Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 18th May, 2024)

Millgate would be unrecognisable for anybody who emigrated to distant shores years ago. It could be any town anywhere. I suppose anyone under the age of 50 to 60 won’t remember it as it was.
Good photo though.

You are right Veronica....this could be anywhere other than the Wigan I knew.

I get told off for calling places "Lego-Land" but I don't know how else to describe this. If the cap fits.......

You are right Veronica. Before I left for Oz I remember Pennington's shop with the old Baths on the right and the Magistrates Court built alongside the Police Station.What a transformation.

Gordon, Pennington’s shop is behind the blue sheeting on the left. No one seems to know what to do with it, so it’s just been left there to slowly rot away.
The Police Station is now like a replica of Fort Knox near Robin Park, Newtown.
The Baths is on the right of the picture somewhere, but not a patch on what we had.
Meanwhile, the replica of the Roman Baths is hidden away in a corner behind Pennington’s.
The one thing we have left is the one thing nobody wants, namely the concrete monstrosity at the top of the hill.

I met up with an old school friend who emigrated to Perth in 1963. She was totally disorientated in 2013 when she landed back in Wigan. I think the family did the right thing going to Perth W.A they never looked back Gordon. That’s why it was such a shock to her when she did finally come back for a holiday.

Irene, you are spot on, all what's missing is Noddy and Bigears coming up there in his car, along with Bing, Flop and friends on the pavement.

Dennis, very well composed and I think compressed to bring the Premier Inn closer.
It is built on where I was born and lived in 39 Harrogate Street in 1948 until moving into Douglas House around 1960.
I could carry on forever about all the houses and side streets leading off to the left, those houses and shop before you got to the Baths Hotel walking down from school in the 50’s and 60’s and then of course into the 70’s snd 80’s. I very often saunter in the area thinking of once was. Talk about rapid change! Cheers, Colin,

Dennis a work colleague stays at that premier inn every other year as we have a getogether Wigan one year Westhoughton following year close to Christmas probably a dozen + of us.Going of the subject we had a great night last night watching the illegal eagles at Bolton albet some folk of here attended,but heard some terrible news Jimmy James (and the vagabonds) died on the 14th May one off the best live groups going.