Where is Wigan, how do I get there, what’s this pier thing and who is Eddie Waring?

The Romans built a fort at Wigan. Thus begin all official and unofficial histories of one of England’s least known shanty towns. The problem for Wigan was that having got there the pesky Romans took a look and immediately buggered off, leaving the village to the even peskier Northumbrians.  After 800 years they built a …