The John Bull Chophouse - My Favourite Pub Devastated By Fire

 A devastating incident has occurred in Wigan that has affected me on a deeply personal level. The John Bull Chophouse, a much loved town centre Pub was severely damaged in a Burglary and Arson attack during the early hours of 4th August 2026. I gave up drinking almost 20 years ago, but The John Bull is still my favourite pub ever. It isn't just a pub, it's a much loved and respected institution. It's family.

I first started drinking there in the 1980's. It had a reputation back then of being a "Bikers Pub", but it was a place where "inclusivity"was a thing well before its current definition. It was the place where we could all hang out and socialise with friends. I got to know a lot of decent people there over the years and even worked there, glass collecting for a while in the 90's. The Landlord and Landlady at that time were Harold and Margaret, whom we all loved as surrogate parents, favourite aunt and uncle, and above all dear friends. When Harold passed away, such was the respect we had for him, he got a Biker's Funeral. 

Harold and Margaret's daughter, Victoria took the Pub on and put her own mark on the place whilst keeping the majority of the fabric and memories intact. The Pool Table was removed and a Craft Beer Bar took it's place, but it was still The John Bull. It just gained more choice of beer. It also has the best Juke Box in town. Period. Rock, Blues, Punk, Indy and more, all represented and played a lot! 

Fixtures and fittings often make or break a pub. The John Bull has proper cast iron tables with mahogany tops. Bench seats were the kind found in chapels with comfy cushions to sit on. The floor is stone paving and the building itself was reputedly built in the 17th century.  Casting Dies hung on the wall above the stairs to commemorate Wigan's industrial heritage and "Handbag the Antelope" kept watch over us all, wearing his customary Fez and a hand rolled "cigarette" in his mouth.

Yep, there's a real stuffed Antelope's head on the wall and, by some quirk of fate, it survived the fire. He still wears his Fez and his "cigarette" remained unlit. One of his ears got frazzled, but Handbag has become a symbol of the future of the Pub. The John Bull Will Rise Again! 

I took a few days to take the news in about the fire before heading over there with my Nikon D610. Access is restricted and that's fine by me.  I will share a link to the "What's Happening In Wigan" report by local reporter Claire Hannah who was given access to document the aftermath of the fire that almost destroyed the Pub. 

What is important in the aftermath is the way the community has rallied behind Victoria, Peter and the staff as they come to terms with the events of that morning. Thwaites Brewery, owners of the Pub, have promised to restore the pub back to it's former glory and local businesses have stepped up to offer help where possible. John Bull regular Joe Astley organised a go fund me campaign to raise funds to help out that, at the time I write this, raised over £15,000. It makes me proud to call Wigan my home.

There are no words to describe how I felt taking the photos, but I did get a fair bit of dust in my eyes. I have a lot of good memories of The John Bull and I know it will rise again, time will heal the wounds and there's nothing that can't be cleaned and repaired. It makes me despair that someone deliberately torched a much loved and unique town centre pub, famed for it's welcoming atmosphere, great jukebox and the best Guinness in town. 

What made my heart fill with pride is how the people who have called The John Bull Chophouse their "local" came together to support the staff, the Landlady and Landlord who lost jobs and their livelihood. Events around the town have all raised money to help them out and somehow, we got an all dayer, forever known as "Bullstock", on Believe Square, right next to The John Bull Chophouse. Wigan Borough Council were kind enough to allow us to use the space and several bands and solo artists came together to entertain everyone with songs that we all love from the world famous John Bull Jukebox. I charged the batteries and formatted a couple of SD Cards for my Nikon D610, fitted my 24-120mm lens and headed into town on September 6th for a day of digital photography. It's been a while.

I had a great day with my camera, trying to capture the spirit of the event and spent a lot of time catching up with my old friends whom I met at The John Bull Chophouse in the late 1980's early 1990's. Handbag surviving the fire brought us all together again to celebrate the good times we had over the years. Grant from Grant's Bulldog Forge took Handbag to his Antique shop where he gave him a good clean and from one side you wouldn't know he had been in a fire. From the other side, he has an ear missing which will never be repaired. Handbag wears his scars well and he took his place hanging on one side of the stage where there was a steady stream of people taking selfies throughout the day.

