Childhood in the village I lived in Lycett Road from 1955 to 1981, what a change! Mostly the quietness at night, no cars or buses, no people. The street lights went out at midnight. The building on the right was Woods, something to do with cars, behind that was waste land till "Grower" Jones, a kind of home grown veggie shop, then nothing till Big Yard with its pig farm, a builders called H.H.Woods, then about two old cottages, then Hoyland and Garners and an old Anderson shelter, then a big house on the corner of Sandy Lane. Back to the roundabout and on the other side was a block of new shops, I think Timpsons was first, then Taskers, then a paint shop, opened by "Len Fairclough", can't remember the next two but then there was Jack and Jills, then an entry, then Macaneenys? Dewhursts, R and A wool shop, Johnny Grahame's, Thomas's then Berties, then Beechwood Ave, Rushtons, Howards, Quails and Joynsons. The rest was Sparks market gardens till the Esso station then The Farmers Arms, then the Phoenix. I may have some things wrong here so put me right by all means. I remember Saturdays lasting forever, standing outside the shop on the corner of Perrin Road, window shopping for toys, Zeta planes from Clarks (Tony's) and fish and chips from "fish Charlies chips", Ladybird school clothes from Fayes.. Matchbox toys from the Railway shop on Leasowe Road and the best steak pies on earth from Goodes. After the M53 came along it all seemed to change, it got busier and more built up and less.....COUNTRYFIED!! oo arr!!
Stone cottages on corner of Sandy Lane & Wallasey Village where a George Chatterton used to live. Next door, heading to Leasowe Rd was Strongs dairy. Next door, a bombed site with a "Anderson" shelter where we used to play, till the miserable old bat Mrs Povall who owned the sweet shop opposite used to take our bikes. Ronnie Wood had a bike shop the "Cosmo" garage which became the Esso Station later. The bombed out cinema which became the Phoenix. The narrow section in the middle with a butchers shop & opposite was Yorks store where my gran used to buy her glass syphons of "Schwepps" soda water. It were all fields when I were a lad!!
That's what's going to be happening to the Folly Gut cottages by the way, the next door neighbour wanted more room.
Wow - I remember "The Bungalow" very well - when I was a kid, it was the home of the Roberts family. Used to go there w/ my elder brother to see his pal Eddie. The Dad of the family was Tom Roberts, he owned the Butchers, close to the Leasowe Rd reoundabout. The son (Eddie) used to race motorbikes, I remember him racing on the Prom few years on. Eddie'd been riding motorbikes almost all his life, I can remember him zooming up and down Broadway (testing!) on a racing Honda (I think it was - with no silencers!) - you could get away with stuff like that back then! Eddie also raced in the Isle of Man (TT) a few times. Ahhh the memories. The Bungalow had a super big garage around the back, I recall Tom Roberts had a "Maigret'-style Citroen, very unusual car, even then, with its dash-mounted gearshift and pump up and down 'air' suspension...!
5 Precepts of Buddhism seem appropriate. Refrain from taking life. Refrain from taking that which is not given. Refrain from misconduct. Refrain from lying. Refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness
...standing outside the shop on the corner of Perrin Road.
The sweet shop on the corner of Perrin Road was known as "Lucy's"... (about where the Drs is now but it jutted out further into the Village, I think?) and I also remember Williams' (grocers) at the far end of that block (near the Black Horse). There was a ladies clothes shop and a chandlers shop too on that block I think (?) but I can't remember the names. What year was it knocked down I wonder... Also I remember Scrugham's, across the other side of the road, Booths (sweets / papers?), and the Village Greens (Len Aggott...) I also remember Fayes, McEneany's etc (great bacon there, hand sliced on a Berkel slicer! Grocers never ever were quite the same again, after Tesco's came along...) not to mention the Village Hall - I remember the dances and being a blood donor there...
Yes indeed - amazing pictures. Thanks, love these I just wish I knew where you get them all from!!! Hoe there are more to come... Pity the visibilty wasn't too good but all those coal fires'll do that, I s'pose...!!!
