A faded advert for the White Star has regenerated interest for the Titanic this week in Wigan.
Often going unnoticed, the sign has had a mural painted next to it, addressing Wigan’s connections to the White Star offices in Liverpool.
The sight is on a side of a building in an avenue, located in Ashton-In-Makerfield.
A member of the Titanic Society, Caroline Heaven, said, “It’s a big deal because it survived. And it’s a survivor because of its location. It’s quite sheltered in between the two buildings.
“It’s not like the big ones you’d find in Liverpool, with the big ships on it. But it still says Steamship company, White Star Line. That makes it quite special.”
The mural by Scott Wilcock (also known as Snow Graffiti) was commissioned by the owner of Andy’s All-Day Breakfast, the building that the sign is on. He did this as the sign had faded so much, that little to no locals of the area even knew it existed.
White Star Line had offices located in Liverpool, and people from Wigan would often get a train to there to pay for their tickets on ships, like the Titanic.
@merseynewslive Have you been to see the ghost sign and Titanic mural in Wigan yet? #news #titanic #fyp #newsday
Caroline said, “Not many people know this, but the Titanic sailed from Belfast and was supposed to call in at Liverpool. People should had come onboard, tried the cabins, tried the facilities, so maybe next time they’d book to go on the Titanic the next time they’d pass it.
“But, when Titanic left Belfast, she was a little bit late, so they didn’t have time to go to Liverpool.”
The mural even has references to the 1997 movie, Titanic. Within the painting, you can see a tiny Jack and Rose doing their famous pose on the ship.
You can see a car with Rose’s iconic handprint and even a painting in a café of a “French girl” posing.
The history and culture references has already brought in a significance increase of tourism for the small town, with Andy’s café even going through renovations to accommodate the large increase in customers.
Caroline said, “I think it’s absolutely fantastic. Really good for Ashton.
“It’s not meant to be factual; it’s a modern take on the Titanic. It’s bringing it up to date, which is what you need in any painting really.”
According to Caroline, there are already plans for next year to add onto the piece. They plan on putting up Victorian-style lamps and replacing the plastic gutter with a more historical-fitting one.
They also are hoping to see if the cement road has cobblestones underneath that they can display to add to the scene.
Featured image: Chloe McLoughlin