Mark Christopher and his band, Marauder organised the event together with Victoria and Peter in the space of three weeks and all the bands gave their time freely for the occasion. They have all performed at The John Bull over the years and didn't need to think twice about taking part. Kol Traynor, a Bass player in various bands over the years filled in for Bass players from other bands who couldn't make it on the day. Fakesnake, a Whitesnake tribute band brought in a drummer on very short notice and no time to rehearse. The chap played a blinder! Thanks go to Chalice, Eleventh Hour, Shell City, Recoil, Fakesnake, A Band Of Gypsies and Marauder for their performances on The Main Stage.

The Acoustic Stage filled the gaps between bands with finely crafted music from Singer-Songwriters Sarah Hardman, Calvin Snape, Adam McCann and the legend, Joe Astley. Joe has been tireless in his fundraising efforts over the weeks immediately following the fire. Joe started the Go Fund Me campaign, organised a three night series of gigs at The Monaco in Hindley near Wigan and carries a donation box to every gig he has played since to fire. He also organised save The Chophouse T-Shirts with all profits going to the fund.

You can measure a community by how it faces adversity. The John Bull Chophouse has a great community who have grown up around it. Many of us have taken our kids there for their first legal beer and in a few cases, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Looking at the families who turned up to Bullstock, The John Bull Chophouse is going to continue being a family for many more years to come.

Here's a few photos of The John Bull Chophouse after the fire and Bullstock 2026. I have to admit I had to leave early and missed the finale as I was well and truly done in. It was a long day and I had been running on reserve for a couple of hours before heading for home and some much needed meds and rest. I spent the week recovering, but I would do it all again in a heartbeat. It gave me a chance to go through hundreds of images and I ended up with 100 that I am happy with. 

 I have placed my photos of Bullstock 2026 in two albums on Flickr that you can visit using the links below. There's also facebook groups where folk have shared their photos and remembered happy times, just look for The John Bull Chophouse and Bullstock 2026 pages. It may take a little while, but The John Bull Chophouse will rise again! As we say here in Wigan, "It'll be reet!"

Wigan Unites Behind Towns Iconic Pub 
Bullstock - Part The First 
Bullstock - Part The Second 

Victoria, landlady of The John Bull Chophouse

Frugal Film Project 2026 - Donkey - August

 The day after my walk around Wigan with my Hanimex 35RAS, I once again headed out with Donkey, my Minolta Dynax 4, to shoot my August SLR roll of Kentmere 400. I needed to get some DIY supplies and headed to a discount store at Robin Retail Park and took Donkey with me. I took a few shots around the The Brick Stadium as there were more tributes to Sir Billy Boston and his beloved wife Lady Joan placed by the ticket office at the Sir Billy Boston Stand. One thing is for sure, Wigan will never forget them.

I headed on to the canal that runs by the stadium and took a few photos along the way as I made my way slowly back to the town centre. I had no particular plan for the day, I was just snapping things that caught my eye on route. The sign for Savoy Timber, Wigan Pier and Trencherfield Mill all caught my attention as I wandered into town. Wigan has some unique architecture and it wasn't long before I arrived in the town centre and took my last photo on my roll of Kentmere 400 and headed home for another well earned brew.

I developed my August roll of Kentmere 400 shot with Donkey using Bellini Euro HC, 1+31 dilution B, for 6 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry with my Compact roll. Again, Tigger didn't get his claws on them, thankfully. I digitised my film with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 sized led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Studio.

I am pleased with my photos this month. The overcast sky was always going to make my photos a little flat, but that's not a problem for Donkey. My Minolta Dynax 4 handled it well and gave me decent exposures. Now we head into Autumn and the final third of the year I am confident that Donkey can handle anything the weather can send our way. It's £10 very well spent.

