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One of the North West’s best loved visitor attractions is to remain open
for a year longer than expected.
Wigan Pier’s The Way We Were, famous world-wide for its Victorian
schoolroom and innovative interpretations of life in Victorian England,
will now remain open until December 2007.
The Way We Were was due to close at the end of this financial year
(March 2007) as part of the regeneration process currently underway at
the Wigan Pier Quarter.
The decision means that both local visitors and schools, as well as
tourists interested in the North of England’s industrial heritage, will
have an extra chance to visit the site before its planned closure in
December 2007.
Rodney Hill, Chief Executive of Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust, said,
“We have worked closely with Wigan Council in taking this decision to
extend the life of such a vital hub of heritage activity. We felt that
due to the decision to review all of the cultural elements of the Pier
Quarter it made sense to prolong the life of The Way We Were for the
benefit of local people and visitors from outside the Borough.
“Whilst the details of the heritage and education elements of the Wigan
Pier Quarter are finalised we are now able to provide an excellent
visitor attraction for longer than expected and build on the superb
learning resources already in place. We are excited by the long term
proposals in place for the Wigan Pier Quarter and will endeavour to keep
the public informed as those plans are developed.”
Over five million visitors have flocked to The Way We Were since it was
opened in 1986. Although visitor numbers have decreased in recent years,
it is still one of the region’s most highly regarded heritage
attractions. As well as winning numerous tourism and customer service
awards the site still continues to be a popular educational resource for
schools and families.
The £70m Wigan Pier Quarter development, will see the area transformed
into an area that mixes heritage, leisure, retail and residential areas.
The famous Trencherfield Mill Engine, will remain the focal point of a
new heritage and life-long learning centre planned for Trencherfield
Mill.
For further information about The Way We Were at Wigan Pier visit
www.wiganpier.net or call 01942 323666.
-ends-
NOTES TO EDITORS: For further information on this News Release please
contact Chris Dunbar, Public Relations Manager, Wigan Leisure and
Culture Trust on 01942 486937 or at
c.dunbar@wlct.org.
Photograph: The attached image shows Wigan Pier’s famous canal-side
visitor attraction. Alternative high resolution images are available on
request.
Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust: Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust is a
charitable trust working on behalf of Wigan Council to manage and
support leisure and cultural facilities, initiatives and events for over
300,000 residents in the Wigan Borough. See
www.wlct.org.
Getting Wigan Active: Getting Wigan Active is Wigan Leisure and Culture
Trust’s vision to ensure that people across the Wigan Borough have the
opportunity to become more physically, mentally and creatively active.
It also aims to increase community activity and to encourage good
citizenship.
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