Seerl

I wouldn't be surprised if long term, Orrell is sold off and they end up moving the academy matches, first team training etc all to this new place.

This is something I was told could happen about 3/4 months ago

Is Rose Hill School still standing in Rose Hill Ave? I used to work there many moons ago

Courses on offer

BTEC Wheel Removal
HND House Security (how to bypass alarms,big dogs)
A Level English Literature- Course modules inc Filling in DSS forms leading to forming essays on subjects such as -
I have a severe disability preventing me from work
I have six children(chapters inc I don't know the dad)

Bilks, not sure whether Pembec still have any pitches though. I am sure they are the ones that were fenced off for St Cuthbert's. What I do know is that a wrestling pit is being built and the warriors are moving into the building that currently houses the hairdressing salon.

Benidorm John, Rose Hill school became Pemberton Primary many moons ago. Pem Primary amalgamated with Scot Lane in 2006 and formed Westfield that moved to a new purpose built centre further down Montrose. Westfield houses a two form entry primary school, Sure Start Children's Centre, Early Years education and childcare and Social Care locality team. At last a one stop shop for local families with an emphasis on partnership working and early intervention.

The theory at the time was that children could enter Westfield at 6 months and end their formal education 16 years later 200 yards up the road at Pembec. Then the council decided to end that ideology by forcing closure of Pembec.

I won't get political and bore people but I was extremely vocal and active when the proposals to build the new Abraham Guest and close Pembec were announced. Based on the schools for the future document, Pembec was already achieving over 75% of the targets that all schools have to meet in 2012 and they were closing it. (However I am intelligent enough to recognise that Abraham Guest land is worth a lot of money, to flatten Pembec and leave Abraham Guest standing as a 14-19 diploma centre would have meant a loss)

However now I have seen the vision for Central Park and some of the courses and plans for future young peoples and adult education, I am extremely excited for the future of the area. It seems that the warriors have part of the site for the academy, Central Training have another part and some of the site still remains within Local Authority control.

What I had originally written on Friday was that as I was going to the Spar for my lunch I saw the new signage and had to stop my car as I had burst into tears. Pembec and Pemberton High School before it has formed a huge part of my professional and personal life for the past 17 years and has meant so much. For it now to be renamed after the Mecca that was Central Park really got to me.

As I was sat there composing myself my phone rang, it was my daughter asking me to pick her up from college. I was already sat outside. She cried laughing at me cos I was so upset and said, 'Flaming Heck mum I am glad you weren't here earlier, Ian Lenegan has been in all morning you would have been skreiking'.

So Mr Lenegan, I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for being part of this fantastic new venture that will give hope, ambition and excitement to local families. Just like Central Park did for me.

LLL,

What a fantastic post.

If I'm honest, I wouldn't like to see this happen and not just because I live five minutes down the road

We've got fantastic facilities at Orrell - the pitch is in superb nick and the gym is fantastic. I doubt we'd be able to replicate this at PEMBEC. First of all, there aren't any pitches available unless we shared with Cuthberts. The pitches round there are in an awful condition anyway and are not good enough for a Super League team to use. And then, where would the U20s etc play? Robin Park isn't an option and the only local amateur club who could house them is Ince. And considering the scholars play there as well as the Ken Gee cup and quite a lot of amateur teams.

We aren't exactly short of money so I'd for us to hold on to Edge Hall if possible

LLL, Many thanks for the update, I was Training Officer On the YTS Scheme that was based there in the early 90s, I have many fond (and stressful) memories of my time there,
Joe and Ann Morton were stalwarts for the programme and I remember them with fondness and gratitude, (however they were Latics fans).
Later on when the Scheme moved to Caroline street, I worked with Tom Catterall (Great Guy) who was on the Kids committee at Central Park, Carl Wane (Shaun's cousin) was also a buddy of mine, as you will realise at that time I used to dread Monday Mornings, Halcyon days.
Good luck to Wigan with the new venture, its always good when RL clubs get involved with new ventures.
I'm off back to Benidorm on Thursday for a couple of weeks, I hope the rain has ceased, terrible news about the elderly couple who were drowned at the market, When my brother visited from Oz last year we stayed at a friends Villa in Finistrat for a month and visited the market a couple of times. Sincere condolences to their family and friends

Somebody's just rung and told me that all the red and white "Central Park" signs have changed to blank plain white, anyone else seen this?
Did IL not get planning permission from the jobsworths or is it vandalism?

More likely the club have asked the signs to come down until they make an official announcement.

I think they've just been covered up until the official announcement / launch.

Yeah it's always a possibility but I don't think the Cuthberts facilities are good enough for our use unless we pumped in quite a bit of money to get them sorted. Although, if we did sell Edge Hall, we'd have the money to do that.

I am hoping that Cuthbert's are more involved than what meets the eye, was only thinking this morning that it would be fab if cuthberts land could be used during the day as it is laying unused at the moment. However I don't think that Cuthbert's has capacity to be used evenings/weekends. Have you ever tried to park along that stretch of road. Its very well used.

For the person who has seen black and white signs, I think that they need an urgent visit to specsavers. I have nearly wet myself. It is opaque plastic covering the signs, taped on with black tape. However the main signage over the doors and the massive wigan crest and central training signs are still there untouched.

The scholarship lads were told at their reviews that they would be training at Pembec this season instead of the East Stand Gym and Abraham Guest. However, we were told that there had been some issues with the proposed 3G pitch/wrestling pit not being ready in time for the start of this years scholarship season so were back to the usual places.

If I remeber correctly we were told that was going to be used by the Education department, Scholar'ship 15's & 16's, and I'm sure they said the 18's & 20's, but it was back in June so I might have got that wrong and plans might have changed as well.