Here's a few favourites from my August roll of Kentmere 400 shot with Donkey, my Minolta Dynax 4 for the Frugal Film Project 2026. I have placed them and more in my Fugal Film Project - SLR album on Flickr that you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film Project 2026 - SLR 

Frugal Film Project 2026 - Compact - August

 August was hot, dang hot and to be honest I just wasn't feeling up to going out much. Not that I didn't get out and about with a camera, but I wasn't feeling good for a number of reasons. I left my Frugal Film Project August roll of Kentmere 400 shot with my Hanimex 35RAS until the final weekend of the month when I headed into town on an overcast, rainy Saturday afternoon to get the job done.

First port of call was The John Bull Chophouse, my favourite Pub that was severely damaged by a Burglary and Arson attack on August 4th 2026. The John Bull has been one of the busiest pubs in Wigan town centre for many years and the fire devastated the community that has grown around the pub and the family whom have run it for almost half a century. 

The pub will re-open again after repairs are made, but not until 2027. Victoria and Peter are not going to have any income over the next few months and there are fundraising efforts organised to help them through this very troubling chapter in the history of The John Bull Chophouse. Local singer/songwriter Joe Astley, a regular in The John Bull Chophouse, has been at the forefront of the fundraising effort along with several bands and solo artists whom have come together to ensure The John Bull Chophouse will rise again.

My next port of call was a pilgrimage to the statue of Sir Billy Boston who sadly passed away recently aged 92. Sir Billy was a superstar player at Wigan Warriors in the 1950's and 60's after being persuaded to head north from his home in Cardiff to play Rugby League for Wigan and give up his dream of playing for Cardiff and Wales in Rugby Union. Sir Billy became a legend in Wigan and won every trophy available at that time during the course of his career. He is also the holder of the record for most tries scored in his career than any other British player in either code of Rugby. Only the much loved Australian player Brian Bevan, scored more tries than Sir Billy.

Sir Billy never left Wigan. He met his wife, Lady Joan Boston here and they raised their family together, never being apart for long until Lady Joan passed away a few short weeks before Sir Billy. When Sir Billy was knighted by King Charles, his wife and family accompanied him to Buckingham Palace for the occasion. I took a photo of the few tributes left for him, there were more, but the council moved the flowers indoors as the August Bank Holiday weekend was going to be a wet one.

I spent the rest of my walk happy snapping statues, buildings and whatever else caught my eye as I made my way around town. I dived into the back streets and alleyways that tell their own story of the growth of the town over the years. It wasn't long before my film was finished and I headed home, glad to have got out for an hour or two, but in need of a brew and a chance to dry off.

I developed my August roll of Kentmere 400 B&W film using Bellini Euro HC, 1+31 dilution B, for 6 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry. I digitised my film with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 size led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Studio.

I am happy with my photos this month. After having bright sunshine for a couple of months it was strangely comforting to get back to an overcast sky and cooler temperatures. I'm not built for temperatures over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, This day was more comfortable for me and the depression I had been feeling all month had begun to lift as the temperature dropped. 

Here's a few favourites from my August roll of Kentmere 400 shot with my Hanimex 35RAS for the Frugal Film Project 2026. I have placed them and more in my Frugal Film Project 2026 - Compact album that you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

 Frugal Film Project 2026 - Compact 

Pentax P30 - WonderPan

A couple of Christmases ago I divested myself from the Pentax K mount when I gifted my gear to my Granddaughter to help her with her photography courses at College and University. I thought I was done with the system as I much prefer my M42 mount SP500, the bargain bucket Spotmatic. Fast forward several months and I got a visit from a neighbour. He was having a clear out and offered me his Pentax P30 with 2 lenses, a flash and other accessories. He bought them new many years ago and hadn't used them for a long time. I couldn't say no.

The Pentax P30 is a manual focus camera with an electronically controlled shutter that requires batteries to use the full range of speeds. Don't worry if the batteries die when out about, it has a mechanical 1/100th of a second shutter speed to fall back on. It also uses the Pentax Takumar - A lenses that give the camera auto exposure capability or full manual use. It also accepts earlier K mount lenses in manual mode only. I fitted a fresh pair of SR44 batteries into the camera and switched it on.

