Wigan
Wigan Pier a former wharf on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Wigan Pier is the name given today to the area around the Canal at the bottom of the Wigan flight of locks on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a Canal in the north of England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool.
Wigan shown within Greater Manchester
Population	81,203 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference	SD583055
- London	176 miles (284 km) SE
Metropolitan borough	Wigan
Metropolitan county	Greater Manchester
Region	North West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	WIGAN
Postcode district	WN1-WN3, WN5, WN6
Dialling code	01942
Police	Greater Manchester
Fire	Greater Manchester
Ambulance	North West
European Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Wigan
List of places: UK • England • Greater Manchester

Coordinates: 53°32′41″N 2°37′55″W / 53.5448, -2.6318

Wigan is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. Greater Manchester is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2 In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a Metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Greater Manchester is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2 The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one North West England is one of the nine official Regions of England. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Wigan postcode area, is a group of postal districts in North West England that are sub-divisions of three Post towns It covers parts The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Greater Manchester Police (" GMP " is the Home Office Police force responsible for policing the Metropolitan county of Greater The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is the county-wide statutory emergency fire and rescue service for the Metropolitan county of The North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust was formed on 1 July 2006 as part of Health Minister Lord Warner's plans to reduce the number of NHS North West England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Wigan is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a partial list of places in Greater Manchester, in North West England. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Greater Manchester is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2 England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland ^[1] It stands on the River Douglas, 16. The River Douglas, also known as the River Asland, is a River that flows through Lancashire and Greater Manchester in the north-west 5 miles (26. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States 6 km) west-northwest of Manchester, 15 miles (24. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand 1 km) south of Preston and 17. Preston ( ˈprɛstən is a city and local government district in Lancashire, England, located on the River Ribble. 4 miles (28. 0 km) east-northeast of Liverpool. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a Metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. Wigan had a total population of 81,203 in 2001. ^[2]

Historically a part of Lancashire, Wigan's early history is marked by its status as a territory inhabited by the Brigantes, an ancient Celtic tribe. The counties of Scotland were the principal divisions of Scotland until 1975 Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea The Brigantes were a Celtic tribe who in pre-Roman times controlled the largest section of Northern England and a significant part of the Midlands Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts Wigan is believed to have been incorporated as a borough in 1246 following the issue of a Charter by King Henry III of England. A charter is the grant of authority or rights stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified Henry III (1 October 1207 &ndash 16 November 1272 was the son and successor of John "Lackland" as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 At the end of the Middle Ages it was one of four boroughs in Lancashire possessing Royal charters, the others being Lancaster, Liverpool, and Preston. A Royal Charter is a Charter granted by the Sovereign on the advice of the Privy council to legitimize an incorporated body such as a city company Lancaster (pronounced ˈlæŋˌkæstə or ˈlænˌkæstə is a City in Lancashire, England. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary Preston ( ˈprɛstən is a city and local government district in Lancashire, England, located on the River Ribble.

During the Industrial Revolution Wigan experienced dramatic economic expansion and a rapid rise in the population. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the Although porcelain manufacture and clock making had been major industries in the town, Wigan has since become known as a major mill town and coal mining district. A Mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories (usually Cotton mills Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. ^[3] The first coal mine was established at Wigan in 1450 and at its peak there were 1,000 pit shafts within 5 miles (8 km) of the town centre. Mining was so extensive that one of its town councillors once remarked that "a coal mine in the backyard was not uncommon in Wigan". ^[4] Coal mining ceased during the latter part of the 20th century.

Wigan Pier, a wharf on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, was made famous by the writer George Orwell. Wigan Pier is the name given today to the area around the Canal at the bottom of the Wigan flight of locks on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a Canal in the north of England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950 who used the Pseudonym George Orwell, was an English writer In his book, The Road to Wigan Pier, Orwell highlighted the poor working and living conditions of the local inhabitants during the 1930s. The Road to Wigan Pier was written by George Orwell and published in 1937. Following the decline of industrial activities in the region, Wigan Pier's collection of warehouses and wharfs has become a local heritage centre and cultural quarter.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Toponymy 1.2 Early history 1.3 English Civil War 1.4 Industrial Revolution 2 Governance 3 Geography 4 Economy 5 Landmarks 6 Education 7 Regeneration 8 Culture 8.1 Music 8.2 "Pie-eaters" 9 Transport 9.1 Roads 9.2 Railways 9.3 Buses 9.4 Canals 10 Sports 11 Notable people 11.1 Arts and entertainment 11.2 Business 11.3 Politics 11.4 Sport 12 See also 13 References 13.1 Twin towns 14 External links

