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Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,party,Makerfield,by-eleection,placard,council,estate,socialhousing,social housing,material,far right,candidate,voters,voter,immigrants,racist,North West England,voter disillusionment,populist messaging,migration debate,border control,real opposition,local campaign material,grassroots politics,political,banner,election,protest vote,Red Wall politics,working class vote,party branding,constituency battle,local democracy,anti-establishment politics,post-Brexit Britain,culture war messaging,political identity,Were Voting Restore Britain
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 3EME6K6 - Taken in June 2026, this editorial photograph shows a large Restore Britain election placard displayed outside a brick-built home on a council estate in Hindley during the Makerfield by-election in Greater Manchester. The purple and blue sign reads We're Voting Restore Britain , with a smaller matching poster visible on the front door behind it. The image documents the visible street-level campaigning of Restore Britain, the far right-wing anti-immigration party associated with Rupert Lowe, during a by-election that attracted national political attention because Labour selected Andy Burnham as its candidate and Reform UK also contested the seat strongly. The photograph is useful for editorial coverage of British electoral politics, populist campaigning, right-wing and hard-right political messaging, voter disillusionment, working-class communities, housing estates, post-industrial towns and the contest for support in former Labour heartland areas. The setting gives the image added documentary value: instead of a staged press conference or party rally, the scene shows political branding embedded in an everyday residential environment, with the campaign message positioned directly against a home frontage. It can illustrate stories about local political identity, doorstep campaigning, class politics, protest voting, social housing communities, estate-level canvassing, culture-war messaging and the fragmentation of the right in UK politics. The combination of readable campaign text, residential setting, by-election context and named constituency makes it relevant for news, politics, sociology, local democracy, election analysis and features on how national political movements try to present themselves as rooted in ordinary neighbourhoods. The image should be used with clear editorial context, as Restore Britain and similar movements are controversial and have been widely discussed in relation to anti-immigration and hard-right politics.
Hindley, Makerfield constituancy, Greater Manchester

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,Wigan,Makerfield,Labour campaign,by-election campaign,political placard,campaign poster,election publicity,candidate branding,Greater Manchester,June 2026,UK politics,doorstep democracy,street-level campaigning,public political display,voter identity,local election mood,constituency politics,northern England politics,political messaging,campaign graphics,repeated placards,public opinion,Labour candidate,Greater Manchester mayor,parliamentary return,democratic participation,local voters,political communication,Andy poster,red poster,yellow lettering,white lettering,timber post,hedge,Westminster,prime minister,number ten
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 3EM1WHW - Red Vote Andy For Us stock-photo/gotonysmith-Campaign.html?sortBy=relevant&pseudoid=237DAF28-A4ED-4448-8173-C0E81ABEEC6F Target=_Blank>campaign placards on a residential street in the Wigan Makerfield constituency during the June 2026 by-election campaign. The nearest sign fills the left side of the frame, mounted on a wooden stake above a dense green hedge, while a second matching poster appears further down the pavement beside houses, a telegraph pole, overhead wires and a partly cloudy sky. The bold white and yellow lettering, red background and cartoon-style portrait of Andy Burnham create a clear and instantly readable local campaign message. The user-supplied wording identifies the political context as the Makerfield by-election after Josh Simons resigned his seat. The image has strong editorial value for stories about by-elections, candidate branding, Labour campaigning, public political display, doorstep democracy, voter identity, residential campaign signs and the way election messages become part of ordinary neighbourhood life. It can also illustrate coverage of Burnham's attempted return to Parliament, the political pressure around Keir Starmer's leadership, the unusual attention on a local constituency contest, and the role of simple repeated placards in building visibility along local streets. The photograph is useful for stock buyers needing images on British democracy, Greater Manchester politics, northern England, constituency campaigning, street-level electioneering, political communication, public opinion and campaign graphics. The everyday setting, with hedges, homes, pavement, road traffic and utility poles, makes the scene feel rooted in lived-in local streets rather than a formal rally or press event, giving the image a strong sense of place and campaign atmosphere.
Ashton-In-Makerfield, Wigan

