Every place has a story. Every person has a voice.
From local history and heritage to community projects and personal experiences, explore the people and places that shape our communities.
Through features, conversations and photography, Common Threads shines a light on the stories, connections and everyday experiences that make our towns wha
-
Seeing behind the big red doors: Leigh Fire Station Family Open Day 2024
Today Leigh Fire Station held an open day full of family-friendly fun, important educational information, music, games, food and drink. Every year the station located on St Helen’s Road opens its doors to the public to see what goes on behind the mysterious big red doors. The open day was full of educational sessions for…
-
Bringing Good Vibes: Leigh Pride 2024 at Pennington Hall Park
Yesterday marked the fourth year of Leigh Pride at Pennington Hall Park, featuring a jam-packed schedule of entertainment, makers’ markets, arts and crafts, and food and drink stalls. Organised by the Pride in Leigh team, the event brings the local community together to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in an inclusive environment. The event featured an…
-
A rather unusual bookshop: the reopening of Leigh Book Cycle
On June 18th, the beloved charity book shop Book Cycle reopened its doors, marking a new chapter since its closure earlier last year. Previously located in the Spinning Jenny shopping centre, the store holds fond memories for many Leigh residents. However, the end of their temporary tenancy of goodwill with Spinning Jenny meant they had…
-
One in a million: celebrating Delia Clarke’s 70 Years
Delia Clarke has dedicated fifty years to the health and well-being of the Leigh community as a nurse, and this year she celebrates her seventieth birthday. Reflecting on her career, Delia’s journey began at eighteen when she chose to pursue nursing, a calling she felt deeply was her true purpose. “Being a nurse is ‘me’,”…
-
Community Clean-up: Litter Picking in Hindley with Wigan and Leigh Carers Centre
Two weeks ago, I joined the Wigan and Leigh Carer’s Centre to participate in their community litter pick. As part of The Big Help Out, the centre called on volunteers to help clean up the streets of Hindley. The Big Help Out ran from the 7th to the 9th of June, aligning with Volunteers Week…
-
The Heart of Tyldesley: Radio M29’s local impact
Radio M29 is a community station celebrating its second birthday this year that shares great music, local events, news, and sports updates. Recently, connecting with presenter Joe Graham at the Early Doors Club allowed me to discover this gem in the heart of Tyldesley. Today I popped down to the radio and met with the…
-
Bringing Contemporary Art to Our Doorstep: Seeing Things Exhibition, The Edge, Wigan
On Friday I got the chance to go see the Seeing Things Exhibition based at the Edge in Wigan. The exhibition curated by Matthew Wood aims to attract new audiences in a space open and accessible to all. Featuring the work of nine North West-based artists Anna FC Smith, Ula Fung, Dustin Lyon, Klaire Doyle,…
-
Highlighting Local Stories: Experiences of Creating Place II Exhibition at the Turnpike Gallery
Volunteering at The Turnpike Gallery exposes me to a range of exhibitions throughout the year the gallery showcases. However, this exhibition impacted me differently as it allowed me to feel pride in my local area and discover untold stories. Following on from a community project last summer Creating Place II displays four new exhibits from…
