Photo-a-Day  (Sunday, 7th August, 2022)

I wouldn't classify there as the town centre. I consider the town centre being beyond Wallgate bridge.

Wonder how many cyclists (if there ever would be that many cyclists using the track) would give way to pedestrians waiting to cross at the marked crossing.

I wonder how many of the ghosts from the old Wallgate Community of the 1950s and 1960s would recognise the place where they had once lived? Nice clear photo though, Dennis,

Cannot understand why the cycle lane does not continue along the side of the road all the way instead of crossing over and putting pedestrians at the side of the road??

Cyril
Pedestrians don't use the crossings as they are usually walking in the cycle lanes.

I’ve looked and looked to see who described this as the town centre..
having said that there’s hardly anything left of what was the town centre. I went yesterday morning and it just reminded me of those old cowboy films with creaking saloon doors and tumbleweed blowing about. Even the ‘homeless’ have left!…

Irene I certainly don’t.

Lovely clean modern image of Wigan.
Wiganers should be proud to say this is my town, I wish I could ride a bike.

Shearings coach holiday reviews 2023

We had a lovely time on our break in Wigan we stayed at the recently renovated Wigan Pier complex its situated on the banks of the Leeds to Liverpool canal.
We went on a canal boat cruise and saw a show in the new Wigan Pier theatre. It's only a short walk up Wallgate to the two railway stations and the modern town center.

The two bench seats on the lower left of the picture would be,
in my opinion, better facing this way, then anyone sitting there
could see and enjoy what was going on.

The new cyclepath is very nice, but everything appears to be for the cyclists for the past few years.

Can’t see the point of having the benches situated there in the first place Ray to be honest , irrespective of whichever way they’re facing .

There isn’t much to see in either direction as far as I’m concerned .
Not unless one has some kind of fixation with Speedy Hire , or Go Outdoors , or with breathing in the same noxious emissions that Burnham appears to be hell bent on eliminating that is .

Now if the council had just taken the time to contact me at

ozy@noblimminhometogoto.com

I could have suggested a score or more better suited locations for those expensive looking benches .

But when was the last time that any council bothered to pause , and listen to the people who pay their wages eh?

Answers on a postcard svp.

George, I was thinking the same myself. But, I wonder if anybody knows a reason why the "Welcome to Wigan Town Centre" is sited just there, just after Euro Car Parts. Why not 100 yards back, just after the pier area, or 200 yards forward, just after the bridge as you suggest? There must be some significance?

To be honest, it’s come as something of a revelation to discover that Shearings actually manage to sell tickets to visit Wiggin .

That’s how we pronounce it here Sylvia “ Wiggin “.

I would have thought it would have been far more profitable for Shearings to sell tickets to visit that underground car park in Venice to be fair .

However , I’ve always had a fancy for living in Bognor Sylvia .
For one thing , Bognor’s so much closer to France than Wiggin is .

O.k. , Bognor isn’t in France exactly , but it’s a damn sight closer to France than Wiggin is , as I’m sure you’ll agree .

So here’s the deal .

I’ll swap you my homely Anderson shelter , located in the sunny suburbs of multi - cultural Wiggin for yours in the windswept storm lashed regally rejected backwater of Bognor .

My only stipulation being that yours , like my own , must be equipped with a solid fuel propelled AGA .

You may not be familiar with the fact that I have an AGA Sylvia .

Not many people are actually , although that wouldn’t be for the want of trying to educate this shower of neanderthals .

So , you have my email address Sylvia , the ball is now in your court .

Ray you wouldn't want the benches facing the road because of all the traffic fumes, and a lot of stuff, what is now known as street furniture doubles up as crash barriers.
The benches also are very handy for Wiganers who are waiting for their pies to come out of the oven at Baldy Pies

Although I must have ridden past it on many occasions , I have no recollection of seeing a sign that reads

“ Welcome to Wigan Town Centre “.

Although admittedly, I do have a tendency to go around with my eyes shut , but I’ll make a point of looking out for it the next time I’m cycling up that useless cycle path ….Promise …..

But If you say that it exists Bruce then that’s good enough for me .

My only query being ……
Welcome to what ffs ?

( Sorry Veebs .)

This place is in terminal decline ………………..
and for a plethora of reasons that I’m neither qualified to quantify , or even inclined to consider at this juncture.

Please fell free to argue with my views , but at least attempt to make a case for any tour company that’s trying to attract attention to Wiggin town centre .

Tewkesbury ,…., I’ll have that,….. Chipping Sodbury yeah, ….Chester definitely,
Whaley, Bridge , Todmorden or Hebden Bridge , most certainly……but Wiggin?.

Come on , let’s try to get real here shall we ?

Mmmmm…I love the smell of petrol fumes in the morning.
Have you tried a glass of bicarbonate of soda Ozy?
It’s no wonder you’re feeling a bit under the weather what with all those dodgy fried onion rings. Nothing good ever came from eating fried onion rings Ozy.

Come to Wiggin ‘cos it’s nice
The women play rugby
And the men make pies.

Come to Wiggin and fell a tree
Then you and Ozy can disagree
Come to Wiggin and have some grub
In a local cafe or a derelict pub.

As a matter of fact , I’m just beginning to get to grips with them thar dang blasted onion rings DTease.

Initially they were coming out of the pan stuck together and looking for all the world like the symbol for the Olympic Games , but with a little perseverance , they now emerge ( albeit still stuck together ) resembling Audi radiator badges , so there’s a step in the right direction,

I could get them chromium plated and flog them off at Hindley car boot I suppose , but
I’ve arrived at the conclusion that the secret may well lie in the consistency of the batter.

In the first instance , for example , I went for a consistency of gnats u no wot , before reverting to a consistency not unlike that of Trinidad lake asphalt.
Neither of which appear to have been successful.

So I am now experimenting with batter that has the consistency of SAE 180s ep gear oil .

If this doesn’t work , then I’ll just can the batter and cook the blimmin’ things in 180s gear oil and have done.

Either way , I’ll keep you posted .

Regards. The Deranged Cleaver .

Ozy, don;t just take my word for it, look at the photograph above and there it is.

DTease , lying here as I am, on the surgeon's table , or bench , or whatever they call it , having bust a gut laughing at your poem , what I’d like to know is this …….and I hold you directly responsible……
……are you prepared to foot the vet’s bill , or will I have to play my mouth organ in the market place for the next twelve months in order to raise funds sufficient to cancel the debt ?

Sylvia must have crystal ball to do a review for next year

After all is said and done and a lot has been said… the sign is just alerting that the ‘town centre’ lies just ahead even though it’s not really a ‘town centre’ it’s more like a deserted Dodge City with the odd old timers wandering about because they have nowhere else to go… and they are still hoping to stumble over a shop. Sadly all that’s left is Iceland and the Pound Store and B&M. (bloody mess). And Wilco’s ….perhaps Ozy can play his mouth organ outside there as there’s now a vacant position to entertain the old timers..still wandering round until the day Boot Hill beckons…

The benches are there for the pedestrians to sit while they wait for a cyclist to come along on the cycle track - then they leap up and step onto the crossing to get the cyclist to stop for them.