History

Toponymy

There are two theories for the meaning of Wigan (IPA: /ˈwɪgɨn/) as a place-name. One theory is that it is Celtic, named after a person called Wigan;^[5] this would be a personal name place-name, e. The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. A personal name is the Proper name identifying an individual Person. g. Stevenston in Ayrshire. Stevenston is a town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is one of the 'Three Towns' along with Ardrossan and Saltcoats. Ayrshire (Siorrachd Inbhir Àir ʃir̴əxg̊ iɲiɾʲˈaːɾʲ is a Registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, This may have been linked with Tref (meaning homestead) to give an original name of TrefWigan. ^[5] It should be noted that gwig in Welsh signifies 'forest. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic ' Either way, if the name is of Celtic origin, the Proto-Celtic form must have been *Wikanio-. Phonological reconstruction Consonants The phonological changes from Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Celtic Consonants may be summarised as follows This looks very much like an augmented form of the Proto-Celtic word *wika- meaning 'fight. ' So the toponym *Wikanio- may have denoted 'battlefield. ' Whatever the case, this Proto-Celtic form would have developed into *Vicaniom in Romano-British Brittonic. Romano-British culture is that of the Romanized Britons under the Roman Empire and later the Western Roman Empire, and of those exposed to Roman culture in the years The Brythonic languages (or Brittonic languages or British languages) form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family the other being There is, however, no place in Wales with the name Wigan, the closest being Lledwigan which isn't recorded until the 14th century. ^[6] Other sources suggest the etymology is from Old English wig / wiga 'warrior' or wicga 'insect', althoough this is not supported by most written records. The name was recorded as Wicgen in 1286. In total, half a dozen explanations have been recorded by the former Wigan chief librarian, Arthur J Hawkes. A librarian is an information Professional trained in Library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials ^[7] It is also possible that the name is cognate with Welsh wig hen, meaning "old fort", referring to the Roman vicus of Coccium. In the history of the Roman empire, a vicus (pl vici was an ad hoc provincial civilian settlement that sprang up close to and because of a nearby official Roman

Early history

The first people believed to have settled in the Wigan area were the Brigantes living in Chochion. The Brigantes were a Celtic tribe who in pre-Roman times controlled the largest section of Northern England and a significant part of the Midlands ^[5] The Antonine Itinerary mentions a settlement by the Romans in the general vicinity, which was renamed Coccium around 79 AD, following one of many wars with the Celts . The Antonine Itinerary (in Latin: Antonini Itinerarium) is a register of the stations and distances along the various roads of the Roman empire, containing Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC War is an international relations Dispute, characterized by organized Violence between National Military units Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts ^[8] Whilst there is evidence of Roman activity in Wigan, namely coins being found during construction work^[8] and more recently a hypocaust system discovered during the construction of the foundations for a new shopping centre in the town centre,^[9] there is no conclusive evidence of Wigan being on the same site as Coccium. A hypocaust (Latin hypocaustum) is an ancient Roman system of Central heating. ^[8]

Wigan is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, possibly because it was included in Neweton (now Newton-le-Willows). The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey Newton-le-Willows is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. ^[10] The traditional date given for the incorporation of Wigan as a borough is 1246 following the issue of a Charter by King Henry III. A charter is the grant of authority or rights stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified Henry III (1 October 1207 &ndash 16 November 1272 was the son and successor of John "Lackland" as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 ^[10] The earliest incorporation of the town is actually mentioned in the report of the Norroy King of Arms in 1613, that "The Towne and Bourrough of Wiggin was antiently incorporated by the most noble Kinge, Kinge Hen, the first, in the first year of his raygne,". Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is one of the senior Officers of Arms of the College of Arms, and the junior of the two provincial Kings of Arms. ^[11]

English Civil War

The Battle of Wigan Lane was fought on August 25, 1651 during the Third English Civil War,^[12] between Royalists under the command of the Earl of Derby and elements of the New Model Army under the command of Colonel Robert Lilburne. The Battle of Wigan Lane was fought on August 25 1651 during the Third English Civil War, between Royalists under the command of the Earl of Derby Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the The Third English Civil War ( 1649 &ndash 1651) was the last of the English Civil War ( 1642 &ndash 1652) a series of armed conflicts James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby KG ( January 31, 1607 &ndash October 15, 1651) was a supporter of the Royalist cause in The New Model Army was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War. Colonel Robert Lilburne (1613&ndash1665 was the older brother of John Lilburne, the well known Leveller, but unlike his brother who severed his relationship with The Royalists were defeated, losing nearly half their officers and men. The Earl of Derby, as Lord of Mann, had enlisted ten men from each parish in the Isle of Man; 170 in total. James Stanley 7th Earl of Derby KG ( January 31, 1607 &ndash October 15, 1651) was a supporter of the Royalist cause in The title Lord of Mann (Chiarn Vanninagh is used on the Isle of Man to refer to Queen Elizabeth II, who is the Island's Lord Proprietor and Head The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn or Mann (Mannin) is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical David Craine states, "those who did not fall in the fighting [were] hunted to their death through the countryside. "^[13]

A monument, on Wigan Lane, stands in memory of Sir Thomas Tyldesley who was killed at the Battle of Wigan Lane. ^[14]

