Photo-a-Day  (Monday, 15th November, 2021)

Is that the front of what was the Wigan Mini g & Technical College.....the Town Hall now ?

I love the red brick buildings

Yes it is, Helen, and I love red-brick buildings too. Good photo, Dennis.

Dennis, I know you won't mind my adding something. Cyril mentioned on yesterday's photo about people selling their relatives' service medals and I pointed out a poem I thought you all might like, but I put the post on late and it may not have been seen. Google "Dad's Medals by Cliff Gerrard" to read it. (Sorry, Dennis, and thanks). I'm sure there will be many comments on today's Library Street photo. Its beautiful buildings are such a part of our lives in Wigan.

They don’t build them like that anymore. How long before the council decide to knock it down?

A familiar landmark with such classic buildings. I remember going to a wedding 18 years ago in the Town Hall and was overawed how beautiful it was inside.
I notice the 'cupola' isn't finished yet, I hope it's not being left as it is.? It looks like a giant bird cage! Not looked yet Irene at the poem ... will do so.

All I can say Irene is Men like Cliff's dad belonged to a different breed altogether. I doubt very much we would see their like again.

Good photo Dennis, my brother went there, when it was the mining & technical collage..I saw the poem Irene, last night.I left a comment for you.x

Magnificent. The Victorians could give today's architects/builders a run for their money. In my opinion, they wouldn't stand a chance of competing with such craftsmanship.
Lovely photograph Dennis, such richness and warmth of colour in the brick.

Pat MCc.. The Victorians are all dead. However, evolution is still at work and whether we like it or not, ideas and designs change. In years to come the likes of the modern buildings you frown upon will be those later societies will fight to save!

Lovely pic Dennis.Fab architecture,great craftsmanship.

Dennis: Well done Sir, nice crisp in focus photo, and look at the surroundings, no litter, or dirt any where.

And not a doggy poo bag to be seen John G.
Mick will be pleased!

That does help Dennis,I must admit I’am impressed with Wigan council for that, it shows some pride.

Is the name of the brick Accrington brick.I only ask because a lady who lived on Tanners brow in Blackrod always said her house was Accrington brick because it was smooth lovely pic

annemarie, Accrington or Nori are a hard engineering brick made in Altham near Accrington since the late 1800's.

Alan, with all the money that was spent converting the original Tech into the Town Hall and then another shedload getting rid of the dry rot and renovating the terracotta exterior, I can't see the council wanting to demolish it anytime soon. Though they spent a fortune building Marketgate, the Market Hall and the Galleries and now only after thirty years or so they've decided that they must go, so Alan you never know you may well be right.

Veronica, when the original terracotta cupola was taken down with it being unsafe it was then stored in the rear yard, years later when they came to look for the bricks etc for renovation they'd disappeared. To get them out from the yard they would have had to use the main entrance so surely someone must have seen whoever took them, and it would have taken some time to do so. Ironically the councils inhouse security department, Central Watch, was at the time located in the basement there, apparently with cameras pointing here, there and everywhere in the local streets, so why wasn't anything seen. Maybe somewhere there's a nice garden folly built from it?

Cyril you are a mine of information. So it looks as if the cupola is staying as it is. The thieves who have stolen the materials knew their worth. I didn't know about 'Central Watch'. Makes you wonder if it's an insider who's responsible. What a loss! I bet that's what happened with the old soldier from the park! He's probably in South Africa by now....

Veronica, " Central Watch" cameras are all over the town centre.You are on camera, just walking up Standishgate, its called Big Brother is watching you.

I thought Cyril meant the Council have their cameras trained inside the workplace. Or they should have - no wonder there's thieving going on for these expensive materials! They may have been stolen years ago Edna -before cameras.

Veronica, I and another would go to spray around the offices and basement of the Municipal Buildings every month in the 1980s, and we'd go into the yard for a break and remember the caretaker saying about the terracotta bricks stacked in a corner being from the tower as he called it. Those cameras were mounted on building exteriors and lighting columns, and as Edna says about them being in the town centre and lately they were installed along Wigan Lane up to the infirmary too, I suppose they've now taken the place the beat bobby.

It will always be Tech to me.

Still remember the smell of beeswax polish on woodwork as you walked into the building.

I do know cameras are all over the place Cyril, but it's some use if the bricks were stolen. We have cameras in Westhoughton but it didn't stop the Barclay's Bank attempted robbery on Market St.
My point was perhaps they had been robbed before cameras were installed but as you say they were there in the eighties. It does make you wonder how and when they were stolen.
The house I used to live in had ornamental terracotta balls on either side of the garden gate, they were taken along with other neighbour's garden furniture all along the street with a camera at one end of the street. How they managed to lift them off the brick posts is beyond me and they took a layer of Accrington bricks with them. They had been in situ for a 100 years!
The robbing R--B--s