Photo-a-Day  (Monday, 2nd December, 2024)

Yes Dennis, the street has come down in the world since I knew it. Still I suppose times change. It was area of Wigan I remember so well. I crossed that street every weekday to get to the old bus station, the Scotch Bakery on my right as I crossed & then passed the side of the Congregational Church that my Grandfather attended , the Market Square behind the Bus Station. In my mind I can take a stroll round the Wigan I knew back then.

If this is evidence of the "bright new Wigan" we were promised and are still waiting for, I give up. It looks like "The little boy that Santa Claus forgot."

At first glance I thought there had been a mistake and an old pre slum clearance picture had been posted. Shocking.

Couldn't agree more Irene !

Looks like there are plenty of young Wiganers making their way to the market hall.

Most shops are empty just like Market Street and the one busy Market Hotel on the right of the picture is now a pram shop on the ground floor and flats above.
I don’t know if the plan is still to demolish the Market Hotel (I hope not) but at long last work now seems to be well underway on the redevelopment. Perhaps it will breathe new life into both streets once completed. We can only hope!

PS. If they do demolish the Market Hotel and the existing Market Hall with its now iconic clock tower, in my opinion it will be bitterly regretted by future generations as a lost opportunity.

Oh Irene that song! My blood went cold remembering it. That poor child.

I've was thinking of something pleasant to write, but I'm aghast and so gave up. I'd rather remember the thronging, bustling Mesnes Street that had shops worthwhile going to.

That song used to make me cry Irene when my mam sang it.
The problem now is that the new generations coming up don’t realise what we had. That street was so busy you would be bumping into people hurrying and scurrying about. We had the best of times and the street and town now looks like a forgotten world.

That first shop on the corner of Mesnes Terrace was Crawford's Wool Shop and next door to that Roy Turners Pram Shop, on the opposite side on that vacant plot was Warburtons 'Quality' Furniture Shop, you were really something if you could afford furniture from there.

Veronica and Irene,my mam also used to sing it and I remember the first time I heard it I started sobbing..another one she would sing was..”Give me a ticket to Heaven” does anyone else know this song.

I imagine a lot of the young people are students going back to the tech after their dinner hour. A lot of them cut through the market hall and the park. Actually, a lot of students DO go in the market hall at dinner time as there is a stall that does good filling food at a very reasonable price. There is often a queue of students, (and well done to them for patronising it), but after that there's nothing to interest them. Last time I was in there was the fruit and veg stall, card stall, sausage stall. shoe stall , nightie-and-underwear stall , hardware stall, sweet stall and cooked meats. Colin, where have you seen signs of the work on the redevelopment being well underway? I admit I don't go to Wigan much now so may have missed something. I heard that the "new-new" Market Hall would be in a different place than it is now but I admit I am losing the plot with it all!

Take a look at the Frank Orrell picture I have have just brought back up on The Album!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maureen I don’t know that one you mention. There was another one she sang about a little boy who didn’t have a daddy and he only wanted a drum! I used to be in floods! I’m sure she sung them on purpose!

Maureen, I have a book called "A Ragged Schooling" by Robert Roberts about his boyhood in Salford in the early 1900s; it is one of my favourite books and the words from "Give me a ticket to Heaven" are in it. So I know the words but have never heard it sung.

Which picture, please, Colin? Sorry, but I'm unsure which you mean, (I'm not being difficult, I just don't know which one you mean.). Maureen, although I know the words to "Give Me a Ticket to Heaven" I don't know the tune. (You wouldn't want me to sing it anyway....I have a voice like two cracked plates!), but would be happy to write it out for you.

Looks like Mesnes St has gone to pot. .

Owners of dangerous, illegal e scooters won't be discouraged in a town where car drivers can get away with entering the bus lane, mounting the pavement and coming to rest over double yellow lines.. all at the same time.

.

Irene..are these the same words.

Give me a ticket to heaven,that’s where they’ve gone they say.
They’ll be so lonely without me travelling all that way.
My Mother died when I was born sir and left dad and me all alone.
So give me a ticket to heaven please before the last train has gone.

Irene press on the grey button at the top in Album which says ‘ comments “recently commented’’.

Dennis exactly right it does look like nobody owns it.
All the quality shops have long gone, only junkfood outlets and barbers remain. I've said before, Wigan's lost it's identity, bring back the thriving 1960s.

Irene as you can see I do know the words to Give me a ticket to heaven please ..
Veronica,that line in the song re wanting a drum rings a bell and it’s bugging me as I can’t see where it was in the song.

Got it,think I’ve got it now.
He’s the little boy that Santa Clause forgot
And goodness knows he didn’t want a lot.
He wrote a note to Santa for some soldiers and a drum.and broke his little heart when he found Santa didn’t come.
In the street he envied all those other boys
And then went home to play with last years toys.
I feel sorry for the laddie,he hasn’t got a daddy
He’s the little boy that Santa Claus forgot.

That's the one, Maureen, but in the book it's "Give me a ticket to Heaven, that's where Dad's gone they say; he'll be so lonely without me, travelling all that way". The assembled company in Robert Roberts's home were filled with tears during the recital, but his Mother, who had had a very hard life, was scathing about it and called it "a lot of maudlin trash"!

That’s the one Maureen she used to sing that and I would say ‘ why has he not got a dad?’ Aw…my heart used to ache for him.

Wonderful picture Dennis ! We look but we don’t want to see ! Well done to Veronica who sees the young generation who are bouncing off the picture with an energy of youth and a life force , yet we , myself included, feel the pain of this horrible vision . Why can’t we accept this is no longer ours but theirs ?
If we judge a historical picture, then this is one of mine !

Irene, your singing reminds me of a former sweethearts response to my version of Elvis's 'Love Me Tender'

"Tha sounds like o cinder stuck under't dor"

Wonderful picture Dennis ! We look but we don’t want to see ! Well done to Veronica who sees the young generation who are bouncing off the picture with an energy of youth and a life force , yet we , myself included, feel the pain of this horrible vision . Why can’t we accept this is no longer ours but theirs ?
If we judge a historical picture, then this is one of mine !

T.D.....if ever us p-a-d lot have a get-together, we could do a duet! ( I don't think we'll give them "Give me a ticket to Heaven" though! ).

Reeto Irene whatever you decide... we'll make um ave it!