Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral Pubs Past & Present 97 Birkenhead Arms 144 Chester Street & Grange St

Sorry to go off topic, but what was the garage to the right of the Birkenhead Arms called "White Elephant" seems to be floating round in my head, But doesn't really sound right.

It was called the Queensway Garage.

Thanks Yoller (don't know where the Elephant name came from) I remember going in that garage late at night, in the early 60s and filling up my tank (500 AJS) (about 3 gallons, cost 12 shillings, 60p in new money) only to find I had not brought any money with me, they trusted me to call in next day with the money, which I did, wouldn't happen these days. ( I was an apprentice engineer at that time earning about £4 a week)Happy Days

Thanks Derek. It really is hard to tell whether that is the building shown at the bottom of the picture. Can't be far off! There are other good ones on. I won't go on about it further as it diverts the thread http://www.20thcenturyimages.co.uk/trolleyed/8/32/634/index.htm

I never heard the garage called the White Elephant, but I only knew it as a kid - we lived not far from there.

However, I can see how it might have got some such nickname, because it was a very unusual building. It was almost art deco style, with an impressive smooth white fascia - very futuristic for those days.

I don't know how old it was, but it was possibly built in the mid-1930s to cater for traffic using the newly-opened Mersey Tunnel. But I've seen another old picture somewhere which shows there was an earlier garage on the site.

Meanwhile, three gallons of petrol for 12 shillings? Those were the days!

Hello Yoller, I met an old friend today(older than me 77)who I hadn't seen for a long time, out of curiosity I asked him (without prompting) did he remember what this garage was called, he said the White Elephant, he remembered there being a wooden cut-out of an elephant on the forecourt, but didn't know why. I'll shut up now before I get told off for hijacking threads. Regards

Thanks for that, locomotive. Wasn't an elephant used in an advertising campaign for heating paraffin many moons ago? Garages used to sell paraffin in the old days, so perhaps that's where the nickname came from.

Just a further bit of information. I said the garage was called the Queensway Garage and that's the name I remember. But I've been looking at an old picture and I think I can see the name Watson on the sign on the front of the garage - possibly Watson and Co or Watson and Son.

I think there used to be a Watson's garage down by Hamilton Square Station, so maybe the garage on the tunnel was connected with that.