October 2007 Archives
Stone laying ceremonies
Posted by Crosby Herald newsdesk on October 25, 2007 9:15 AM
THESE latest pictures from local collector Tom Heath show two stone laying ceremonies at churches in Crosby and Waterloo.
The first black and white picture shows crowds gathered for the laying of the foundation stone of the United Reformed Church, on Eshe Road, Blundellsands, which was built in 1898.
Another shows church officials at the stone laying of St Edmund’s Church, Waterloo, in 1939.
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"Happiest years of my life"
Posted by Crosby Herald newsdesk on October 25, 2007 9:15 AM
A FORMER Crosby resident has been in touch to share his fond memories of St Nicholas’ Boys’ Club.
During the 1960s, George Hare, who now lives in Bangor, started the club, with a few others, which operated from the church hall of St Nicholas Church in Harlech Road – premises which the club were able to use free of charge.
He told Memories: “I think it was the happiest ten years of my life.
“We started with virtually nothing except a vision of helping boys to enjoy themselves, give them some purpose in life and a competitive spirit and to get them off the streets, even if only for one night per week.”
The club would meet on a Friday night and welcomed boys aged seven to 14, split into two age categories to make juniors, seven to ten-year-olds and seniors, 11 to 14-year-olds.
Its popularity soon grew and membership had to be limited to 200.
Admission was sixpence for juniors and a little more for seniors with all subscriptions instantly ploughed back into the club.
Activities on offer included five-a-side football, table tennis, snooker, chess and draughts, while refreshments were also available.
The club later purchased several sets of football shirts.
George said: “To see the pride in the faces of the boys donning them was great.
“I made up league tables for each age group and the boys themselves made up their own team names.
“Rules of the game were posted up each week and positions carefully tabled and fixtures arranged.”
The club were also able to obtain the services of prominent sportsmen, including Liverpool and Everton players, boxer Johnie Cooke and George’s cousin from Australia, test cricketer Dave Renneberg.
Members also enjoyed various trips, the most popular a yearly trip to Colwyn Bay, and took part in a variety show and pantomime.
Because of business pressures, George left after ten years at the club which itself ended a few years later.
He moved home to live and work in Llanberis on the famous Snowdon mountain railway and has been living in North Wales ever since.
Now aged 75, George writes nostalgic poems which he reads to patients at his local hospital.
He has also recorded them onto CD – entitled Nostalgic Poems, The Thoughts of George Hare – which is on sale now.
Anyone who wants to share their Memories of the boys club with George, or would like a copy of his CD can contact him at 18a Caerhun, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 4UG or call 01248 354 255.
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Fun-filled family events
Posted by Crosby Herald newsdesk on October 18, 2007 10:34 AM
HERE we take a look at three old programmes handed in by former auctioneer and Crosby resident Billy McMahon.
The first is a Waterloo with Seaforth official handbook containing a map.
It gives a description of the district, labelling it a “health resort” highly recommended by physicians with its “extensive shore front”.
Waterloo is also said to cater well for holiday makers with facilities for tennis and bowls and spacious public parks, including Victoria Park, controlled by the then urban district council.
It also promotes the area’s “up to date cinemas”, music hall and dancing halls.
The programme also talks about the increasing number of people moving to the area, justifying its title of the “Bedroom of the City”.
People are also told about the area’s schools, including Merchant Taylors, libraries and churches.
Adverts for services are also included, such as estate agents with houses up for sale on College Road, Crosby, starting from £675.
Another pamphlet is the official programme of the Crosby Carnival in 1947 featuring the carnival queen Joyce Thomson.
This was the second post-war carnival in Crosby and raised funds for the Waterloo and District General Hospital.
The programme contains a message from the then Mayor of Crosby, James Allen Jones, who said: “The spirit of carnival brings pleasure and joy to the residents of Crosby and to those from farther afield.”
Events during the week-long carnival included a morris and country dancing display, a horse show, a boxing tournament and a motorcycle gymkhana.
The last programme is a souvenir from Merchant Taylors’ Girls School garden fete in 1957.
Its contents includes articles on the history of the school and another on a proposed gym and music block along with illustrations.
It also details an appeal by the Old Girls’ Association to raise £30,000 to allow the second stage of a development plan to be implemented at the school to build the gym with showers and changing rooms.
Do you have any memories of the garden fete or Crosby Carnival.
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Model exhibition programme found
Posted by Crosby Herald newsdesk on October 18, 2007 10:14 AM
AN historic programme has been found detailing a model boat club’s second exhibition and regatta.
The Crosby Model Boat Club exhibition took place at Waterloo County Secondary School, on Crosby Road North, in July and August 1952, with admission as one shilling.
The grand amateur ships’ model regatta followed a few days later, with the event taking place on the boating lake at Coronation Park.
The Mayor of Crosby, Arthur Gordon Jamieson, who was also patron of the club at the time, did the honours of opening the events.
He also offers a foreword at the beginning of the programme, handed to Memories by the club’s current secretary, Andy Johannessen.
In it, Mr Jamieson says: “Everyone has not the same ability to create, but most people can appreciate a good job, and the members of the Crosby Model Club are to be congratulated on the fine show they have produced.
“I’m sure the exhibition will give a great deal of pleasure to all who pay it a visit.”
A message is also given by the club’s president at the time, J T Warburton, who said: “A model club does something more than merely engage in the making of models, interesting and instructive as they are.
“It brings before a wide public, the idealism, craftsmanship and sense of achievement which is part of our national character and which has been our safeguard on many a difficult occasion throughout our history.
