April 2026. Tyldesley.
A slight post now, perhaps, but I thought you’d like to see the highlights of my mile walk through central Tyldesley (pop. 16,142) in Wigan’s old colliery belt.
Love a Monkey Puzzle tree.
A spotless red brick town, with a heartening number of Chinese takeaways and an Indian gastro pub called “Ale & Aloo” that will turn up being included in Matthew Curtis’s new Manc Beer Book launched later that day.
You can run it, if you like;
Some high quality knitted post box,
the odd bit of unconvincing street art,
some classic ghost signs,
and a lot of pubs.
Double that number before the smoking ban, I wager, but the GBG favourites survive. The Half Moon, the heritage Mort Arms, and the Union (patience !).
But there’s also some new life, and I don’t just mean Skenning Bobs.
There’s also modern places called Grape & Graze (a wine bar), Roots & Chalice (a rum bar), and Hop & Hazelwood, the other crafty tip in the new Manc Beer Book.
Shamefully, I visited none of those. But you’ll like the one I did.
retiredmartin 
“Ale & Aloo”. Sounds like somewhere you should send BRAPA.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I should hope it’s got two loos.
LikeLike
Only one lavatory is usually being miserly as two or more necessitates making provision for potential customers who need disabled facilities.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Are we still talking about BRAPA here?
LikeLiked by 1 person
No Scott, that’s what the government decided.
LikeLike
Shame you didn’t catch a gig there. If you had, the title could have been “Live Tyldesley”.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I go a tad grumpy whenever I see fake greenery on a business. Or anywhere really.
LikeLike
Yes indeed Lana, as bad as green plastic carpets in front gardens pretending to be lawns.
LikeLiked by 1 person
they are the worst type. I hear some people vacuum them.
LikeLike
It’s a Northern thing.
LikeLiked by 1 person