After they pulled down a lot of the River Streets there is one house that still stands occupied.

Does anyone know the story behind that? How come all the other houses are gone and this one is allowed to stay?

His name is Charlie Wright. He once owned the Rivers Street Community Centre (or still does) and he won't move because he believes the developers have destroyed the community.

Thanks for that Paul. How come he wasn't forced to move? I thought compulsory purchase meant you have to go if they say?

They can't force compulsory purchase unless they have definite plans as to what is replacing it, which in this case, they didn't.

And there have been a few battles over it but Charlie won every time (apart from his sloping flag which he had to take down and now he has flags at front and back correctly aligned)

meet Charlie a few times top bloke!

I bet he is. I always smile when I head up Beaufort Road and see his house. Thanks for the info.

Good on him
I cant believe he's held out this long.
Which street was the one filmed in the eighties documentary.
Something like only three people in the street had jobs.
It was around there somwhere.

Yep Charlie he used to be some sort of union rep so he knows his rights lol
My friend knocked at his house to see if he wanted to change his gas and electric supplier

I thought they were going to use that area for the super police station that the Liebour goverment had planned, supposidly to save money but mainly to house you until you payed up for not having your id card with you.

Thankfully it never came off, but never can be a short or very long time.

I think it was Tees Street that was filmed in the Eighties documentary

Charlie is a top bloke. I made a short documentary film about housing 'regeneration' on Merseyside and Charlie kindly agreed to tell his story. You can see it on Vimeo - An Englishman's Home

Thankyou and welcome sir

Tees Street

Thanks johnnyp, I just watched what a brill documentary and yes Charlie is a top bloke....I was thinking of the world in action documentaries my mistake..

Excellent documentary. Thank you for sharing that Johnnyp
Top quality film

Cheers

Donno the world in action documentary can be found on here.. The World in Action was Tees Street isnt working... The videos can be found here:

https://www.wikiwirral.co.uk/forums...eal_old_videos_of_wirral.html#Post167286

Just seen this Thanks. I was brought up in Tees Street. It was a good place back then...

Wow donno, it really is a small world, I lived in Tees Street from 1958 until 1994 when they decided to pull it down. In fact, I appeared in the 1985 TV Eye documentary "Tees Street Isn't Working". I have some great childhood memories of Teeog (as we used to call it). I can even remember the fights with sticks and stones, we used to have with the Ilchester Square mob but no idea what they were over! But mostly they were good memories. It annoys me that the Council, in their infinite wisdom, decided to turn it into a cark park! I tell you, mate, if someone built a time machine and offered me a one way ticket back to my childhood on Tees Street, I'd accept it in a heartbeat!

However, getting back to Charlie Wright, I admire the guy for sticking it out this long. I call his house "The Little House on the Prairie".

Yes Dave2745. I'd go back to "teeog" (as we also called it that too) any day. It was a street were everyone watched out for each other and looked after each other. If i came home from school and no one was home i could easily let my self in. If i couldn't be bothered walking round back to the open back door (every one left theres open). I just put my arm through letter box and key was there hanging on string (same as most homes in the street). We moved there about 1973 and left just after the TV eye documentary.

I'm guessing you lived down bottom end nearer murphys. I was top end by green box.

I parked on that car park last week and tried to park on exact spot were my house used to be Lol.

Charlie was and still is a legend.

Charlie wright might not be on his own much longer https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/man-last-house-standing-birkenhead-16328828

Planning permission has been put in to demolish the supporting empty houses either side of Charlie Wright's and make good his house https://planning.wirral.gov.uk/onli...WIRRA_DCAPR_106625&activeTab=summary in advance of them building new houses around him.

Workers were there today.

How long have those properties been standing empty for?

2001 I think, only 18 years but seems longer, the other side of the road was knocked down earlier, around 1995.

Thanks DD.