Here's an aerial pic of Laird's & surroundings, taken in June 1940, so the yard would have been in full production.
There's another point of interest too. In the angle between Hinderton Rd. & Green Lane there's a U shaped block of flats, white in the picture. These must have been recently built, since they don't appear on a 1938 map. Anybody know anything about them?

Cheers, Chris.

Great pic chris, god how the whole area has changed, difficult for me to track some of the roads! Trying to work it all out from the town hall end! Even lairds has changed so much, doing a lot of work in there and not much looks femiliar!

At least sixteen ships being worked on in that photo. The amount of railway lines is amazing. Trains going everywhere including Lairds, to the docks and of course the usual passenger ones. You can see the central hotel standing out, the gas works in Hind street. I haven't a clue what that u shaped building is though? Perhaps it is being built underground and later covered over, something for the war effort or maybe it was bombed?

That block of flats between Hinderton Road and the railway. Was called Hendeton Square. Not sure when they where pulled down but i use to visit a school chum who lived in them during the early 50s.

As a point of interest the very large ship in the fitting out basin at lairds is the Battle ship, Prince of Wales. She was bombed during 1940 and in the January of 1941 she was taken up to Rosyth in Scotland out of harms way to be completed prior to joining the fleet later in 1941.

Thanks for that, jimbob. Useful info. there; how come you have such detailed info. re. Prince of Wales? Welcome to the site BTW, as I see you're new. Please let us have any info. you have on any local subjects of interest.

Cheers, Chris.

cool pic

If you liked that one, try this one. It was used as the frontispiece in the 1947 Plan book. It must be about 1931/33 because the tunnel entrance is well developed but incomplete & the Woodside vent shaft has not yet been built.

Cheers, Chris.

Chris,superb photo and excellent quality too.

the building next to the Joiners shop is currentley being demolished. if their is any interest i will get some Photo's tomorrow when am in work..

Birkenhead - Cammel Laird 1940

[youtube]yfDoxH0V9CQ[/youtube]

cool footage here

Smashing photo.
Points that sparked my interest:

1)Bottom left corner in between the V of the railway lines going on to the dock and on to Town and Woodside stations are the Engine Sheds that were replaced by the much larger Mollington Street shed mentioned elsewhere.

2) Bottom right corner - new tenements replacing back-to-backs - with some of both still extant.

3)Middle low centre - pristine unopened tunnel entrance - with more than a few gawpers....

4) Across top - the number of tall industrial chimneys

5) Generally the amount of housing - that is now non-residential - especially around the Priory Street and Blackpool Street areas