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

Hmmm, Betty Turnip... are we the same age I wonder? Maybe we know one another from Prenton High. If you don't want to put your real name on here send me a private message perhaps?
My name back then was Liz Owen, I was, and still am friends with Rachel Herron & Denise Sharman ( I know Denise went to Well Lane school so maybe you know her too? )

Cheers granny, great site.

Here's one of old Birkenhead photo's. Just type in a different town name in the search option and you'll find other old pics of Wirral.

http://www.francisfrith.com/birkenhead/photos/

Hi guys, I just went to the FrancisFirth site and when I saw the photo of the Central Library(1962) it reminded of when I worked for the council. We were sent down there to clear the snow from around the bust stops, we shovelled it into the gutter and it was about 5 feet high. We had to cut doorways in so people could get on/off the buses. Welington boots with newspaper wrapped around your feet.
As a kid with newspaper in your shoes to stop the rain getting in because of the holes in my shoes. Do you still have little Hovis loaves?? What about going and buying a loaf of bread or half a loaf and they would cut it while you waited. Outside toilets with grat holes in the door so the rain and snow could get in, no wonder I had constipation problems. Magic days, maybe for memories but not for living again.

There are some really interesting pics on Francis Frith site. Thanks Geekeus.
He was an amazing man and he did so much travelling all over the world. What a life eh?

Mindplayer, 1962 was that really bad winter for weather and freezing conditions that went on for weeks. Frozen toes in wellington boots, I remember it well.Ones toes would ache for ages after taking the wellingtons off.
We can get similar to those little Hovis loaves,they may be Hovis, I'm not sure, but things are so bad here they have brought back the 'half a loaf' although already sliced.

I was thinking today(quite hard at times),about Sunday dinners. If we had a piece of beef, which we can't afford anymore, it would be spread out to last. Roast on Sunday of which the slices were paper thin, cold on Monday, minced on Tuesday and curried on Wednesday. Chicken was a luxury I think and usually only at Easter.I can't remember the rest of the week but cheese pie appeared quite often and hot pot. There was always loads of homemade soups too. It was like a blinking soup kitchen at times, onion soup, pea soup, cabbage soup any old soup that stunk to high heaven. Would have been fine in a famine. Everythng was homemade then, rice pudding, apple pies, bread and butter pudding, spotted dick, apple charlotte, tapioca pudding, suet pudding,loads and I suppose mostly really bad for us,but the stodge kept us warm.(if that makes sense) I can remember eating tins of
condensed milk which probably gave energy. Can't look at it now!

Sadly we can't afford Bert's lamb chops anymore either, nor the fat. In fact we're going back to the bread and dripping Cathcart spoke about. It sounds as if you are still eating well despite the oost!

It's all so depressing over here now you know. No sunshine summers, no money, no jobs, no food, no heat, no pensions. I'm off and I might not be back!

Sorry to hear about that. I was home about a month ago(after 42 years) and was dissapointed with downtown Birkenhead but everything was how I remember it. My mum was a cook at a girls home in Oxton back in about '58 or so. The girls were from France and I think Belgium displaced by the war so the would have been about 14 or 15 years old. Anyway my mum was allowed some meat from the kitchens so we didn't do too bad.

@granny. Your last sentence sounds a bit grim. I hope it's not intended to be taken as "I'm going outside and I may be some time". Please don't do a Capt.Oats on us !!


This has been one of the better threads on wiki of late. So many contributions trigger memories from way back. OK the rose coloured specs sketch rears it's head I'm sure, but I look back at quality times.

Things ain't that bad now really. I'm in a bit of a dilemma at the moment... do I continue huddling over this candle to try and keep warm, or do I eat it ? Can't do both!

On that happy note.........

Poor Granny, no food, no pension, suffering from hypothermia, holes in her shoes and no arse in her pants recording her Captain Oats moment on a laptop, that's technology for you, whatever happened to saying goodbye on the back of a Woodbine packet.



crying uncontrollably

And her memory is going. It was 1963 the very severe winter. Snow started on Boxing day and went on and on and on. All water pipes froze and we had stand pipes in the street to get water from. We quite enjoyed a lot of it, especially diving into snow drifts which were eight feet deep on the tower hill. That's New Brighton btw.

...you've got a candle? A whole candle?? Well, that's your Christmas sorted.

Is he bloody showing off again...

Reminds me of the old Music Hall song about roast beef.

Hot on Sunday
Cold on Monday
Tuesday and Wednesday too
We eat it up as Irish stew.

What gives the p'liceman
The strength to blow his whistle?
It's the little bit of fat
And the little bit of gristle
Of the roast beef of Old England
That makes us what we are today.

A bit before our time, but...

