Wigan’s Titanic History Comes Alive in Stunning New Mural in Ashton
If you’ve been down Gerard Street in Ashton-in-Makerfield lately, you might have noticed a spectacular new mural of the Titanic that’s turning heads—and hearts.
Local artist Scott Willcock, better known as Snow Graffiti, has created a piece of Wigan’s history that’s impossible to miss. It’s painted on the side of Andy’s All Day Breakfast and it’s truly stunning.
Even on a windy Sunday morning when I popped there for an exclusive chat with Scott and café owner Andy Firman, there were loads of people there to have a look. and it was clear how proud they both are of this project, and rightly so.
For one, it’s an incredible work of art, and two, it reveals the surprising hidden links between Ashton-in-Makerfield and the Titanic.
The mural celebrates Wigan’s connection to the Titanic, and was inspired by an original advert by White Star Line, which was painted to advertise tickets for its doomed maiden voyage. The sign was spotted during renovation works on the building over a year ago, which led to Andy doing a lot of research, and getting Scott involved. The original advert itself is now being restored by the Titanic Society.
Even more remarkable, tickets for the Titanic’s doomed maiden voyage were once sold in the building that’s now Andy’s café. That history, combined with Scott’s skill, makes the mural even more special.
Scott, who used to work as a mechanic, is now a full-time artist after he created a snow spray picture on his window at home over six years ago, and was inundated with people asking him about it.
He’s known as Snow Graffiti for these stunning snow spray and airbrush murals, and travels round the country providing them for homes and businesses, He even did the John Lewis Halloween window last year: “Not a Christmas window yet, but one day”.
From festive Christmas displays to colourful murals, his work always grabs attention. He also runs a ‘Spray It Forward’ project, where he creates special pieces for people who might be going through a tough time. Scott has built a huge following online too, with over a million fans on TikTok and the same on Facebook. His creativity and community spirit have made him a real favourite both locally and further afield.
Scott told me The Titanic mural is his biggest project so far, and the one he’s most proud of because it’s in his hometown. It took him three weeks: “it should have been two, but it kept raining”, and is packed with personal touches: portraits of his nan, grandad, auntie, Andy (from the cafe) and his family, and even a car registration plate that nods to a nearby local business.
In fact, his Auntie Joan, whose picture from when she was aged about 9, features in the mural, actually arrived just after it was finished. She had no clue Scott had featured her, and her reaction is absolute gold!
Scott also says the mural isn’t finished, and he will probably ‘never’ say it’s finished: “The reason I added so many frames in the cafe is because it’s a great way of adding extra detail. I’ll never say this is finished, it’s going to to on and on.”
For film fans, there are four hidden references to the Titanic movie—Scott gave me clues to spot them all, though I only managed to find two myself! Can you spot all four when you visit?
Scott also has a talent for using murals to start conversations. Over five years ago, on the first anniversary if her death, he painted a mural of Caroline Flack in Ashton. It featured one of her final messages: “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”
After she took her own life in 2020, the mural inspired local schools to teach children about kindness, mental health, the pressures of social media, and the media. Caroline’s mum also rang Scott to thank him personally.
With the Titanic mural, he’s taking a similar approach. He’s adding details that teach people about history—like the coal strikes and other local stories from the early 20th century. On the café wall, he’s painted a series of picture frames. Right now they’re blurry, but that’s deliberate—Scott will be coming back to add more detail and fill them in, creating a mural that keeps growing over time.
The project was funded through the government’s Local Regeneration Fund, secured by Wigan Council, and developed in consultation with local communities. It forms part of Ashton’s wider regeneration plans and is the first in a planned series of public artworks from 2026.
Five artworks are proposed in total, with themes suggested by the Ashton Innovation Board and local residents: historical heritage, the natural environment, community diversity, industrial legacy, and future aspirations.
Scott’s Titanic mural is leading the way.
Personal Perspective
Seeing the mural up close was amazing, and Scott’s energy when he was speaking about it, and pride was infectious. The detail is incredible, and there’s so much to look at!
I can’t thank Scott and Andy enough for speaking with me, they’re both busy, especially Scott, who is now in full swing Halloween mode, creating fantastic spooky snow spray scenes for people up and down the country.
I honestly loved seeing how proud they both are. And ANOTHER special thank you to Scott for helping me spot all four of the hidden Titanic film details. I only found two myself.
Scott also told me he’ll be back to add even more details, so it’s definitely one to keep an eye on. It’s not just art—it’s history, storytelling, and pride, all painted on one massive wall.
If you haven’t seen it yet, head down to Andy’s All Day Breakfast, 16 Gerard Street, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan. WN4 9AA.
You never know, Scott might be there touching it up!
More info on Scott and Snow Graffiti here.
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