Industrial Revolution

As a mill town, Wigan was an important centre of textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution. A Mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories (usually Cotton mills With the establishment of overseas colonies, the British Empire at the end of the 17th century/beginning of the 18th century had a vast source of raw materials and a vast market The Leeds-Liverpool Canal was diverted from its original planned course, at the request of the mill owners, to transport coal from the Lancashire coal pits to Wigan's mills and was also used extensively to transport local produce. Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways In 1818 William Woods introduced the first power looms to the Wigan cotton mills. A loom is a Machine or device for Weaving thread or Yarn into Textiles Looms can range from very small hand-held frames to large free-standing These mills swiftly became infamous for their dangerous and unbearable conditions, low pay and use of child labour. Child labor is the employment of Children at regular and sustained labour After the second world war there was a boom followed by a slump from which Wigan's textile industry did not recover. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The last working cotton mill, the May Mill, closed in 1980. The novel Rose by Martin Cruz Smith is centred around the Victorian era coal mining community in Scholes, a predominately poor Irish Quarter and is contrasted by conditions of the ruling local lord of the manor, based somewhat on The Earl of Balcarress of Haigh Hall, near Wigan. Martin Cruz Smith (né Martin William Smith) was born in Reading Pennsylvania, in 1942 Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities Scholes is an Urban area in east-central Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.

In 1937, Wigan was prominently featured in George Orwell's The Road to Wigan Pier which dealt, in large part, with the living conditions of England's working poor. Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950 who used the Pseudonym George Orwell, was an English writer The Road to Wigan Pier was written by George Orwell and published in 1937. Some have embraced the Orwellian link, as it has provided the area with a modest tourist base over the years. ^[15] Others regard this connection as disappointing, considering it an insinuation that Wigan is no better now than it was at the time of Orwell's writing. ^[16]

Governance

Wigan was historically part of the hundred of Newton, later becoming part of the West Derby Hundred. The hundred of West Derby (sometimes known as West Derbyshire) was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, England The ancient parish of Wigan All Saints contained a number of townships which formed separate civil parishes from 1866. In England, township (latin - vill) usually means a village or hamlet A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government.

Wigan was one of the few industrial towns of the 19th century to have already received a charter as a borough. A Mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories (usually Cotton mills It was reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, and was one of the boroughs to be granted the status of county borough by the Local Government Act 1888, giving it independence from Lancashire County Council. The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 (5 & 6 Wm IV c76 - sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act - required members of town councils ( Municipal corporations County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (excluding Scotland) to refer to a Borough or a City The Local Government Act 1888 (51 & 52 Vict c 41 was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1888 and established County councils and County borough The former area of Pemberton Urban District was annexed to the County Borough of Wigan in 1904. Pemberton Urban District was an Urban district from 1894 to 1904 when it was added to the County Borough of Wigan. The County Borough of Wigan was from 1889 to 1974 a local government district centred on Wigan in the northwest of England. In 1974 the County Borough of Wigan was abolished and its former area transferred to form part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan. ^[17]

Wigan is in the Wigan Parliamentary constituency. Wigan is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is part of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs

Geography

The historic town of Wigan forms a tightly-integrated conurbation along with the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan districts of Orrell and Ince-in-Makerfield, this is connected by ribbon development to Standish and Abram. The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a Metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. Orrell is a district of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. Ince-in-Makerfield, usually known just as Ince is a district of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. Abram is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. These areas, together with the West Lancashire town of Skelmersdale, are defined by the Office for National Statistics as the Wigan Urban Area, with a total population of 166,840. West Lancashire is a local government district of Lancashire, England. Skelmersdale is a town in West Lancashire, England. It lies on high-ground on the River Tawd, to the northeast of Liverpool, south-southwest The Office for National Statistics (ONS is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly The Wigan Urban Area is an area of land defined by the Office for National Statistics consisting of the built-up or 'urbanised' area containing Wigan in Greater ^[18]

Economy

Business connections to the town include:

• H. J. Heinz manufacturers of Heinz Baked Beans and the fictitious "57 varieties". Uncle Joe's Mint Balls are spherical mints produced by Wm Santus & Co Heinz are amongst the largest food manufacturers in Europe. Their 55 acres (22 ha) site in Wigan is the largest food processing facility in Europe. ^[19]
• JJB Sports, nationwide sports clothing retailer
• Wm Santus & Co. JJB Sports PLC is one of the United Kingdom 's leading Sports Retailers History The sportshop chain was founded in 1971 when ex-footballer Ltd, producer of Uncle Joe's Mint Balls. Uncle Joe's Mint Balls are spherical mints produced by Wm Santus & Co
• The Tote
• Girobank

