Those with a soft spot for Wigan (among whom I number myself) may be interested in this article

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/feb/20/orwell-wigan-pier-75-years

An interesting article Dave - thanks for that. It confirms some of the things I already know. King St is a rough place and to be wary of pregnant teenagers in stillettos...
Government cuts will have a big impact on an already struggling area. They are set to close our Drumcroon art centre - you will see a massive campaign about it on Facebook.
Local post offices and libraries have been shut. New libraries stuck in inconvenient, rough areas where they are bound to be underutilised by the reading general public. I go to the new library because I built up a rapport with the poor librarians. The library seems little more than a drop in centre for people who want to access Facebook and a dumping ground for rough kids.
The government doesn't seem to understand the importance of maintaining communities. It is quite sad.