Photo-a-Day  (Thursday, 6th April, 2023)

Judging by all the green on the wall that downspout needs cleaning out or the building will get damp.

Another beautiful design with great architecture. Don't it just stand out more than any other building in Market Street.
Hope Wigan Council don't destroy it. I'm not sure if the Library part is open these days. It certainly deserves to be open to the public.
Nice photo Dennis.

Still not had that blocked down pipe fixed.

Well I don't what others think.....that is one stylish building.....I won't bother to comment any further.

Another grand old building that needs some tender loving care to preserve it. It’s the most imposing building in Hindley. Thanks for sharing Dennis.

Is it still the Library and Museum?
I thought the Council closed it at one point.

I only went in Hindley Library once and found it lovely and homely. If I'd lived in Hindley I would have been in weekly. It was lovely when every district had a library, even if it were only the Mobile Library, visiting once a week. I still have my cardboard tickets from our long-lost Abram Library. We have lost so much.

Lovely building, there are lots of pigeon protectors on the building to keep the pest away.

Phil Taylor your absolutely right about the damp on the side of the building. There appears to be a pigeons nest inside the down spout gully. IT needs clearing out, but the problem is, pigeons nest all year long.

Irene, we've talked about this previously, but I was wondering, is there no library at all now in Abram? What about Platt Bridge? I agree that it's a damn shame that Abram library is no more. I used to love the quietness and calm atmosphere of the place as much as the whole book borrowing thing.

Lovely building indeed.
The problem we have is in 1974 the government did away with our very own council ie like Ince, Hindley, Abram, Aspull Shevington..... we all merged in to one Council and Wigan Metro Council was formed. That building and many others would without doubt be look like new under Hindley Council.
Wigan Council covers a vest area and buildings, roads and local amenities suffer. Our very own local urban district council had pride and cared, We all had our very own Council on our door step.

Ps we all had our very own Council office to

Gareth, there has been no library in Abram for many, many years. They did introduce a weekly mobile library on Lee Lane after the main library closed but unfortunately it only lasted for a few weeks. The library building is now The Community Centre and home to The Church Lads' and Girls' Brigade, and they look after it very well, but I miss the library so much. There IS a library of sorts in Platt Bridge but I think it is tied up with the school and is only open at certain times so very inconvenient. If fact, I belong to Facebook's Platt Bridge Group and only recently someone who actually lives in Platt Bridge said they didn't know there was a library! So I'm not even sure if it's still operating.

Been in the Museum many times and it was full of Hindley memorabilia,the one thing that always fascinated me was a human skull in a cabinet,never knew what it was there for.It is a pity about the buildings state and looks,all about money I suppose.

Had snooker tables in the basement in 50s .Many went to read newspapers.

It’s the worst thing that happened when all the councils were combined under one umbrella… same happened in Westhoughton where I live. We still have the Library but don’t know how long that will last! It was better when we all had our own little villages and small towns..in my opinion.

That building has been closed for years, Hindley Library is on the other side of the road behind one of the buildings. There was a hand written sign on the wall.

Good photo Dennis, Bill Topping and a group of fellow Hindley & Abram history enthusiasts ran the museum and very good it was too.

The building is deemed as being at risk by Wigan Buildings https://www.wiganbuildings.co.uk/building.php?id=215

and there was a good discussion about it in 2016, when apparently it was sold at auction for £60.000 to a private company and they haven't done anything to it since then. https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=28156&gallery=Hindley&offset=220

Our village library was in my friend's Grandad's parlour, and was open on Saturday afternoons. Looked forward to Saturdays and getting more 'Biggles' books! Needless to say, there's no architectural comparison to this grand building, but such a big part of my childhood.

Wow! What a brilliant memory for yo to cherish. PatMcC.....the village library in your friend's Grandad's Parlour! I think that's so special.

Veronica your options are spot on.

