Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral Now and Then Donkey Town

my dad bought a second-hand book and a lose piece of paper fell out that someone had typed with the title DONKEY TOWN
it may jog some peoples memories

DONKEY TOWN

Do you remember donkey town?
or was it just Tranmere to you,
to me it holds so many memories
I'll try to portray just a few.

old Chester road, from St. Paul's to Green lane,
was once a bustling scene,
Warrington's donkeys pulled stick carts,
and Butterworth's made good ice cream.

Scullions the sweet shop right opposite St. Luke's,
did a roaring trade after school,
a tom cat stretched out on the counter,
Mrs scullion flopped on a stool.

But oh what a place to spend halfpenny's.
for that was our limited spends,
bon bons and Lucusts and tiger nuts,
and liquorice pipes with red ends.

Bentleys the pawn shop was much in demand,
open each day except Sunday,
if bundles came out for the weekend, you could bet they went back on a Monday.

Now old Mary Emma sold bloaters and kippers,
Salifish, parsley and sage,
and Grandad bought shirt fronts from Abraham's,
for collarless shirts were the rage.

If you walked along Peel street, you'd see Randle Hall,
the place where we all used to meet,
if you didn't miss Sunday school all through the year,
you could go on the annual treat.

we held everything there from a grand Christmas fair,
to the scripture exams and odd dance,
and the girls couldn't wait to have their first date,
when the choir boys went into long pants

the Salvation Army in Oriel road,
had the best that we'd ever heard,
and oh what a treat as we sang in the street,
"Rock of Ages" and meant every word.

the old coliseum was packed every night,
two films then a cartoon and news,
but we were content, thought our tuppence well spent,
as we stood in the matinee queues.

As the years have rolled by with a tear in my eye,
I look down as I pass on the train,
I see all the places I once loved have gone,
but Tranmere has risen again.

And I hope that the folks in new houses and flats,
will know what good neighbours are for,
and help on another as we used to do,
in "The Old Donkey Town" days of yore.

Good find that Rocks, a pleasant little ditty mourning the lost past. I'm sure somebody will remember those.

That is so lovely Rocks. Something to be treasured.

just spotted the post, remember lots of the things as i was born and brought up in Peel St from 1940 till we left in 1954 but still continued knocking round with my mates down there till mid 1955. St Pauls mission house in St Pauls Road is I think still going. Went to Sunday school there as a kid. The salvation army hall moved many years ago from the bottom of Orial Rd to its current meeting hall on Old Chester Rd almost opposit the bottom of Downham Rd. The Coly picure house a tanner on Sat afternoon {6pence in old money to those who dont know what a tanner is}