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Posted By: derekdwc 55 Rose and Thistle 93 Borough Road Birkenhead - 13th Jan 2014 12:35pm
55 Rose and Thistle 93 Borough Road
This pub was in the area of Borough Road between Nelson Street and Collingwood Street but on the other side

Attached picture Rose and Thistle 93 Borough Road Birkenhead 1904 [1600x1200].jpg
Attached picture Rose and Thistle.jpg
Nice to see the picture of this one, good find.

It's interesting to see the way it is built - almost as an appendage to the front of the house. Perhaps this is not so unusual when you consider that it started out as a 'Beer House'.

Also, the Victorians had a way for creating shops - they simply built them in the small front garden of many a larger house, so that you sold in the front and lived in the back. Just a variation of living over the shop. Quite a few examples still exsist if you look for them. Examples can be seen in Oxton Rd at the top of Tetbury Street.

There were a couple of posts about this place in April 2012, under the 'Chat: Wirral Pubs Past & Present' section, as follows -

"If I remember there use to be a Pub on Borough Road that was called the Rose and Thistle just pass the old pet shop opposite the old fire station, then we had the Music hall by Charing Cross.

"I think the Rose and Thistle was in the part of Borough Road between Nelson st and Collingwood st but on the other side of the road.
There's an old pic of it in one of Ian Boumphreys books

"Just had a quick look at the large scale OS Map, and it was indeed almost opposite the end of Nelson St at 93 Borough Rd (south side). I'd say about 20 feet away to the west from where the flyover joins the level road. On the map it is marked 'BH' which actually stands for 'Beer House' which is a bit different to 'PH' for Public House. Possibly this part of the map was never updated before this and adjoining buildings were demolished in the first phase of works for the Borough Rd section of the Tunnel Flyover in about 1967."

The attached photo gives some idea where the pub was. The centre line of the road for the flyover is just inches away from where the old kerbstones outside the pub was. So, coming about 20 feet back from the foot of the flyover would put its location in the foreground of this picture.


Attached picture IMG_1581rw.jpg
The none-too-stunning photo below shows the Rose and Thistle as a Higsons pub in December 1965. The two colour pics, taken at the bottom of Nelson Street, show the properties along that stretch of Borough Road being demolished on 20th January 1967. In the first, the site of the Rose and Thistle is just out of shot to the right.

Attached picture Borough Road 1.jpg
Attached picture Demolition 1.jpg
Attached picture Demolition 2.jpg
Wonderful photos,not a hard hat,high-vis or any modern H&S nonsense in sight!
Originally Posted by petethebike
Wonderful photos,not a hard hat,high-vis or any modern H&S nonsense in sight!

Are they knotted hankies on the two workers heads who are watching? confused
Posted By: Anonymous Re: 55 Rose and Thistle 93 Borough Road Birkenhead - 18th Jan 2014 2:17pm
Originally Posted by Papa_Juliet
Originally Posted by petethebike
Wonderful photos,not a hard hat,high-vis or any modern H&S nonsense in sight!

Are they knotted hankies on the two workers heads who are watching? confused


Could be, but of course they will conform to HS.99b (De-snot)1965 (Amended Regs.)
I personally like the way they're diverting the traffic around the ongoing work. Can you imagine the forest of cones and barriers there would be these days?
I like the black & white photo. Nice to see a shopkeeper wearing traditional clothing.

Was 'Shapes' an advert for something? Can only think of Cadbury's...

Posted By: Anonymous Re: 55 Rose and Thistle 93 Borough Road Birkenhead - 19th Jan 2014 10:06pm
Originally Posted by YinYang
I like the black & white photo. Nice to see a shopkeeper wearing traditional clothing.

Was 'Shapes' an advert for something? Can only think of Cadbury's...


Spillers SHAPES. Dog biscuits.
The pet shop next door to the pub at No. 91 - was occupied by my Great grand-dad Henry Isaac Holmes from approx 1902 till his death in 1937 as a boot maker / shoe repairer - His wife Elizabeth [ nee Cartlidge ] had grocers shop at 70 Borough Rd
Posted By: joney Re: 55 Rose and Thistle 93 Borough Road Birkenhead - 9th Feb 2014 10:52am
Another classic example of a pub stitched onto houses was the old Lord Exmouth where I lived for many years. An extension was built in front of 82&84 which became the bar area and entrances, and the downstairs rooms became the pub parlours and billiard rooms
Originally Posted by joney
Another classic example of a pub stitched onto houses was the old Lord Exmouth where I lived for many years. An extension was built in front of 82&84 which became the bar area and entrances, and the downstairs rooms became the pub parlours and billiard rooms


there's a pic of the Lord Exmouth in the pub index.
Did you live in the pub - if so, did it have cellars for ale deliveries (casks or barrels) or were they brought in from the front door and stored elsewhere in the pub
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