Christmas in Birkenhead (as reported in the Birkenhead & Cheshire Advertiser, January 1, 1887) : -

'Christmas was observed in the orthodox fashion by the residents of Birkenhead, all the shops being closed and business entirely suspended. The weather was fine, and during the forenoon a good many people took advantage of the opportunity to have a walk in the park and country lanes adjoining the town. In the afternoon several of the local football clubs played matches, and attracted large gatherings of spectators, the proceeds from the gates being devoted to charitable purposes. At the Theatre Royal, Argyle street, a most enjoyable concert in aid of the poor of the borough was given in the evening by members of the English Opera Company, who were to commence a week's engagement on Monday. The programme of the concert consisted of selections from several of the oratorios and other high-class sacred pieces. There was a large audience, and the concert was much appreciated. On Christmas night the streets were remarkably quiet, family and social parties being the prevailing order of things.

Although charity was not carried to the same extent as last year, when more distress existed among the working men of the town, there was nevertheless a great deal done on Christmas Day to provide a good seasonable dinner to a large number of people who might otherwise have failed to receive any good cheer which the festive season is supposed to bring in its train. In addition to the hot-pots and other Christmas treats referred to below, Messrs.Laird Brothers, of the Birkenhead Ironworks, as previously stated in our columns, gave their annual donation of £100 to to be utilized by the clergymen and ministers of the town in producing food or clothing for the poor.

At Mr.Charles Thompson's Mission Hall in Price street, Christmas was never more enjoyed by the large band of willing workers and the little ones under their care. The various rooms of the Mission Hall were profusely decorated with evergreens and a hugh Christmas tree, kindly sent by Mr.Shaw, of Arrowe Hall, was laden on every bough with toys and presents for the boys and girls. Provision was made in the several rooms for about 600 children to receive a substantial dinner of hotpot and plum pudding. Among those who assisted in the large hall, where the elder children were assembled, were Mr. and Mrs.Woodhouse, Mrs.Walker, Mrs.Tinker, Mrs.Whinton, Miss Yeo, Miss Healey, Miss Massey, Miss Hughes, Miss L.Waterhouse, Miss Smith, Mr.May, & c. Another room was set apart for over 300 children under six years of age, who were under the care of Mr.R.K.Aspinall, Mr.Maycock, Mr.Newall, Miss Richardson, Miss Hill, the Misses Reid, Misses L and A.Thompson, and others. In another apartment, a number of big boys were attended to by Mr.J.Walker, and in the lecture-room seventy of the choir girls were under the care of Mrs.Brandreth and others. Mr Thompson himself was here, there, and everywhere, with a kindly smile and an encouraging word, for all with whom he came in contact. After dinner several hymns were sung, and the the children were otherwise entertained. Mr.Thompson well merits the help he solicits to enable him to carry on his good work...

As a result of a concert given on December 10th inst., by the choir of Christ Church, Claughton, 130 hot-pots were on Christmas Day distributed to as many poor families, chiefly resident in the parishes of St.Mary, St.Paul, Holy Trinity, and St.Michael. The distribution of the tickets was entrusted to the incumbents of these churches. The hot-pots were prepared at Berry's Grand Restaurant, in Argyle street, there being sufficient in each to provide a substantial dinner for a family of six persons...

At the Workhouse in Higher Tranmere the customary Christmas dinner of roast beef and plum pudding was given to the inmates, many of whom for the time being forgot their unfortunate circumstances and enjoyed themselves heartily at the festive board. The dining-hall, which was gaily decorated with evergreens and festoons of bright-coloured paper, presented an animated appearance during the progress of the dinner. There were seated in it about 520 adult inmates and 30 children. During dinner a supply of excellent beer, kindly sent by Mr.H.L.Ross, brewer, a member of the Board of Guardians, was served out and keenly relished by those who partook of it; and after dinner there was an allowance of tobacco, snuff and fruit. The children in the workhouse schools, to the number of 236, had dinner of roast beef and plum pudding served in their own dinning-room, which was also decorated...'


The report continues, with details of many other charitable acts, including the feeding of may hundreds of street children at the Queens Hall, in Claughton Road (some 900 boys one evening, and an equal number of girls another night). The extent of poverty in Birkenhead alone, was quite terrible.

Perhaps some things have changed for the better, after all.

Disgusting, all done so the upper echelon could sleep at night for another year.

Thompsons Mission was an all year round thing Bert and I can remember myself and many others going there (Hemingford St) in
the 1950s.(Christmas time all the kids got a box of donated toys)
It is still there but I'm not sure what is done there nowadays
possibly supplying meals for homeless persons?

I know it was an all year round mission and thank god it was and thankfully there was benevolent people like Charles Thompson who devoted their time to help the needy, the majority who thought the poor and needy needed charity at Christmas put them and kept the in that position in the first place.