Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Old Wirral Garages

Car garages have popped up on a few threads so I thought it a good idea to have a dedicated area. Any memories or information on Old Wirral Garages?

R. E. Wright & Co Ltd

Forde and Right in the early 1900s. They had premises at 14 Balls Road and 40a Beresford Road

Before 1920, the name had been changed to R.E.Wright & Co, and they had another garage at 32a Grange Mount.

In the mid 1940s they moved to a much larger garage in Borough Road.

In the 1950s they had

790-794 Borough Road Birkenhead
Upton Motor Works, Arrowe Park Road Upton
The Borough Filling Station 474 Borough Rd Birkenhead
The Wirral Way 411-425 Borough Rd Birkenhead

(thanks to uptoncx)

Kirbys Limited

Had the big garage on Woodchurch Road Prenton where Sainsburys is now. They also had premises in Liverpool, Maghull, Southport and Blackpool.

They were a Hillman (Which became Chrysler) dealer and sold Hillmans, Humbers, Sunbeam, Commer and Karrier.

Funny Diggingdeeper should mention garages, I've been thinking about them myself. Here are a few I prepared earlier:

Quarry Service Station, Telegraph Rd, Heswall:



J Barlow & Co Milner Rd Heswall:



Leighton Motors:



Upton Motor Works:

Lowe & Powell Woodchurch Rd:



Thingwall Garage:



Alexandra Garage, Conway Street:



Hughes & Watts Woodchurch Road (became Kirby's later):

Kirbys about 1950 (I have the name Cowie-Kirbys in my head for some reason)

James Edwards, Parkgate:



Cottage Garage/Victoria Garage, Albion Street, New Brighton:



W.E.Hunt & Son, Albion St, New Brighton:



Efficiency Garage, Column Road, West Kirby:

It became Cowie-Kirby in the 1970s

awesome, thanks for sharing

i remember 1 on greenway rd tranmere where the doctors is now, i remember when they removed the tank

I hope this is not off thread with it being a showroom.
The one i remember was Palace Motors, not that i bought anything off them, i think they had a bit of a bad name, but they were always on the adverts in the interlude at the pictures during the 70s. if i remember right their place was in New Chester Rd Rock Ferry.

Very good Bert, Palace Motors was beside New Ferry Car Auctions, I am not sure if there was a cinema/theatre there at one time (was this the Lyceum?).

If the Upton Motor Works site is where the present day Shell Garage is, on Sainsbury roundabout. Further up there was/is Arrowebrook Motors near the Fire Station who were one of the first Lada dealers in this area.

Cool i remember a garage on the way to the arno up manor hill.. Dunno what it looked like back in its hay day.. AND yes i cant remember the name...

That would be Manor Hill Garage - black and white mock tudor style building.

yep thats the name

Atlantic Garage, Moreton:



Roberts Garage, Alport Road, Bromborough:



Poston's Garage, Moreton:

It's still there isn't it?

It is, but I think it's residential now, not used as a garage.

Here's a piccy from a month ago...

Thats him hehe

Three garages that have been around for a long time in different guises in some cases.

The site of palace motors was the actual picture house called the Palace, I use to go there during the early 1950s

Seeing as we are into wirral history how about going back to the times before Garages, after all the motor car is a modern invention. Come on dig deep and start to name the the sites of the stables for the horse drawn veicles and the sites of the horse troughs. Here is a start to the drinking troughs. Half way down holm lane outside the little cottage that was pulled down 2 years ago there was a Half trough up against the garden wall.It was where the new yuppy flats are next to the rugby ground. you all must have seen horses they the things with 4 legs and a tail instead of wheels. ha ha

Birkenhead Corporation Stables, in Corporation Road

"They were a Hillman (Which became Chrysler) dealer and sold Hillmans, Humbers, Sunbeam, Commer and Karrier."

Amazing that of those brands on Chrysler is still going (just!).

