Photo-a-Day  (Wednesday, 21st July, 2021)

Pennington's where are you,
Have I been fast asleep,
Where are shops I'm needing,
Not boxes nice and neat.
You turn your head one morning,
and time has chased a run,
I feel I'm in a catch up ,
with buttons left undone,
Moderns overtook me,
I've let the baton fall,
the place i knew with blindfold,
I don't recognise at all..

Amazing bit of modern sculpture, it really blends in very well with the brand new sparkling Wigan life centre and believe square.
Cant wait for the new development to take place when the demolish the gallery's

A different approach - yon mon looks like he's scowling. The face that launched a thousand shops is wondering where they've all gone.

Helen of Troy, (not our Wigan World Helen of Troy!), was The Face that Launched a Thousand Ships" . This monstrosity is "The Face that Sunk a Thousand Shops". When I see old photos of Millgate and think of the quaint shops and cafes that have been swept away to be replaced by this eyesore and that soul-less Lego-built building facing it, I despair. What on earth is it meant to represent?

I wonder what Mick would say if 'yon mon' was re-located to Shangri la. Stuck in the middle of all the fancy shops.

The profile has a passing resemblance to Meghan Markle.

Good capture Dennis. Not my favorite part of Wigan to be honest but in another 50/100 years this will be photographic history too. Controversial Mick, given the choice, where would you place that sculpture in Shevvy ?

I have to agree with Veronica....what a miserable gob he's got on him! He looks like he's lost a shilling and found a ha'penny.

It has no appeal whatsoever,whatever is it suppose to represent in Wigan..it isn't even a smiling face...we all know things have got to move on with modern times but ye Gods,whoever thought that could replace the homeliness of the old shops that everybody loved.

Mick, I'm afraid I can't agree with you, I have only just got used to the Galleries, like a lot of older Wiganners I still remember how Wigan used to be.

It has no appeal whatsoever,whatever is it suppose to represent in Wigan..it isn't even a smiling face...we all know things have got to move on with modern times but ye Gods,whoever thought that could replace the homeliness of the old shops that everybody loved.

Prefer The Kelpies in Falkirk Scotland , now they are something, good photo Dennis crisp and clear detail ,well done.

Mick don't talk soft, it doesn't represent Wigan one bit, you cant wait for the galleries to be knock down, does that include the Market Hotel?

Good photo Dennis, but I don't like the face.Mick what makes you think the new development is going to be any better than The Galleries.That was only built 34 yrs ago.Its scandal. The Government is now questioning Wigan Council, as to why a new market hall, was built costing a fortune, and is now being demolished.Not only that it's being built by the Chinese.

Well said Edna. The government should step in and refuse the plans. Make good what is already there. ( if they can!).
As for hiring the Chinese words fail me...

There's a rumour going around that Mick posed for the sculptor of that fizzog, and apparently it's made from old baked bean cans.

You have woken me up Dennis ! Not really, we have been in the beautiful Broads Nat Pk for a few days....& I have come back to hear abt another waste of money by WMC. Sounds as if they get a budget & as you know, if they don't spend it they get less next time round....hence the odd tasteless statue here, bit of nondescript iron work there.....all councils do it but Wigan seems to be really good at spending ' ratepayers' dosh !

So true Helen of Troy, the new children's library that was on the corner of Millgate and the Wiend was a pleasant traditional shaped building with terracotta bricks and was aesthetic with the Municipal Buildings next door, I couldn't understand why that was demolished when it too was less than 30 years old, it could have been retained and merged into the new buildings as it was far more admirable than the glass house and the 'I can't believe it' square that replaced it.

Anyone know what is to happen to the concrete carbuncle civic centre, it's stood empty for a good few years now, except when used for scenes at the police station on The Bay. It's as ugly on the inside as it is on the outer and yet the council seem reluctant to demolish that, maybe they have in mind to make it into apartments?

This big head do sent have to have anything to do with Wigan, its just a sculpture.
They have sculptures all over the world in towns and city's for people to admire, just look at that Greek lad stood in the middle of Piccadilly circus. hes got nothing to do with London, and BTW this sculpture didn't cost you hard working Wiganers one single penny, we got it free.

I didn't know the ugly concrete building was empty! What are they waiting for? Who would want to live in that monstrosity even if they did titivate it up. It's beyond titivation ...

Every comment on here,with the exception of Mick's,agree that the 'face' is hideous and adds nothing.Couldn't agree more about Wigan Council having absolutely no clue about what is worth keeping,and like Veronica,the Chinese factor... .. !

Ho! and while we're on the subject of WMBC wasting money, whose Idea was it to put Scholes carved in stone, at the end of Vauxhall Rd.Its a monstrosity.Supposidly for when they came past with the Olympic torch, during the 2012 games. What an eyesore.Sorry Dennis.

Come on Mick, you're taking the proverbial surely?
Blends in very well ? my backside.....
Now that's given me a humdinger of an idea...
A sculpture of my rear end fashioned from discarded Fray Bentos cans would almost certainly look better than yon abortion, and in addition, would furthermore serve to broadcast my sentiments regarding Wiggin council.
Tell you what Mick,
I'll give that Anthony Gormley chap a ring the very moment I sober up, in order to arrange a sitting.
He could name it ' The buttocks of the North ', What do you reckon ?... and what's the chances this won't be published?

But where would you stick the keys off the cans Ozy?

I think what happened here is the person wot made this got fed up after he did the front bit so, he thought to himself “ it’s only for Wigan Council and they ain’t paying nowt so I’ll stick a bit on the back to hide the fact that there’s nowt in there and tell ‘em it’s straight out of the Tracy Emmin School of thought provoking ‘er thingies”.

I think it represents nothing in between the ears! The Artist is having a laugh! Even if the face isn't. That's wot's wrong with the folk on the Council - nothing between the ears... but it was free so why bother.

I've been thinking of where ' the face that closed a 1000 shops' could be relocated to. Standish ? Not really given all the new development, Wine Bars, Retirement Homes, Chelsea Tractors and Grade 1 and 2 listed buildings, not enough room. So, where to place it !! Shevington. With all it's fashionable shops, sweeping vistas and panoramic views, all its short of is a landmark. How about placing it on the spare land at the side of the War Memorial, facing the Plough and Harrow, You could probably see it from your house couldn't you Mick :)

I love it! Good to see that Wigan council understands what it means to "move with the times" The town has never looked better.

Some who comment on Wiganworld are never satisfied. They moan about very old buildings being demolished. Then they moan about a pretty new building being demolished that many said should never had been built in the first place! Would you all still like to ride around in Morris Minors? Watch B&W TV? Etc., etc. Come on, remove the moaning hats and accept change with open arms and minds! On the other hand... you could always move to Bolton!!