Photo-a-Day  (Tuesday, 4th June, 2024)

Anything but a vape shop or a take away

It’s looking very smart…can’t wait to see the ending. I haven’t been to Wigan for months. It looks like the upper levels will be separate.

What a lovely building! Let's hope those beautiful windows will be safe from the King Street weekend revellers.

Was one of those shop once P.A. Kinley’s men’s outfitters in the days when King Street was a thriving thoroughfare?

King Street is well overdue for a make over. There are building on King Street that are worth saving and it’s good to see the work that is now going on there.

A good photo Colin, you tend to just walk past buildings without looking at the architectural details, and the carved stone surround and lintel of the door of this Georgian building is very nice, I particular like the carved corbels and they look to be large goblets overflowing with fruit, I'm thinking they're possibly of Roman or Greek influence and signifying plenty and similar to a cornucopia.
A traditional business using the building would be agreeable, but with a street full of bars and junk food shops it's more than likely it too will end up with the same, though a nice restaurant wouldn't go amiss.

Dennis, it seems that at last things are underway.
Just to the left you can catch a glimpse of scaffolding erected on the front of the County Playhouse. I tried to get more information from WJ Structures on was being planned, they came back to me very quickly saying that they where the Main Contractors and I would need to speak with the Developers, I asked again who where the developers, they came back and said the Owners. I gave up after that!
Still, at least if the front is cleaned up, that would be a start.
Scaffolding is also up on the Clarence Chambers Building and the former bank building which currently houses the Salvation Army shop in Wallgate and another former bank building in Market Street.
I also understand Galliford Try will commence in September on the New Market Hall as Main Contractors.
could the future now be looking a bit brighter for the town centre?

I too had forgotten as to the whereabouts of P A Kinley's shop WN6, but it was two blocks of buildings further up, see photo in link:
https://www.wigantoday.net/news/people/retro-wigan-in-1998-including-that-famous-verve-gig-4167142

Jim was like an undertaker in that by just by looking at you he'd know what size you'd be, he was also a local councillor and through the window of his Swinley Lane flat you could see that the room was adorned with Union flags and all things British, he was an excellent councillor though and did get things done.

PeterP, I do not understand the plethora of Vape and Barbers Shops in and around Wigan mostly run by people from the Middle East. Perhaps no Income Tax no VAT no money back no guarantee?
At least the shops are occupied and look decent, unlike all those International shops, windows plastered with cheap posters looking like a third world country.

WN6 , the shop to the left was P.A. Kinley. Affectionately referred as Pa Kinley's. One of the last longstanding shops to quit trading.

It’s a great pity all these old classic buildings weren’t made more of and kept in King St as an open air museum such as Beamish have done up in the north of Newcastle. I really hope those horrible purple facades are pulled down plus any other queasy inducing frontages. Might bring ‘elegance’ back.

It's only been cleaned up a bit and given a coat of paint. A 'bodge'. Nothing to get excited about.

What a beautiful Georgian buildings..it surely is a sight for sore eyes ..let’s hope that the yobs just leave it alone.

WN6.. my Mam used to buy my hubbys shirts etc for his birthdays from Kinleys but it was at the top of King Street then..

Many years ago, Kinleys was at the top end of King Street and it became a Sue Ryder Charity Shop before closing down altogether. It still had "P A Kinley" over the door.

The Aussie bar Walkabout is supposedly returning to Wigan…perhaps there in a smaller version

Bruce All Gobbin strikes again trying to do down a decent picture. Best left to his own ignorance.

Decent start, and no roller shutters.

I don't think Brucie is trying to do down the picture, I reckon he's just having a sly go at those who say "ooooo, what a beautiful/lovely/fantastic building" no matter what building is a picture of. To be honest, I can see it's just been disguised. As for the building itself, yes, it's just that, a building, bricks and mortar, basic square design, nothing outstanding architecturally, perhaps it's most outstanding feature being the flemmish bond brickwork.

All opinions welcome as long as they are polite and objective. Thank you.

As I say not quite sure the exact location of P.A. Kinley’s but my dad bought his shirts and ties from there and always called it Pa Kinley.
Funny what sticks in the recesses of your memory until you are reminded.

I certainly don’t think it’s been ‘bodged’ it looks as if the brickwork has been re- pointed. It just needs the wiring hidden. It looks as if some more work needs doing but it’s a vast improvement on a building that must be nearly 300 years old. In other words it’s looking cared for. It’s the ugly, hideous facades hiding beautiful brickwork further down the street that needs attention.

Dek, you do have a valid point.
Most buildings, such as this, are just facades expressing an architectural style be it Georgian or mock Tudor. Behind many they are just simple bricks and mortar.
Nonetheless after over 200 years it is part of our heritage and I for one am pleased to see it cared for.

It looks as if it was a well off family home at one time. The top level could have been servant’s quarters. The shop windows added much later.

Quite right Veronica, King Street was so very different then with being a high class area, a well heeled businessman or woman could very well have had their weekday living quarters in those upstairs rooms, with maybe having a house in the country to retire to at weekends.

Bruce & Dek sound like a company of bodging estate agents who wonder why they never sell any houses, the way they describe properties they would soon be going bust through lack of business.

A “ basic square design, nothing outstanding architecturally”. Sound’s like it’s the next door building being described. And all the other ‘Lego’ buildings. Except the bricks aren’t as substantial to last a couple of centuries or more like this pure Georgian building.
Ps It wasn’t called King St for nothing. Eh Cyril?

Veronica, are you in the building trade? Because you don’t know much about the job if you’re thinking they are good quality bricks.

But look how long they’ve lasted Dek..what does that tell you? Over two centuries I believe.
Buildings aren’t built to last these days.

Veronica, common bricks today are much better quality than they ever were then. You'll see, in another 200 years.

I hope not Dek!