Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Was it really better ?

I believe that the produce from Wallasey's Market Gardens, especially those along Leasowe Road, had a reputation for having a naturally saltier taste (possibly because it was grown so close to the sea). Tomatoes would have been grown in greenhouses, of course, but maybe salt water still got into the soil.

With regards to carbolic soap and dangerous detergents, back in the 1960's we used to have a bloke in Wallasey that went around on a milk-float type of cart selling his homemade bleach and cleaning products. He used to ask you to keep empty milk bottles and pop bottles for him to refill with his concoctions.

Gosh yes, I remember those bottle of bleach. There were bottles for all sorts but off hand can't remember what. Was parafin kept in a bottle?

Did anyone have their mouth washed out with soap? Hopefully not carbolic !!

There was a bleach called something like tontah? Also some kind of red liquid was sold but I haven't a clue what it was. You just didn't drink it.

Quite a lot of kids used to earn money by working at the market gardens, weeding hoeing etc. A lot seem to have disappeared over the years and that is a shame.

My father often came home from the pub with loads of shrimps wrapped in newspaper. Not these tiny tubs they sell now (or do they?). H&S would have a fit if you did that now. Great fun shelling them although you got a bit fed up after a while.

I remember the vivid colour of some of those bleaches. One in particular was the colour of pink medicine (and was twice as thick when you poured it!).

Not sure if he sold parafin as well. Think we got ours from a local hardware shop that also sold bags of 'Trend'.

The bleach guy was a middle-aged bloke with a Clarke Gable moustache, and he always wore what looked like a tatty lab coat. I'm pretty sure he made the stuff himself.

As I remember it, paraffin was kept in a tin can with a spout to make it easy to fill your lamp; held about half a gallon.
These cans were often sold by the ironmongers where you bought the paraffin and had their name on.

Yes, they do still sell them; quite a luxury item now, potted shrimps, very expensive. I sometimes buy them from my local fishmonger in the market here. I think you can still get them at Parkgate. I remember many times at Parkgate, buying shrimps in the shell and peeling and eating them while watching the cricket there.

Whatever happened to the Pop man? You used to get discount if you gave your used bottles back. My faves were sarsaparilla and Dandelion & Burdock. Yum.

I have just congratulated myself for spelling sarsaparilla correctly without using a dickshunnery!! :-)

Yum yum shrimps from parkgate,as you say luxury nowadays trying to find fresh unpeeled.

Talking about shellfish-did anyone hear about the prawn who went to a disco-and pulled a mussel!!

A good source of income for impoverished kids was collecting pop bottles on the shore and taking them back for the deposit. I can't think why we don't still have a deposit on bottles. Would cure a massive litter problem or wouldn't kids be bothered these days? Seems to work okay in other countries and keeps the tramps or hobo's in America going. Their beer cans even have the return value stamped on the lids. Recycling at its best!

I remember the Alpine van doing the rounds in the 70s.

Haha i lived right opposite R Whites depot in Birkenhead,lots of kids used to climb over the large gates and borrow empty pop bottle's and take them round to reanie's shop on cleveland st,10p a bottle, easy pocket money!!

We still get a 'pop man' who knocks, once a week.

Talking about Alpine-has anyone ever seen that van with "Alpine Erections" on it? I think the guy who named his company Alpine Erections (it's a scaffolding company or summat) was either daft or had a great sense of humour (or both!!)