Photo-a-Day  (Tuesday, 13th September, 2022)

The old faithfuls still come - undaunted as ever … even most of the pigeons have taken flight…. The glory days of a busy town centre in my lifetime have gone forever it would appear.

All there is to say that it is very sad for this poor town centre how it has become over the years. It has gone worse and worse has time has crept in.

Having been told of the demise of the town centre there are more people in the picture than I would have expected. Still easily recognizable from years past.
Nice one Dennis.

I can remember this area having a rusty metal fence, usually occupied with a group of old men smoking cigarettes and spitting into the roadside, I must say it certainly looks much better today than in my youth.

Chorley is nice

"We like Bury market".

Mick, those old men were probably still spitting up coal dust after years of working in the pits digging up coal to keep the likes of us warm through the winter.

Them old men may not have been as old as they looked, and in those days Wigan was great.

Nobody is there because there's no railings to lean on!

Mens black pumps with white sole trim, £3.99 at Timpsons.

Those men were always dressed smart though in suits, shirts and ties, and there always seemed to be the same number to be stood there - no more, no less, wonder if there was a waiting list pinned up somewhere you added your name too if wanting to join.

Too right DTease - lungs full of phlegm and black dust, and as Fred said - old before their time

I remember Tommy Penny from Appley Bridge leaning on that railing and putting a finger on one of his nostrils then blowing the snot out of his nose, and come to think about Tommy never worked down the pit, he was always worked on a farm.

I remember the iron bars curved around the kerb high enough for the men to lean on. What harm were they doing, the bars should have been kept there for them. Don’t forget the flat caps Cyril. I think those caps made them look older. Some men kept them on all day at home as well. They looked completely different without their caps.

Cyril Ive not long got back from Jans funeral, Betty and Ashley came.
Small world my daughter get some medication from an on line chemist based in Skem, and its Ashley who send it down to her in London.

Anne, there are always a lot of people milling around the town still, even there are no shops. The only main shops now are Iceland,Primark, B& M and Wilko, on Standishgate. The rest are in the Grand Arcade, which is situated were Station Rd.was.

The railings were there for one thing only, for the traffic light crossing when the road was two way traffic.

Yes flat caps Veronica, and possibly as polished with spilt beer and grime as there suits would have been too, though on Sunday some would swap it for a best cap, and some would even forgo their cap for a Trilby or maybe a Fedora.

Sorry Mick, I didn't know about Jan's funeral, Betty did say she would let us know if she heard - obviously she didn't.

You can see her here Cyril on the 3rd episode of the 1% show, she is on the back row but her grand daughter Ceryse in sat on the left hand side. Lee Mack speaks to them both because she told him that she was from Shevington
https://www.itv.com/hub/the-1-club/10a0593a0005