Wigan Galleries: A sad tale of waste, incompetance and mismanagement
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- čas přidán 21. 04. 2012
- Saturday afternoon, 21st of April 2012 and this is a major part of the Galleries shopping arcade. Built in the late 1980's at great expense and against the wishes of the majority of the people of Wigan, these units remain as yawning empty spaces and escalators trundle away to nowhere - a testament to the mismanagement and sheer incompetance of Wigan Council. Some of the units have, in fact NEVER been occupied and will continue to remain so as long as the sky high rents and unfavourable lease terms remain in place.
Just twenty five years old and now the whole thing is being demolished. "Waste, incompetence and mismanagement" indeed.
galleries was booming in the 90's. sky high rents ,the grand arcade and online shopping have all had an effect the galleries.
used to love going the galleries when I was a kid. such a shame to see it like this.
This is a great video. Think this area is called Marketgate, and is completely closed off now from where Scott's used to be to Market place and down to Market Street. When it first opened in 1989 there was a frozen food shop called Freezerite centre in there that was my late Father's favourite shop. Think it closed a couple of years or so after it opened and I always remember it as it never was reoccupied and the signage was on this video a good decade or so after it closed. It's a sad lonely place now the whole centre and as said you can't even see this part now
Hey the great news is that it makes for a great post-apocalypse setting!
Such a shame. I still walk through often and it's virtually empty now that the last remaining stores have either closed down or relocated. It seems to be spreading to the Leigh arcade too, it's really only a matter of time before the whole place is a vacant wasteland. Just wish I could've been around to see the place bustling, though it's hard to imagine in its current state.
Used to love going to Andy’s records next door to next. Don’t know if you remember the massive Easter egg they had on one year and then broke it up and you could purchase a piece. Bruccianis cafe aswell was brilliant back in the day I remember when people used to be able to smoke upstairs and used to be cloud of smoke trapped in there.
I've lived in Wigan as ling as thisbhas been here. The bottom floor where index was has been empty since the end of the first year of it's opening
Some of the units have never been occupied?
Not true.There was full occupancy for many years.
And to think, a great old pub like the Park Hotel was demolished to make way for this rubbish, the brown envelopes must have been bursting at the seams.
I beg to differ.
The company I worked for at the time it opened applied for a unit but none were available.
Even Scotts has closed now, absolutely nothing open on the top floor galleries... Sheer incompetence it's all about the money where the council are concerned. Shame on them
Anyone got anymore info on the cafè? It was called Continental Diner and I never wanted to go there up until it closed then I wished i'd been 😅 anyone been and rate it? Or does anyone have a pictures as google gives me no photos
I seem to recall that it was ridiculously expensive so I never went in there.
@@lightning1975 ahhh I see, it seemed upper class and contemporary in the late 90s early 2000's and just before it closed I thought it seemed outdated so maybe that contributed too that no one wanted 80s style diners in Wigan (UK 80s not the cool 80s 😅)
@@mattjcwig There were always a number of cheaper options in town and I can’t remember it ever being anywhere near full at any time.
@@lightning1975 like any of the shops in marketgate or galleries the only shops I ever remember being anywhere near busy were Music Zone, The Christmas Shop that was near scotts and Adams.
And the now closed Brucciani's 😔
Me and my mates would go and buy records on a Saturday then watch all the crumpet from the top of the escalators 😍 it was heyving
should have kept the market hall .full of atmosphere and character .
The original market was amazing why not have it in there. A lot of stalls would mean lower rents. It worked back then. And this new format. Isn’t working. Stalls in there for free rent would be better for Wigan than the empty post apocalyptic galleries. Has they are right now besides if you get people there for a market day. All the shops would Benefit
Just a thought
Well a few weeks ago I gave you a simple equation and you didn't have the faintest idea how to even start it. So if you can't even do something as simple as that how is it possible that you have the whole univers in your head ... Dreamer.