My neighbour had definitely done the right thing by removing the batteries before he put it away all those years ago. It came to life instantly and I went through the manual and auto functions to make sure. I needn't have bothered as it worked perfectly. The P30 was at a price point way below the famed K1000 and, although it sold well, it didn't get much love from the reviewers of the day. Having used it's later sibling the P30N, I still wonder why the journalists didn't like it.

Is it the plastic body covers or could it be the basic 28-80mm f/3.5 kit lens that feels sloppy? Maybe it is the lack of ability to set the iso manually, meaning you have to use DX coded film or the camera will default to 100 iso? It was "gear snobbery" in my humble opinion. Yes, the Pentax P30 does have all those features and that kept it's price point at the bottom of the Pentax range. But you know me and cheap cameras, we have an affinity and I like the P30.

It's a camera for learning the basics with at a price far below the K1000. It's also a camera you can get a better lens for and explore the excellent SMC Takumar-A K mount manual focus prime lenses, or any of the multitude of third party Pentax K mount manual focus lenses made from the mid 70's onwards. All that was left for me to do was load my last roll of WonderPan into the P30, fit my Tamron Adaptall 2 SP 28-80mm f/3.5-4.2 CF Macro lens and go for a walk to see what I could find to photograph.

I started with a visit to my favourite classroom, Mesnes Park in Wigan. I have said it many times, but I will never tire of photographing the jewel that belongs to the people of Wigan. Mesnes Park is over 100 years old and was built on the site of a former coal mine. When the mine was worked out, the Council landscaped the site to provide a green space for the people to enjoy some clean air on a Sunday afternoon. Over a century and more of public ownership, our local Council has been mowing the lawns, planting the flowerbeds and generally keeping the place clean and it's greatly appreciated.

I made my way through the Park and into Wigan, happy snapping along the way. My Pentax P30 behaved itself, despite my legendary absent mindedness trying its best to get in on the action. I always enjoy capturing the daily life in Wigan town centre. It wasn't long before I took my last photo at the new Development and headed home for my customary well earned cuppa. 

Thanks to a mid summer heatwave, I developed my roll of WonderPan a couple of weeks later in Bellini Euro HC 1+31 dilution B for 17 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry in my bathroom. I digitised it with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 sized led light pad. I process the RAW files with Affinity Studio.

WonderPan 400 was a short run of a nominal 100 iso film that was labelled and DX coded as a 400 iso film as a way to promote pushing film. Most of us have done it by accident at some point and this film broke the ice on the subject for many a budding film photographer. By using it in my Pentax P30, that exclusively uses DX coding, it fooled the camera into thinking it had a 400 iso film loaded. 

This was not a problem for my Pentax P30. The bright led indicator lights in the viewfinder helped me nail the exposures and I didn't have to do much to them in Affinity Studio. By underexposing 2 stops and over developing by 2 stops, it brought a lot of contrast into the shots that was getting lost in the hazy, overcast conditions on the day. It was a great test of the camera and also my developing skills. 

Here's a few favourites from my final roll of WonderPan 400 shot with my Pentax P30 and Tamron Adaptall 2 28-80mm zoom lens. There's plenty of contrast, the blacks are deep and the tonal range is nicely balanced. As always I have placed them and more in an album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Pentax P30 - WonderPan 400 

#127Day - A celebration of 127 Film and Cameras

 The 12th July dawned brightly here in the north west of England and I rose from my bed with a mission to perform that day. It was #127Day and my aim was to shoot a roll of Shanghai GP3 100 127 film with my Kodak Brownie 127 camera before the day's end. I had bought a couple of rolls from Nik & Trick in readiness, now all I had to do was get it done. With a roll loaded into my Brownie 127, I headed out for a morning walk in the countryside near my home.

#127Day is the brainchild of JM Golding, a film photographer in the USA who likes the smaller medium format and wanted to encourage fellow photographers to bring 127 cameras back into use. The film size was introduced by Kodak in 1912 and was discontinued in 1995. You would think that was the end for a format designed for Kodak's much lauded "Vest Pocket" cameras. However, Kodak were not the only photographic company with 127 cameras and film in their line up. 

