I was born in Wigan, as were two of my siblings and my parents. My father started work down the pit at 14, and my mother worked in a bakery from the same age. We left there in January 1967 when I was just 4 years old, so my memories of the place are a bit sketchy. Thanks for the tour!!
I hope you enjoyed the video, although not a lot left on that side of Wigan compared to a few decades ago. It must have still been quite busy there in the early 60s.
The place he stayed in was demolished in the 80's, I actually stood in the rooms he stayed in before they were knocked down, it was a grim place to be even then, the time he was here must have been really dark and grim. His real name was Eric Blair. The lodgings were across from the East European shop at the Riverway crossing near Brocol house, the entrances were at the rear behind the shops that stood there.
Ah that’s really interesting, I didn’t realise from my research that the lodging was on that side of the road. It must have been a treat to see the original rooms at that time, thanks for the info!
I’m from Wigan and I vaguely remember the terrace houses on Darlington Street before they were demolished in the mid seventies. It was a very scruffy area but seemed quite exciting and full of character to the five or six year old me when travelling on the bus into the centre. We lived on the Hindley/Aspull border which in comparison seemed very respectable, quiet and boring. Sadly now the Scholes area seems soulless and has it fair share of drug abuse problems. A good informative video by the way. xx
He certainly was not condescending or snotty. If you actually read his books you’ll see that he greatly admired those Wigan people with whom he stayed and those about whom he wrote. He admired their tenacity and forbearance under the extremely difficult living conditions they faced.
That Douglas canal was moving a bit fast 😂😂😂
Certainly was 😂
I was born in Wigan, as were two of my siblings and my parents. My father started work down the pit at 14, and my mother worked in a bakery from the same age. We left there in January 1967 when I was just 4 years old, so my memories of the place are a bit sketchy. Thanks for the tour!!
I hope you enjoyed the video, although not a lot left on that side of Wigan compared to a few decades ago. It must have still been quite busy there in the early 60s.
Thank you. I enjoyed that.
Glad you enjoyed it 🙏🏻
I did. A am a student of Orwell and have been the places of Catalonia of the civil war. A talented and tortured chap.
@@gavinsyme1571 That must have been interesting.
It was. Took me two years to save up the money and got back just before covid started. A month of walking about and speaking bad spanish.
@@gavinsyme1571 good timing in that case!
As I remember Orwell complained that the tripe storage was overrun with cockroaches. Is this still the case?
I didn’t see any cockroaches but I know they’re still there 🫣
Enjoyed this - but you need to know that the Douglas is a river. The Leeds-Liverpool canal is about half a mile away from here.
I think I said canal by mistake 😪
The place he stayed in was demolished in the 80's, I actually stood in the rooms he stayed in before they were knocked down, it was a grim place to be even then, the time he was here must have been really dark and grim. His real name was Eric Blair. The lodgings were across from the East European shop at the Riverway crossing near Brocol house, the entrances were at the rear behind the shops that stood there.
Ah that’s really interesting, I didn’t realise from my research that the lodging was on that side of the road. It must have been a treat to see the original rooms at that time, thanks for the info!
the lidl site was previously pepper mill foundry, never terraced houses.
Ah thank you for the information, I didn't realise that!
@@andrewemmerson The Pepper mill was split into little workshops. I rented one of themfor my business back in the mid 1980's. Happy days.
@@siranom5486 I must have been past it many times in the 80s but I don’t remember it 😀
I’m from Wigan and I vaguely remember the terrace houses on Darlington Street before they were demolished in the mid seventies. It was a very scruffy area but seemed quite exciting and full of character to the five or six year old me when travelling on the bus into the centre. We lived on the Hindley/Aspull border which in comparison seemed very respectable, quiet and boring. Sadly now the Scholes area seems soulless and has it fair share of drug abuse problems. A good informative video by the way. xx
I remember getting the bus from hindley to Wigan! Looked better in the old days 😫
He certainly was not condescending or snotty. If you actually read his books you’ll see that he greatly admired those Wigan people with whom he stayed and those about whom he wrote. He admired their tenacity and forbearance under the extremely difficult living conditions they faced.
Currently reading road to Wigan pier, still stands up today!
my granparents lived on that road in them flats when first built for a bit
Good view from there!
It might be a good idea to do some research,,, all that it might be here, it might be there, at 045
Just my take. Not a documentary 😂