Wigan Casino Plaque Unveiling

been back a couple of times don't think I'll bother again. no disrespect to you m8.I think its great what you've done.

         went to nighter in shopping centre !!!mmmmmmmmmm

fitting in the eyes of a good many, however it has been debated as to it's whereabouts which i understand, didn't impress an awful lot at the same time...perhaps the fund raising should have continued, whereby an obelisk WITH a plaque mounted on it could have been purchased and positioned OUTSIDE the mall. suppose the arguing will carry on until we're all pushing up daisies!

Thanks for the positive comments guys. Jeez!

Drew, you can't please everybody, but at least you've got off your arse and done something. Nice one, plenty of people will appreciate your efforts.

I agree with Steve S 60, well done, proper recognition for an iconic venue and part of our youth, I hope it's in a prominent place with a photo (Similar to the one here) to give an idea of the place.    

Spot.  

Nice one Drew. Well done!

i agree good un

Yes well done Drew.

I've never been back since the day it closed, always wanted to, just couldn't do it.

Yes well done Drew.

I've never been back since the day it closed, always wanted to, just couldn't do it.

Pete. I went back to station road once.even though I said I would never go back. Me and a lady friend went for a walk one night from one of the Wigan maxines niters . Sat on the wall opposite where it used to be. One of the strangest and saddest night's of my life. Still makes me sad today thinking back.

Steve

when it was in full swing WIGAN CASINO was the place to be   (yes there were others i know )..so well done Drewtg...

Considering going but if there's gonna be a load of council dignitaries then I will give it a miss.

The Council gave permission for an international iconic site to be bulldozed to make way for a bland unimpressive shopping centre. I sincerely hope the politicians responsible for the demolition will be absent. 

i,ve never been to Wigan since the last niter in 81, and i never will, the place holds too many fond memories, and going back now would spoil them forever,..credit to Drew for his efforts though.

Me and some friends went back when we took a detour en route to Morecombe Central Pier so would be around 83 maybe early 84 (I was away abroad during much of 84 and know it was before that period). To be honest I can' t really remember too much of what we saw that night, I think it was wasteland at that point, nothing had been built I don't think.

I remember that clip on the tv of some guy looking at the site when it was a car park for awhile I think?

Can anyone fill me in on what happened on the site chronologically after it burnt down (and that in itself seemed a bit of a coincidence didn't it - any gossip there?)

Occasionally get the urge to see what its like now, must be strange or maybe more normal for Wigan locals?

Oh and well done Drew.

Yep, well done Drew for making it happen.

Considering going but if there's gonna be a load of council dignitaries then I will give it a miss.

The Council gave permission for an international iconic site to be bulldozed to make way for a bland unimpressive shopping centre. I sincerely hope the politicians responsible for the demolition will be absent. 

No civic dignitaries will be there Mellorfull, deliberately chose Paul Mason as he is one of us who sweated it out on the floor.

This was achieved by us through public subscription, here and on Facebook.

Well done to all who has made this happen. Blue plaques normally mark where people lived & died. The Casino lived & has never died

Considering going but if there's gonna be a load of council dignitaries then I will give it a miss.

The Council gave permission for an international iconic site to be bulldozed to make way for a bland unimpressive shopping centre. I sincerely hope the politicians responsible for the demolition will be absent. 

I wonder how many of the so called dignitaries  couldn't wait for it to be closed down in the first place, and if they are so proud of it now-why the plaque had to be funded by donation ??

I loved the place, went for years, but by the end it was a complete hazard to our health and safety. If there had ever been a fire in the place...c'mon, does any one remember a fire exit or even an extinguisher ?

If there had ever been a fire in the place...c'mon, does any one remember a fire exit or even an extinguisher ?

 

Everyone seemed to find an exit quick enough though when the squad turned up

I loved the place, went for years, but by the end it was a complete hazard to our health and safety. If there had ever been a fire in the place...c'mon, does any one remember a fire exit or even an extinguisher ?

 

It had a built in sprinkler system with all the sweat dripping off the walls and ceilings.

Everyone seemed to find an exit quick enough though when the squad turned up

Wigan DS - The bearded Starsky and fat Hutch, in the superbad Morris Marina 1.6L.

Wigan DS - The bearded Starsky and fat Hutch, in the superbad Morris Marina 1.6L.

Happy memories

is the wall still there?

is the wall still there?

Nah mate, gone the way of all things .

WHAT no wall, gone you say?

on a serious moment, I loved the Casino, would thumb up from LUTON on a Saturday morning would take about 10 hours, the Casino is the #1 ALL-NIGHTER for me from Oct 73 - May 78, RIGHT ON,

Just returned from the unveiling of the plaque, it was good and no Council dignitaries.

Nice to see Russ & Richard at the same event and and Richard made a point of thanking Russ for the Casino opportunity that changed his life. 

Russ gave a quick rundown on the start of the Casino.

Paul Mason was eloquent about what the Casino meant to him as a young man.

Well done Drew.

Good stuff. Glad Russ and Richard can be together no matter what.

Just returned from the unveiling of the plaque, it was good and no Council dignitaries.

Nice to see Russ & Richard at the same event and and Richard made a point of thanking Russ for the Casino opportunity that changed his life. 

Russ gave a quick rundown on the start of the Casino.

Paul Mason was eloquent about what the Casino meant to him as a young man.

Well done Drew.

I do like stories with happy endings...

