Wigan
and its surrounding towns have provided more than their fair share
of native talent and national celebrities.
Wigan
born entertainers like actor and singer George
Formby, comic actor Roy
Kinnear, Radio Comedian Ted Ray, Music Hall Comedian Frank
Randle, Classic Actor Sir
Ian McKellen, Jazz Singer Georgie
Fame,
Composer
Peter Maxwell Davies
are among the many who have enthralled audiences on film, on television,
on radio and in the theatre throughout the 20th century. In literary
terms there have been several notable talents.
The
author James Hilton was born at Wilkinson Street in Leigh in 1900
- he was made famous by three novels : "Goodbye Mr Chips",
"Lost Horizons" and "Shangrila".
The
writer Brian Finch, son of a Wigan coal miner, is a celebrated
television writer, who still lives in Wigan and has written for
numerous TV series and scripts, including "All Creatures Great
& Small", "Coronation Street", "Bergerac", "Juliet Bravo"
and "Murphy's Mob". Newspaper Columnist Lynda Lee Potter
was born and grew up in Leigh.
The
19th Century religious poet Gerard Manley Hopkins lived for a
while at St Joseph's, Bedford in 1879. The painter Lawrence Isherwood,
another Wigan artist, and living in the town until his death in
1989, was described as "one of Europe's leading post-Impressionist
painters".
Public
figures such as Lord Joe Gormley, former President of the National
Union of Mineworkers was born in Ashton-in-Makerfield in 1921.
It was he who led the miners in their strike of 1977, and was
created Baron Gormley of Ashton-in-Makerfield in 1983.
The
former controversial Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, James
Anderton was born in Northumberland Street in Wigan in 1932.
He was to make the Manchester Constabulary one of Britain's biggest
police forces, prior to his retirement in 1991.
In
1848 Sir Thomas Beecham
lived in Wigan, and was employed as an odd job man at a local
chemists. It was in Wigan that he manufactured his legendary Beecham's
Powders and Beecham's Pills - used by millions for the relief
of colds and flu symptoms ever since. Michael
Marks, of Marks & Spencer, moved his warehouse to Wigan in
1892 and formed a partnership with Thomas Spencer in the town
in 1894.
Wigan
remained the company's headquarters for many years following.
Wigan has also had its fair share of sporting champions. The Olympic
Swimmer, June Croft,
born in Ashton in 1963. Peter
Kane, a Golborne man, achieved lasting fame as World Flyweight
Boxing Champion from 1938-1943.
