

John that's right. Oxleys used to be Pooles.

I remember the side door in Station Road, I think
And the railiings are gone where we used to put the world to right and catching girls' eyes ;0)
Any of you girls caught my eye :0)

Death of a town centre

How many people who comment on Wiganworld have ordered from Amazon, or other online companies? I expect there will be quite a few. Those that have (and millions of others) are the reason Wigan town centre is like it is. Like it or not, internet shopping is here to stay and we now have to look to new ways to use our town centres. It may even turn out that they end up demolished and houses are built on them.