September 2008 Archives

A SLICE of Crosby history has been captured in old photographs of a Crosby couple.
Barbara Thomas of Moor Lane recently uncovered some photographs of her grandparents Tom Maycox and Liz Maycox, nee Usher, from the 1920s.
The pictures were taken on the day that Tyson's Builders were going on a charabanc vehicle to Blackpool and the couple are pictured on the outing.
Tyson's were well known in the area and built a number of houses in Crosby and Blundellsands.
The couple are pictured on the very back of the vehicle.

A MAN has told of his late friend's service in the Royal Air Force during World War II.
Gerard Ormesher, of Field Lane, has talked of his war hero friend, Robert Owen, who died recently.
Robert, who was known as Bob, was his neighbour and the pair had spent many hours talking about the different experiences of serving in the RAF.
Bob had volunteered as a 16-year-old in 1936 and Gerard went in with the 19-year-old age group in 1941.
Born in Litherland, Bob went to night school at Beach Road school, where he was taught maths by headmaster Walter Tomkins, before passing his RAF tests.
Mr Tomkins died during the Blitz in May, 1941, when on fire duty outside a Litherland house.
Just before starting in the RAF, Bob contracted the disease peritonitis, which delayed the start of his career.
He then trained to be an armourer, eventually became an air gunner and was posted to the 110 Squadron in Sussex.
Early in the war he was injured in an accident on the airfield in an Bristol Blenheim aircraft, like the one pictured and spent the rest of the war in the Army as a gunnery instructor in Merseyside as well as Burscough.

Gerard said: "The odds against an aircrew airman achieving a full tour of 30 operations averaged over the whole war was four to one against. The average life expectancy was 13 operations but Bob lived until his late 80s."
After the war Bob eventually became chief engineer with the Cooperative Society and spent several years in the Engineering Supervisory Department of Jacobs biscuit factory.
Gerard said: "He was immensely proud of having served in Bomber Command with such brave young men.
"Out of the 125,000 aircrew who served, 55,000 were killed and another 18,000 were wounded or taken prisoner."

THE changing face of Crosby and surrounding areas is evident in photographs of public houses from throughout the past century.
Memories contributor Tom Heath has sent in a set of photographs from the past of pubs and licensed premises in the Crosby and Seaforth.
One picture shows the former Alexandra Hall that once stood on the corner of College Road.

The Beatles played there in 1961 and it later became a temporary sixth form for Chesterfield High School before being turned into a magistrates court.
However in 2003 the 19th century building was pulled down.
The Caradoc in Seaforth Road is also pictured in a photograph taken in around 1940.

A photograph of The Endbutt Hotel, in Endbutt Lane, has also been submitted and the photograph also dates back to the 1940s.

An earlier picture of The Brooke Hotel, in Brooke Road was taken during or before the 1920s.

Anyone with memories or photographs of pubs in the area from throughout the years can send them in to the Crosby Herald, 43-47 Liverpool Road, Crosby, L23 5SD or by email to newsdesk@crosbyherald.co.uk.