Best of Wigan

Now and again, I come across a photograph I particularly like, something I think is worth pulling out of the mainstream of posts and setting aside to keep it more accessible.

Updated on 09 May 2026

I sometimes wonder if this might be too busy, but I remember looking at the sky with its outrageous clouds, clouds a child might have drawn, and then the sun appeared from behind one of them. The sunburst provides some interest in the top left, which might otherwise have contributed little to the scene.

The brutalist office block contrasts strongly with both the clouds and the trees, while its shape is echoed by the raised flower beds around the sculpture, "The Face of Wigan". ("The Face of Wigan" is a 5.5-metre high stainless steel sculpture created by artist Rick Kirby, installed in 2008. It represents the community of Wigan rather than a single individual, reflecting the people and landscape around it.) The lone figure completes the scene, providing a perspective and sense of scale which would otherwise be lacking.

For me, this lone figure contributes much more. This is someone carrying her shopping, probably back to work at the end of her lunch break. The bags must be heavy because she leans forward, into the slope, and this gives her a very slight stoop as though confirming the small hill is a slog. She also brings a sense of humanity into a sterile, unnatural environment - a reminder that this is supposed to be an area designed for people to enjoy.

Only the viewer can decide if the design succeeds, and this is a welcoming, friendly place.

Almost contra-jour with main figure silhouetted and casting a slight shadow behind him. Recent rain made the pavements and the road wet and shiny adding to the light reflecting from the buildings on the right. The older brick buildings bring character and contrast strongly with the modern buildings. The light comes from the top left, leaving dark shadows on the bottom right, as though the new day hasn't quite arrived.
The high wispy clouds add some interest to the sky but don't distract.
The main figure wears a heavy jacket, walks with a slight hunch almost suggesting a heavy burden, and could be walking to work.
If I could take this again I would make the main figure's silhouette break the skyline, strengthen its presence.

I thought this scene contained several interesting elements: buildings on both sides, wet, shiny, reflective pavements, light from the shop on the right, light in the sky in the distance, but even with the bus approaching, it might still be lacking something.
Then the lad in the black and white jacket walked into the scene, turned towards me with a double "thumbs up", and smiled.
His movement and reflection completed the picture, and all that was left to do was press the shutter.
I don't think I could have composed this and I wasn't aware of him until he walked into the frame. Luckily, I was about to shoot anyway because, otherwise, I would likely have missed the shot.

The Face of Wigan, a 2008 sculpture by artist Rick Kirby features a steel face, with facets reflecting the Wigan community and its hinterland.