The Knowhere Guide

Local Heroes in Wigan, Greater Manchester*

Wigan, Greater Manchester Famous Residents

Cringing Cult of Celebrity (Famous residents and ex-residents.)

• kim marsh- slapper
• ken owen, ex st judes coach. Theres only one word to describe this great man. Fuckin orgasmic
• Orwell
• Kym Marsh, Limhal, George Formby, Richard Ashcroft (The Verve), Star Sailor, Ian Mcwatchamacallhim (Gandalf in LOTR), Me lol
• LIMAHL,
• the verve are from upholland and skelmersdale WHICH ARE NOT IN WIGAN
• George Formby... for christs sake...he wasnt even that good in his day The Verve went to Winstanley College
• Richard Ashcroft And Me.
• The Verve, Kym Marsh
• george whats is face i think even he is very basic!!!
• Former legendary WWF wrestler the Dynamite Kid (Tommy Billington) still lives somewhere like Ince apparently. For all you young wrestling fans who haven't seen him fight, think a style something like Chris Benoit only better.
• just to let you know Rick Astley DID NOT come from wigan. he came from Newton Le Willows .i used to live next door to his mum ,and my dad bought his garden shed from rick's dads garden center.
• kim marsh is from ashton but we like 2 keep that quiet
• George Formby
• George Formby DIDN'T come from Wigan.
• Clapper Billy Davis - The original 'Billy-boy'
• famous world champion mountain bike dirt jumper paul ahern, we ride with him loads and he is a total nut case will ride anything and allways so chilled, u will c him on a white dmr tricked out that only factory pros can.
• probably the british bulldog
• Kym from Hearsay Christian from BBMAK The Verve
• Star Sailor are from Wigan so were most of the Verve; but so was George Formby...
• mad richard, gina out of corrie, british bulldog (RIP)
• KAJAGOOGOO?
• The Goon Squad are quite famous throughout the land. Peter Atherton,Danny Sonner We also have some rugby league players who think that there famous, however what they fail to realise is that no one south of Crewe has ever heard of them or there stupid minority sport game.
• The rugby team.
• Jennifer James (real name Jennifer Reynolds) from Wigan is Geena the Rovers barmaid on Corrie. She is a lovely girl and a good friend to her mates. She went to St Edmund Arrowsmith in Ashton and St John Rigby College in Orrell. Toya(Georgia Taylor) in Corrie is also from Wigan and so was Tanya (Kay Pope)another Corrie bar maid from a couple of years ago! What is it about Wigan that can provide gorgeous girls to work behind the bar of the Rovers?
• kim from popstars
• John, Bob and Andrew kettle out the Tansads. What a trio of old farts! Paul Bibby out the Volunteers (remember them) Planet Al, Roy Kinnear is a demi-God (he was tops as a charity worker in Scrooge with Albert Finney) not to mention Uncle Joe, William Santus, and Gerard Winstanley, the spokesperson for The Diggers, a radical 17th century group of squatters.
• Richard Ashcroft, George Formby, Rick Astley
• Wigan.....maybe one day might become Whelan? good or bad, you tell me!
• Limahl. I once saw him in Starburst on a fruit machine. Unfortunately that was after he became famous!!!!
• Michael Green is rumoured to have a summer house in the Hawkley Hall area.
• George Formby, loads of Rugby players. Dave Whelan, boss of JJB Sports (I am still in love with his secretary, Anna!)
• Richard Ashcroft, Toya Battersby, Carly Stenson(Holly Oaks newcomer)
• Richard Ashcroft... used to go to St Thomas's junior in UpHolland and then Up Holland High itself... found fame and fortune then dumped all his mates.. plus he's real ugly too.... wanker...
• The world's rudest, crudest, "Shock-Jock" WEE PHILLIE was born in Ince, Wigan. He's the funniest bloke ever and does a gig every Sunday afternoon at the Flagship Bar in Blackpool. I think he lives in the North East now!
• The Verve- a pile of shite! oh and fucking Limahl!
• Famous local comedian "Hugh Janus" has lived in Wigan - but rumour has it that he's really a St Helenser.
• Jude from Holloyoaks comes from Wigan. Her Dad made all her money from making bog roll apparently.
• Noel Edmonds
• The Verve (of course)
• Shaun Edwards was brought up in Wigan. He is one of the best rugby players in the world. Also Billy Boston, the greatest Winger in the world, was brought up in Wigan and is a regular at Clarington Park,the home of St. Patricks A.R.L.F.C.
• Celebrity Latics fans: Mikhail Gorbachev, Ed Jones from The Tansads, um that's it.
• Don't forget Wigan Casino - Northern Soul world renown.
• Dave Wheelan - JJB Sports Tycoon.
• Prof Charnley - hip replacement pioneer.
• Jo Gormley - miners champion
• George Orwell visited the town whilst writing his famous novel "The Road to Wigan Pier". He stayed in a cottage on the banks of the Leeds-Liverpool canal.
• George Formby, a music hall favourite, was born and brought up here. He made Wigan Pier famous!
• The actor Sir Ian McKellern comes from Wigan, I believe.
• Limahl remember that sad long haired singer from Kajagoogoo, lived in Norley Hall, Wigan. Fortunately, he hasn't been seen around town for a long time!
• The Tansads. Crusty punk-folkies in a Levellers tradition.
• George Formby, The Verve, Railway Children, Roberto Martinez.
• The only "famous" residents/ex-residents I'm aware of are Roy Kinnear (dead) and Stuart Maconnie. The latter did in fact mention the John Bull in Standishgate just last night on Radio 1.
• Sounds as boring as the place I grew up in. No wonder Richard and the others had time to write such soul soaring music. Wigan be proud of your heroes! Check out a northern soul and a storm in heaven by The Verve: money well spent -- your life will never be the same their new single (Bitter Sweet Symphony) is brilliant.
• I'm Sebastian from Singapore and i've visited your webpage, I'll just like to add something which is the GOOD of Wigan: There are four lads who played the best music in the world... they are Richard Ashcroft, Nick McCabe, Simon Jones and Peter Salisbury. They play in a band called Verve and has been brilliant ever since! I hope people in Wigan are proud of the fact that a local band there mean so much to me here in Singapore (half the world away). If any of you have old Wigan school records/graduation books, I'll like to have them. I'm looking for pictures of these four great lads..... thanks! Cheers! Sebastian. (By the way check them out in the-raft.com)

