Yes, the tall red (flourescent tubed) lamp on top of the lampost at the Charing Cross roundabout was indeed switched on to indicate that someone had been killed on the roads in the Borough.
Even when it was in operation, I don't think many folk knew what it was flashing for.
Welcome, Jeeps; hope you enjoy the site. I suspect from your memories that you are of a "certain age". I'm sure I remember Roberts & Jobson, but not the toy train. Wasn't it opposite Mc.Kenzies, an electrical/photographic shop? That's where I bought my first camera in about 1954.
ok.. time to chip in... bidston tescos.. in my day that was Valley road playing fields, which B.I used for football "games lessons" which was always a wednesday afternoon and always seemed to be freezing... I am sure there were about 3 full size pitches and bidston steel was to the right as you came down through the little estate of houses...
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Welcome, Jeeps; hope you enjoy the site. I suspect from your memories that you are of a "certain age". I'm sure I remember Roberts & Jobson, but not the toy train. Wasn't it opposite Mc.Kenzies, an electrical/photographic shop? That's where I bought my first camera in about 1954.
Cheers, Chris.
Thanks for the welcome. Yes, there was a camera shop, whose name escapes me but it was close to the Little Theatre I think? I'm wondering now if Roberts and Jobson were the other sports shop just off Charing Cross (close to where Christpher Boyton Hairdressers are if they are still there?)and the one with the train was not them.
As for being of a certain age, I was not born in 1954!! lol
Birkenhead & District Co-0perative Society Rd - Grange Road, Swan Hill, Moss Lane etc.
District Butchers - Oxton Road, 10 Market Place South etc.
Owen Owen - Grange Rd
Rediffusion - 21 Grange Road West, Elm St and 18 Seaview Rd
Roberts & Co (Birkenhead) Ltd 107/109 Argyle Street
R Byrne 53 Grange Rd West
Express Cleaners - Edinburgh House 597-599 Borough Rd etc.
W Watson & Co - Hamilton St
Kirbys Ltd - Woodchurch Rd
R E Wright & Co Ltd 790-794 Borough Rd, Upton Motor Works Arrowe Park Rd
Geofre Ltd 61/65 Hamilton St
R O Willams & Co Park Station Garage Duke St
D H Collins & Son Ltd 69-73 Conway St
Liverpool Savings Bank 3 Wilbraham St, 742 Borough Rd
I have some history on many of the above and/or pictures, adverts etc. Just shout if there are any you are interested in. I also have info on some builders, insurance companies, banks and heavier industries from early 1960s. Too much to scan completely.
Last edited by diggingdeeper; 14th Nov 20087:49pm. Reason: I swear speelings change when you hit the submit button!!!
A fine list there. So that's where Roberts & Jobson was; I knew I remembered the name & now I can place it. Yes, speelings (sic) do seem to change spontaneously.
Roberts and Jobson had a dirty great tennis racquet logo thingy on the wall.
Before Leo's etc on the Woodchurch it was the UCLA which stands for United Co-operative Laundries (something?). My brother in law of the time used to drive for them and took me out to Wales many a time. He used to deliver to various army camps and RAF Valley.
I've never heard of the flashing light in Birkenhead though.
United Co-operative Laundries Associaton. OR Uncle Charlie's Lunatic Asylum as we called it. Used to have UCLA in big neon letters near the chimney base. Air raid siren on the roof too ! The tests "All Clear" always seemed to be on a Thursday at 1100hrs. Used to frighten the living cr*p out of me when I was a toddler !
United Co-operative Laundries Associaton. OR Uncle Charlie's Lunatic Asylum as we called it. Used to have UCLA in big neon letters near the chimney base. Air raid siren on the roof too ! The tests "All Clear" always seemed to be on a Thursday at 1100hrs. Used to frighten the living cr*p out of me when I was a toddler !
I was going to add that later about Uncle Charlies Lunatic Asylum but events have taken over. I remember the siren as well now you mention it.
In my early days, going out to Arrowe park and the surrounding area was like a day out in the country. Took a couple of buses at least including a trip on a Crosville which we considered luxury. How times change!
I'm sure I remember Roberts & Jobson, but not the toy train. Wasn't it opposite Mc.Kenzies, an electrical/photographic shop? That's where I bought my first camera in about 1954.
James McKenzie electrical goods was in Grange Road West, they had a Photographic shop opposite and slightly further up Grange Road West, this closed (probably in the 60s) and moved into the electrical shop. They also had a workshop in Oxton Road (where the Casino is now)
The train was in the window of 'The Model Shop' which was in Oxton Road, and at some point (again I think probably the 60s but could have been 70s) it moved but only further down Oxton Road to where 'Kit Shop' is now (the train moved with it). For many years you could still see the penny slot at the old shop.
Roberts and Jobson had a giant tennis racquet over the shop and where in the 'Bank of Liverpool' building at Charring Cross.
Jase - the coop laundry is where Woodchurch/ArrowePark ASDA is now - the laundry wells that Pinzgauer mentioned somewhere else were rediscovered when they built ASDA.
Uptoncx - thanks for train location you are quite right, just couldn't picture it.
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I think the post I put in a while ago (can't find it now) about the wells, was relating to those below the Co-op Dairy on Swan Hill. A friend of mine was a fitter there and serviced the pumps.
Never realised that there were wells under UCLA, but logic would say that being a BIG laundry, they would have their own separate, secure supply, therefore wells !!
The water table shouldn't be far below the surface there. It's got to be just about the lowest point thereabouts for miles. The wells wouldn't have had to be too deep.
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