No, it’s not just about pies
1 Sky’s Kay Burley was born and bred in Wigan and started her career on the local paper. Since then she has covered some of the world’s biggest news stories, including the death of Princess Diana.
2 US-born travel writer Bill Bryson admires Wigan. In one of his books, he wrote: ‘Such is Wigan’s perennially poor reputation that I was truly astounded to find it has a handsome and well-maintained town centre.’
3 In the late 19th century Wigan boasted 1,000 pit shafts within five miles of the town centre. The last pit, Bickershaw, was shut in 1992
4 The town featured prominently in the English Civil War. Its loyalty to the crown led to it being rewarded with a ceremonial sword.
5 As well as mint balls, local food products have included Heinz baked beans, Patak’s curry sauces, Potter’s herbal remedies and Poole’s Pies, said to be among Britain’s best.