Buskers, Street Entertainers

• Ian Millward is a great guy, after 2 record defeats he should be given the freedom of the town
• Lee, Mad Glenn, Fagless Agnes, Smelly Cliff and the Debenhams Whistle Blower to name but a few
• peg leg gut who walks round orrell
• The old man in the shopping Centre dressed as a boy scout. Anyone in the bus station
• Theres an old guy in standish who just wanders round in a daze wetting himself
• Apparently the Labour MP for Shevington, Counsellor Ball can eat a full "boilin" of chips (the full pan), a kebab, a cheeseburger and a curry in one meal. And he does, every Friday night. Alledgedly.
• I would like to add something to this page 20/09/03. When you are in the tudor watch out for the occasional appearence from FATBOY STE HARDY. You will see CRAZY JOHN HEATON their because he is like 'a resident'. TopDave is shit hot! P.S The Rolling Stones!
• TYPHOID MARY. Frequents Wigan NW Railway Station. Not good. Takes train numbers, harasses staff/passengers & looks like TUBBS from The League of Gentlemen. Needs a wash no doubt.
• Wigan girls all have BIG LEGS and the lads all sound like they are SLOW.
• normally outside wh smith on saturday
• Guinness - White topped reprobate from Permberton still suffers shell shock from World War 2. Amusing when you're below 16, slightly shady now. Purple Acky - The scurge of youth Rugby players around the North West. "Do you play any sport son?" Scout Man - A 60 year old gentleman who used to dress up in full scout suit and patrol the Gallerys with a vengence shouting unfathomable statements to anyone within earshot. Barbara- Sits at the front of Pemps nightclub in large jeap. The slapper won't let me in.
• Loads usually in the high street, don't confuse them with the big issue sellers though!
• some dude with horrible little dog
• STREET ENTERTAINMENT is widely available. Being in the centre is like being caught in a timewarp.
• Some good stuff in the streets ahead festival last sumer - only the crowd wouldn't join in, boring gits!
• Among a long list that would make me look even sadder than I already am, I used to like the chap with the scales thingy
• Scott Jones of Kitt Green performs for money, mind you so do most of the girls in the turnkey, embargo or princes.
• Not if they want to avoid a guitar enema! Local filth are remarkably keen to prevent it!!
• Watch out for the Jesus people who like to do big holdy hands things near Berkley Square!And people doing surveys there as well they drag you into a dodgy room and make you eat things then answer loads questions and make you leave with a 5 pound voucher for Boots!Scarey!
• Don't bother. Due to the local constabulary's Shoot To Kill policy busking has become a rare source of entertainment.
• THE MAN OUTSIDE OF DEBENHAMS WITH THE LITTLE BROWN DOG!!! I'M NOT ONE FOR BULLSHITING BUT WE ONCE HAD THE MANICS OUTSIDE OF BOOTS AND ALSO HAD FATBOY SLIM DJING AT THE SIDE OF OUR HOUSE UNTIL I TOLD THE DICK WITH THE DECKS TO SLING HIS FUCKING HOOK
• forget it- you'll get nicked!
• the man who sells the paper near the market 'evenin' post!

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Credits

Last updated: 2008-04-03