The Picture isn't exactly on the same line,
But its the General Area where the Cottages Would have Been.
The Black and white Top Picture is looking across the field
left to right from where the colour picture was taken.

Read More About them Click Me

When the weather is very dry, and the grass is short (like in 1995), you can actually see the outline of the foundations of where Ilchester Square once stood.

There are very few pictures about on the internet of Ilchester Square which is surprising, but some residents bought pictures of the Coronation parties in 1953 from the Birkenhead News, which I have seen and they are very clear and in black and white.
Somebody somewhere must have copies of these.

Pictures of the square were also featured in the Birkenhead News in the early 1970's when demolition was being discussed. There was a report by the council referring to "Social Misfits" which the Birkenhead News picked up on and went around interviewing residents about it.

More recently, an episode of Merseybeat (the first in the final series) was filmed in Ilchester Road, Tyrer Street and Buccluech Street.

Here is a picture of the remaining flats in Ilchester Square as seen from Ilchester Road:

I lived for a few years with my nan in Severn Street, just round the corner would of been late 60's I am sure there was a pub either in the square or nearby that the locals called the 'bloodtub'. Does anyone remember that?

aye yes sarab the pub is actually called the The New Dock there is a thread about that here.. Click here for thread

There is even 1 or 2 memebers on here who are regulars at the "Tub".

Picked these up at the archives last Friday.

good finds chris

Thanx Soundlad. I am trying to fit my memories of the area together. Was Beaufords called 'Frankensteins'?

Stewart Street? That was changed to something else wasn't it?

Trying to work out on those plans if the toilets were communial and on the landings? Probably were because even a lot of the posh houses never had inside bogs in those days.

I remember going into Ilchester square to deliver something. Scared stiff my van would be robbed plus the wheels off it. Perhaps it was an urban myth but it had a very bad name.

Damn, can't quite see. The legend says "F, water closet"...then something else. Looks as if it's in the flat. Why don't you pop into the archives & find out. Plan is B804/1. Who knows what else you might find out? I'm just sorry I'm so far away, otherwise I'd be in there all the time!

I've either read it or it was passed down that they were communal toilets. I seem to remember either reading or being told that they never flushed but put buckets of water down or had a hose or something. Might just be old timers disease on my part?

I do believe that sometimes they were extremely nasty because some of the residents had never come across a proper toilet before.

I'm sure there's at least 1 person on here who's got a copy of "Up Our Lobby". That should mention it.

Chriskay, I have a copy of that book.will have a look now and see if I can find anything.

The lavatory was reached through another door from the back kitchen,to use the word "toilet"would be to bestow far too much dignity on what was simply a brick cubicle with a boarded box set against the outer wall. In the centre of the box was an approprately shaped hole. When ones bodily functions were performed it was an easy step or two to the tap at the sink to fill the ever present bucket and to hurl the water with as much force as one could muster, into the hole. The more force used the quicker the waste would be forced-down the outlet pipe,a far cry from the present day luxury of a siphon system.

However, I did find this also.


One ground floor set of rooms in each block was designated as a communal wash house for that block,many times I have stood in the steam-filled room with it`s huge boiler inti which our mothers would plunge the family wash. The clothes would be "boiled",then at the appropriate moment,transferred to a tub. Here they would be swirled around with a three-legged contrvance.

Thanks for that, Dava. BTW, the three-legged contrivance was known as a dolly peg.

I don`t think it mentioned what is was called but it did say what it was used for and how it was used.

My parents have owned The New Dock

r u one of jimmys girls

have heard of beauforts being called frankies as my boss and his wife worked there.he has never said frankenstiens before but that dosnt mean that its wrong.

exellent work guys

With the Dolly peg, they used a Dolly Tub and also had a dolly blue which i think was used for whitening. Also a washboard for scrubbing items on. Skittle groups used to get a tune out of a washboard and use it as a musical instrument within the group.

Your right about the Dolly blue Bert,I was told a while back that they also used to use it in emulsion paint to create a brilliant white effect.

Sorry,forgot to mention the Dolly blue was added by the customer not the manufacturer.

A Dolly blue was added to whitewash also, Lime was added to water along with tallow or candle wax and a dolly blue for whiteness. The last time i made whitewash about 30 years ago i could not get my hands on a dolly blue so i was advised by my dad to put Oxydol soap powder in as it contained dolly blue. It worked a treat.

Skiffle, please, Bert. I remember frequently visiting the Skiffle Cellar in Greek St. Soho in the late 1950's. This was the era of espresso bars, coffee in glass cups & just before the Swinging Sixties. Ah, what memories.

Dam typing tinger, i mean finger

HI just been looking at post off(SARA)I lived in seven street in the late 60s i remember frankes and the beufords.do u remember the beuford easte on corpt road

The famous/infamous 'Blood Tub' is no more - drove past on me way to the tip the other week - the weeds are already growing on the site....

Beaufort Air Sea (Rescue) Equipment was originally called 'Frankensteins' (named after the owners the Frankenstien Brothers)
The factory in Beaufort road was, at one time, the largest company of it's kind under one roof. They have in their time made Life Rafts, Life Jackets, Immersion Suits, Air Portable Hangers, Underground Emergency Water tanks to name but a few...They also had a large factory in Glossop in Derbyshire, in an old Cotton Mill called "Wrens Nest Mill". During the time they were called 'Frankensteins' most of the workforce would say they worked for (or at) Frankies and this name stuck with many of them even after the new name of Beaufort came into use, I still know of at least one person who refers to them as Frankie's.

Hey guys, just a quick one, i love the pictures of the old bloodtub....my dad owned the pub for many years before he sold it to council for it to be pulled down and so id like to ask your permission to use some of these pics on my facebook page with reference to yourselves of course as the photographer who took them please as we dont have all that many and there is tons of memories for alot of people who will see them xx

yes beauforts was called frankensteins or "frankies"

joyce

Sorry to go off the Illchester Square topic . I worked at Beauforts in the 80's . I do remember a Search and Rescue Helicopter from RAF Valley being scrambled and ending up hovering above a Birkenhead House . The Helicopter tracked down a locator beacon that used to be placed in the Liferafts. The beacon had been nicked and had been activated in the blokes bedroom.

My uncle and his family used to live there. As a child I absolutely hated visiting the area.

look at these pictures from last year christmas 2010

dont know if the older ones find the tree as significant as i do but if anyone went to portland then you probably will lol