Photo-a-Day  (Thursday, 21st March, 2024)

No a good photo, but proves my point about junk food outlets (yesterday's photo) taking over our Town, good quality shops are moving out of Wigan being replaced with this rubbish.

Some of these pizza/kabbs shops
completely cover the windows so you can't see inside. Some are unhygienic around Wigan according to the Wigan Observer and have been reported and prosecuted.
After saying that, these two look clean and tidy from outside.

This is a good photo to compare the buildings we talk so much about on PaD.
Look at the brickwork and design on the Raven pub against to two junk food shops...concrete against brickwork, I know which one looks better and will last so much longer.
To be fair the Pizza King outlet building doesn't look too bad, especially the top part.
Well done Colin, a good comparison to the buildings.

Yes,fine buildings indeed, curious to know what was there pre concrete slab ?

That's a really good photograph to compare original buildings against the more modern ones.
There is no argument in my view which is the best in terms of architecture and building design and quality. That pub is the real Wigan that stands so proud.
Love it Colin.

The three without the concrete are certainly beautiful buildings; I think we who have lived in Wigan all our lives tend to walk past without looking up and need their beauty pointing out to us sometimes. I have never been in The Raven but I believe it has some original fittings insjde, (tiles etc). and does good food. As someone pointed out on yesterday's p-a-d....the quality shops, (menswear, stationers etc) that used to be along there are now Fast Food Outlets. Do you all remember The Wallgate Restaurant further down, opposite the Post Office? You went up a staircase to it and it was cosy and atmospheric. I loved it in there!

0f course we judge on outward appearances, like we do with people and books. Who knows what the insides are like? maybe highly maintained or maybe rotting away. Maybe Paradisimo was falling down. I'd like to see what was there before.

Beautiful buildings let down by the horrible shop signs. They wouldn’t get away with that in Italy even if it was a Pizza Parlour! Mind you there’s still graffiti in places. The concrete effect is lessened squeezed in there.

Ifeel so sad looking at this picture of how wigan and other towns have come to this having shabby takeaways thrown into our faces its a utterly disgrace what has become and people just let this happen!

The Paradiso Building was The Golden Lion. I always thought it strange 2 adjoining pubs.

Irene, I do remember the Wallgate Restaurant, it had a good reputation.
However it stick in my mind a report in The Wigan Observer about a man who choke to death on a piece of steak. It said that he had forgotten to bring his teeth with him!!!!!!!

Comparison on the same photo is very clever Colin. This in my opinion is brilliant. The buildings to the left are far more superior.
Well photographed.

The reason for all the food outlets is a lot of people dont now how to cook anymore never seen a cooker etc my wife and I are old school we cook all our own food and we know what goes in it

I imagine the gap was filled in with concrete slabs for economic purposes. There were many shops and business’s in those days when Wigan was a shopping centre unmatched. Squeezing another shop in with concrete would have been easier I imagine. Perhaps those amongst us, a builder perhaps, would know. Is it easier to use concrete or bricks to fill a space in that case? Or was it just more economical? ie ‘cheaper’. (Just guessing)
It looks like it was done on Standishgate as well
With the men’s tailor shop.

I like this one, it's a true reflection of beautiful buildings and some just plain with no character.
One of your best, Colin.

Again, you seem to have got it wrong. I’d say the frontage had been rendered.

Whatever there construction, they are individual pre-manufactured panels which to the eye look like concrete or even faux marble, rendered or not they look cheap and unattractive.
If rendered the facing would be continuous in consistency for the full width of the building.

Ex Wiganer you are right. Unfortunately the so called junk food is aimed at the younger generation. Sad to see even small children eating this stuff.
No protein or nutrition in these places.

Ex Wiganer you are right. Unfortunately the so called junk food is aimed at the younger generation. Sad to see even small children eating this stuff.
No protein or nutrition in these places.

Spot on Colin.
Rolls Royce buildings against BL trash.

I cannot think for the life of me why planners think its ok to give planning consent to stuff a box like that along a row of interesting buildings. Can anyone enlighten me ??

In my opinion these panels are made of compressed toilet roll middles, as done on Blue Peter.