Landmarks

• Wigan Pier Experience on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal which includes the Trencherfield Mill Engine a working mill steam engine. The Horserace Totalisator Board, more commonly known as The Tote, is a British Bookmaker, with over 500 betting shops and outlets on Britain's 59 Girobank was a British financial institution founded in 1968 It started as Post Office Giro but went through several name changes National Giro, The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a Canal in the north of England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool.
• Haigh Hall (Country Park)
• Wigan Parish Church.
• JJB Stadium
• Wigan War Memorial. The JJB Stadium (often referred to as The JJB) is a sports stadium located within the Robin Park Complex in Newtown Wigan, Lancashire.
• Mab's Cross.
• Trencherfield Mill & Steam Engine.
• Wigan & Leigh College Pit Winding Wheel.
• Wigan Town Hall.
• Wigan Market Hall.
• Uncle Joe's Mint Balls Factory. Uncle Joe's Mint Balls are spherical mints produced by Wm Santus & Co
• Wigan Market Square.
• Mesnes Park.
• Wigan Pier. Wigan Pier is the name given today to the area around the Canal at the bottom of the Wigan flight of locks on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.
• The Grand Arcade
• Whitley Woods

Education

Wigan is home to a number of colleges of Further Education including Winstanley College and Wigan and Leigh College which offers a wide range of courses in vocational and academic subjects. Winstanley College is a Sixth form college in the Billinge Higher End district of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester Wigan & Leigh College is a General Further and Higher Education College based at six locations in the towns of Wigan and Leigh in Greater Manchester Schools include St Peters High School, Deanery High School and St. John Fisher Catholic High School. The Deanery Church of England High School is a Secondary school in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. St John Fisher Catholic High School is a mixed comprehensive secondary school located in Beech Hill Wigan, Greater Manchester.

Regeneration

Wigan is currently in the midst of a large regeneration project with the 'Grand Arcade' shopping complex, which opened 22 March 2007, being the largest current development. Events 238 - Gordian I and his son Gordian II are proclaimed Roman emperor. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The area around the pier is currently being developed into the “Wigan Pier Quarter” with the redevelopment of Trencherfield Mill as an office and residential building being at the forefront of the development. A hotel, numerous bars and art studios are also set to the feature, although plans for a new theatre look to be doomed because of spiralling costs. Other developments in the pipeline include a new swimming baths, central library, childrens library and local government services "Hub" to be built on the same site as the current baths, library and Wiend which are to be demolished, a new 18 storey tower block, which will include 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m²) of retail and leisure units, 35,000 sq ft (3,300 m²) of offices and 150 apartments, called "Tower Grand", which will be located next to the Grand Arcade. There are also plans to develop the old town hall, which has been in a state of decay for many years. Wigan Council granted planning permission for a new residential, business and leisure development on the site of the former police station in October 2007.

The former Westwood power station site which was transformed recently into the Westwood Park business park^[20] and features a large amount of Wigan MBC office space will be further transformed by the creation of a 55 acre textiles centre in co-operation with the Chinese state owned trading company Chinamex at a cost of £125m. Up to 1m square feet of manufacturing and research space will be created along with an estimated 1000 jobs and 3000 in the wider economy^[21] . Chinamex which represents 70% of the Chinese textiles industry and has 6300 member companies will in addition offer space in the development to member companies for up to 2 years at a time to allow the establishment of a British subsidiary before moving on to dedicated premises.

Culture

Music

Wigan has been well known for its popular music since the days of George Formby Snr and George Formby Jnr. Popular music is Music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more George Formby Sr ( October 4, 1875 &ndash February 8 1921) was the father of George Formby Jr George Formby may refer to George Formby Jr, banjolele player singer and comedian 1904 - 1961 George Formby Sr It was the birthplace of The Eight Lancashire Lads a dancing troupe who gave the young Charlie Chaplin his professional debut. The Eight Lancashire Lads were a Troupe of young male dancers who toured the Music Halls of Great Britain in the late 1800s and early 1900s One member of the troupe was a John Willie Jackson, The "John Willie" to whom George Formby would often refer in his songs. Local bands that gained wider repute include The Verve, The Railway Children, Witness, The Tansads, Limahl of Kajagoogoo and (more recently) Starsailor. The Verve (originally Verve) are an English rock band formed in Wigan, Greater Manchester in 1989 at Winstanley Sixth The Railway Children is an Alternative rock band from England. Witness were a British Alternative rock band formed in Wigan, England in 1997 The Tansads were an English band from Wigan, Greater Manchester who were active during the 1990s Christopher Hamill (born December 19 1958) is a British Pop rock / dance Vocalist. Kajagoogoo is a British Pop band, best known for their first single, " Too Shy " which reached Number 1 in the UK Singles Chart Starsailor are an English Rock band from Chorley. As of 2006 they have had three charting albums and ten Top 40 singles in the UK since The Verve are one of the most important British rock groups of the 1990s, finding success in the UK and abroad (even touring on the USA's famous Lollapalooza alternative rock festival). The Verve (originally Verve) are an English rock band formed in Wigan, Greater Manchester in 1989 at Winstanley Sixth Lollapalooza is an American music festival featuring Alternative rock, hip hop, and Punk rock bands Dance and Comedy performances The band was formed when the members met at Winstanley College in 1989. Winstanley College is a Sixth form college in the Billinge Higher End district of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester They held their most famous homecoming gig at Haigh Hall, Wigan on 24 May 1998. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar)

From 1973–1983 Wigan Casino was the location for Wigan's weekly Northern Soul all-nighters. The Wigan Casino was a Nightclub in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. Northern soul is a type of mid-tempo and uptempo heavy-beat Soul music (of mainly African American origin that was popularized in Northern England from This was the inspiration for the 1989 dance record Wigan by Baby Ford.

