Wigan
 

It seems from my perusals of this forum that there are quite a few "Wiganers" posting on a regular basis. Being a proud Wigan girl, I was wondering what it is that makes us want to leave our wonderful little town?

Is there a market for a little pie shop on the CDS I wonder? Or could our lovely Uncle Joes mint balls be exported? :)

Karen

Re: Wigan
 

Not a 'wiganer' technically rather an adopted one (from Preston originally) Lancashire is beautiful especially the countryside its just the weather and the cost of living that gets you down.

Helenp

Re: Wigan
 

I was born but not raised in Wigan but it is still my "home town" Off tomorrow to see all the Aunts and cousin's not been up there since moving here from Oxfordshire.
As far as I am concerned I when I was born there it was in Lancashire and remains so despite county boundary changes.
Will be stay five minutes from Mesnes Road. Bet you non Wiganers do not know how to pronounce that then!!! :rolleyes:

Soo looking forward to being there tomorrow, up the Latics and Warriors :D

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Pronounced "Maines" but spelled Mesnes

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I know :D but don't give it away it is always a challenge for outsiders to pronounce it correctly.

Cartmel Avenue just a stones throw away. :)

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Just to come clean. I am Wigan born and bred, but have worked for many American companies and travelled the world as they say. Have lived in Wigan all my life (50 this year) and to be honest, could not imagine living anywhere else. Spain is nice for a holiday, but I could not live there.

Yes it is cold and sometimes wet, but we have good football in the winter, cricket in the summer and golf all year round.

All those Wiganers who may have left should have a look at us now. It is a vibrant, lively town with more green space than you can shake a stick at. And yes we still have Uncle Joes Mint Balls, had to mention that otherwise the MD of Uncle Joes would never forgive me.

Regards
Kevin

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All this talk about Uncle Joes mint balls and not one mention of the pier!!!

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Well if you insist. The area surrounding Wigan Pier is undergoing a massive multi million pound redevelopment with appartments, shops, offices and a theatre

Regards
Kevin

PS Just don't mention the pies

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Invalid toffee, ummmmm :D

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Hark at you! but do tell about the pies......

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So who remembers the old cotton mill? Ekersleys, not sure how to spell that I know I should but.........
The old covered market before the modernisation and my Aunt where I am going to tomorrow used to back onto the old football ground. Whenever I visit I see more changes, will be in Scholes Friday afternoon might visit the Warriors shop if it is open.
Hope it is sunny tomorrow :D

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Don't worry my husband has enlightened me, something about why do pies have holes in the top????

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So you can carry them like a 6 pack
K

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PWWM

Eckersley's Mill is still there, a bit run down and the next one due for regeneration.

The Warriers Shop is near where the old ground used to be, now a Tesco, and still open

If you have not been back for a while, you are going to be amazed at the amount of building in the town centre for the Grand Arcade shopping centre.

Regards
Kevin

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glad you said that! (and not me)

Re: Wigan
 

pwwm - you'll be glad to hear that you'll arrive to the sunshine of north west england, particularly Wigan, which is bathed in sunshine this morning.

I'm originallly from the Springfield area myself, and could see the flloodlights of Springy Park from my bedroom. Also went to the Deanery which isn't far from Mesnes Park. I too, laugh at non Wiganers attempts at pronounciation... I've since moved to Ashton in Makerfield, but my mum and dad still live in Lingfield Crescent, I can park there and it's just a short walk to the JJB to watch the Latics.

I agree with Kevin, Wigan is a fantastic place, and a million miles away from the stereotypes. Things are changing fast too, with lots of development and regeneration around the Pier area. It'll be great, and there'll be even more reasons to stay. We've bought in Spain and will be using our propertly as a holiday home, with the thought in mind of maybe retiring over there. The weather, cost of living and general lifestyle are very tempting.

Karen

Re: Wigan
 

Sorry to bring the thread back to pies, but I normally post in the US forum and was trying to do a search for a pie shop in New York. Anyway, I made a mistake and searched the whole forum instead of just the US forum and this came up as my first hit. Had to take a peek to see what you had to say as I'm originally from Wigan ...well I guess that is obvious if I'm searching for pies in New York!

We used to get our pies from Greenhalgh's and I remember they also did fabulous parkin....drool....

Re: Wigan
 

Hi Lottie
Another exiled Wiganer, nice to hear from you. Greenhalgh's is still going with many shops in and around Wigan. Pooles Pies (owned by Dave Whelan) are also around together with Waterfields. Agree about the Parkin btw.