I do all sorts of old-fashioned dishes from scratch almost every day.... beef stews, Lancashire hot-pot with made lamb neck-end chops, pea-soup made with bacon ribs, lobbies with a crust on, cheese and onion pies etc etc....but oh! how I enjoy a McDonald's or a KFC just now and again! Don't knock it! LOL! xxx

Poet, I just read your comment on yesterday’s pad.
Quite a few of us have had our names manipulated to post false comments, please ignore them and keep on posting, I like to read your wonderful thoughtful words. You would be sorely missed and I know I speak for many.

Wigan’s version of the Three Graces !

Nice shot Colin. I see the old bank on the corner is up for sale again. I remember it as the Coffee Bank Cafe. It was a good one!

Helen of Troy and Shep, both spot on in my opinion.

Irene you started off well, then ruined it by mentioning good food with Mcdonalds and KFC yuh.

Jembo, I remember that building when it was actually a bank! I went for an interview there from school. I didn't get it as I am useless at Maths. The manager told me they were very impressed with the essay I wrote but essays don't cut much ice in a bank! Next time I go to Wigan I will stand across the road and have a look at those buildings. I have never noticed the figure of a raven right at the top of The Raven pub before, on the rounded bit where it says "Raven Hotel"....we just pass by without looking up.

Irene / Veronica, can you get your coats on in the next few days?
I need two strong lass’s to hold my legs while I hang out of that top floor open window with my hammer to check what the panels are made of.
Perhaps John (Westhoughton) or Dennis could stand across the road, cameras in hand for photographic proof.

Hey Irene sounds lovely what you still make old traditional food.

McD's and KFC are rubbish ! I really dislike junk food,I definitely wouldn't eat it if I had any choice not to.Raven is a lovely old atmospheric pub.

I agree with Irene about most people walking past buildings and never looking up at them to appreciate them in the past and even now.

Arthur, I love a Burger and fries or a KFC just now and again. It's my choice. Maybe it's because I DO make old-fashioned meals from scratch that I enjoy a bit of "junk" once in a while. Colin, I am only small and Veronica is even smaller than me, so we wouldn't be much use hanging on to you. I'm sure John (Westhoughton) and Dennis can help you, and Veronica and I will get the ale in! We'll call for Garry too...he can have a sherry. We'll put it on your account! LOL, xx

KFC chicken portion
Protein: 29.4g
Fat: 13.3g (saturates: 2.2g)
Salt: 0.94g
Carbohydrates: 7.3g

Meat and Potato Pie
Protein: 10g
Fat: 19g (saturates: 6.5g)
Salt: 1.6g
Carbohydrates: 44g

KFC wins in the nutrition dept.

John Noakes must work for KFC. Thing is they are that small one bite they are gone.

I think I'll go with the pie, it's more filling. Have you any peas and gravy John.

A little bit of what you fancy does you good..now and again.
Life would be dull if you didn’t submit sometimes. The chippy is my treat especially on holiday …

If Colin relied on you and me Irene he’d end up losing his trousers and falling on his head. .

I would sooner be a starving skeleton than eat that junk food.

Mmm Meat and potatoe pie, with chips, peas and gravy. Two thick slices off the cob with a mug of hot tea. And your saying junk food is better????

I love burgers, chicken and chips.
But made at home.
Some of those chips at them junk food place are like match-storks,
Not for me!

There's supposed to be a cost of living crisis, but these fast food outlets are always full of people.
It's really hard to understand that.

Heavens above! A McDonalds is a beefburger in a bun with chips made from a potato. A KFC is a piece of chicken with chips made from a potato. It isn't Sodom and Gomorrah! I make good wholesome food daily but just once in a while it's a little treat to have a bit of junk! With some of the stuff people swallow, smoke or inject into their bodies these days, a bit of meat and a few thin chips now and again is hardly going to do much harm!

Bit late in the day as I always seem to be busy but will be ready to take you’re photo Colin given notice hahaha or maybe not as I could be having a couple of jars in the Swan and Railway with Veronica and Irene hahaha.McDonalds or KFC suits me every so often but middle brook Nando’s is my favourite.

Malc, I've geet a jar of red cabbich.

Chicken Feed, the KFC portion is 320g. The average meat and potato pie weighs in at between 180g and 200g.

I posted that nutritional information due to someone, up there ^, suggesting that there's no nourishment in fast food.

Here's a fact. Your body doesn't know what you eat. It just processes what you give it, takes out what it needs and the rest? well, it goes down the pan.
And all those vitamin 'supplements' etc that people buy from Holland and Barrett's go down the pan with it.

Yes and you are talking what goes down the pan as well,John Noakes