“The majority of members of the Crosby Model Club are amateurs, but their work is up to many a professional standard.”
In the programme, chairman Frank Wright, adds: “The exhibits are very fine, showing skill, ability and above all, achievement of a job well done.
“We want to encourage in the youth and the people – old as well as young – one of the oldest arts, that of model making and achievement.”
The club is still going strong now, has a few original members and held its latest regatta, again at Coronation Park, in May.
Treasurer Andy Johannessen said: “It is nice to know that 60 years on, we still have a very active club in Coronation Park, sailing at the lake on Sunday mornings all year round – weather permitting.”
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Blundellsands Hotel in 1895
Posted by Crosby Herald newsdesk on October 18, 2007 9:56 AM
THE latest in our historic photographs from local collector Tom Heath shows the rear of the Blundellsands Hotel.
Dating back to 1895, the picture shows horse drawn carriages supplied by John Lupton.
Mr Lupton himself features in the centre sitting in a carriage wearing a bowler hat.
According to Tom, directly opposite the view in this photograph is Crosby and Blundellsands railway station in the Serpentine South.
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Plaza goes from strength to strength
Posted by Crosby Herald newsdesk on October 18, 2007 9:45 AM
HERE is our final look at the history of the Plaza Community Cinema.
We told how trustees managed to raise the £325,000 needed to buy the building with two days to spare.
A big hurdle then facing the cinema was securing a good booker, a role filled by Geoff Hornsby, described as a “real gentleman” and who, without which, the cinema “would not have lasted five minutes”.
Sadly Geoff had to give up booking through ill health and passed away in October 2004.
The cinema has always tried to keep ticket and kiosk prices as low as possible to make the Plaza accessible to as many people as possible in the local community.
And, despite an Odeon multiplex opening four miles away in 1998, this policy, combined with good housekeeping, has provided sufficient revenue to keep the Plaza afloat.
Janet Dunn, chairman of trustees, managed the cinema as a volunteer single-handedly for a year until funds were obtained from the Lloyds TSB Foundation for an operations manager.
In 1998, Plaza 3 was opened showing a diverse range of films and, until recently, the cinema was the only one on Merseyside to have an artscreen.
Kidscreen started in January 2000 and has on average 150 to 200 children every Saturday morning.
The Plaza has also built up an education programme carrying out work with schools and community groups to create workshops around topical subjects such as racism, obesity and bullying.
In 2000, the Plaza was eligible for New Deal staff who complimented existing volunteers and in 2004 the cinema joined the Intermediate Labour Market helping long-term unemployed people to return to work.
In 2003, funding was secured for a general manager and Henry Howell joined the team, introducing the social club to the cinema on a Thursday, as well as nostalgia nights including one for the Plaza’s tenth anniversary.
In October 2006, Francis Cassidy joined the team as chief executive and has steered the Plaza through rocky times.
Janet said: “The Plaza to me is a very special place, it has brought tears and laughter to probably a million people or more since it first opened its doors in 1939 and the thought of losing that is something I cannot bear to think about.
“We have come a long way in ten years – we are now one of the largest social enterprises in Sefton.
“We are still chasing much needed capital investment and have just been shortlisted for the Big Lottery Peoples Millions so I would ask you all to look out for us, and should we manage to make the TV, vote for the Plaza.”
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How the Plaza was saved
Posted by Crosby Herald newsdesk on October 12, 2007 4:37 PM
MEMORIES will this week continue its journey into the history of the Plaza Community Cinema which is celebrating its tenth anniversary.
Last week we detailed the rescue campaign to save the cinema after it was earmarked for demolition and then sold to a developer.
This sparked the formation of the Plaza Community Cinema Charitable Trust and the cinema opened its doors again in July 1997.
Next came the task of raising money for ownership of the cinema.
While trust officials continued to lease the building, screens two and three were reopened within six months and increased revenue and cash flow.
But in September 1999, an ultimatum was given by the landlords – raise £325,000 by January 2000 to buy the building or quit.
Sefton Council earmarked £140,000 towards the project because the trust had proved its worth and it could see the huge value to the area.
Another £185,000 needed to be raised – an amount that wouldn’t be funded by the bank alone, leading trust officials to fear they would lose the building.
However, after an application to the Esmee Fairbairn Charitable Trust, another £66,500 was donated to the cause.
A £60,000 loan was then obtained from Lloyds TSB and a further £60,000 from the Charities Aid Foundation.
The deal to buy the building was completed with two days to spare.
From the start, the community has been involved in the cinema and the cinema support shop, run by unpaid volunteers six days a week, has raised £500,000 since its opening in 1996.
The trustees employed projectionists and voluntary help was given by former chief projectionist Roy Atherton and projectionist Steve Cochrane, all still with the Plaza.
Appeals were then made to refurbish the cinema and joiners, plumbers, electricians, builders and painters came in to help.
Janet Dunn, chairman of trustees, was appointed acting manager to be supported by other board members and further appeals were made for volunteer ushers, kiosk and box office staff.
Initially the cinema had in excess of 100 volunteers and over the years has had a core of 50 to 60.
Janet said: “Without the generosity and community spirit of many people, the Plaza would not be here today.
“People in the industry said we would not last six months, ten years later we are still here.”
A special showing of Narnia was held at the Plaza in 2005
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This page contains an archive of all entries posted to Crosby Memories in the October 2007. They are listed from oldest to newest.
September 2007 is the previous archive.November 2007 is the next archive.
Many more can be found on the home page or by looking through the archives.
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