Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 2nd March, 2024)

Roof Top Pigeon COTE’S !!!!!

The future is horrible, no character no teast. Thankfully we have photos of our Wigan of yesteryear. Where are we going with these Lego blocks.

Looks like a building from another Country, to me, it doesn't blend in with the Wigan seen.

A building out of place....looks cheap and only a 30 year life span, just like the Galleries.
Not my cup of tea. I hate change.

Words fail me.....

They look better in a drawing….I just wonder who will be residing in them. It looks like a holiday complex. Costa a Lot Apartments.

What an absolute monstrosity! It reminds me of one of those building sets that children used to get for birthdays in the 1950s....."Bayco Building Sets".....where you had little metal rods stuck into a base and you slid "bricks" and "windows" in between them. Having said that, the finished toy "building" was usually an attractive little 1930s-style house. I doubt even Wigan's pigeons would want to perch on the above! "Residential Block H" it says on the bottom of the photo.....more like "Cell Block H"!

Residential Block H . What a lovely sounding address .

Sounds like Cell Block H

it will look a sight with washing hanging out over the balconies and satellite dishes to get all the east European tv stations

Just the reaction I expected!
The description is built in a 'Vernacular Style' which in plain English means like a converted derelict mill, a bit like Water Street and Mesnes Street multi-story car parks.
Who is funding these nine blocks I don't know and I imagine few would voluntarily want to live in them. Most flats appear to be bed sits or with one bedroom, Students, homeless people or new arrivals?
I bet they are bought up by foreign companies with any rent being subsidised from council tax and then fuelled abroad. I envisage the area between New Market Street and Marsden Street will be a none English speaking no-go area. More can be seen on display in the Market Hall.
By nature I am an optimistic person but not on this occasion.

A complete out of character monstrosity. If they revamped all the disused Mills, they wouldn't need flats ( apartments ) here

Interesting Colin. The roof top residences look hideous. I wonder if the money will ever be found to build it.

Prisoner: Cell Block H.
Australian Soap Opera, that seems to be appropriate.
As you say a wonderful address, perhaps each block will be given a exotic name like ‘Strangeways’ or ‘Wormwood Scrubs’.

It seems that Wigan Council is sticking with its favourite ‘Amazon Cardboard Box’ style.
At least you’ll have something to throw yourself off when the depression gets to you.

Will I be able to keep my chickens and goat one of those sheds on the roof? What will the rent be ? I am looking for much cheapness?
I heard that the hall and clock tower will be a mosque and minaret, most convenient.

It looks similar to the photo of Caroline St.on PAD.only more modern.The government are trying to reach there housing targets at any cost.

I meant the photo of Caroline St.on Album.

They look very similar to those blocks of flats on Heritage Way at Wallgate, or the Brideoake retirement village at Standish.

DTease, don't mention that or they may be having the bent arrow logo put on the sides of the buildings

Wonder if the councils reinforced (RAAC) concrete nuclear bunker is still in place deep down under where Morrison's was, it would offer as much protection as a canvas tent.

Good point WN1 Standisher.
I totally agree.

Also look like they are faced with cladding.
Brideoake in Standish and the other block must be an eyesore for those backing onto it from Southlands Ave, bet they are furious and impacted on their property values. Who would like to live there and look out onto Fifteens and all the noise at night. Not to mention all the recent scandals over these types of retirement properties and their ever increasing fees. I feel sorry for them.

A step up from living in an Anderson shelter that was constructed in the once fashionable ‘ Unspectacular Style ‘
which in plain English translates as ‘ cobbled together overnight ‘ .

You can’t pull a donkey
that doesn’t wish to go !

I too would be furious if the outlook was blocked Colin, when I was a RSPCA volunteer I would walk the dogs held in kennels at Gilmore vets, and very often I would walk down to, and then along the footpath at Prospect, and up to Green Lane and walk back along along there, I have wondered if those retirement blocks built on the land at Chadwick's now spoil the view they had of the West Pennine Moors, Rivington, and also Winter Hill which could be seen from there. On the flyers of the new builds it showed nice single storey type homes, so how did they get permission to build blocks of flats to be as tall as they are?

That cladding isn't at all good as another multi-storey was burned to ash in Spain a few days ago, and the news film shown was like how the Grenfell fire spread along the cladding to other flats.

Cyril, I still have some of the photos from when they were intending to build Robin Park. Believe me they look absolutely nothing like the end result!

Stick to thi Anderton Shelter Ozy, tha’ll never get thi Aga up theer in one o them Rabbit Hutches.

The end result will look nothing like the drawing - orange? It will emerge a sort of dog dirt colour after 6 months of damp weather.

I was once waiting on the doctors car park just off the main road before Chadwicks came down and spotted a chap taking photos. He saw me in the car and came over. He explained he was submitting evidence to the council ( if ever that was of any use ) that the planned building would take away privacy of his bedrooms of his property on Southlands. He said he'd heard they were going to be 3 storey although only 2 storey had been submitted. He was right !!!

Colin, are you Colin Traynor who worked in the drawing office at Rank Audio Visual in the early 70s ?