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,HotpixUk,WN1 1YN,WN1,mosaic,inside,to,former,heritage,Lancashire,industrial,civic,building,listed,Grade II listed,Edwardian,decorative,faïence,tiled,technical education,vocational education,industrial education,coal industry,pit communities,miners,colliery heritage,industrial Lancashire,civic pride,public,architectural,detail,historic tiles,decorative ceramics,Edwardian design,Baroque,local history,social history,makerfield
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 3EF6C0G - Close-up of a historic decorative mosaic reading Mining inside the entrance porch of Wigan Town Hall on Library Street, Wigan, Greater Manchester. The image shows coloured mosaic tiles, floral motifs, glazed faïence, curved architectural detailing and polished decorative surfaces from the former Wigan and District Mining and Technical College, now used as Wigan Town Hall. It is a strong editorial stock photograph for Wigan's coalfield history, mining education, technical colleges, civic architecture, Edwardian design, public buildings, heritage interiors and the wider industrial story of the Lancashire coalfield. Historic England lists the building as Grade II and identifies it as the former Wigan and District Mining and Technical College, built in 1901-03 by Briggs and Wolstenholme in warm red brick with terracotta dressings and Flemish Baroque styling. Wigan's town centre trail describes the former college as one of Wigan's grandest buildings, while local heritage commentary notes that the Library Street building reflects the importance of mining and technical training in a town shaped by coal, engineering and industry. The mosaic's prominent Mining lettering gives the image immediate value for stories about industrial education, working class skills, pit communities, vocational training, civic pride, regeneration, listed buildings and the reuse of historic educational buildings for local government. Details such as the ornate tiled arch, flower heads, dark green and black glazed surround, cream and orange border and careful craftwork show how mining was celebrated in the original decorative scheme rather than hidden away as a purely functional subject. The photograph can illustrate Wigan's transition from coal and heavy industry to civic administration, heritage tourism and public history, while also reminding viewers that technical colleges were once central to training mine managers, engineers and skilled workers across industrial Lancashire.
Wigan Town Hall, Library Street, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN1 1YN

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,HotpixUK,Greater Manchester,Im,Reform UK,ReformUK,Matt Goodwin,election sign,campaign sign,political sign,by-election,parliamentary by-election,UK election,voting,vote,political campaigning,political advertising,campaign poster,Im voting,Im voting Matt Goodwin,26th February,26 February 2026,residential politics,Denton,Tameside,UK politics,British politics,political communication,voter behaviour,neighbourhood campaigning,election day messaging,party branding,right-wing party,documentary,grassroots campaigning,doorstep politics,Nigel Farage,Makerfield,Ashton-in-Makerfield
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 3DX14M3 - A Reform UK campaign placard staked into a front garden in Denton, Greater Manchester, promoting the candidate Matt Goodwin and urging support in the Gorton and Denton parliamentary by-election. The turquoise sign is clearly readable, carrying the slogan I'm voting MATT GOODWIN and the date 26th February , alongside the circular Reform UK logo. Behind the sign sits a typical red brick suburban home with a bay window and low garden planting, placing the campaign message firmly in the everyday domestic setting where much UK electioneering is seen at street level. Shot in late winter, the shrubs and hedging look seasonal and subdued, with daylight that suggests cool conditions and changeable skies. The image works as a strong editorial illustration of modern British politics, local campaigning, and voter persuasion, showing how parties use simple, highly legible branding and date specific messaging to signal support and visibility in residential neighbourhoods. It also documents the visual language of a contemporary UK by-election, including typography, slogans, party identity, and the use of private garden space as a platform for public political expression.
Reform UK ""I'm voting Matt Goodwin"" garden sign for the Gorton and Denton parliamentary by-election,
--Greater-Manchester--UK--3DX14P2.jpg)
Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,HotpixUK,Greater Manchester,Im,Union,British,flags,St George,Union Jack,flag,Reform UK,Matt Goodwin,election sign,by-election,Gorton and Denton,vote,political campaigning,campaign poster,garden sign,front garden,UK politics,British politics,constituency,Denton,Manchester,Tameside,England,United Kingdom,26 February,UK election 2026,general political concept,British democracy,UK electorate,campaign messaging,voter behaviour,political marketing,Nigel Farage,Makerfield,Ashton-In-makerfield
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 3DX14P2 - A Reform UK campaign sign staked into a front garden outside a red brick suburban house in Denton, Greater Manchester, promoting the candidate Matt Goodwin and urging support in the Gorton and Denton parliamentary by-election, dated 26th February . The turquoise sign carries the Reform UK branding and the slogan I'm voting Matt Goodwin , with a smaller matching poster visible in the window behind. In the background, two flags fly above the garden hedge, a Union Jack and an England flag, adding a distinctly British, patriotic visual cue to the scene. Shot in late winter, the garden planting looks subdued and evergreen, with bare branches overhead and low seasonal colour, while the sky shows patches of blue with broken cloud in cold daylight. The image captures the everyday, street level nature of UK electioneering, where campaign messaging is planted literally at the boundary between private homes and public streets. It works as an editorial illustration of modern British politics, local campaigning, voter persuasion, and how parties use domestic spaces, signage, and national symbols to signal identity, affiliation, and intent in the run-up to polling day. The photograph also documents the visual language of a contemporary UK by-election, including typography, slogans, and date specific political advertising in a residential neighbourhood.
Reform UK sign ""I'm voting Matt Goodwin"" in a front garden for the Gorton and Denton by-election, De