Wigan remains a centre of popular music for young people, with a number of alternative pubs/clubs in the town centre. The town also has a music collective which exists to promote the scene and help out local musicians and bands. They host weekly gigs at The Tavern and also host various other activities such as the annual Haigh Hall Music Festival, which attracted around 7,000 guests in 2007. Haigh (pronounced "Hay" is a Village and Civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England The Collective also offers recording sessions and gig advice for young musicians. ^[22] Throughout the early 1990s The Tudor House Hotel was a popular venue for up and coming bands – situated just at the back of the bus station.

"Pie-eaters"

Wigan is home to the annual World Pie Eating Championship, usually held at Harry's Bar on Wallgate, Wigan. The annual World Pie Eating Championship is usually held at Harry's Bar on Wallgate Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The competition has been held since 1992. In 2007, a vegetarian version was added. ^[23] Wiganers are usually proud to be called pie-eaters, but the nickname is not thought to be because of their appetite for the delicacy. The name is said to date from the 1926 General Strike when Wigan miners were starved back to work before their counterparts in surrounding towns and were forced to eat "humble pie. To eat humble pie, in common usage is to apologise and face humiliation for a serious error " ^[24][25]

Transport

Roads

Wigan lies on the meeting point of two primary A roads, the A49 and A577 which link to the M6, M61 motorway and M58 motorway. The United Kingdom Road Network is an extensive network of routes connecting its settlements The network is of varied quality and capacity The Great Britain road numbering scheme is a Numbering system used to classify and identify all Roads in Great Britain. The A49 is a major Road in western England, which traverses the Welsh Marches region List of A roads beginning with 5 in Great Britain starting north/east of the A5, west of the A6, south of the Solway Firth / Eden Estuary This article concerns the M6 motorway in England There are also M6 motorways in Russia (see Caspian Highway) Hungary (see M6 motorway The M61 motorway is a major road in England. It runs from the M60 motorway north west of Manchester, and heads north west past Bolton and The M58 is a Motorway in Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside, England. Increased traffic in recent years, encouraged by retail development, has resulted in very congested main roads for most of the day. This situation is linked to the town's geography, with river valleys and railway lines impeding road improvement.

Railways

There are two railway stations in Wigan town centre. These are located virtually across the street from each other in Wallgate, on the southern fringe of the town centre.

• Wigan North Western is located on the electrified north-south West Coast Main Line. Wigan North Western railway station is one of two main Railway stations serving the town of Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK. Railway electrification supplies electrical energy to railway Locomotives and Multiple units so they can operate without having a Reciprocating The West Coast Main Line (WCML is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom.
  Virgin Trains provides express trains to London Euston, Birmingham, Lancaster, Carlisle, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Virgin Trains is a Train operating company in the United Kingdom, which currently provides services from London Euston to the North West Euston station (official name London Euston) is a major Railway station to the north of central London in the London Borough of Camden Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Lancaster (pronounced ˈlæŋˌkæstə or ˈlænˌkæstə is a City in Lancashire, England. Carlisle (pronounced CARLYLE(emphasis on the first syllable is a City in northern England the largest settlement in Cumbria. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Northern Rail has trains to Preston and Blackpool and a regular local service along the line to St Helens and Liverpool Lime Street. Northern Rail (often referred to simply as Northern) is a Train operating company that has operated local passenger services in the north of England Preston ( ˈprɛstən is a city and local government district in Lancashire, England, located on the River Ribble. Blackpool (/ˈblækˌpul is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. St Helens ( is a large town in Merseyside, England It is the largest settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100000 Liverpool Lime Street railway station on Lime Street is a mainline and underground Railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England

• Wigan Wallgate serves lines running east and west from Wigan. Wigan Wallgate railway station is one of two main Railway stations serving the town of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
  Northern Rail provides trains to Southport and Kirkby (with connections to Liverpool Central and the Merseyrail system). Northern Rail (often referred to simply as Northern) is a Train operating company that has operated local passenger services in the north of England Southport is a seaside town on the Irish Sea coast situated within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in England, UK. Kirkby ( IPA /ˈkɝbiː/ — the second "k" is silent is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley on Merseyside in England Liverpool Central railway station is a railway station in Liverpool, England, and forms the central hub of the Merseyrail network being on both the Merseyrail is the name given to the electric metro-style commuter Train network centred on Liverpool in the metropolitan county of Merseyside A frequent local service also operates to Bolton and Manchester (Victoria and Piccadilly), with most trains from Wigan continuing through to other destinations such as Manchester Airport, Stockport, Oldham and Rochdale. Bolton ( is a large town in Greater Manchester, in the North West region of England. Manchester Victoria station is the second of Manchester 's mainline railway stations Manchester Piccadilly station, known locally as just Piccadilly, is the principal railway station of Manchester in England. Manchester Airport is a major Airport in the vicinity of Manchester, England, and the largest airport in the United Kingdom outside the Stockport ( is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground on the River Mersey at the influx of the rivers Goyt Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England It lies amongst the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock Rochdale is a large Market town in Greater Manchester, England Pemberton railway station serves the Pemberton area of the town. Pemberton railway station serves the Pemberton area of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England.