Thanks, Dennis, a brilliant photo of a fantastic building, which I think now houses an independent special school.

Thank you Alan ..have a nice Easter…..And to every one on WW.

This building was indeed closed down as Library and Museum several years ago.The much-reduced library is now inside what used to be a day-care centre at the end of First Avenue/ Progress Street.Was told by a member of the library staff at the time of the premises transfer, the council had long neglected the repairs( downspout etc) the building. Seems so unfair when this building was actually built for the people of Hindley.

So, Irene, my primary school is no more, the library is no more, my secondary school ( Park High ) is no more and even Abram council office is no more....you'll be telling me next that there's no miniature railway in Abram Park and that the bowling green has gone...please tell me Bob Leyland's paper shop is still there ??

Hindley Council built a swimming pool in 1970 - maybe as a way of spending its capital before the heralded 1974 reorganisation. Its continuing revenue costs far exceed those of the Library... but folk prefer low taxes and swimming pools.... You pays your money, and you takes your choice. Except that too many folk think you can take your choice without paying the money. I think the late Nigel Lawson pulled that one over folks' eyes.

No miniature railway, Gareth, and no Abram School on Warrington Road, (my children went there when it was just down to one building and only housed the Reception class.....my daughter was there in her reception year just before its demolition in 1985.... and I am SO GLAD my children knew that little old school, if only for a year). They then attended the new school in Simpkin Street before going on to Golborne High School. They are 46 and 41 now!
The bowling green in the park went years ago, (kids rode bikes over it and played football on it, thus ruining it!), but I think The Buck's Head bowling green is still in use. Bob Leyland's papershop premises is now a Letting Agency , but the Park High School building is still there, but no longer a school, although I think it is still something to do with Education. I went there 1964-1969 when it was Hindley and Abram Grammar School. Abram Council Offices, where I paid my Rates when I was newly married in 1974 and moved to Abram, is now "Maypole Apartments".The Dover Lock Pub on the canal is now a burnt-out ruin and I can imagine it will have to be demolished for safety reasons soon. But the changes have been slow and Abram is basically still very much as it was, and still very special to us who live there. I love every square inch of it.

Another good photo Dennis, I went into Wigan library last week, to ask had they got a book, the man said," no, but we have a copy at Ince library, but unfortunately we can't have it sent over any more." How ludicrous is that? He also said, you scan your own books out.There is no one to do it. Unbelievable!!!

Gareth,
Bob Leyland is still around. Is in Wigan quite often I am told. I think someone said he was 80. Still looks very dapper.

BorrowBox is a brilliant app for getting library books. Just key in your membership number and browse. They email you when the book is available and you get about three weeks to read. If the book's not available at the time, then you can order. It's been a great way of getting books during Covid and also if you can't get out to the library.

Irene, the other 'special' landmarks from my childhood in Abram have, I think, pretty much all gone; Julie's hardware shop which later became Target video shop, Yvonne's off-licence with its old worn stone steps, the Post Office, The corner shop in Kingsdown Road, which was also called 'Garner's' I think, and the Red Lion was owned by Harry Barlow, and I was friends with his son Harry junior....there's a photo somewhere on WW of the ceremony to cut the first sod on the field where the new school was built. There's an 8 or 9 year old me in the front row watching old Mr Dowthwaite the vicar saying his piece...

Wonderful memories, Gareth. I will try to find the photo of the sod-cutting....in fact, I have a booklet upstairs somewhere that was issued at the time of the new school opening, which was before I lived in Abram, and there may even be a copy of the photo in there. Mr. Dowthwaite christened my son Jamie in 1977 but was very frail by then and had to lean on the font.

I remember Hingley baths opening, and it was a nice swimming pool, I did my swimming certificates there, distance awards and life saving in a pair of pyjamas, wore the badges with pride on me swimming trunks.

But I am certain Hindley Baths opened before 1970, not long before 1970, maybe 1968 or 1969.