I remember Commer vans in the 70's with the curvy fronts!

Hillmans, Humbers, Sunbeam, Commer and Karrier were all part of the british "roots group" which Chrysler bought out. Chrysler bought loads of companies like simca, dodge, Jeep and AMC.

Two of my dream cars were Humber Hawks and Sunbeam Rapiers.

A mate of mine had the Shell garage opposite Senars in Cleveland st, If you ever wondered how you got a full gallon of fuel at the pumps, unannounced on a regular basis the weights and measures people would come around and measure the pumps were delivering the full quota.
Up until its closure a few years ago it still wasn't self service, you still had the part timer greeting the ladies with "To cold to take your knickers off on Bidston hill" Now you don't get service like that anymore.

In response to Jimbob's request, I remember a splendid horse trough in Craven arms, Shropshire. It was marble & on it was engraved "Be Kind and Merciful to all Animals"... It was filled with concrete.
On a more local note, here's a map, about 1875, showing the tram garage in Palm Grove. This would surely have had stables attached.

Cheers, Chris.

Continuing the slight deviation of topic.... does anyone remember the granite (?) horse trough at the top of Singleton Ave. ? Just on the apex of the kerbline twixt Singleton Ave. and Temple Road. ie.outside the substation.

I seem to recall it had deeply engraved lettering "Birkenhead Corporation ......" something ?

Never managed to find a photograph showing it.

to get back to the garages and petrol pumps. In the 1950s and up to at least 1965 there was a company by the name of Pump Maintenance. There local base was in Chester and they had a maintanance contract with most of the petrol company's including the independants well as the big ones. There where 2 fitters who covered the wirral area, both had small vans and they worked 6 days a week. My mother had a sweet shop on Borough Road and was the point of conntact by phone for all the garages that had a pump breakdown to phone and leave there details and the fitterd phoned in 2 twice a day for there work list. We had the rent of the phone which was in the shop payed for by the maintance company and got 6d per phone call relating to a breakdown. Thats 6d in old money. In those days there where a lot of small petrol stations dotted arround the wirral. also the petrol stations had to phone for a fitter when it was time to have there pumps re-calibrated so as not to fall foul of the weights and measures people.

Its still used as a repair garage. mostly high class cars. i pass it 4 and some times 6 times a day

Park Motors, Old Chester Road, Tranmere. It is still there as a repair garage, prior to the old terraced houses been knocked down the building ran from the corner of Beaconsfield Road to Randle Street, oposit Mersey Mount. the building that is there now, was built at arround 1960 and had petrol pumps on the forcourt as well as a small show room for new cars and a repair area. Before that the buildings that where on the same site where old stables with a cobbled forcourt {white washed walls and black painted doors}

Wow them pics are quite old where did you find them?

"Hillmans, Humbers, Sunbeam, Commer and Karrier were all part of the british "roots group" which Chrysler bought out. Chrysler bought loads of companies like simca, dodge, Jeep and AMC.

Two of my dream cars were Humber Hawks and Sunbeam Rapiers."

and killed off all of the british brands.

We had a bright orange Hillman Avenger with a whote vinyl roof when I was a kid, it even had a "cartidge" player with huge tapes that had about 25 mins of music on...

Do you know were the petrol went in on the hawk? would that have been a 8 track in avenger posh in them days.

Depends which model of Hawk you're referring to. On the one we had, it went in at the back of the nearside rear wing:



(This picture was taken in 1957, I suspect that you are referring to the later Rootes group Humber Hawk).)

unscrewed reflector light carnt get your pic mate.

got your pic this is like the one we had

I was told one of my great grandfathers had a garage some where on the wirral that also had a taxi service, but it all came to an end with the start of the first world war. about 25 years ago i was told by an old family friend that the building was still there although it had not been used as a garage since the 1940's, i think i was told the building was in Heswall or Neston, pity i did'nt ask more questions when people where alive to answer them !.