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,election,left-wing,floating,voter,voters,political,campaign,Labour,party,British,English,councillor,councils,council,doorstep,residential,campaigning,suburban,street,streets,urban,red-brick,houses,democratic,participation,season,behaviour,parliamentary campaigning,sustainability,net zero,debate,terraced,Zack Polanski,Sarah Wakefield,Makerfield,Ashton-in-Makerfield,Ashton in Makerfoield
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 3E9ANTJ - This documentary editorial photograph shows a Green Party VOTE GREEN sign mounted on a wooden post outside a row of traditional stock-photo/gotonysmith-Red-brick.html?sortBy=relevant&pseudoid=237DAF28-A4ED-4448-8173-C0E81ABEEC6F Target=_Blank>red-brick terraced houses in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Greater Manchester, during the June 2026 Makerfield by-election campaign. The sign's green background, white lettering and Green Party logo stand out against the everyday domestic setting of bay windows, brickwork, pavement and an overcast North West England sky. The image captures the local, street-level reality of a by-election that became a nationally watched political contest. Sarah Wakefield was announced by the Green Party as its Makerfield candidate after the withdrawal of an earlier candidate, with the party presenting her as a Manchester city councillor, charity director on maternity leave and campaigner for a fairer future. The wider contest attracted attention because Labour selected Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, while Reform UK selected Robert Kenyon, making the seat a test of Labour loyalty, Reform UK momentum and progressive voter choices in a former Labour heartland. Reporting discussed Green Party debate over whether running hard in Makerfield could split the anti-Reform vote, while others argued voters deserved a genuine Green option rather than a contest dominated by Labour and Reform. This image is useful for illustrating Green Party campaigning, by-elections, terraced housing streets, northern politics, voter choice, local democracy, environmental politics, tactical voting, red wall seats, Reform UK pressure, Labour and Green tensions, and the changing party map in post-industrial towns. For stock buyers, its value lies in the readable VOTE GREEN sign, the British housing backdrop and the contrast between an ordinary residential street and a high-stakes parliamentary by-election. It works as a clean visual shorthand for smaller-party campaigning, vote splitting debates and the contest for progressive voters in Makerfield.
Vote Green sign for local UK elections in a traditional British terraced street with red-brick house

