Photo-a-Day  (Tuesday, 11th June, 2024)

Where did you stand to take this, please, Colin? Sometimes it's hard to remember that Marks and Spencer is no longer there. And Natwest seems alien on the inside now; it feels "plastic" without the old wooden counters and glass partitions, although its outside facade remains the same. At least the Parish Church clock still chimes the hours and watches over our changing town.

Irene, if you go up the escalator in The Grand Arcade and go past the toilets and exit onto the roof to car park, I took the picture looking over the wall on the left. You can get a few good views over the town from there.
Great for ‘Happy Snappers’.

Correction, I am now sure that building in the foreground is the rear of the former Burton’s building not M&S, now Specsavers.

The facade of the Burtons Building is very interesting. Looks to date from the 1920’s or 30’s influenced by Art Deco. A blend of stone and herringbone red brick work contrasting nicely with Mock Tudor next door much in evidence in Standishgate.

Chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cher-ee
A sweep is as lucky as lucky can be
Chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cher-oo
Good luck will rub off when I shakes 'ands with you
Or blow me a kiss
And that's lucky too
Now as the ladder of life as been strung
You may think a sweep's on the bottommost rung
Though I spends me time in the ashes and smoke
In this 'ole wide world there's no 'appier bloke
Chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cher-ee
A sweep is as lucky as lucky can be
Chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cher-oo
Good luck will rub off when I shakes 'ands with you
Chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cher-ee
A sweep is as lucky as lucky can be
Chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cher-oo
Good luck will rub off when I shakes 'ands with you

I can just see a bit of Ashurst Beacon.

Wigan Mick, loved that and sang my all the way through it. Brilliant if I had a chimney sweeps brush in the picture or Mary Poppins defending from the sky with her brolley.
Perhaps someone with the knowledge could photoshop her into the picture?

Joan, Ashurst Beacon is a lovely spot and along with Dalton and Parbold used to in Wigan Rural District Council. Not anymore, I think it’s West Lancashire and may not count as Wigan!

Mick's song reminds me of when I watched Mary Poppins at the Court Cinema four times in a row, trying to learn the words of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"! There was no Google back then! And I went on my own, even though I was just a young girl....no-one thought it odd back then; we just felt safe. I love chimneys and am glad we have one, as do all the houses on our road, even if no smoke comes out of them these days. I too love Ashurst Beacon, Dalton and Parbold and will never think of them as "West Lancashire", just as I will never eat "Greater Manchester Hot-Pot".

WN6. You can immediately recognise buildings that were formerly Burton stores. They are all almost identical above pavement level.

Derek, quite right, wherever you go in the country Burton Buildings are recognisable, the one is Wigan is no exception but the red brickwork some in herringbone makes it stand out. My personal opinion of course.

Apologies for butting in …
Are you watching Rigs of Nigg Mick ?

Yes Ozy I've seen it before but I still watched it again.
The rig workers back then were pioneers, im glad I upsticks in 1968 to be apart of this new industrie