Staley Street

Your place to talk about your Bootle memories
lily8
Posts: 10062
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 8:57 am
Location: Far North Queensland Australia

Thanks Georgewilliam for the detailed descriptions and the tales just lovely.
all best
Lily
frank delamere
Posts: 1028
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:26 pm
Location: dublin, ireland

this is what the site needs more of, just ordinary peoples stories. and memories. it also helps others, to remember things.
frank
lily8
Posts: 10062
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 8:57 am
Location: Far North Queensland Australia

Thats right Frank for us that dont know, its what we can pass on to the grandkids of where the rellies lived and what life was like for them. It is reliving the history and culture of Bootle. Keep them coming please!!
all best
lily
georgewiliam
Posts: 116
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: Iver Bucks

Hello Brenda----Greenhalgh family---Valery and Gerry. Yes, Teddy's older sisters, as I mentioned earlier, they were mysterious persons to our gang with them being in their mid to late teens. What made them mysterious was that they were, in fact, young women sporting hunch-fronts and doing lady-like things with their hair and using cosmetics. The girls of our acquaintance were like us boys---all flat chested. These were the days of our complete innocence before suffering the ravages of our personal hormone wars. It has been said and I fully agree---the arrival of hormones was not unlike being manacled to a maniac. The glory of old age is that these manacles, eventually, fall off-----a tremendous relief!
In regard to Dodd/Dodson-----doesn't ring a bell at all but the name of Dobson stirs an indistinct memory.
The dairy--I remember buying gills of milk for Mum---it was poured into the jug you took with you. I have a vague memory of having to put a jug on the front doorstep topped with a saucer to keep the muck out. The jug was filled by the milkman from a milk churn carried in the back of a horse drawn trap. This quaint activity was killed off by the introduction of bottled milk.

Street games---not only did I miss out the whip and top season and roller skates but what about 'ollies', milk bottle tops, jacks, group skipping. British Bulldog, ball tick, arrow tick and Queenie aye (who's got the ball).

Bill Brennand's gang-----memories of Bill Taylor (Bill's number two) with whom we could go off to the Echo printing works to pick up the evening papers for distribution to the lads to do their rounds.
As a view of the life and times, copied below is an extract from an article I wrote for the school magazine about my life after leaving that establishment. At the time, I was working for Baines Dairies

"Now, no fool me, I still had my hand in on the paper round, my brother Rob did the weekday deliveries and I did the Sunday round followed by collecting the paper money for the week and selling pre-ordered cigarettes. For three hours work I was paid the princely sum of 15 shillings. As a rate for the job, it far out weighed that which was paid for my magnificent endeavours as a dairyhand.
Nowadays, apart from the legality, the thought of a 16 year old not only collecting cash but also flogging cigarettes would be seen as an act of supreme masochism as he would need to enjoy being mugged for the cigarettes before the job or mugged post the event for the collected cash. The delivery of cigarettes was seen as a social service and not considered, in any way, as an untoward activity.
The brands on offer were, Woodbines, Players Weights, Players Medium, Senior Service, Capstan and Capstan Full Strength; not a filter-tip amongst them. The vast majority of my customers must be dead by now but whether or not they died of an over indulgence of ‘unprotected’ cigarette smoking is up for debate. No doubt they were not necessarily in the best of health when the grim reaper called but for goodness sake, who is?"

In the recent years, I have found it most amusing to see the look of surprise and puzzlement on the faces of my various chest consultants at our regular appointments simply because I keep turning up. So much so, I was asked to put in writing my life regime as it might help others. In doing this, I was struck by the level of insult to our bodies and their organs brought about by childhood illnesses and the overall environment. For general interest, copied below is an extract from the requested letter

"I was born in a two up-two down terraced house in a working class district of the fair County Borough of Bootle which is to the north of Liverpool. As with all children, we were not aware of the distinctions in life of being either privileged or socially excluded and knowing no better, what we had was the norm for us. It was somewhat different for our parents who struggled to make ends meet which they did whilst giving me and my siblings a very happy childhood.

All childhood illnesses were accepted as par for the course and you either survived them or you did not. As a result, I enjoyed Measles, Chicken Pox, Mumps, Croup (regularly), Whooping Cough and Pneumonia. The latter actually put me into Alder Hey Hospital when I was four years old; I remember it so well as I was separated from Mum and Dad for what felt like an awful long time.

Within quite a short radius, we had much industry --namely: tar distillery, oil refinery, lead smelter, brass foundry, tannery, two heavy engineering enterprises, two big electric cable manufacturers and a large bus garage. In addition, all houses burnt coal of the poorest quality (there was a war on) producing all sorts of sulphurous compounds and particulates. Remembering it from today’s ‘smokeless fuel’ environment, the ensuing smogs were quite horrendous.

