SLUMMING IT IN WIGAN

My back is still playing up although I've improved since the beginning of the week and braved another trip out to some of the roughest places in Greater Manchester. Wigan, well what is Wigan why is it there, perhaps a bull dozer through it might improve things. Last time I met a lovely local chap interested in local history and he actually approached me and asked if it was myself who had put together all those years of buses in Wigan also capturing shots of people and places which have changed - he thanked me profusely and this put Wigan way back up on my to do list but these things are short lived and mix a bit of Wigan with Poles then it's downhill.

Yes you've guessed it, hassle at the entrance to the bus station, despite having a film PTE permit for all GM bus stations and not even being in it I was threatened by the PTE staff with calling the police even if I stayed on the public road. Guess what, he claimed that Stagecoach drivers had complained about me, I'll put that to Stagecoach, I doubt if it is company policy but they certainly seem to be getting a very poor press these days and I always thought as a shareholder in Stagecoach that they were the more professional end of the market.

Of course I've had problems here in the past and the self same chap who threatened and intimidated me admitted that it was just Wigan and there were no problems even at Leigh where the staff had changed. He said he was only doing his job and his boss would be after him if he didn't see me off. I suppose the same words could have been used at Auschwitz. There were other spotters there who weren't even approached, I guess the Poles have me down as a marked man, perhaps they throw darts at my image in the White Eagle club or Polski Sleps. Oh for the days when a narky Brit driver threw you a v sign and we all laughed. I don't think I had a single smile or wave back from one driver there, how unlike Bolton which basket case it may be there are lots of super people driving the buses. We could have a vote on the most unfriendly bus station location in the UK, Buchanon St Glasgow, Hamilton, Norwich what's your worst?  Of course South Yorkshire changed tack by sacking the idiots who gave everyone a hard time, fair reaction I think.