Wigan man has a tattoo of The Galleries inked on his arm

The man, who asked not to be named, had a tattoo of The Galleries shopping centre on his upper arm, in tribute to the shopping centre he frequented in his youth, after it reopened in its current form in 1991.

The ink displays an outline of the centre’s footprint, complete with several numbers which denote the number of retail units in the original Galleries, Makinson Arcade and Marketgate.

“I was heartened to discover recently that The Galleries shopping centre has been purchased by Wigan Council and that the council are now attempting to breathe life into the centre via a series of events, happenings and exhibitions,” the man

said.

“The Galleries has always held a special place in my heart and I always make a point of taking a walk along its hallowed corridors during my increasingly infrequent journeys back to my home town.

“It is a love affair that has lasted to this day and, hopefully, beyond as The Galleries undergoes something of a metamorphosis so that it may survive in today’s uncertain economic climate.

“And so it was with that love in mind that I visited my tattoo artist this week and requested that he permanently etch the footprint of the centre onto my left bicep.”

In getting the tattoo, he hoped that it would raise publicity of the site, in the midst of the high street’s battle to compete with online

retailers.

He added: “It is intended that my tattoo serves as a permanent tribute to all Galleries staff, past and present, who have contributed more than they will ever know toward my continued enjoyment of Wigan town.”