Hollybank was seperate from the BI. Hollybank was a girls' school with a seperating wall and fence. We used to chat to them through the wire once we realised what girls were, nothing frenzied though like it is now, we weren't under the same pressure to be sexually active.
I THINK THEY KNOCKED DOWN PART OF THE OLD BUILDING, WHICH UNSAFE, AND THE MAIN BUILDING REMAINS A MOSQUE, AND THE EMPTY SPACE WILL BE A CAR PARK FOR WOODLANDS SCHOOL I THINK, WELL THATS WHAT I HERD.
I THINK THEY KNOCKED DOWN PART OF THE OLD BUILDING, WHICH UNSAFE, AND THE MAIN BUILDING REMAINS A MOSQUE, AND THE EMPTY SPACE WILL BE A CAR PARK FOR WOODLANDS SCHOOL I THINK, WELL THATS WHAT I HERD.
I'm losing it, the school was Beechcroft next door, not Hollybank. Suddenly came to me trying to figure out the angle of the photos, no wonder I couldn't quite figure it. Sorry fellahs, I'll put it down to being a soft arris.
Result of a google Music lessons on a Friday afternoon with Mr Shaw in the Gym, or in "Beechcroft" next door. (Beechcroft is still there today). click
Also by digging deeper on another site Beechcroft is being knocked down , along with the small gym beside it to make way for a car park.
I've tried to look up the history of this building before without much luck.
I presume that it is only the front modern extension that is being knocked down and not the old yellow sandstone building behind.
In 1938 it was part of the "Educational Settlement Association" which was a group of 29 adult colleges.
After WW2 it was incorporated into the Birkenhead Institute next door and used for music classes as well as other functions.
It has been called Beechcroft Hall and Beechcroft theatre in various references since.
Other uses it has had include:-
Birkenhead Girls Junior Instruction Centre Youth centre Beechcroft Training Beechcroft Business Centre National Union of Public Employees Unison (Union) Wirral Islamic Cultural Centre & Shahjalal Mosque
Dan's picture is taken from Whetstone Lane, and still looked like that yesterday, except that the carpark is now fully tarmac'd and lined out, so it should be safe to say that they are not going to build on it in the near future. Chris's top picture has to be taken from Hollybank Road, due to the angle of the sun and incline of the road, when all the surrounding buildings were still there. The lower picture is taken from Whetstone Lane and I always thought of it as the B.I., without attaching a name to the building. Obviously, it would have helped if I had.
The attached map is from the 1966 OS, which might help a bit. I'll try to find a larger one, but I can't do that at the moment.
