Scenes of the '60s

Posted by Crosby Herald newsdesk on June 12, 2008 10:55 AM

HERE are two more photos of the area from the late 1960s. The pictures were taken and handed to Memories by a former Crosby resident and keen photographer.
The first black and white snap features the Queens Hotel, Waterloo, in the late 1960s.

And the second is a view of Seaforth Sands which was taken around 1967.

Do you have any old pictures of the area or events you would like to share with our readers?

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Historic mayoral registration plate goes on sale

Posted by Crosby Herald newsdesk on June 2, 2008 2:18 PM

Fancy buying a unique piece of Sefton Council's history?

Bids are now being accepted to purchase the registration plate of the former Mayoral car.

The number plate, FFY 1, was first issued on October 1, 1946, and was used by the old Southport Corporation on the early civic motor vehicles.

The plate has been transferred to a number of vehicles over the years serving more than 60 Mayors and was last seen on the Mayoral Ford Scorpio car.

Sealed bids are now being accepted to purchase the unique number plate which is seeped in history. A reserve for the number plate has been set.

Sefton's head of civic and mayoral services Jason Carroll said: "This is a one off opportunity to buy a much sought after registration plate.

"The plate dates back more than 60 years and has been used by many Mayors in their role as Southport and Sefton's first citizen.

"Opportunities like this do not come around often, so if you are interested, I would recommend putting in a bid as soon as possible.

"Whoever does win the bid will certainly get a registration plate seeped in Sefton's history.

"The money raised from this sale will be used to enhance the Mayoral service across the whole borough."

Anyone who wants to make a sealed bid for the registration plate should visit www.sefton.gov.uk or call 0151-934 3225 and a form will be sent out. All bids must be received by noon on September 4.

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Driving ambition led to garage competition

Posted by Crosby Herald newsdesk on June 2, 2008 2:08 PM

THE development of a Tesco Express on Crosby North Road is a far cry from what the site looked like almost 80 years ago.

In 1929, Norman Fay finished building his motor trade business on the premises, Fay's Motors.

After leaving the Navy, in 1919 Norman had opened up his first motoring business on the opposite side of Crosby Road North.

Following the success of this business, Norman set to work on building a larger site on the other side of the road.

Norman passed away on July 4, 1960, at the age of 71.

His grandson David Raywood, of Seafield Avenue, Crosby, said: “My grandfather bought his first shop on Crosby Road North, opposite the one where the new Tesco is getting built now, in 1919.

“He then bought the site opposite the original store and could only build half of the premises as he didn’t have enough money to build the other half. The second half was then built at a later date.

“My grandfather went into the motor trade business because he couldn’t afford to buy a car. The first item he ever sold was actually his daughter’s pram!�

David added: “The shop used to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The floodlights were kept on all night and you could see the garage all the way from Southport!

“My mother, Eileen Fay, and her sister Ada lived above the garage when they were younger until the building was sold in the mid ‘30s.�

The garage was then taken over by the Williams family and the building was renamed Cameron’s after one of the Williams family.

Until 20-30 years ago the building still stood under the same name until it was knocked down to make way for a service station.

This year Tesco began building an Express store on the grounds.

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Ringing the changes at St Luke's a century ago

Posted by Crosby Herald newsdesk on June 2, 2008 2:06 PM

RESIDENTS in Crosby may have had grandparents or even parents who were bell ringers at St Luke’s Church at the time of this photo.

Here is a photograph of the Liverpool Diocesan Guild of Change Ringers pictured at St Luke’s Church in Liverpool Road on May 13, 1911.

Does anyone have any memories from family members who involved with the guild back then?

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Getting ready to snap that special event

Posted by Crosby Herald newsdesk on June 2, 2008 2:03 PM

THIS is a photograph of the grand opening of Marine Gardens in Waterloo, in April, 1932.

A crowd is watching the ceremony under the eye of a police bobby and photographers are also pictured at the event.

Does anybody have any more details of the ceremony or is anyone’s family members pictured in the crowd?

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'Duke's double life' and tales of a lead-lined coffin

Posted by Crosby Herald newsdesk on June 2, 2008 2:00 PM

A FASCINATING century-old tale of disguise, deceit and an alleged double life is linked to Crosby, records from the Old Bailey have revealed.

In the late 1800s a series of high profile court cases followed allegations that a duke had led a double life as a London businessman and later killed off his alter-ego with a fake funeral and a lead-filled coffin.

The allegations were eventually refuted when the courts ordered the coffin to be dug up and the body of the businessman was found.

Several of the witnesses in the case then faced trials of their own for perjury, including a Margaret Jane Louise Hamilton, who had claimed to have been born in Rome but was actually from Kendal and had lived in Crosby for a time.

Details of her trial, from March 31, 1908, have now gone online on the website of the Old Bailey, London’s central criminal court, along with proceedings from nearly 200,000 cases from 1674 to 1913.

A search of the archive brings up a reference to a letter “Mrs Hamilton� – who was actually a Margaret Atkinson – had sent from 3 Liver Terrace, Great Crosby. There are also letters which show she also lived at 181 Derby Road, Bootle, for a time.

She had claimed to be the daughter of Robert Lennox Stuart, who she said was a good friend of the Duke of Portland, the man accused of living as Thomas Charles Druce, a partner in the Baker Street Bazaar.

The original allegation, in 1897, had come from Druce’s daughter-in-law, who claimed the ‘double-life’ made her son the rightful heir to the dukedom.

It was then suggested that the funeral of Thomas Druce, which had taken place in 1864, was a fake - complete with a lead-filled coffin - designed to ‘bury’ the Duke’s double-life of which he had grown tired.

Margaret Hamilton’s trial included evidence “as to a complaint affecting the Duke of Portland’s nose�, a Home Office expert’s comparison of a photograph of Thomas Druce with his exhumed body, and a description of underground passages built by the Duke of Portland.

On her conviction for perjury she was sentenced to 18 months hard labour – in lieu of seven years’ imprisonment due to her 77 years.

The Old Bailey records have already helped uncover some incredible stories for people tracing their family history and those who are simply interested in historical crimes.

Take a look at the website yourself and let us know if you find an interesting tale with a link to Crosby – www.oldbaileyonline.org

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Merchants' pupils and classes in the convent

Posted by Crosby Herald newsdesk on June 2, 2008 12:45 PM

HERE’S two pictures from the old Seafield Convent School.

The school, which is now Sacred Heart High, is picture in around 1910.

Does anyone have any family members that attended the old school?

Also pictured are pupils from Violet House at Merchant Taylors’ Girls School, which was taken in around 1918.

Does anyone have any memories or photographs of the school from that time?

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N-ice time enjoyed at the Blundellsands Hotel

Posted by Crosby Herald newsdesk on June 2, 2008 12:26 PM

BUILDINGS across Crosby have undergone many changes throughout the years but memories of them are retained in photographs.

The Blundellsands Hotel is one example of a building that has now been replaced by apartments.

It was built between 1890 and 1900 and was situated in The Serpentine, opposite Blundellsands and Crosby Railway Station.

The building had gardens at the back which is where the car park is now situated.

A photograph shows how in around 1908 the cold weather had turned the garden into an ice rink.

It shows families and people of all ages skating on the ice at the back of the hotel, being watched by on-lookers.

The building was demolished in recent years and replaced by the Blundellsands Classic apartments.

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