Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Ilchester Square - The Dock Cottages

When the dock cottages where built the official name for them was Queens buildings

Ive Just been Told by my Uncle that going through the Arch
And Turning Left you would walk down a few steps to access the walkways for
the flats / homes.

Going through the Arch if your Turned Right there was a Metal Box
like a mini sub station for electricity this is where they would
climb on and hang out as boys.

There were also smaller arches for people to walk out at the sides and at the back if he remembers correctly but thats a
bit vague.

hrar is the Illchester side of the square

why where these buildings demolished may i ask?

most prob just run downe mate

my great nan n grandad lived abouve the archway in the picture

Taken from 'Auld-Lang-Syne' by Harry B Neilson, 1935:

'When the docks were under construction a number of Irish labourers were employed, and 'The Dock Cottages', now called 'Queens' Buildings' were erected to house them. All Irishmen love a fight and these dock navvies were no exception, and so prize-fighting was indulged in. They made the fields round about Bidston their meeting-places for fighting, rabbit-coursing, etc. It was quite a common occurrence for a large crowd to take possession of any field they fancied, regardless of the protests made by the owner. The most favoured spot for prize-fights was the 'Moss-croft' field, halfway between the church and the station (assuming he means St Oswald's and Bidston Station - could possibly be the big field by old Vyner Road Primary). Mr James Griffiths once witnessed one of these fights and lately described it to me, and I give it in his own words as follows: -
"I remember one fight in particular; crowds of people were passing through the village and down School Lane. Most of the villagers, men and women alike, scenting a prize-fight, locked up their houses and followed the crowd. A ring was formed, while the fighters, almost devoid of clothing and without gloves on, got to work. The fight went on vigorously for a considerable time, when all at once the bulk of the crowd stampede in all directions. Three Roman Catholic priests had come on the scene armed with stout cudgels, hitting right and left indiscriminately, and what had been a huge crowd a few minutes earlier had now completely vanished."

This book by Neilson is well worth a read - has lots of little stories about Claughotn, Bidston, Oxton as well as his tales from time spent in India.[/u]

exellent bit of info thank you missguided

excuse me every one who grew up in the northend are the best poeple around how der you

Excuse me jeanny but who was having a go at people from the north end?
all I read was a quote from a book that mentioned Irish Navvies
I'm just not seeing a reason for you to get all defensive *shrugs*

sorry just hate when people think northend was bad place to live the best people come from there you could leave you door open no would rob it not like now

Well I'm sure nobody would claim it was the land of fluffy bunnies and lollipops but they always looked after each other.
And that's what community was all about.
It wasn't a bad place but it was a tough place

yes it wasnt fluffy bunnies and we all looked out for each orther thats for sure sorry about my comment before

wow what a picture brings back memories i lived top flat at bloodtub end they were the days brill

Somehow I can't visualise 3 Priests arriving at a full blown street fight today. Then producing baseball bats or similar and laying into the neds and duffing them up a reeeeel treat !

An extension of that today, would be for the Priest/Minister to be issued with a Tazer (suitably blessed of course) and to zap anyone seen dozing off during the sermon !

Verily I say unto Thee.... F***in' wake up at the back...Zaaaaap!!!

Maybe not.