I am looking for old pics of Rock Ferry, in particular the shops along Old Chester Road. I remember the old Saunders Brothers Furniture shop, the offy on the corner of Southwick Road, the Cosmic television shop, the shops alongside the Co-op (Jade House chip shop, the old snooker/darts supplier etc.) and the large disused building that snaked around the corner of Old Chester Road and St. Paul's opposite the Fairfield (not to mention Tina's barbers where the Mazin Pizza is now!)
Sounds like a strange request, but I'm on a nostaligia trip at the minute!!!
That "large disused building" was a book shop/book binders/printers and a taxi office.
Barbers Shop - Misc SecondHand VideoScope (Videos & Off Licence) = That's now a glass shop Chandlers = That's now a house Chip Shop - Chinese Takeaway Candy Box Newsagents - K & G News Lil's Open all Hours - BigaByte Mobiles GreenGrocers - Now a house Plush Brush - BigaByte Computers Sylvias Rainbow (Wool Shop) - Flats Upholstery - Flats
Sorry Doc but the bookbinders/printers was on Grove road. I had a friend who lived in the massive flat that was above/behind it. The taxi office is right and there was an electrical shop on the Old Chester road side.
I am looking for old pics of Rock Ferry, in particular the shops along Old Chester Road. I remember the old Saunders Brothers Furniture shop, the offy on the corner of Southwick Road, the Cosmic television shop, the shops alongside the Co-op (Jade House chip shop, the old snooker/darts supplier etc.) and the large disused building that snaked around the corner of Old Chester Road and St. Paul's opposite the Fairfield (not to mention Tina's barbers where the Mazin Pizza is now!)
Sounds like a strange request, but I'm on a nostaligia trip at the minute!!!
Hi on the corner of Crofton Rd, before Saunders was 'Wyburns' which sold fruit , veg an flowers, next to that was 'Audreys' baby shop-she sold everythin in there! had all kinds hangin up from the ceilin, an she never seemed to age! On the same block as the 'Fairfield' where nailbar is now was a launderette,for years, we used to take my mates washin there for her mum, an we used to eat a bag of chips in there while we were waitin!
Sorry Doc but the bookbinders/printers was on Grove road. I had a friend who lived in the massive flat that was above/behind it. The taxi office is right and there was an electrical shop on the Old Chester road side.
I thought that was the building he meant, the one where the Lidl is now, it used to have the old K6 red phone box in front of it. The taxi office WAS in that building, and then moved across the road (where they have the push button dialer in the wall for it now) before it was knocked down as well and Tranmere Urban Village was created.
The electrical shop, do you mean Winners DIY ? He had shop there originally and then got a new one when the Mazin Pizza block was built.
Some of us are old enough to remember Saunders back in the day when it was the Colleseum Picture House.! The block going round the corner of Old Chester Road into St Pauls Road was a big Co-op Shop. with 2 floors of meeting rooms and offices above . This was in the 1950s and 60s. Then it became mostly occupied by Fisher Audio Visual in the 1980s. I have photos of all the shops you mention but do not know how to put them on this site !! BUT please remember places like Wyburns and Saunders etc etc were never in Rock Ferry . That area was always Lower Tranmere . Rock Ferry finished on the other side of St Pauls Rd where Lidl shop is now. Our stupid Council Officers do not know where Rock Ferry ends and Tranmere starts!!
You also had the likes of Gellvears- used to get our sweets from there on the way to school, Charlies (sweetshop), Cunnighams chippy,think it was Healy the dentists, Sayers was next to the butchers too !!
The electrical shop, do you mean Winners DIY ? He had shop there originally and then got a new one when the Mazin Pizza block was built.
No it sold Tv's Stereos and other high end electricals. I just can't remember the name of it. Weren't Winners further down on the same side they are now? If I recall correctly wasn't it called Ricky's DIY
I think you means Fishers Audio Visual, big shop, strange windows and looked completely out of place amongst all the other shops.
Pretty sure it was Winners, but I'll give Steve (who owns it) a call on Monday and check, I know when he was telling me about how he had the previous place because it affected how he got the new building.
Hmm the end of my post appears to be missing. I meant wasn't Winners called Ricky's previously. I think you're right with Fishers I remember the tall, narrow windows.
I remember a murder took place in the doorway by the old printers in the early 70's, someone was stabbed to death. I was brought up in Rock ferry and remember going into the chandlers getting Blue paraffin from the machine inside, loved the smell of that place.
BUT please remember places like Wyburns and Saunders etc etc were never in Rock Ferry . That area was always Lower Tranmere . Rock Ferry finished on the other side of St Pauls Rd where Lidl shop is now. Our stupid Council Officers do not know where Rock Ferry ends and Tranmere starts!!
I had the same problem until I got into family history. My grandparents and parents always spoke as if they lived in Rock Ferry but lived in 60 Mersey Road which was in Lower Tranmere. I suppose most of their shopping, etc., was done in Bedford Road and New Chester Road, Rock Ferry, so I think I understand their attachment to that part of RF and also the ferry. The houses in Mersey Road bore some resemblance to the up-market architect designs of Rock Park. I'd love to know the connection. They had the same river view but from Lower Tranmere!
Funny; I would have thought that 60 Mersey Rd. was in Rock Ferry. I remember as a child, we lived in Ben Nevis Rd. which was in Tranmere (well, Higher Tranmere), but my mother always claimed it was Prenton: posher.
The tithe map of 1843, when this area was starting to be developed, shows the boundary just South of the road. The Godfrey map of 1899 calls it South Tranmere.