Buses

A network of local buses, co-ordinated by Greater Manchester PTE and departing from the bus station in the town centre, serves Wigan and district. The Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive ( GMPTE) is the public body ( Passenger Transport Executive) responsible for co-ordinating Public transport Wigan bus station is also served by National Express long distance services. National Express Group plc ( is a UK -based Transport group with headquarters in London that operates Bus, coach, rail

Since deregulation and privatisation of the bus industry in the 1980s and 1990s, a number of different companies have operated in the area. At present the two larger national operators are:

• First Manchester, which operates routes generally to the north-east, east and south-east of the town, including buses to Leigh, Bolton and Manchester. First Manchester is one of the bus companies serving Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England Bolton ( is a large town in Greater Manchester, in the North West region of England.
• Arriva, which operates north and west of Wigan to Bolton, Chorley, Leigh, Preston, Skelmersdale, Southport, St Helens and Warrington. Arriva North West and Wales is a division of Arriva that operates bus services around North West England and Wales. Bolton ( is a large town in Greater Manchester, in the North West region of England. Chorley is a Market town in Lancashire, in North West England. Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England Preston ( ˈprɛstən is a city and local government district in Lancashire, England, located on the River Ribble. Skelmersdale is a town in West Lancashire, England. It lies on high-ground on the River Tawd, to the northeast of Liverpool, south-southwest Southport is a seaside town on the Irish Sea coast situated within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in England, UK. St Helens ( is a large town in Merseyside, England It is the largest settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100000 Warrington is a large town borough and Unitary authority area in Cheshire, England.

South Lancs Travel and Skelmersdale based "Hoppa Shoppa" also provide numerous services around the borough. Green Triangle Buses B&D Coaches and Bellairs and Dootson Coaches redirect here South Lancs Travel is a bus operator in the Bolton, Skelmersdale is a town in West Lancashire, England. It lies on high-ground on the River Tawd, to the northeast of Liverpool, south-southwest

Canals

Wigan is on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and is epitomised by Wigan Pier. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a Canal in the north of England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Wigan Pier is the name given today to the area around the Canal at the bottom of the Wigan flight of locks on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. There is also a branch of the canal from Wigan to Leigh, with a connection to the Bridgewater Canal which links Wigan to Manchester. Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England The Bridgewater Canal is a Canal in North West England, connecting Runcorn, Manchester, and Leigh.

Sports

Wigan's main sporting clubs are Wigan Athletic (football) and Wigan Warriors (rugby league) both of which share the JJB Stadium. Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional football team based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Wigan Warriors Rugby League Football Club is a professional Rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games The JJB Stadium (often referred to as The JJB) is a sports stadium located within the Robin Park Complex in Newtown Wigan, Lancashire. For most of the 20th century, Wigan RLFC's ground was Central Park which stood alongside the River Douglas in Wigan. Central Park was a multi-use Stadium in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, one of the most famous stadiums in Rugby league. It was the scene of many Lancashire Cup Finals, Challenge Cup Semi-Finals, international games and test matches. Springfield Park was the former home of Wigan Athletic FC between 1932 and 1999. Springfield Park was a multi-use Stadium in Wigan, England. It was the home ground of Wigan Athletic F Prior to this the ground was home to Wigan Borough (1919-31), Wigan Town (1905-08), Wigan United (1901-03) and Wigan County (1897-1900). Wigan Rugby League used the ground during the 1901-02 season and Springfield Borough RLFC did the same in the late 1980s. Orrell R.U.F.C. are the town's rugby union team and enjoyed slight success, just missing out on promotion to the Zurich Premiership in the 03/04 season but suffered a steep decline in recent years and have since fallen into the status of an amateur club and now play their home games at St John Rigby's College. Orrell Rugby Union Football Club is a Rugby union team from the Orrell district of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Wigan RLFC use former home ground, Edge Hall Road for training, under-18 and Senior Academy games. The Co-operative Community Stadium (formerly Edge Hall Road is the home ground of the Wigan Warriors Senior Academy and Junior Academy teams and the