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,HotpixUK,UK,elections,Warrington South,Labour Party,Conservative Party,Reform UK,ReformUK,Green Party,Greens,Liberal Democrats,LibDem,Social Democratic Party,independent,candidates,political,parties,voter,choice,democracy,polling,station,Andy Burnham,Makerfield,politics,parliamentary,challenge,process,casting a vote,democratic process,political pluralism,party,electorate,dissatisfaction,voter ID,candidate list,political logos,voter disillusionment
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 3EDM031 - A close documentary image of a UK Parliamentary general election ballot paper for the Warrington South constituency, photographed inside a polling booth with the official pencil ready for marking a choice. The ballot lists a range of candidates and political parties visible on the paper, including Labour, Conservative, Reform UK, Green Party, Liberal Democrats, the Social Democratic Party and an independent candidate. The scene is useful for illustrating democratic participation, voter choice, political pluralism and the practical mechanics of casting a vote in Britain. It shows the familiar quiet moment before a ballot is completed, with the paper laid flat on the dark booth surface, the attached polling station pencil beside it and party logos printed in the right-hand column. The image has strong editorial relevance for the 2024 UK general election, Warrington South, Cheshire politics, constituency contests, electoral administration, polling stations, ballot design, voter identity rules, local democracy, political campaigning and parliamentary representation. It can also support features on first past the post elections, turnout, tactical voting, public trust, protest votes, party competition and the changing political landscape in the North West of England. The visible mix of parties makes the photograph commercially useful for neutral political coverage, election explainers and civic education, as it represents a broad choice rather than focusing on one party alone. Warrington South has been a closely watched parliamentary seat and the official parliamentary result records the 2024 contest as a Labour hold by Sarah Hall after seven candidates stood. The photograph is especially relevant to coverage of polling day, ballot papers, voting booths, candidate lists, constituency democracy, voter behaviour, local government areas and the administration of UK elections.
Voting slip for Warrington South showing Labour, Conservative, Reform UK, Green, Liberal Democrat, S

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,WN7,Wigan,Lancashire,England,UK,WN7 2LB,Leigh,cotton,art,arts,historic,venue,community,ring,spindles,Platt Brothers,now,a,heritage,centre,cinema,red,brick,traditional,factory,Cotonopolis,chimney,inscription,town,evening,factories,Leigh Film Society,Park Ln,Bradshaw Gass & Hope,makerfield,Makerfield by-election,Makerfield byelection
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2R8T9JC - Leigh Spinners or Leigh Mill is an Art's and Heritage Centre consisting of over 60 independent businesses within the complex. https://www.leighspinnersmill.co.uk/
This includes Leigh Film Factory an independent cinema run by volunteers from Leigh Film Society. The building is Grade II* listed It is a former double cotton spinning mill and is located in Bedford, Leigh, Greater Manchester, England.
Businesses
-Leigh Film Factory To provide an affordable, accessible and welcoming space where everyone can enjoy quality cinema experiences, whether for education, business or pleasure.
https://www.leighfilmfactory.com/
History
A product of the last generation of cotton mill building, Leigh Spinners was designed by Bolton architects Bradshaw, Gass & Hope for the Horrocks Company, and built in two phases. The east section comprising the six-storey mill, boiler house and chimney stack was built in 1913 and the matching west section was completed ten years later. One of the few double mills to be completed, it is one of the most complete still standing in Greater Manchester. Part of the factory is occupied by Leigh Spinners Ltd who have manufactured carpets since 1969 and since 2012, synthetic turf products for landscaping and sport.
The building is in poor condition and considered to be at risk by Historic England. A charity, the Leigh Building Preservation Trust was formed to restore the steam engine and engine house. In September 2013 the charity was awarded a £75,000 grant to restore the steam engine and repair the engine house by Waste Recycling Environmental Limited, a heritage fund that protects buildings of historical importance. The charity was able to turn the engine in 2018 for the first time in many years.
As at January 2019, the younger of the two mill buildings has had extensive roof repairs, allowing the Charity to advance the restoration of several floors. Sport England funding enabled the conversion of one floor to accommodate a Table Tennis Club,
Park Ln, Leigh, Wigan, Lancashire, England, UK, WN7 2LB

