Charing cross, Birkenhead 1960's

wow

Looks like there was a pretty grand building pulled
down to make way for maccies

Not saying Maccies pulled it down.

Good Work Joe

Yes, was a pub. Can't remember the name tho'

the pub was called The Grange:) hence the name Grange Shopping Centre. The shopping centre was named after the pub. The pub was engulfed in an electrical fire but im not 100% sure cause it was what somebody told me..

Thanks for that; figures I suppose, since it's on the corner of Grange Rd.

I seem to recall that the cylindrical lantern on the top of the lampost in the centre of Grange Road roundabout used to occasionally flash (red) on & off.

I was told at the time that when there was a fatal accident on the roads in B'head, the flashing lantern was switched on for 24hrs.

Can anyone confirm this ??

Can't say I've ever heard about that?

Interesting will ask my older generation

I beleive this is an older pic of Grange Road c.1905. 4 years after the building on the left was built. Soz about the quality!

Looking down Charing Cross in th 1920's.

Wow amazing pictures thanks for sharing

Note :
Note sure if you can, but after the scan if you re-size to
640 x ??? you get a clearer picture. Hope that helps

Its true about the light.When my mums little brother was killed by cammell lairds it was lit for him.

Yes that light which was an orange colour was on when there had been a road death. The coloum with the light on the top was there prior to the roundabout been built

I remember the Grange being knocked down. it was the end of the drinking fountain that was built in a wall. This was going down from the Grange, before you got to Back Oliver Street. The fountain I am sure was a pinky black colour?
Grew up around Charing Cross and have lots of good memories. Even getting the bus from there to Elmswood Road, and for me it cos 1p and my mum 2p. The no. 28. Thats in the 70's

:-)

When was the roundabout demolished.
Used to love being taken there New Years Eve in the 50s (in my early teens) when there would be huge crowds celebrating.
Not being of an age to go into a pub then - did they stay open until midnight and were they ticket entrance only and usual customers only.
Need a lot of patience and care to cross the road there now

SInce the word "Grange" originally means a farm, would it be reasonable to assume that once upon a time, Grange Road led to a farm / was named after one?

Grange Lane ( now Grange Road) used to be the path taken by the monks at the Priory to get to their farm or a tenants farm for their food - think at Claughton
What other lanes besides Whetstone Lane are in Birkenhead that could be 100s years old?

Would that be "Claughton-with-Grange" as it was known

As Derek says Grange Lane (now Grange Road & Grange Road West) was originally used by the monks from the Priory to get to their Grange or farm, which was situated half-way up Grange Mount, roughly where Euston Grove joins it today.

I was once led to believe that the light in the centre of the roundabout use to flash on and of if any one had been killed on the local roads around Birkenhead, is this true or false.

According to the above its true.

it was i remember it flashing a few times,once when a motorbike policeman was killed.

I remember the drinking fountain .....I wonder if it ever survived ....one would think that someone would have tried to rescue it ...its sad to think that so many historical artifacts have not survived from around the town.

Why is it that if so many people are interested in recording Birkenhead and its history that so few seem to bother to actually save those same artifacts ....why can't a group be formed to get out there and start saving and rescuing these items for future generations ...

Good point, Icarus. I don't know about the USA, but in Britain, we have many businesses which specialise in rescuing such items They usually call themselves architectural salvage merchants, and they charge very high prices if you want to buy from them.

Chris ,

I was thinking more along the lines of wikiwirral members forming something collectively to rescue these artifacts ...to the extent that a fund be organised and someone bid for these items before the architectural salvage companies swoop in .