If you do find a pie shop in New York, will you just pop out for a meat and potatoe in the snow plow :)
Regards
Kevin

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Being from Merseyside and a life long Liverpool fan i have but one thing to say.

One - Nil

:p

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LOL - actually in Philadelphia at the moment, but we got a good 12" of snow yesterday. About the only efficient thing in the US is the ability to clear snow so we can all get to work the next day :(

Will be visiting a friend for St Pats day who is currently in NYC on secondment. He's only been there 2 weeks and is missing fish, chips and mushy peas, plus pies. Know that there is a good chippy and good pie shop in NYC so was searching to find it for him now and for me in about a months time...can't wait.

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Are any of you old enough to remember Wigan Casino? At 14, my one aim in life was to persuade my dad to let me go to a Northern Soul night in Wigan. Never happened though. Was it a good night out or just hype?

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Hi Lottie, Wiganer in exile. It raised a big smile, the thought one of us Wiganers searching for a pie shop in NYC. Still smiling about it now..... Hope you find one, but I doubt it'll match a good old fashioned Pooles Pie, one of them that you could get from the shop/cafe on Wallgate. When eating in, you'd get loads of mushy peas with it, and plenty gravy. We love gravy up north!!! Shame it had to shut. Nothing else quite matches up.

Anything else you miss about Wigan?

Montgomail - not quite old enough to have partaken in a northen soul night at the Casino, but remember it being demolished before I had a chance to go. Sad day for many Wiganers. Lots of friends of mine did go, and confirm that it was a TOP night out, very sweaty, not the cleanest, but definitely a night to remember. There's been a few documentaries about the Casino recently, and people from all over the world have recounted stories of how brilliant it was. I think we missed out. PS - My husband is from the West Midlands; Halesowen, now loves Wigan, but I still can't persuade him to ditch the Baggies and support the Mighty Latics. :)

Britbull - glad you're pleased with the result, and I hope you go on to finish 2nd (or the new 1st since Roman bankrolled Chelski). I had a tear in my eye at KO just to see little Wigan on the same pitch as the Reds. It's a dream season for all us Wigan fans, and a small thing like getting beaten at home didn't knock the big smile off my face, I promise you.

Love to all,

Karen

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Wigan's reputation for a top night out is founded on the fame (or infamy) of the Casino All Nighters. Now it is being continued in King Street on a Friday and Saturday night. About 15,000 people visit the clubs and bars in King Street at weekends, and my kids assure me it is a good night out. Not so sure about it, but perhaps I am turning into a grumpy old man.

Although Wigan born and bred, I am not a Latics fan. Always supported Bolton Wanderers for football and also followed Wigan Rugby. So the results on Saturday were great for the mighty whites as we went above Wigan in the table. Took a lot longer than I thought it would, so well done to Wigan Athletic for a great seasson so far.

Regards
Kevin

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billybassett - Thanks for confirming that I did, in fact, miss out. It would somehow have been more disappointing to find out that it was all hype and I had missed nothing. Will look out for the documentaries though. BTW I am from Northants so know nothing about Halesowen and what I presume are football teams?

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Anything else you miss about Wigan?


The people, the humour, Pier nightclub when I was 16 on a Wednesday night (17-18 years ago now - ouch!) - Glad I brought a smile to your face!

I'll let you know how the NYC pie quest goes in March. Have traded in my pies and newcastle brown habits for Philly cheesesteaks and cosmopolitan cocktails for the time being.

L

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Everyone leaves wigan because it's a dump with a bottom six rugby team :D :D

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Well 310,000 (and increasing) have not left Wigan (including me) so it can't be that much of a dump.

Regards
Kevin

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Better the devil you know? :D

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Had a fab rugby team when I was there :D

Was in the HR department before Christmas and one of my US colleagues was checking out the premiership football division. Was very shocked to see both Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers there. My grandad would have been pleased as punch , having supported Bolton Wanderers all of his life.

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oor, reet, I am a Wigan Girl moved to Perth in Scotland and then over here to Oz to years ago. Went to Abraham guest high School lived in orrell, my family still do.

I left as the UK is just cold for me but loved it.

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Well back to good old sunny Spain, but my weekend in Wigan was a mixture of rain and sun, nice to see the old place again but the heart had been torn out with all the development. My memories go back to when we spent all our holidays with relative's, my father was with BOAC so we lived in the south.
I remember being behind Cartmel avenue with my brother train spotting, that is now a housing estate and main road. anyone remember "Scouts Hill"

pwwm :)