During the 1980s and 1990s Wigan RL enjoyed unprecedented success becoming arguably the best team in the world. The team's success, however, has declined since the introduction of the Super League salary cap. A poor start to the 2006 Super League season resulted in the sacking of Ian Millward as coach, and prompted the hiring of Bradford Bulls coach Brian Noble. Ian Millward (born August 22 1960) is an Australian born Rugby league coach and is currently head coach for North Queensland Cowboys The Bradford Bulls are a professional Rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, England. Brian Noble, known as 'Nobby' is a former Rugby league player who is currently the head coach of the Wigan Warriors - whom he joined from Bradford Noble made some shrewd signings including Stuart Fielden from his former club for a world record transfer fee and quickly made himself a firm fan's favourite. Stuart Fielden (born September 14, 1979 in Halifax West Yorkshire) is an English Rugby league player With Noble at the helm, the Warriors won nine of their last thirteen matches, avoiding relegation, and finishing 8th in the league table. Whilst striving to recapture the success of the 80s and 90s, the Wigan club is slowly getting back onto it's feet. A sixth place finish in the 2007 season saw them into the play-offs where they were the winning team in what has been labeled "The greatest comeback in Super League history", beating the Bradford Bulls 31-30 at Odsal after being 30 points to 6 down at one point. After that, Wigan travelled to Headingley Stadium to face the Leeds Rhinos for the chance to play St. Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. Leeds Rhinos, or informally Leeds or Rhinos, are an English professional Rugby league football club based in Leeds Helens at Old Trafford for the Super League title. Wigan were beaten by the eventual champions Leeds but their playoff run managed to instill a new found optimism within the supporters for the next season, an optimism that has been well-placed as the team currently sit 2nd in the league with 11 games played.

Wigan Athletic were elected to the Football League only in 1978 and had little success for many years, but they have recently gained promotion to the F.A. Premier League and the 2005–2006 season was their first ever in the top flight. The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The team was in the top half of the table for the entire season, finishing tenth, and made it to the League Cup Final in February 2006, where they were beaten by neighbours Manchester United. The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition

Wigan has an international-standard swimming pool in the town centre, built to exact Olympic standards, but never used for official Olympic sanctioned competition. The resident swimming club, Wigan Wasps, which has now changed its name to Wigan BEST,^[26][27] has produced Olympic standard swimmers, including medal winner June Croft. Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance Wigan Warriors Rugby League Football Club is a professional Rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games June Alexandra Croft (born June 17, 1963) is a retired freestyle Swimmer from the United Kingdom, who represented her native

Wigan staged motorcycle speedway racing at two different venues. Poolstock Stadium was the home of Wigan Warriors who raced in the National League Division two in 1947 and a short open season in 1960. Woodhouse Lane Stadium was used briefly in the early 1950s.

Wigan is home to Billy Riley's Snake Pit, a prominent professional wrestling school that is reputed as one of the toughest in the world, basing itself on traditional catch as catch can wrestling to build ring-tough performers. Billy Riley is a practitioner of Catch wrestling. The Briton taught some of the figures in catch wrestling at his training school called "The Snake Pit" Professional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is a non-competitive professional Sport, where all matches are scripted by the promotion's booking staff Catch wrestling is a style of Wrestling. Catch wrestling is arguably the ancestor of modern Grappling, Professional wrestling, Mixed martial arts

Notable people

People who were either born or brought up in Wigan, or have had some significant connection with the town during their life, include:

Arts and entertainment Darren Almond, Artist Richard Ashcroft, Singer, Songwriter, The Verve Thomas Billington, professional wrestler Kay Burley, TV newscaster George Formby, comedian, ukulele player and actor Eddie Halliwell, Dance Music DJ Roy Kinnear, comedy actor Limahl, Pop Singer Sir Ian McKellen, Hollywood actor Jennifer Moss, actress Eva Pope, actress Frank Randle, comedian Ted Ray, comedian John Roby, folklorist Jennifer James, actress Greg Ellis, actor and voice over artist Kathryn Drysdale, actress Brian Finch, Television Writer Georgia Taylor, actress James Lawrence Isherwood prolific impressionist/expressionist painter

