Photo-a-Day  (Monday, 25th September, 2023)

This is nothing new, we should be used to closures by now,
Woolworths being one of the first to go.

It's the last day at wilko everywhere.

What a boring picture.

To some it is social history. The demise of another national store not the 1st and definitely not the last. In Wigan we have lost to name a few C&A Debenhams BHS Marks& Spencer Woolworths WH Smiths the list goes on

You could always submit one of your own Broady

We have B&M, and the Range that are similar shops. So not all lost.
For me one of the real problems at Wilko is no car park.

I went in there as a child when it was Pendlebury's, then worked in there in my twenties when it was Debenhams. What's next for that building, I wonder?

Nothing can be as bad as when Woolworths closed down, it was the heart and soul of Wigan Town and a great place to visit on Saturdays.

Wigan Council’s instructions to the Art Team..
“ Quick get some posters painted for the windows. Don’t care what you do but make them look lively ….and Believable so folk won’t notice!”…
I wonder what they’ll come up with.
Perhaps some more dancers from the Casino’s All Nighters!

This store has nothing to do with Wigan Council.

No photo is boring if it means something to just one person.Keep them coming Dennis

Broady, what a boring comment.

The closure of Wilko is no laughing matter, peoples livelihoods are at stake.
The council has nothing to do with this store.
I hope the workers can find new employment.

I feel sorry for all the workers across the country who are losing their jobs at Wilko, especially the with the run up the Christmas.

Who’s laughing?
I’m sure the windows will be covered over it doesn’t look good to see them empty. All the other closed shops have something to deceive the eye…I think people are used to these closures by now. It’s very sad to see what is happening but online ordering and B&M is still alive and kicking at the moment. I wouldn’t be surprised if Homebase takes the store over.

I agree with Garry, it was a very sad day when Woollies closed. I don’t think I ever went to Wigan without visiting Woollies, it was a mandatory part of the day out. Saturday morning was ABC Minors followed by a visit to Woollies, followed by a long walk home through the Plantation because I had spent my bus fare in Woollies.
A three mile dawdle home at that age seemed like a pleasure.

We seem to blame the Council in Wigan for everything which is total nonsense. Who ever moved in this store hopefully ex Wilko employees will be taken on.

Thought it was Pendlebury's.
In 1974 my wife spotted the ideal material for her wedding dress there - they didn't have enough, but a phone call to the Southport store resolved the issue.
We drove to Southport in my dad's iffy Morris 1800 and finally got the pattern she wanted after a month of scouring Newcastle, where we lived at the time, Dumfries where she was from. All sorted by a phone call from Pendlebury's in Wigan.

The world today is looking very very bleak theres going to be nothing left anywhere for anybody its a disgrace. Wigan will never ever again be like it used to be shops bustling with people or any other towns lets face we have all hit rock bottom and people must get it into there heads there is nothing left to hold onto anymore it is a one big mess.

Ive seen comments from Broady in the past saying, what a boring photo on some of Micks photos, don't take him on.

Yoo do know that the building, is not the same building as the old Debenhams/Pendleburys building.

I agree ex Wiganer …the world as we knew it is completely changing. It’s becoming more and more ‘robotic’ I can’t think of any other word for it…what I would say is it’s it’s becoming more and more unnerving for the elderly.

They're closing down the shops boys
And knocking down the town ,
Demolishing the old Victorian rows
Each side of the Rose and Crown ,
Where Cyril once drunk Almond's ale ,
(At the bar he had a tab )
Now it's another takeaway
Selling Shish Kebabs ,

And the butcher's is a nail bar ,
The old chapel a carpet shop ,
The grocer's a Turkish barber
Where nobody goes for a crop ,
The fishmonger now is selling Vape
Next door to Bargain Booze ,
They're closing down the shops mate ,
And Who's to blame ? Why us .

Poet

I don’t think the people who have lost their jobs at Wilko will think it is boring. I would say take no notice, but I don’t think you would anyway. Ignore him.

All them shops b&m and the range are all a load of tac!

This building that was occupied by Wilko is indeed the Pendlebury's building and later became Debenhams stores.

Good photo Dennis, and considering there's hardly any shops left in the town centre, there are quite a few folks loaded up with bags of shopping, probably been to Tesco or Iceland - maybe.
Good ditty that Poet, and so very true too and all happening on the High Streets. I haven't heard of a tab for a while, do pubs still do tabs? or are they too just a memory now. I doubt those bars on King Street will be letting folks open a tab.

Bring back the Greenshield shop HaHa was it Standishgate.

All those posters on the windows.Big Sale, they kept announcing. I went in a few times before it closed. There was no such sale at all.Everything was priced as it was before. Unless they really lowered the prices on the last day.

I never went to Wilko's, but I wouldn't worry over them closing. Everything they sold will be available to buy elsewhere. They didn't produce anything that will be non-existant due to their closure. Wilko's simply sold products for someone else. It's no loss.

Fragmenting a heart to a many from a whole ,
Leaves behind something bereft of a soul.
Purpose and meaning you held and could feel , when the heart and the soul ,
are at one with the real ..

Garry said:

"This building that was occupied by Wilko is indeed the Pendlebury's building and later became Debenhams stores"

No, only the outer facade of the old Debenhams store is actually from the old store, the inside of Debenhams was demolished, whilst the outer walls were supported using scaffolding, and a brand new building was built inside the shell of the old Debenhams store, the same way the Life Centre is built inside of the shell of an old council building, and the same thing was done on King Street, when the Jaks club was built inside of the old building where the Turnkey was located, so the Wigan Wilko was actually only about 15 yrs old.

Garry is spot on.

Garry/ Alan it’s true what Sir Bob says. The space inside was entirely different to how it was.
It’s nothing like it was previously. But I think it’s really good how they come up with the idea of preserving the facades of various buildings.