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,evening,dance,clap,clapping,on,the,WN1,Station Road,Lancashire,England,UK,WN1 0SD,all,nighter,all-nighter,illuminated,Northern,Soul,and,other,electrical,equipment,Players,machine,rig,light,lights,lighting,last,anniversary,gig,gambling,gamble,Makerfield by-election,Makerfield byelection,Andy Burnham,Makerfield
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2R5PPB7 - The Wigan Casino was a nightclub in Wigan, England. Operating between 1973 and 1981, it became known as a primary venue for Northern soul music. It carried forward the legacy created by clubs such as the Twisted Wheel in Manchester, the Chateau Impney (Droitwich), the Catacombs (Wolverhampton) and the Golden Torch (Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent). It remains one of the most famous clubs in Northern England. In 1978, allegedly the American music magazine Billboard voted Wigan Casino The Best Disco in the World, ahead of New York City's Studio 54. Although there is no tangible evidence of this award ever being publicised.
This England, a TV documentary about the Wigan Casino, was filmed in 1977. Russ Winstanley and Dave Nowell wrote a history of the club, Soul Survivors, The Wigan Casino Story, which was published in 1996.
Wigan Casino was the name of the last incarnation of a Wigan ballroom called the Empress. Local DJs Brian Rigby and Alan Cain approached lease owner Gerry Marshall to run all-nighters. Venue manager Mike Walker brought in Russ Winstanley, who had a DJ set at the local rugby club, to the Casino. At 2 am on Sunday 23 September 1973, Wigan Casino started its first-ever Northern soul all-nighter, with Winstanley as the DJ. After Winstanley and his helper Ian Fishwick, Kev Roberts was the third DJ at Casino all-nighters, who was quickly joined by Richard Searling Soul performers that performed there include Jackie Wilson, Edwin Starr and Junior Walker.
Young people from all over the UK regularly attended Wigan Casino to hear the latest northern soul artists and to dance. There were long queues to get in. The second dance floor, Mr M's, stayed open until 6 am and played oldies songs from a variety of DJs including Dave Evison and Steve Whittle. All-nighters generally ended with three songs that became known as the '3 before 8': Time Will Pass You By by Tobi Legend, Long After Tonight Is All Over by Jimmy Radcliffe, and I'm on My Way by Dean Parrish.
Station Road, Wigan, Lancashire, England, UK ,WN1 0SD

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,Greater Manchester,Lancashire,England,UK,WN1 1BH,town,centre,WN1 1LD,WN1,pie,pies,advertising,ad,advert,bar,Freshly made,fresh,with,pie capital,of the,best,pastry,filling,street,outside,exterior,sign,a,ultimate,piemaker,piemakers,baked,goods,baking,Makerfield,Makerfield by-election,Makerfield byelection
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2MJ53MA -
Wallgate, Wigan, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, England, UK, WN1 1LD

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,Lancs,Lancashire,Greater Manchester,England,UK,history,historic,heritage,canals,tourist,tourism,attraction,WN3 4EF,WN3,WN34EF,Worsley,Mesnes,Marus Bridge,Ashton,town,centre,Leigh,Haigh Hall,Westwood,green,signs,winter,walk,walks,path,cycle,route,routes,Makerfield,Makerfield by-election,Makerfield byelection
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2RH9WH8 - Green signpost on the Leeds & Liverpool canal, Trencherfield Mill, Wigan, Lancashire, England, WN3 4EF
Wigan,town,centre, Worsley,Mesnes,Marus Bridge,Ashton,town,centre,Leigh,Haigh Hall,Westwood
Heritage Way , Wigan Pier Quarter, Wigan, WN3 4EF

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,Wigan & Leigh Council,Greater Manchester,England,Lancs,Wigan,UK,WN7 3AE,factory,system,contrasts,buildings,century,industry,spinning,industrial,Victorian,mobility scooter,person,riding,contrast,relics,relic,turn of,manufacture,history,historic,heritage,northern,north west,northwest,tall,mills,factories,Makerfield,Makerfield by-election,Makerfield byelection,Andy Burnham
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2JH06M6 -
Butts St, Leigh, Wigan, Lancashire, England, UK, WN7 3AE

