28th July Taking a trip down memory lane

There is for many people a sense that nostalgia isn't what it used to be. So the question was whether a trip back to Wigan, where I was born and brought up, would be a treat or a trauma? 

It would be a chance to drive round familiar surroundings, run along familiar wooded trails, walk along familiar streets, hear familiar accents, visit familiar places and catch up with my sister after an absense of several years.

An AirBnB less than a km away from where I used to live and 5 mins walk from the town centre proved an ideal base for a few nights, especially as it was itself within a stones throw of the main London to Glasgow train line, offering the 'soothing' sounds of trains rushing by every 30 mins or so, as did as did the house I grew up in.

So whilst is has been good to do all of the above things, especially catching up with my newly retired sister, as well as providing a welcome break from my usual day to day routine, it was a real shock to my system to visit the town centre and to see 90% of the shops around the central market area and the once upon a time new Galleries shopping arcade all vacant and boarded up.

High street favourites including Debenhams, Morrisions, Farm Foods, Argos, Marks and Spencer, BHS, H&M, Next and a whole host of independent traders have moved out due to a reported combination of spiralling rents, Covid, internet competition and claims of corporate greed. Only Wilcos and Primark remain, but the question is for how long?

It was like walking into a ghost town, one sparcely populated on a damp Tuesday morning by people who had the haunted look of folks who had seen much, much better days and who did not appear to have much hope for the future. It was such a sorry state of affairs and sad situation for the place I would still refer to as my home town, but which now only seems to cater for people wishing to buy junk food, a phone app or Vape refill, visit a nail salon or have a Thai massage, something that was certainly not on offer when I lived there!

There are plans for a proposed £130 million pound redevelopment but how long that will take, if indeed it every materialises is anyone guess, and will even that be enough to save the place, because according to one remaining stall holder I spoke too, it's already too late. Perhaps my next visit back here in a few years time might prove her wrong.