WikiWirral is where great friendships are made.
Forum Statistics
Forums65
Topics76,526
Posts1,034,283
Members14,983
Most Online121,890
Sep 24th, 2025
Who's Online Now
4 members (1 invisible), 10,488 guests, and 582 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters
sunnyside 45,164
MattLFC 22,315
Mark 21,269
granny 17,811
_Ste_ 16,347
Newest Members
dancer40, lod1999, Beto9, AMBTAYLOR, Gmurphy1892
14,983 Registered Users
New General Forums
New Wirral History
39 Beresford 63 to 65 Bentinck Street
by derekdwc - 3rd Jul 2014 8:34pm
Tranmere Water Tower
by homeraway - 17th Dec 2012 11:24am
Wallasey bus accident 1950s
by nightwalker - 5th Nov 2010 12:37pm
141 Royal Hotel (Dolphin Hotel )
by Mark - 29th Dec 2008 3:09pm
Top Posters(30 Days)
bert1 2
Reno2 1
Topic Replies
Tranmere Water Tower
by Gmurphy1892 - 19th Mar 2026 6:34pm
Wallasey bus accident 1950s
by bert1 - 19th Mar 2026 3:52pm
Reliable Recomended Builder Required
by Reno2 - 18th Mar 2026 7:38pm
141 Royal Hotel (Dolphin Hotel )
by diggingdeeper - 10th Mar 2026 12:42pm
History of Ness (NOT the gardens!).
by gregory66 - 1st Mar 2026 8:57am
39 Beresford 63 to 65 Bentinck Street
by bert1 - 25th Feb 2026 9:07am
March
M T W T F S S
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31
Top Likes Received (30 Days)
Top Likes Received
bert1 29
Mark 4
casper 4
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#484960 13th Mar 2011 8:22pm
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 117
Enthusiast
OP Offline
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 117
Can remember back in 1958,winter time looking out of window of 7 union terrace,The travellers rest new brighton,perch rock lighthouse,low water, trundling across rocks,was team of four shire horses ,towing a big wagon,no school for me today,i was eleven years of age,went down to the base of lighthouse,and there were four men rigging block and tackle,on the wagon were these large bottles of acetylene which were used to fuel the light house,remember the name of the haulage company written down the side,AV CRUTCLEY BIRKENHEAD.

Google Ads
P
PaulWirral
Unregistered
PaulWirral
Unregistered
P
...nice memories.

Joined: May 2010
Posts: 887
Wise One
Offline
Wise One
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 887
Originally Posted by parkgater
Can remember back in 1958,winter time looking out of window of 7 union terrace,The travellers rest new brighton,perch rock lighthouse,low water, trundling across rocks,was team of four shire horses ,towing a big wagon,no school for me today,i was eleven years of age,went down to the base of lighthouse,and there were four men rigging block and tackle,on the wagon were these large bottles of acetylene which were used to fuel the light house,remember the name of the haulage company written down the side,AV CRUTCLEY BIRKENHEAD.


Not sure what that is all about but surely in 1958 the lighthouse was operated electrically and unmanned? Sure they weren't cutting up a wreck or something and why horses? AV Crutchley were a very big haulage firm based at Birkenhead docks if memory serves. To be honest sounds more like 1858 than 1958 although we did still have gas lights in our street at the time.

P
Pinzgauer
Unregistered
Pinzgauer
Unregistered
P
Acetylene was still used in some remote/unmanned lights until until the '70's. Ditto navigation buoys. The lamps on the buoys and some lighthouses were made by AGA of Sweden (?).

The buoy cylinders were massive affairs, nothing like the oxy/acet stuff in garages. The size of the ones on rock lights varied. Generally lasted a year before needing recharging/changing.

I was on the lights for a few years in the early '70's. A way of life now sadly gone.

#485265 14th Mar 2011 10:15am
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 117
Enthusiast
OP Offline
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 117
i think if more people had gone down to the shore line in the 50s winters they would have noticed how difficult it was to gain access to lighthouse perch rock, lorries get stuck horses dont.

P
Pinzgauer
Unregistered
Pinzgauer
Unregistered
P
Horses ... the first 4x4 ???

P
Pinzgauer
Unregistered
Pinzgauer
Unregistered
P
The post mentioning AGA acetylene lights earlier got the brain cells on the move. I had often wondered if AGA navigation lights were the same firm as AGA cookers. Yes, one and the same. Swedish origin. Also wondered what AGA actually stood for. Well, here's some useless information .... the name AGA is short for the manufacturers:-

Aktiebolaget Gas Akkummulator

How that rolls off the tongue eh ?

Tea won't be long dear. I've just popped it in the Aktiebolaget Gas Akkummulator !!!

Last edited by Pinzgauer; 15th Mar 2011 4:02pm. Reason: Swedish spelling !!

Moderated by  Mod 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Random Wirral Images

Click to View Topic.
Newest Topics
Reliable Recomended Builder Required
by Reno2 - 18th Mar 2026 7:38pm
39 Beresford 63 to 65 Bentinck Street
by derekdwc - 3rd Jul 2014 8:34pm
Tranmere Water Tower
by homeraway - 17th Dec 2012 11:24am
Wallasey bus accident 1950s
by nightwalker - 5th Nov 2010 12:37pm
History of Ness (NOT the gardens!).
by johnnie - 7th Mar 2010 11:59pm
For Sale & Free
Member Spotlight
eggandchips
eggandchips
wallasey
Posts: 2,695
Joined: November 2011
Today's Birthdays
lansyp
New Wirral Info
Reliable Recomended Builder Required
by Reno2 - 18th Mar 2026 7:38pm
History of Ness (NOT the gardens!).
by johnnie - 7th Mar 2010 11:59pm
News : New Topics
New Enthusiast Forums
Popular Topics(Views)
10,800,344 CW Chat room thread
5,943,576 WIKI WALK CHAT
4,664,716 Spotted!
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5