The Baby Rolleiflex was a scaled down version of the Rolleiflex TLR cameras and used 127 film. Yashica had the Yashica 44 TLR whose named directly linked to the size of the image, 4cm x 4cm. Zeiss Ikon produced the Kolibri 127 camera and of course, Kodak produced the Brownie 127 that I have. The major film manufacturers produced 127 film and contract coated for others too. Although the major manufacturers ceased production many years ago, it wasn't the end of the film.

One thing we have in the 21st century is 3D printing. A talented person with a 3D printer designed a film cutter that took a standard 120 film and you could cut it down to 127 in the comfort of your own home. What was left over was just the right size for the 16mm cameras from Minox and Minolta et al. 

There are companies such as Rera Pan spooling fresh film in small quantities over the years, but nothing from Kodak, AGFA etc. The good folks at Nik & Trick spoke with Shanghai Film and convinced them to do a small experimental run to see if folk would buy it. It quickly sold out and fresh 127 film was officially back in production in numbers that make it readily available again.

In a world where digital photography is the norm, film photography is rising higher thanks to the efforts of dedicated film photographers who refused to let film die. Community collaboration is a great way of getting out and having fun with cameras and film formats that where niche products back when film was king. 

I enjoyed myself immensely on my walk with a roll of Shagnhai GP3 100 127 film in my Kodak Brownie 127. The camera is a Bakelite box with a plastic meniscus lens in front of a basic spring loaded shutter. 127 film has a backing paper with frame numbers printed on it that you see through a red plastic window on the back. I was about to shoot my final frame when disaster happened. My Brownie 127 popped open. 

I thought I lost the 8th and last frame and almost certainly lost the 7th, but had I lost anymore? I wouldn't know until I developed the film. I could risk it, or I could just go out the following day, retrace my steps and shoot my second roll, admittedly a day late. Thankfully JM is a laid back person and didn't mind at all, so that's what I did. 

I loaded my second roll into my Brownie 127, taped the lid on securely and taped over the locking screw to stop it coming undone. By the end of my walk on the 13th July, (now known as #137Day-the walk of shame) I was thoroughly exhausted and happy that I got the full 8 frames, but would I extend that number after developing both rolls? 

I developed my rolls of Shanghai GP3 127 film using FX-55 for 10 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry in my bathroom. I digitised it with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Pixl-Latr with 127 medium format film holder and A5 sized led light pad. I processed my RAW files with Affinity Studio.

I didn't lose any shots on my first roll, somehow the film hadn't fogged and it wasn't a complete disaster. I thank the Photography Gods for them. My second roll was also a full 8 shots and to be fair, I'm happy with that. I didn't have to do too much to them to make them presentable and shows me that Shanghai GP3 100 iso film is the perfect choice for the camera for the summer edition of #127Day. 

The Kodak Brownie 127 was never a camera to get super sharp, well exposed photos when it was new in the 1950's, never mind 70 years later. It's a camera to have fun with and see what happens. I certainly didn't expect wall hangers, but I did get some that I am pretty happy with. It's basic spring set shutter is around 1/50th of a second at roughly f/14. It's as basic as one step up from a pinhole camera gets and yes, it's a lot of fun. Roll on December 7th and then January 2027 for a special month long appreciation of 127 film. 

100 iso film? With a Kodak Brownie 127? In midwinter? Are you mad? 
Why yes! Yes I am.

Kodak Brownie 127 and Shanghai GP3-100 for #127Day 

Frugal Film Project 2026 - Donkey - July

I left Donkey until the final day of July and went for a walk in my local countryside. After a walk around the park and town centre the day before, I didn't fancy heading further afield. I was still getting to know my new toys and had a couple with me, but on this day I prioritised my Frugal Film Project roll of Kentmere 400 shot with Donkey, my Minolta Dynax 4. 

