Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Birkenhead gasworks any pics

Anyone remember going to the gasworks for coke
Can't remember too much except you put your sack under a chute and the coke came down into the sack which was on a pram or something with wheels on.
How much was a sack of coal in the 50s and how did you pay for the coke
Also wasn't there a club in Hind Street(Railway? or Gasworks club

I used to walk up and down Hind St, to and from Lairds, there was a social club in Hind St, set back with a bit of a car park with it. I can picture it but can't remember its name, never had to go for coke, we had a coalman, the property i was born into was above and behind a shop in Waston St, next to the Blackfellas, they used to sell amongst other things, bundles of sticks and coal fire bricks, people would often come with an old pram for carting away. I think the sticks were a tanner (6d) and the bricks(9d)

don't you mean the "coloured gentlemans' " Bert to be politically correct
That's the Great Western isn't it
Heard it was called the Blackfellas because
1 a coloured gent was the manager once
or
2 a lot of customers were from the foreign seamans mission or hostel that was on the other corner of Watson Street ?

It was called the Blackfellas because of the gentlemen who frequented it from the seaman's mission, i don't think its racist or anything calling a black person a black fellow. they used to give us penny's when they were coming out of the pub. The mission was more or less on the corner, its address was Cleveland st. The mission was called the coolies mission which was probably more offensive.

gone a bit off topic here

In the eighteen and nineteenth centuries, Indian and Chinese sailors were employed on ships bringing cargoes back from the East to Britain. These sailors known as ‘lascars’ were paid only about a sixth of the usual European rates of pay.

Whilst there were strict rules about the employment of lascars, these were often broken. They were often mistreated on the ships and then abandoned in Britain without money to live on – often their wages being withheld. By the 1780s there were many starving lascars on the streets of London.

Eventually Institutes were set up to help and house them

We always go off topic, i lived in no2 Watson st and the entry between our house and the pub was the pub entry with big wooden doors, for obvious reasons. The waste land next to no8 took a bomb. The scrap yard in Brook st, my cousin worked in there on leaving school, the scrap yard, i knew as Old Macs scrappy.

Calling the Lascar seamen coolies wasn't insulting, that is what they were, it's their own language for labourer. Used to run after them down the street saying "one pen, John" and they would give us a penny, exactly the same as their kids did to us when we went to their countries as sailors (what goes round comes round or what?) The Blackfellahs wasn't a bad alehouse either. The Flying Angel Seamans Mission was another landmark I remember. When we used to stay in them when away , they provided a kip for the night, we used to call them "The Dogs Home."

Going further off topic now, i hope someone comes up with a bag of coke from the gasworks soon. Many words have foreign origins and are not a problem used in foreign lands, and yet when used here the politically correct brigade are up in arms, problem is, if it sounds dodgy they think it probably is, i don't think they do any homework before they get on their high horse.

That unique smell from the Gasworks is something that lingers in the brain. Tars, phenols, all sorts of nasties...but it smelled great! I remember seeing old prams filled with coke being wheeled away from both Hind Street and Gorsey Lane in Wallasey. Also sacks of coke over the crossbars of ancient bikes being trundled along.
Haven't a clue how much a bag was. Cheap as chips then no doubt !

Aint that the truth. Remember the coke trips as a little 'un and crying my eyes out because it was freezing and the balaclava was a waste of space, the trousers were short, the socks had holes in and ditto the shoes. The old wool jersey wasn't wind proof either. Used to go to the coke works just over Duke Street Bridge as well, bit of a bind but had to do it if there was none available in Birkenhead. Them old prams must've put in some mileage and with a good load too. Speaks volumes for the original quality of them.

Another thing I noticed on the street map was Morpeth Buildings (the morphoes). My Nan and Grandad used to have an apartment in there.

my coachbuilt pram did a lot of mileage, mainly shopping plus baby.These modern prams are useless.Use the car these days to get our coal.

So did all my family and the houses in Wood St, pic in the history section somewhere.

Sounds like you've really got a coal wagon there Star. If it's got a load of seats it's a car and if it's only got one for you and your mate with a flat bed on the back it's a coal wagon. Just trying to be helpful.

Back to the Gasworks... Am I alone in remembering the overhead railway/gantry/electric trolley/dooferiser/whatsit/thingy at the Gasworks. Was it called a "Telfer" or similar ? Used for transferring the coal or coke around the site ?

You could only see it from the train after coming out of the Woodside tunnel and passing the old Town Station. It had an overhead trolley wire feed.

Remaining grey cells getting stirred up in the bottom of the skull now.

Its a Toyota 8 seater thing, we go to the flying dutchman in wallasey .I get the hubby to load the coal in,drag the kids along to help.