...NewBrighton, they where stabled in tollemache st. the bloke that owned them was Jack ?? his brother Eddie also had Donkey's stabled around the corner. i used to work for Jack and took the donkey's down the Beach everyday in summer holidays and weekends, he used to pay me 2/6 (half a crown) a day i was loaded by the end of the week. in the winter they still needed to be exercised so we would walk them up towards seacombe ferry along the prom, but none of them would walk past Mother Redcaps no matter how we tried thats as far as they would go. i can remember some of the the donkey's names Silver (stallion) Mandy Sandy Chocolate N****er and Yogi thats as far as my memory goes on thier names.
thanks for the pic bert, but i have to tell you, that man is not George Felton, that man is Jack Clarke. i have the same picture at home also a color pic of the same man, the black and white one was taken early 60's and the other one i have is taken in the 70's. (photobucket site is down so cant post it yet) i know he is on the front cover of a wirral book but the person that named him as George Felton is wrong.
and Jack Clarks Grandaughter is a friend of my daughters and also confirmed photo as her grandad.
Jack Clarke had been a popular donkeyman fot some 20 years. Members of the Clarke family, who mostly lived in Egerton Street, were closely associated with horses and donkeys over several generations. Bob Clarke, for example, kept horses for hire at stable in Alexandra Road. Riders would take them along the shore as far as Leasowe and back. Lily Clarke married Bob Felton and they took photographs of visitors in the Tower grounds.
We spent so much money on donkey rides for my daughter that we eventually bought Mandy when she retired! She lived for a good few years and deserved a happy end after all that hard work on the beach.
Took my little 'un to New Brighton and she had a go on the donkeys. She was so small I had to hold on to her and walk behind the donkey, which duly started crapping onto my shoes as I was walking and couldn't get out of the way. "You should go to the bingo tonight, you'll win," shouted one old dear, the rest of the crowd just pissed themselves laughing, including my missus.
We spent so much money on donkey rides for my daughter that we eventually bought Mandy when she retired! She lived for a good few years and deserved a happy end after all that hard work on the beach.
thank you for telling me about Mandy she and Yogi where my favorites, i always wondered what became of them! its good to know at least one of them had a happy retirement good for you Yogi is the Middle Donkey not sure if the white one is Mandy or Silver (Mandy was always coupled to Yogi tho) the brown one is chocolate
Oh how I remember the donkeys and my Uncle Jack, with great affection. We lived next to his stable in Seymour Place West (the whole block got demolished in the 60's and he moved to stables in Tollemache Street). My mum was Vera Clarke, Jack and Eddie were her cousins - along with too many others to remember. Someone mentioned Bob Clarke, who was my grandad. He had stables and horses and give riding lessons along the shore. He famously gave riding lessons to Gracie Fields when she was appearing at The Tivoli. I have a picture of my mum aged about 15 on a beautiful horse called Bess. It was taken outside their house in Egerton Street, just by The Avenue.
Occasionally Uncle Jack had an escapee from the stable when he was mucking out and feeding. It would be all hands to the pump to corral the errant donkey, usually the white stallion. Great fun.
Always annoyed me seeing that book with Jack being captioned as Felton. (Any relation to the Felton's from Waterloo road?). Hate it when someone produces a book who obviously doesn't know a thing about the subject.
There were three stables in New Brighton. Tollemache street, Grosvenor road and one most miss is Seymour street as has been stated previously.
I would dearly love to see that photo taken by the Avenue. There are few if any photo's of it at all. PM if you want my email please.
Not sure if this has benn posted before? Marion that owns 'Tallulah's' in New Brighton has brought the donkeys back in the summer months. She worked with them as a girl for the Clark's in the 60/70's.
Hi overthehill, I lived on the corner of Grosvenor Road opposite Pollocks shop; and clearly rememberplaying in those stables, also at times helping bring the donkey's up from the beach.
I did a few summers with Jack and his donkeys. He was a lovely man and sometimes his wife and son would come down. Half-a-crown was the daily wage but I would have done it for nothing. His sister had the lemonade and bucket and spade stall next to him on the beach.
Silver was a bit of a handful but produced a fabulous white, male foal (I cannot remember the name of the mare but think it began with a P) and I often wonder what happened to them.
Another Clarke had the waltzer in New Brighton fairground, always interesting walking through to see what was going on.
I did a few summers with Jack and his donkeys. He was a lovely man and sometimes his wife and son would come down. Half-a-crown was the daily wage but I would have done it for nothing. His sister had the lemonade and bucket and spade stall next to him on the beach.
Silver was a bit of a handful but produced a fabulous white, male foal (I cannot remember the name of the mare but think it began with a P) and I often wonder what happened to them.
Another Clarke had the waltzer in New Brighton fairground, always interesting walking through to see what was going on.
The one that had the waltzer plus some stalls was Leo. Always smoked big cigars and drove a maroon Jag.
A well known photograph of the donkeys at New Brighton. The guy in the photo is actually a relative of mine. he kept his donkeys in Egerton Street just behind the Perch Rock pub
I've put this pic on here myself before, can't remember where. Tilly is the girl you want to answer questions on this, she worked with the donkey's and I think she knew the owners well.
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
jack & his wife lived opposite me in Richmond street and his sister Joan (who has sadly just died in a house fire )lived next door to me in same street. Yes they owned the donkey's they also ran the ice cream van business for many years which used to be sited in front of perch rock. They where a lovely family and where respected very highly in new brighton.
she and Yogi where my favorites, i always wondered what became of them! its good to know at least one of them had a happy retirement 
good for you 