After the heatwave of the previous weeks, it was good to have a good breeze to cool me down as I made my way along the farm roads and footpaths. The sun was high and shining brightly, but it wasn't a clear sky. There was enough clouds to provide some definition to the sky when out in the open.

I was looking for shapes and shadows in the trees and seeing if I could find some backlit foliage as I made my way along the footpath. I did revisit some familiar compositions, but also tried a few new ones that caught my eye. Shadows of leaves on the trunks and branches, all got investigated and photographed. 

I was enjoying my walk when I got to the end of the new path and took my last shot of my July roll of Kentmere 400. Donkey behaved impeccably and it was good to slow down and explore a little more of the trees and shrubs along the path. My Frugal Film Project commitment was quite literally "in the bag!" I couldn't wait to get home for that well earned cuppa.

I developed my July Roll of Kentmere 400 shot with Donkey the following day using Bellini Euro HC, 1+31 dilution B, for 6 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry with my Compact roll. Tigger didn't get his claws on them, thankfully. I digitised my film with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 sized led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Studio.

I keep saying it, but late model plastic auto focus 35mm SLR's are hard to beat for great results. I'm not the only one using a Minolta for this year's Frugal Film Project, there's a couple of us and they really are decent cameras. I didn't have to do much in editing to make my photos presentable and they speak for themselves. 

I had a very enjoyable walk with Donkey to shoot my July roll of Kentmere 400 for the Frugal Film project 2026. Here's a few favourites and I have placed them and more in my Frugal Film Project 2026 - SLR album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film Project 2026 - SLR - July 

Frugal Film Project 2026 - Compact - July

 I managed to get my July roll of Kentmere 400 shot with my Hanimex 35RAS on July 30th for a number of reasons all to do with new toys. I have bought some shiny things and reviews will be forthcoming in the not too distant future. This meant my Frugal Film Project commitments had to take a back seat, but thankfully I got them done.  

I have been getting to know a couple of shiny things this month and I am often prepared with 2 cameras, but not on this day. I had 3. I was happy snapping around the Park with my new toys as I get comfortable using them and began my Frugal Film project commitment with a shot of the clock tower at the Linacre Center after I left the Park and headed towards the new development. It's been a couple of weeks since I took progress photos there and the difference is very noticeable. 

The Contractors have been very busy, taking advantage of the weather to crack on and the 6 storey Hotel is at full height. The next big thing to watch for is windows being fitted so the building can be weather tight and utilities going in. Watching the transformation of The Galleries site has been full of mixed emotions, but there's hope for it being a success.

The current Market Hall will close in early 2027 and the new one will open, but we still don't know how many traders will be in there. Apparently there are 34 traders and 21 spots available, which means there isn't enough room for all of them. The Market Traders are a tad miffed about this and want answers from the Council. We await their response. 

Sadly one of my vantage points was blocked so I couldn't get any views of the new Market Hall. I made my way up Market Street, happy snapping buildings and trying to get different perspectives on much loved landmarks. My walk took me to the Parish Church and ended at The Anvil Pub when my camera gave me the news that I had shot my final frame and it was time to head home. 

I developed my July roll of Kentmere 400 shot with my Hanimex 35RAS on 1st August using Bellini Euro HC, 1+31 dilution B, for 6 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry in my bathroom. This was fraught with danger as we have recently welcomed a new member of our family to our home, a black kitten named Tigger. He lives up to his name and thinks everything is a toy. I digitised my film with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 sized led light pad. I processed the raw files with Affinity Studio.

The bright sunshine makes this camera easy to use without posing too many problems for the auto exposure it uses. It also makes my life easier as I don't have to do too much editing to make them presentable. The old saying, "make hay whilst the sun shines" comes to mind. I have definitely taken advantage of the long, hot, sunny days in July and have a few rolls of film to develop for future blogs. I reckon I can take it a little easier in August, but it's always good to be ahead.

Here's a few favourites from my July roll of Kentmere 400 shot with my Hanimex 35RAS for the Frugal Film Project 2026. I have placed them and more in my Frugal Film Project 2026 - Compact album on Flickr that you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film project 2026 - Compact