I was in there today and saw a date on the outside wall and decided to try to find out a bit more.
Don't know if it's their initials and whether they've been there since the date and if so was there a church next door

1876 and 1950s maps

Will ask my parents about this one, they both lived on Cleveland street as kids in the 40's.

http://www.genuki.eu/CHS/Church1562.htm

Reference the plaque WJL, this could be the initials of the founder of the shop, WJ Little and founded in 1877. It has been a paint / decorating shop as long as my Dad can remember.

Searched on Cleveland Street in Google and came up with a map that shows the 'Hall' marked as a church

there was a church next door it was a sunday school an were the long wall is .was a row of small brick lock up's for the tenants of cleveland gardens to put there bikes in or bits an bob's .in

Seeing this topic brought back a memory of when I was serving my time (Apprenticeship)as a plumber, I was only 16 at the time (67 years ago) and I was sent to Little's to buy a bundle of barstard files, very rough files for filing lead pipes and such, I wasn't sure if I was being Wound up or not, as previously I was asked to go for a Long Stand, which of course didn't exist, and I was there for ages..lol

Brian....Silver Surfer

16 + 67 (let me think or better still get out the calculator)
= 83
You may be the oldest contributing Wikiwirral member

Yes, probably; a bit older than I am. I think I've still got a couple of barstard (wish the software wouldn't put an 'r' in) files. Another trick after the war was to send the lad to the paint merchant for a tin of camouflage paint.

When I started work we had various types of weighing machines and young new starters were often told to go to the stores for a long weight (wait).
Doubtless anything done similar nowadays in the workplace would get the person responsible a severe reprimand or the sack

That's a pity, I thought I was in the running for the title being 82 in December.