Pilgrimage time I guess, shame there's not a walking stick badge to say you've been there

Pilgrimage time I guess, shame there's not a walking stick badge to say you've been there

Hi All my walking stick has flashing lights, looks good on the dance floor twirled, DAVE K 

Just returned from the unveiling of the plaque, it was good and no Council dignitaries.

Nice to see Russ & Richard at the same event and and Richard made a point of thanking Russ for the Casino opportunity that changed his life. 

Russ gave a quick rundown on the start of the Casino.

Paul Mason was eloquent about what the Casino meant to him as a young man.

Well done Drew.

Yes and it was good to see some of the other DJs there as well

Dave Evison, Bri Rigby and Alan Caine where all there

I loved the place, went for years, but by the end it was a complete hazard to our health and safety. If there had ever been a fire in the place...c'mon, does any one remember a fire exit or even an extinguisher ?

Dave. No one gave a toss then.

Steve

True enough Steve,  however , i thought the fire exit was on the right hand side of the stage just before you went up the stairs?  Remember one night the place had to be cleared due to a bomb scare around 1 am( turned out to be some locals mingling with the evacuated crowd to gain free admission ) first record on after the crowd re entered ,   Frankie(love man )Crocker   Ton Of Dynamite !           Went along this morning ,          A  suitable brief ceremony,  It is inside , however the curve of the shopping mall follows the old station rd so it is in exactly the correct position .                                                                                                                                         A million miles away from the wild nights of the seventies , but a small permanent blue plaque, marking the site.  Long overdue and highly appropriate.   I dont think i know you  Drew, but thanks for making the effort.

Dave. No one gave a toss then.

Steve

I know, (and nor did I give a toss for 7 years, I just wanted to get through the doors and dance to our music. I'm thinking back with a 2014 mindset ). By 1981, even if you were the most liberal of Engineers checking the suitability of the Casino building for the safety of 2,000 young people, you wouldn't have 'Signed on the Dotted Line "

I know, (and nor did I give a toss for 7 years, I just wanted to get through the doors and dance to our music. I'm thinking back with a 2014 mindset ). By 1981, even if you were the most liberal of Engineers checking the suitability of the Casino building for the safety of 2,000 young people, you wouldn't have 'Signed on the Dotted Line "

 

I agree entirely Dave. The Casino was a cash cow but none of it ever got reinvested in any kind of improvements. I dread to think what it would have been like if a fire broke out on a night when the building was rammed?

A fire!

You mean like this?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/content/image_galleries/russ_gallery.shtml?20

A fire!

You mean like this?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/content/image_galleries/russ_gallery.shtml?20

 

Yes. Very like that. But with dead bodies.

Glad it went well long over due. I will be in the area next month work related stuff will make an effort to see for myself.

dont think many would of survived a fire in there,remember the night of the complete power failure?.., seemed ages, no music, lights, absolute pitch blackness. ,.very scary, i panicked i was walking round the balcony at the time, and stood on a few bodies/heads on my way back down.

I went back about twenty years ago..on a whim as i was on route to Scotland. Shocked and upset as i hadn't realised it had been totally demolished and replaced with a temporary porta cabin type thing (before the Mall went up) .Took a few pics, and left with a very sad feeling. Any memorial is better than nothing..(and credit to those who organised it) but i think an obelisk or similar would have been better...ah, what a great place..

I went back about twenty years ago..on a whim as i was on route to Scotland. Shocked and upset as i hadn't realised it had been totally demolished and replaced with a temporary porta cabin type thing (before the Mall went up) .Took a few pics, and left with a very sad feeling. Any memorial is better than nothing..(and credit to those who organised it) but i think an obelisk or similar would have been better...ah, what a great place..

 

Obelisk? See Freud and monuments to our penises

funny the amount of folk who,ve never been back and never wanted to.........always remeber the last time l went 1977.....dark,cold and pouring with rain in the morning.....looked back through the rear window of the car ....to see smokey from st Helens stood in the doorway of the beachcomber.....no one else about.....he was the last thing l saw on that morning.........never been back  and like so many never want to......although i,ve been to nighters in wigan since.

Found this https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152333920726569

 

Chris..

I loved the place, went for years, but by the end it was a complete hazard to our health and safety. If there had ever been a fire in the place...c'mon, does any one remember a fire exit or even an extinguisher ?

Fire exit through Mr M's... Fire extinguisher, roll on the floor of the gents bogs, or maybe not... The place was full of smoke all the time anyway but no one bothered. Anyone know the ID of the councillor who burned the place down to speed up planning approval for the Civic Centre extension?

 

The Clash magazine has a take on it ...

 

What Does A Blue Plaque For Wigan Casino Mean, Anyway?

 

https://www.clashmusic.com/features/what-does-a-blue-plaque-for-wigan-casino-mean-anyway

 

The Clash magazine has a take on it ...

 

What Does A Blue Plaque For Wigan Casino Mean, Anyway?

 

https://www.clashmusic.com/features/what-does-a-blue-plaque-for-wigan-casino-mean-anyway

That's a stunning piece of journalism . In my humble opinion.

Steve

I misread the title so it's not "Wigan Casino plague" then

I was in Wigan last week for the first time in decades, so decided to have a walk round the town centre  and have a look at the Casino plaque. Found it eventually.

On 22/08/2021 at 16:15, Bourne Fox said:

I was in Wigan last week for the first time in decades, so decided to have a walk round the town centre  and have a look at the Casino plaque. Found it eventually.

Next time you go, take an axe! Tree felling required!