Thanks so much for the help. I'm doing a new book, Now and Then style. I would have had to ditch this shot if I couldn't get any info but now it's deffo. going in
just wondering dan iff youre doing a book have you any pictures of the old cathcart street school and the adelphi street,marion street areas. good luck with the book.
dd is right in saying that the building in the photo is the old Birkenhead Poor Law Union Offices on the corner of Conway Street and Argyle Street. Designed by the firm of Edmund Kirby & Sons of Cook Street, Liverpool, they were built between 1901-1905 at a cost of £18,380. They replaced the original Union Offices in Hampton House, on the corner of Oliver Street and Hampton Street (for piccy clicky). As well as the Poor Law Offices the building also housed the Registrar of Births, Marriages & Deaths. There was a rear entrance in Oliver Street - not Hinson Street - which gave access to the Relief Office, where the impoverished went to collect their handouts. After 1930, when the Poor Law Union was abolished, the building became the home of the Public Assistance Committee.
The offices were badly damaged during the Blitz, both on the night of 26/27 September 1940, during the raid that accounted for the Argyle Theatre, and on 1/2 October, when the Argyle Hotel and Old Post Office Hotel were hit. After the War, the roof was rebuilt, but without its distinctive pre-War cupola. Officially known as the Municipal Offices with an address of 3 Conway Street, the building housed a number of Council Departments during the post-War period, including, I believe, those of the Borough Surveyor & Engineer. It was eventually demolished in early September 1967 to make way for the late-unlamented Conway Street Flyover, an unnecessary eyesore that deservedly later met the same fate.
The photos below show the building in its original state and as rebuilt after the War, whilst the last three show the demolition work underway in 1967.
Excellent info and fantastic pictures Marty. Makes me so mad to see the destruction of our history and heritage. For a fooking short lived flyover for god's sake.
My Dad has just looked at this photo, he says it Birkenhead Registry Office (births/deaths, etc) at the corner of Argyle Street and Conway Street next to the main Post Office.
The snooker hall was above Derwent House furniture store.
Should be in the Street Furniture section really, but couldn't help noticing the rubber mats/strips in the road surface. The pic with the demolition guy standing in the road.
A very early set, probably made by A.T.M. L'pool. There are two separate pads to allow for the tram rails. The short pad sat twixt the rails.
When traffic was quiet, you could stamp on the pads and make the lights change! Not me you understand - I was a good little lad (?)
Jumping up and down on the rubber road pads to change the traffic lights was an enjoyable, if risky, little game when we were kids. But I remember one day in the early 60s when a policeman actually asked us to do it. He was testing the lights and the controls must have been faulty - so he recruited a bunch of us who were hanging round nearby, instructing us when to jump on the pads. Honest, m'lud, that's what happened.
