Oh Wigan Town, Is Wonderful...

Wigan’s been around a long time.

“WIGAN is not only the oldest borough in Lancashire, it is one of the oldest in England -  certainly among the first ten. Town liberties or borough rights existed  in England in Anglo-Saxon times, several centuries before the Norman  Conquest.”

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So we’ve every right to be proud of Wigan

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Arts

Enterprise

Food

Nightlife

Politics

Sport

Arts in Wigan

In Wigan?  Of course we have.

Artists

Painter Lawrence Isherwood was once described as "one of Europe's leading  post-Impressionist painters".

Musicians

All the way from George Formby to The Verve via Georgie Fame.

The Verve were one of the biggest bands of the end of the 20th century. Who played one of the best gigs I’ve been to on their Homecoming Gig at Haigh Hall. What a day!

Old I may be but George Formby was before my time.

Writers

Though not born in Wigan, George Orwell’s “ The Road To Wigan Pier” is an account of his observations of  working-class life in the bleak industrial heart lands of Yorkshire and Lancashire in the 1930s. It crystallised the ideas that would be found in Orwell’s later works and novels such as 1984, and remains a powerful  portrait of poverty, injustice and class divisions in Britain.

Author James Hilton who was made famous by three novels : "Goodbye Mr Chips", "Lost Horizons" and "Shangrila".

TV writer Brian Finch who is probably best know for “Coronation Street” but has also written for " All Creatures Great  & Small", "Bergerac" and "Juliet Bravo" (ask your mum).

Lynda Lee Potter who is a national newspaper columnist.

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Enterprise In Wigan

Beechams

Thomas Beecham lived in Wigan, and was employed as an odd job man at a local chemists. It was in Wigan that he manufactured his legendary Beecham's Powders and Beecham's Pills.

Marks and Spencer

Yes you read that right. M&S as the world knows it now started in Wigan. Michael Marks, of Marks & Spencer, moved his warehouse to Wigan in 1892 and formed a partnership with Thomas Spencer in the town in 1894.

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Food in Wigan

Uncle Joe’s Mintballs.

Made by William Santus in the middle of Wigan and immortalised in song by Mike Harding

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Nightlife In Wigan

King Street

Either you went to Pemps or you didn’t. I did and so probably missed much of what King Street has to offer. The sheer number of clubs and bars along this single street in the town centre would put Manchester and Blackpool to shame. So many that it’s closed to traffic at the weekend.  Places of note (but not on king Street), the John Bull Chop House, The Raven and The Moon Under the Water; all catering for grown-ups who want a drink.

Wigan Little Theatre

In the autumn of 1943 a small group of nine people met in a small  studio near the Parish Church to discuss the formation of a play reading and discussion group.  This was the start of what became Wigan Little Theatre, which is still a voluntary organisation. To quote the web site:

“Wigan Little Theatre is a voluntary organisation, run by and for  anyone interested in providing high quality, wide ranging, traditional  and innovative theatre accessible to all”.

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Politics In Wigan

Not sure if these are people who I’d willingly associate with, despite they coming from Wigan but here goes.

James Anderton, former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester from 1975 to  1991. A bit of a controversial character who claimed to speak with the supreme being regularly, bizarrely not a WRLFC player past or present but probably God. Born and educated in Wigan

Joe Gormley, former President of  the National  Union of Mineworkers. It was he who led the miners in their strike of 1977.  Not to be confused with the disastrous strikes in the 1980s

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Sport in Wigan

Wigan Amateur Rugby League Teams

There’s a number of them that have been a breeding ground for players who’ve gone on to play at the highest levels of the professional game. Teams such as Orrell St James, Wigan St Patricks, Wigan St Judes and Ince Rose Bridge.

Wigan Athletic FC

Latics have come along way since I used to stand on the cinder banks at Springfield Park many years ago.  Highlights from the past? Everton at Goodison park in the FA Cup. Leeds at Springfield park on a Sunday when the town was cordoned off.  Nowadays it’s much more civilised and comfortable. From the first match in the Premiership when Latics were robbed in the last minute by Chelsea (even The Chosen One thought so) it’s been a bit of a nail-biter. Still to see if this season (2009-10) will be one of staying up or not.

Wigan Riversiders RLC

A bunch of talented amateur rugby players some of who have both been selected to represent England (well done lads) and some who have been responsible for my personal downfall in Perpignan more than once.  Keep it up!

Wigan Warriors RLFC

The team that is Rugby League to the world.  The list of names who have excelled in the game is long and illustrious.  For a while when I was young I wanted to be Billy Boston, nobody else counted. Sadly this was not to be as I never managed the running bit - quite important really.

Memorable moments, so many but Joe Lydon’s drop kick was a jaw dropper for the huge distance and I suppose the cheek of thinking “I can do this from here...”. Trips to Wembley, winning the Challenge Cup at Murryfield against Saints as underdogs. Winning any game against Saints, underdogs or not.

Wigan Wasps

I may not have been Billy Boston but I was a useful swimmer in my youth. Wigan’s local swimming club has produced a World and Olympic champion in June Croft.  There’s a story that I’m sure is an Urban Myth about the “Olympic Swimming Pool” that was built when I was a lad.  Seems that the planner used yards instead of metres and so it wasn’t technically Olympic size - I could be wrong. Anyway they are now building a brand new pool so tis time it may be of international standards.

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