February 2008 Archives

DO you recognise anyone on this picture?

It shows youngsters at Rawson Road School, Seaforth, and was taken around 1933.
The black and white picture was handed to Memories by Crosby resident Ron Ervine.
If you are on the photograph and would like to share your memories of the school, leave a message here.
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THESE black and white snaps show three Blundellsands streets in the late 1960s.
They images feature Manor Road, St Michael’s Road and St Andrew’s Road.
The scenes were captured and handed to Memories by a former Crosby resident and keen photographer.

PEOPLE with memorabilia of the Ribble bus company are being asked to come forward.
Memories has been contacted by Bernard Ashcroft, an archives officer for the Ribble Enthusiasts’ Club, after reading our article on former Ribble employee James Mawer on his time spent with the company.
Bernard is keen to track down any memorabilia of the company and would also like to hear from anyone who worked for Ribble in the past.
He said: “Items such as photographs, documents, or even memories are all welcome.�
Bernard has also supplied Memories with two old photographs focusing on Ribble.

The first dates back to around 1959 and shows a Leyland PD1 with rear entrance bodywork with a new Leyland Atlantean with front entrance waiting behind.
The picture was taken on Skelhorne Street with Lime Street station behind, this being the Ribble terminus until 1960.
In April/May 1960, a new purpose built bus and coach station was built in Skelhorne Street eliminating the need for on street loading.

This second photograph shows the travel office with the bus and coach station to the right.
Anyone who can help Bernard can contact him on 01772 259 777 or email ribmot@msn.com

A MEMORIES reader has been in touch to tell us about a cinema not included in our four part series in November.
John Hayden remembers being told about the Bijou Theatre, which was located on East Street, Waterloo, by his grandfather.
He told Memories: “My grandfather, Joseph Billington, was a coal merchant in St John’s Road, Waterloo, until about 1950.
“I remember as a little kid he told me about the Bijou, which was a cinema in East Street, Waterloo, and located next door to the pub the Volunteer Canteen.
“He used to take his children, including my mother, as a treat to the Bijou Electric Palace as it became known as.
“This would be about 1916 as she would be about ten years old then.
“I think it shut about 1920ish.

“I remember years ago the building was used as a garage for lorries by Bramhams Haulage Contractors.
“The original building was demolished about 1990 or maybe a bit later and two houses were built on the site.�
The Bijou had a short life as a cinema.
From 1840, the building had been a Methodist chapel before becoming home to many other religious groups.
The Salvation Army took it over around the turn of the century but a few years later it became the East Street Assembly Rooms, holding concerts and reunions.
In 1909, the building was reborn as a concert hall when it was taken over by Messrs Weber, Son and Arnold.
Designed by architect Richard Waddington, the building had new, plusher seating for 300 people, received new decor and became the Bijou.
One of the lessees, Arthur Weber, was well-known as a singer which undoubtedly attracted a great deal of public interest.
Despite being in a side street and in competition with Queen’s on nearby South Road, business was said to be thriving.
The then manager, William Eltoft, retired due to ill health and Walter Jackson ran the cinema until November 1922 when it closed its doors for the final time.

THESE pictures capture a Crosby street in two time periods.
The black and white snaps both show Hall Road East, Blundellsands and were handed to Memories by a former Crosby resident.
The first shows the area around 1937 before houses were built on the land.

The second features the street around 30 years later in the late 1960s, this time with properties.

MEMORIES has been contacted by a local historian after publishing postcards of Seaforth.
Brenda Murray, who is also a member of the Friends of Old Christ Church, said she was “very pleased� to see the black and white prints.
She was also happy to offer more information about the second picture which featured Pensionnat Du Sacre Coeur de Mari.

Brenda said: “The second was the earliest picture of Seafield School.
“The present Sacred Heart College was formed in about 1972 when St Bede’s and Seafield Covent Grammar School joined together.
“Seafield Convent was built in about 1908 when the nuns moved from Seafield House, in Seaforth, built by William Fernie who had hoped to use it as a hydro but it failed so was then known as Fernie’s Folly.
“The nuns who were sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary, thus the French title in your picture, had moved from Bootle to buy Fernie’s building in 1902.
“Then MDHB bought it from the sisters as they wanted to expand their territory.
“With the money from this sale, the sisters designed and built the fine red brick building on Liverpool Road which became known as Seafield Convent School because they had moved from Seafield House in Seaforth.�
Brenda added that a Seaforth exhibition of local history, at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, on February 9, will have many more pictures on display.
Organised by South Sefton Local History Forum, Seaforth Local History Exhibition will take place on February 9, at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church.
Entry is free for the event running from 10am to 4pm.
Visitors can expect local history displays, poetry corner, artists’ corner and children’s prizes.

THESE pictures show churches in the area in the 1960s taken by a keen photographer and former Crosby resident.
The first shows Thompson’s Funeral Home and St Luke’s Church, on Liverpool Road, Crosby.

Another black and white picture captures the United Reformed Church and St Joseph’s Church in Blundellsands.

The third snap features St Michael’s Church also in Blundellsands.