I remember National garage in Heswall, the petrol always seemed to have a strange smell compared to the fuel other garages sold !.

i remember the old garage on rock lane west next to the bt comms exchange in rock ferry,when i was a kid the gypsies moved on to the site for a while and when they went they left behind a reliant van.me an my best mate spent hour playin in that thing!

excellent topic guys thanks.. keep them comein.

The oldest garage i know is Robbs garage, Claremount Rd, Wallasey. Know Graham and his son Tony realy well. Garage was started by Grahams dad in 1932 and its still trading. Graham works there still, refuses to retire and now passed onto Tony. They are Auto Transmission specialists, but also do servicing! Graham is an MG nut, got a few in his old showroom built onto the garage!!

anyone got a old photo of the one that was on seavew road were "shit fit" is now?? dont know what it was called.

please...

LOCK,MICHAEL J,(RETAIL) LTD was at 83/85 Seaview Road, went bust 1992, does that help you remember the name of the garage?

Anyone have a pic of Fountain garage?
Used to be on Rake lane, Wallasey (had a shady reputation)

The garage on Seaview Rd where QFit is was called Star Motors
Vauxhall Main Dealer until late eighties sorry no photo

Dave

Star Motors, thats the one dava thanks.

What was the BMC on Woodchurch Road Prenton - where Kwik Fit and the empty petrol station are...?

Cowie Kirby was where Sainsburys car park is, but can't remember the name of the other dealer.

There was a small clock tower on the building - I seem to recall.

Atlantic Garage Moreton! A blast from the past. I recall going to the cottage to the right and an old lady would come out and serve petrol. Sometimes the pumps would not be working and petrol was decanted from 2 gallon cans kept in the cellar or pit.

and here's a pic I took a week ago.

Over the road from my mate Mike's house.

Is that your picture uptoncx? That's Bonsall Village in Derbyshire. Spent a large proportion of the 70's and 80's in that village. My Auntie and Uncle and one of my cousins still live there.

Google Maps

Yes, it is my picture. In fact, that's me at the top of the steps. We were on the way to (or from) Matlock Bath at the time.

One on the left. Haven't a clue what it was but can remember playing with the old hand petrol pump in the 50's.

There used to be Jervis's garage behind 86-90 seaview road many years ago. We have some pictures somewhere. My family took over "Wood's" of Wallasey in 1986 to become Pumfords, 86-90 Seaview Road.
Cheers Chris.

It was the Palace cinema, the Lyceum was in New Ferry

Just discovered this old thread and wondered if the Jervis referred to was Les Jervis as he and my father were great friends. They had a lot to do with the Wallasey Motor Club and motor bikes. My father had a Velocette and won lots of Trials. Also another garage nobody mentioned was Pinningtons in Rake Lane. Dad used to garage his car there every night and walk down to Dalmorton Rd. Think it was owned by Bill Pinnington and his brother.
Does anyone remember this?

Anyone remember Wallasey Service Station (the Esso garage, next door to the Farmers Arms in Wallasey Village)? Long gone, now, of course...

I remember when Eric Grindrod was manager & he lived in Leasowe Road. Before it was built Ronny Ward had a wooden place there. He used to race motor bikes & later bought Tha Tavern from Jim McCulloch.

Eric Grindrod - oh yes.. he was such a lovely person. I remember him living in Cliff Rd though? Such a long time ago now, I was in my teens... used to work there, pumping gas at nights a couple nights a week, and helping out in the service bays at weekends... hate to think how much brake dust we used to breathe in, back then... I remember at that time he drove a light blue Ford Corsair V-4, then later, a Ford Cortina 1600E... lovely cars and boy, did he look after them! Real 'old school' mechanic, he was. Kept the old red Bedford tow-truck just off the forecourt, behind the jet wash machine, it only came out when they needed to use its winch, to lift an engine out...!

