Uncle Joe's Mint Balls are part of Lancashire folklore. Made in Wigan for over a 100 years
Wigan Photo Album. Page 1
Colour photos and comments by Jim Farrell
This famous sign on the gable end of the Uncle Joe's factory in Dorning Street is seen by thousands of rail passengers every day, as they travel through Wigan on the West Coast Line The factory now supplies by mail order too.
The largest working mill steam engine in the world at Trencherfield Mill, Wigan.
Dozens of ropes running from the huge drum ran all the cotton looms in the factory. Open to visitors.
The Market Place, Wigan. In the English Civil War Royalist sharpshooters kept the attacking Parliamentarians at bay from the top of the Parish Church tower,and only capitulated when the Roundheads theatened to blow the tower up under them.
Wigan's coat of arms.
Motto
Ancient and Loyal
Upholland, old and quaint, home of highwayman George Lyon. Lancashire's last highwayman. He was publicaly hanged at Lancaster Castle in 1815. His body was brought back to Upholland by his friend the landlord of the Old Dog Inn, and buried in the *churchyard, In the 1930s thousands of people came to view a haunted house in the village.
*See b&w picture, bottom of page
Here are some of the Highfield St Matthew's ramblers on a December walk around Billinge Hill ending the day with a Christmas meal at the Holt's Arms. ( Foot 0' Causway ) or simply known locally asThe Foot. ( Picture below )
....Is it a meteorite?...Or is it molten lava from a newly erupted volcano?...No!..it's...
Old Upholland. George Lyon's grave is under the churchyard boundry wall, (lower left) in this 1930's photograph of Church street, Upholland. The famous haunted house is the one with the man standing at the door. the story goes that the ghost was that of a previous tenant, searching for his hoard of money -- and there's a twist to the story, for when the house was demolished and the debris dumped nearby, local children would turn up gold sovereigns in the rubble. Another interesting point concerning the house with the three windows on the right- it had no staircase - access to the upper floor was by means of a plank fastened to the wall which had alternate footholes cut in it.
The large building on the left, (second after the figure) was the Red Lion pub - another haunt of George Lyon.
There were three Red Lion pubs locally, the other two were at Orrell Post (opp. the Stag Inn ) and Lamberhead Green, opposite the White Swan, on the corner of Fleet Street. See pubs listed below.
These nuggets of information come from an 82 year old, who spent his childhood in the village.
St. George's church is hidden away, just yards from the hustle and bustle of busy Standishgate.
George Lyon is buried in his daughter's grave which bears the worn inscription.
"Nanny Lyon. Died April 7th 1804" .
The stone lies flat in the grass and is situated below the now long-gone wall in the picture, about midway between the lampost and the main gate on the left in the picture. See picture below
Go down the steps and turn left along the path then turn off this under the shrubs and walk up to the new railings. The stone lies lies below these, head on to the road.
The gravestones that form the paving by the church entrance make facinating reading, spanning the 1700s and 1800s
A couple of examples John Morton 1811
"Here underneath, thou dost approach, a man, Mourn not for me, my joy begins.
the body of John Smith, the coachman" Bestow your sorrows on your sins.
George Lyon's Grave. He is buried in his young daughter Nonny's grave.
A photo tour of Wigan town centre, showing aspects of what is a very pleasant town, and hopefully dispelling some people's misconceptions of it
( which seems to be everyone who has never visited it.) Welcome to good old wonderful "Wiggin" - my hometown.
I've even included a window full of meat and potato pies.
Wigan ex-pats "miss most" item.
For over a 1000 years the Parish Church of All Saints has presided over Wigan Market Place, yet its interior remains unseen by most Wiganers. This slideshow takes you inside, and tells the story of why, 700 years ago, Lady Mabel Bradshaigh had to walk barefoot from Haigh to Wigan once a week.
Pier, its Rugby League and football teams, and its love of pies. but it is also the producer of the UKs favourite snack, Heinz baked beans - this photo walk takes you by this factory in its rural setting at Kitt Green.
