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There have been 718 posts between your last two posts but yes, like most forums it struggles to compete with the plethora of social media platforms.

I'll put these scrappy notes together in one place, I thought there was already a thread somewhere on the site?

Built 1881, closed as a Church in 1938. Being a church it was not numbered so was allocated 295B, 295A having already been taken because 1 Eastbourne Road was subdivided, 295 is the adjacent house to the right.

It was a general venue for events (community, clubs, company and social parties etc) since at least 1951. Labour May Day Rally 1951, OAP Tea Party 1954, MANWEB North Wirral xmas party 1967.

Used to be pop concerts there in the 1960s when it was called McNaught Hall, the concert venue officially opened in May 1964 but was operational from at least 1962 partly due to the Cavern Club being temporarily closed and the promoter being in the lurch, last concert date I found was 1967.

The new Methodist Church across the road and further east (Charing Cross Methodist) tried to retain the name McNaught Hall for their youth club etc so we had two McNaught Halls for a period of time.

At some time between the 1940's and 1970s it might have been a Birkenhead & District Co-operative Society Store as it is in their database of shop front photos.

Since then its been a furniture shop, carpet shop, bed shop, flooring shop etc. Bought in 2023 for £160,000, it is and already was on lease to the various shops.

I have it in mind that one of the theatre groups used it before it became the current succession of home furnishing shops (1980s?), I remember being disappointed in the change of use but I can't remember what it was, or was it a Co-op then? Can't be the Carlton Players because they got the Grange Road West Church in the 1950s.

I've worked out what the big yellow thing is. It is the sill at the bottom of the new gates. The clue was the two tall columns rising from each end. These are the hinge pins for the gates. Anyway, its disappeared now and is presumably underwater waiting for the gates to be hung.

It looked hollow but the steel used was probably thick enough to give it slight negative buoyancy so it could be accurately maneuvered. I expect it would be filled with concrete once in place.

"AN infamous bodybuilder dubbed "muscle squeezer" has died at the age of 64.

Akinwale Arobieke was found dead at his flat on Devonshire Road in Toxteth.

Officers discovered his body at around 8.30pm on Tuesday, August 26, after reports of an unresponsive man.

Merseyside Police confirmed his death is not thought to be suspicious."

Hi, are there any grants available for a new boiler?

Kind regards

Out of desperation and experience I have brazed steel lines back to life in the past (one was snapped in two, the other was badly corroded through) but its not something at my competence level I would tackle for a third party on a high pressure line, there is no reason a competent brazier couldn't do it, perhaps someone from a model/small scale steam train/ship/engine society could help? There are more steam modellers in Wirral than you would think.

As with much of small repair welding, its a matter of getting metal in there then machining/grinding/sanding it back to the required shape/finish.

I'm pretty sure rules have been relaxed on what Councils were allowed to sell off, including allotments, sports fields and green belt. In at least one case the allotment is to be relocated and "enhanced" but that is a vague description similar to that used by Wirral Council about Birkenhead Market even though it is a huge reduction in size.

Needless to say, the date this relaxation process started appears to be during a Conservative Government (even though nothing about the current Labour Party would surprise me).

Private eye have also been a bit misleading as they only reported on Raynor's role in this, not her predecessors other than through indirect reference. So while the basic report of falsehood of "Raynor's Sell-off" may be true, that doesn't mean the sell-off isn't happening.

I will be rapping Ian Hyslop's knuckles next time he pops in for tea and biccies (an equally misleading statement).

To the Eastham Ferry hotel for a quiet drink in the gathering dusk last night. It was warm enough to sit outdoors and it was possible that the we might even hear an owl hoot in the woods as the moon rose.

Fat chance!

Furiously over revved motorbikes from next door made conversation difficult, and in the gaps in this activity, the loudspeakers relaying mindless pop music everywhere, inside and outside, thoughtfully placed to make any antisocial activities such as enjoying a quiet evening impossible.

A pity, as the location is good, the hotel has been extensively and well redecorated and the staff appear friendly and helpful.

We were interested to observe a group of bikers who had evidently left their pub, on their machines, but paused outside the Eastham Hotel for a chat, all with engines running and very audible thanks to the use of silences chosen for their ineffectiveness. Occasionally one or other of them would ree their engines into a deafening scream for no apparent reason.

Eventually they left, to be replaced by another group, and so did we.

I followed the advice of the notices one sees everywhere along roads to 'Think Bike!' but will not relate what these thoughts were.

No, they are not allowed to do that on a routine basis, or even as a one-off. There are a very small number of exceptions but for most premises based businesses they are not allowed to burn their waste without a licence and they will not get one for this activity.

Three things you can do depending on what level of grenade you want to throw:-

Ask to speak to the manager and point out it is an environmental offence under the Clean Air Act 1993 and Environmental Protection Act 1990. I would do this in person then also send a follow up letter or email summarising the discussion, keeping a copy.

Get in touch with Wirral Environmental and complain

Raise a Freedom of Information request with Wirral Council (through WhatDoTheyKnow) asking if Sheridans have a licence permitting this activity then when the response is negative (or withheld) you complain to Wirral Environmental.

EDIT: Forgot, take photo's of this happening on more than one occasion.

Yes I did, I left in the early 70s, I wish I had started at a younger age and gone to the nursery, Mrs Heighton ( I hope I have spelt it correctly!!)and Mrs Thomas, the swing they had was bright blue and I think self assemble as Mrs Thomas had to attach the wooden seat to the large brackets at the top of the swing, it was a does anyone have a picture of this swing?

My teacher was Mrs Croft.