I have another request for any information/photos this time of New Brighton Coop - not the one at the top of Victoria road but about a third of the way down Victoria road on the right as you head down towards the prom. The post office was on the other side of the road only a little further away from the prom, and opposite was a really good record shop - reactor I think was the name. The reason I ask is I worked there in the early eighties and wonder if anyone has any memories of the place or the tea rooms above. Thanks for looking!
The images are the 1938 Directory and 1984 Telephone Book.
1938, Victoria Rd,
103, 105, 107,
Birkenhead District Coop Ltd, Stores & Café.
1984,
103, Grocer & Butcher
opposite was a good record shop - reactor I think was the name.
It was Reaction Records - a good little shop back in the day. It moved over to Hardman St, Liverpool in the 1990s. Unfortunately, this was when records were dying the death and it didn't last long.
That was it, yes - thanks for that! I remember the boss there (name sadly forgotten) used to give us discount in there as we were local traders. Nice bloke!
I remember going to a wedding reception in the late 40s which I think was over Victoria rd Coop. Was there a concert room above ?.
There was, it had room for 130 customers.
It's one of the two reasons I asked for any pictures/info really. I think it was on the site of where Bargain Booze is these days and around about 1980/1981 I was the manager there. One dinner hour (the shop closed for lunch then) I decided to see if any of the keys on the bunch in the safe fitted the door leading upstairs which was only accessible from the yard at the back and to my surprise I got in.
It was a very strange feeling going up into what was like a cafe as you I not help but get the feeling that it was as if they had only closed the door on the place minutes before. It was (I think) two floors and there were tables everywhere - still with yellow chequered tablecloths on, cutlery on the tables and even menus! There was also a large piano off to one side of the room. It's a bit of a regret now that I didn't go back the next day and take pictures and of course, it's all gone now!
The other regret about the place was whilst moving a freezer cabinet on the shopfloor one dinner hour I found a three-foot square trapdoor. Upon opening it I could see a set of steps leading down into the darkness and also a small gathering of very angry looking spiders. I really do wish now that I had had: A) A torch, and B) The guts to go down and have a look!
The boss in Reaction records was Rob. Sadly he died a good few years back, he was only in his forties.
It was a great shop, I used to go there on a Sunday.
Seem to remember the cafe above the Co-op became the Silver Slipper Restaurant, in 1967 I went to a wedding reception there.
Dave
Reaction Records, found this in my collection.