Business David Whelan, businessman, setup JJB Sports which he sold for £190M in 2007,[28] current owner of Wigan Athletic and former owner of Wigan Warriors. Darren James Almond (b 1971 Wigan, England) is an artist based in London The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of Activities to do with creating Art, practicing the Arts and/or demonstrating Richard Paul Ashcroft (born September 11 1971 in Billinge Higher End Lancashire) is an English Singer-songwriter. A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both The Verve (originally Verve) are an English rock band formed in Wigan, Greater Manchester in 1989 at Winstanley Sixth Thomas Billington (born 5 December 1958 in Golborne Lancashire is a retired English Professional wrestler who competed in the World Wrestling Federation Professional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is a non-competitive professional Sport, where all matches are scripted by the promotion's booking staff Kay Burley (born Dec 17, 1960) is an English television Newscaster. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic George Formby Jr, OBE ( 26 May, 1904 &ndash 6 March, 1961) was an English ukulele player (banjolele A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience primarily by making them laugh The ukulele (ˌjʉːkəˈlɛɪli from ʻukulele /ˌʔukuˈlele/ variantly spelled ukelele (particularly in the UK) or alternatively abbreviated uke An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Eddie Halliwell is an English dance music DJ, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, England This article is about music for dancing in general You may also be looking for Electronic dance music. A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience Roy Mitchell Kinnear ( January 8, 1934 &ndash September 20, 1988) was a prolific English Character actor. An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Christopher Hamill (born December 19 1958) is a British Pop rock / dance Vocalist. Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE (born 25 May 1939 is an English stage and screen actor the Jennifer Moss may refer to Jennifer Moss (activist Jennifer Moss (actress Eva Pope (born 16 November 1967 in Wigan, Greater Manchester) is an English actress who trained at the Webber Douglas Academy Frank Randle (Born Arthur Hughes also known as Arthur McEvoy or Arthur Twist) ( January 30, 1901 - July 7, 1957) was an A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience primarily by making them laugh Ted Ray ( November 21, 1905 – November 8, 1977) (real name Charles Olden) was a popular English Comedian John Roby ( 5 January 1793 –1850 was an English Banker, poet and writer Jennifer (Jenny James, (born Jennifer Marie Reynolds is an English actress born on the 3rd December 1977 in Wigan, Greater Manchester. Greg Ellis (born March 21, 1968) is an English Actor. He has worked on films such as Pirates of the Caribbean The Curse of the Black Kathryn Drysdale (born Wigan, Greater Manchester) is an English actress best known for her role as Louise in the BBC Brian Finch ( 25 July 1936 - 27 June 2007) was a British television scriptwriter and dramatist Georgia Taylor (born Claire Jackson; 26 February, 1980) is an English actress best known for playing Toyah Battersby in the James Lawrence Isherwood was an English artist born in Wigan in 1917 died in 1988 Impressionism was a 19th-century Art movement that began as a loose association of Paris -based Artists exhibiting their art publicly in the 1860s Expressionism is the tendency of an artist to distort reality for an Emotional effect it is a subjective art form David Whelan born in Bradford on 24 November, 1936, and raised in Wigan, is a former professional football player with Blackburn A businessperson (also businessman or businesswoman) is someone who is employed at usually a profit-oriented enterprise, or more specifically someone Politics Leslie Cannon, trade union leader Gerrard Winstanley, founder of the 17th century Diggers Brian Simpson Member of the European Parliament Sport Mike Gregory, former Great Britain Rugby League and Warrington Wolves Captain and former Wigan Warriors coach Shaun Edwards, Rugby League player and outspoken Wasps Rugby Union coach Andrew Farrell, former Great Britain Rugby League captain and Wigan Warriors captain Sean Long, Rugby League player, now playing for St. Helens RLFC Peter Atherton, Former Sheffield Wednesday footballer. Leslie Cannon (1920 - 1970 was a prominent union official and served as General President from 1963 to 1970 A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming Gerrard Winstanley ( 1609 - September 10, 1676) was an English Protestant religious reformer and political activist during the The Diggers were an English group begun by Gerrard Winstanley as True Levellers in 1649, who became known as "Diggers" Michael Keith "Mike" Gregory ( 20 May 1964 &ndash 19 November 2007) was a rugby league player and later coach the former head Great Britain was traditionally one of the major national teams playing Rugby league. Warrington is a professional Rugby league club in the town of Warrington, Cheshire in England. Wigan Warriors Rugby League Football Club is a professional Rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. Shaun Edwards OBE (born 18 October 1966 in Wigan, England) is a former international Rugby league player who is now Andrew "Andy" Farrell OBE (born 30 May 1975 in Wigan) is an English professional rugby player Sean Long (born September 24 1976 in Wigan) is an English professional Rugby league footballer History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games Peter Atherton (born 6 April 1970 in Wigan, Lancashire) was a Professional English footballer who plays as Danny Wilson, Successful footballer and football league manager. Daniel Joseph "Danny" Wilson (born 1 January 1960) is a football manager who has coached Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday Danny Sonner, Wigan born Northern Ireland international footballer. Daniel James "Danny" Sonner (born 9 January, 1972 in Wigan, England) is a Northern Irish international footballer Leon Osman, Wigan born Everton midfielder. Leon Osman (born 17 May 1981 in Billinge Higher End, Wigan) is a English - Turkish professional football player

See also

• Coat of arms of Wigan
• Earl of Crawford
• Category:People from Wigan

References

Twin towns

Wigan is twinned with:

• Angers, France, since 1988

External links

• www.littlewigan.co.uk, Little Wigan. Angers is a city in the Maine-et-Loire department in northwestern France about 300 km south-west of Paris. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar)
• www.wigantoday.net, - Wigan Observer, Wigan Recorder, Wigan Evening Post.
• www.wiganworld.co.uk, Wigan World.
• www.wiganarchsoc.co.uk, The Wigan Archaeological Society.

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