CVCVCV,

Do you remember my Dad's Austin A40 Somerset that he used to park there at nights or my yellow "Thermalon" J2 van?

I remember Cockletons garage and petrol station in Victoria Road, Tranmere, back in the early 50's located to the left of the Alexander Hotel.

Can't say I do, might be before my time there...?

It was the Palace cinema

Does anyone remember the Bidston Motor Company? I think it was in Lingdale Road, Claughton. I know that my great uncle George Edgar Davies had this at one time. I am trying to trace any of his descendants. Can anyone help please with a photo of the garage or contact for descendants?
Thanks
Cheshirelassy

I remember the garage my mother used to have her Morris Minor serviced there in the 50's. As I recall the workshop was in Lingdale Rd and the petrol forecourt on the main road. National I think 4/6d a gallon !!
They were very good at callouts as my mother was hopeless with cars !!

Jim Mculloch's name often pops up.I remember he used to be a
milkman (Express Dairies perhaps) in the early '60s,he delivered our milk.He used an electric hand controlled float,rumour had it he didn't use the
power when in training!

A couple more from the 1960s:

The Super Garage, Moreton



and Hamilton Square Service Station

In the second picture, some greedy b**ger has eaten the HAM. Garage is still there though.
http://binged.it/Jdy1ka

What about the garage that used to be behind the Derby Arms in Nelson rd Rock ferry.The sign outside said Automobile & Aeronautical Engineers and inside were bits of old aircraft and propellers on the walls.It was run by an old guy called Sid Hughes a his Brother.This was about 1950.

I wonder if Sid Hughes mentioned in the previous post was anything to do with the garage in Woodchurch Road, Prenton in the 1950's and 1960's ? Before it was called Kirbys, it was Hughes & Watts - Automobile & Aeronautical Engineers ! Near the junction of Woodchurch Road and Duck Pond Lane.

Just noticed there are pics of the above on page 1.

My dad bought a 3ltr ford capri from palace motors circa 1976,a week later the engine blu up!

Robbs garage was in Oxton Road in the 1940s/50s as an agent for Bond 3 wheelers, on the corner of Midland Street (or maybe Carlisle St.) I lived in Mornington St which was the next one up Oxton Rd, When I bought a Bond myself in the 60s, Robbs were in Wallasey then, I used to buy "bonnet hinges" from them, a notorious weak point on the car, amongst others.

Just had a look at an old map on the site (1889) Carlisle St was then called Peel St (anybody know why the name was changed and when?) anyway, Robbs Garage was on the corner of Oxton Rd and Carlisle St.

There was a garage in Grange Road West directly opposite the top of Merton Place, I think they only did repairs, knocked down in the early 70s and a row of houses built in it's place, I have no idea what it was called. Any ideas? (it might even have been a row of lock-up garages being used as business premises)

Some more garages spring to mind,
Claude Clark's garage opposite the Library in Borough Road, he used to have a 1938 Norton "International" motorcycle under a dust sheet in the garage at the back, a Birthday present from his Father before the War, he refused numerous offers to sell it.
Gates' Garage in Huskisson Street by St John's Church, I used to go there for MOTs in the late 60s.
Sadly I don't have pictures of either of them. Just the memories of nice people.

Going back to star motors, in the 1970s they had a tiled gold fish pool smack in the middle of the show room.

I was born in the house attached to Roberts' Garage.The house and Garage were built by my grandfather, Robert Alfred Roberts, (Alf). He started out in Bromborough Village, near the cross, as a cycle repairer and put in a petrol pump there. When cars started to become more popular, a local landowner, Sir William Forward? Invested in him and Roberts' Garage was born! Sadly no longer there.

Re: Roberts' Garage - here's a pic (and your house?):
Welcome to Wiki BTW!

Me and my friends used to play in the scrapyard behind the office/workshop,great fun but the P.C brigade would have a heart attack if we did that these day's