Description
Keywords: HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,GoTonySmith,town centre,The Face,art,Greater Manchester,England,UK,WN1 1YB,Manchester,night,at night,The Wiend,Wiend,Marylebone,stainless steel sculpture,stainless steel,steel,sculptor Rick Kirby,sculptor,Rick Kirby,kirby,portrait,sculptured portrait,sculptured,Wigan people,people of Wigan,public art,artworks,art-works,Modus Properties,Wigan Council,Modus,Louise Pearson,regeneration,statue,Makerfield,Makerfield by-election,Makerfield byelection
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2AGPHB8 - Face of Wigan sculpture, Wigan
The Face of Wigan is a dramatic 5.5m high stainless steel sculpture of a face, which is destined to become another iconic image of the borough.
The piece is a new take on an old favourite as its creator, acclaimed English sculptor Rick Kirby explains: The face is a play on the many portraits and busts of the ˜good and glorious' that adorn the parks and centres of every town and city throughout Britain.
The sculptured portrait is intended to represent not a single celebrity, but all of the inhabitants of the area, the very people of Wigan. These are the people who make the place what it is today, and indeed have the power to determine what will be the future.
The rear of the piece is a highly reflective surface set at different angles which will mirror fragments of people passing as well as the surrounding landscape.
Mr Kirby is known for a vast collection of striking public art works including ˜Continuum' at Alexandra Park Lake in Hastings and ˜Cross the divide' at the South Bank in London.
Funding for the project totalling almost £80,000 was provided by Modus Properties, developers of Wigan's Grand Arcade shopping centre as part of an agreement with Wigan Council to provide a major piece of public art in the town centre.
Louise Pearson, Development Manager for Modus says: We are delighted to have assisted in the delivery of this important piece of public art. Plus, we're happy to see that it is in a prime location to oversee the next phase of regeneration in the town centre.
Consultation about the piece took place with shoppers and visitors to the town centre over the summer of 2007, with people giving their thoughts and suggestions on a number of designs. At the end of the process, The Face of Wigan was the clear winner.
The Face came to its new home at The Wiend in Wigan town centre on Tuesday (December 9).
It will spend up to 18 months in this location before embarking on a tour of different locations in the borough
The Wiend, Wigan town centre, Greater Manchester, England, UK, WN1 1YB

Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,Greater Manchester,Lancashire,England,UK,WN1 1BH,ticket,soul,music,club,Casino,allnighter,with,Russ,Richard,Keith,and,free draw,Friday,4th,Sep,1981,04/09/1981,tickets,history,historic,old,spinners,8,eight,non stop,hours,of,memory,WCSC,Makerfield,Makerfield by-election,Makerfield byelection
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2MKF747 - The Wigan Casino was a nightclub in Wigan, England. Operating between 1973 and 1981, it became known as a primary venue for Northern soul music. It carried forward the legacy created by clubs such as the Twisted Wheel in Manchester, the Chateau Impney (Droitwich), the Catacombs (Wolverhampton) and the Golden Torch (Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent). It remains one of the most famous clubs in Northern England. In 1978, allegedly the American music magazine Billboard voted Wigan Casino The Best Disco in the World, ahead of New York City's Studio 54. Although there is no tangible evidence of this award ever being publicised.
This England, a TV documentary about the Wigan Casino, was filmed in 1977. Russ Winstanley and Dave Nowell wrote a history of the club, Soul Survivors, The Wigan Casino Story, which was published in 1996.
Wigan Casino was the name of the last incarnation of a Wigan ballroom called the Empress. Local DJs Brian Rigby and Alan Cain approached lease owner Gerry Marshall to run all-nighters. Venue manager Mike Walker brought in Russ Winstanley, who had a DJ set at the local rugby club, to the Casino. At 2 am on Sunday 23 September 1973, Wigan Casino started its first-ever Northern soul all-nighter, with Winstanley as the DJ. After Winstanley and his helper Ian Fishwick, Kev Roberts was the third DJ at Casino all-nighters, who was quickly joined by Richard Searling Soul performers that performed there include Jackie Wilson, Edwin Starr and Junior Walker.
Young people from all over the UK regularly attended Wigan Casino to hear the latest northern soul artists and to dance. There were long queues to get in. The second dance floor, Mr M's, stayed open until 6 am and played oldies songs from a variety of DJs including Dave Evison and Steve Whittle. All-nighters generally ended with three songs that became known as the '3 before 8': Time Will Pass You By by Tobi Legend, Long After Tonight Is All Over by Jimmy Radcliffe, and I'm on My Way by Dean Parrish.
Wigan, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, England, UK, WN1 1BH