At the end of the war, our gang built a ‘gas chamber’ in a redundant street air raid shelter. We vigorously flapped an old sack onto the floor stirring up the dust and detritus which had accumulated over time from the polluting media outlined above, we then spent as long as possible in the ‘atmosphere’, last man out was a cissy. We all left the chamber with crud and smuts hanging from our nostrils, clothes and hair completely caked. None of us did it again mainly because we were ‘made to remember’ not to do it again by our Mums before being dunked into tin baths.

At the age of 11, by way of payment for going for her ‘messages’ (shopping), the woman next door would give me a pack of 5 Woodbine cigarettes ----so I started smoking.
In those days, smoking was not considered unhealthy or sinful, indeed, it was seen as a sign of sophistication and was a widespread. activity"

I did manage to dodge Diptheria, Tuberculosis and Scarlet Fever. This last one put you into the fever hospital in Linacre Lane.

When us oldies with chest problems encounter young doctors who have no idea whatsoever what our bodies had to put up with and even less understanding of how we developed highly tuned immune systems, they can only come up with the Macartheyistic mantra-----do you now or did you ever smoke? Its a cop-out to blame everything on the ubiquitous coffin nail. They have only experience of today's sterile society which, of itself, appears to have given rise to impoverished immune systems in the younger generations. According to my Mum,---- you will eat a peck of dirt before you die----it doesn't actually help to kill all germs dead as per the old Domestos advert. My view--Smoking, as such, was a mere incidental in the overall scheme of things and a little bit of dirt hurt no-one.
Last edited by georgewiliam on Thu Jan 31, 2008 10:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
lily8
Posts: 10062
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 8:57 am
Location: Far North Queensland Australia

Again many thanks george william please keep the reminiscences coming
all best
lily
georgewiliam
Posts: 116
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: Iver Bucks

Ok Lily---Washing and washday memories------Bagwash---we used to take a job lot of dirty clothes carried in a pillow-case to the ’laundry’. This was to a house on Monfa Road where the bags were collected by a van and trundled off to Ford Convent Laundry. The pillow slips were returned with their washed, damp and un-ironed contents for collection to be ironed and aired at home. Invariably, items were missing, or items belonging to someone else were in the bag---always gave rise to negotiations.
When the washing was done at home, the gas boiler was cranked up for a white boiling wash. The clothes, when deemed done, were lifted into a great bowl of fresh rinsing water by means of big wooden tongs. In the winter, clouds of steam were generated which condensed on any cool surface so that in the end, everything was swimming----it was horrible. More dunking and hand-wringing in fresh rinse water into which a Reckitts Blue had been added. The ‘blue’ imparted a very faint colouring which made the whites look whiter-----after that----the mangle. As I remember, coloureds were ‘done’ in a separate wash tub: Mum thumped and bashed the clothes by hand, the woman next door used a dolly-peg. Others used a washboard but I do not remember there being much evidence of these in our street. In truth, I never saw such until I was in the Air Force when we formed a skiffle group where it became a ‘musical instrument‘.
Clothes were aired on the let-down rack in the back room and the outside line and pulley mentioned in earlier posts. In addition, clothes were aired on the big fireguard or a small line strung under the mantle-piece. It’s no wonder that small house fires were fairly common. Oddly enough, we never owned a clothes maiden.
georgewiliam
Posts: 116
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: Iver Bucks

Who remembers the police call-box at the top of the street, on the corner by the estate yard (Griff William's den). It was not unlike the one used by the cartoon character 'Top Cat' and officer Dibble.
lily8
Posts: 10062
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 8:57 am
Location: Far North Queensland Australia

Thanks again Georgewilliam for the memories dont know youre age but did you live through the war years and if so let us know what it was`like ie the food rationing etc,
all best
Lily
georgewiliam
Posts: 116
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: Iver Bucks

Lily----a few quick tales on some of the lighter aspects of wartime. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my Dad was an officer in the Home Guard, ok he was non-commissioned that is he was a lance corporal in charge of the bike squad. As time went by, his men were callled up, one by one until the only thing he was left in charge of was his own push-bike. On duty one night with muck and bullets, fire and bombs all over the shop, he spotted an object floating down from the heavens. For a while, the artist in him admired the surrealim of it all as the fires illuminated a gently swinging cylinder beneath a shot-silk canopy. His muse was cut short as he realised he was actually looking at a parachuting landmine so he took off for the nearest street shelter which happened to be in our street. As he galloped around the corner by the Estate Yard, 3 men asked what his hurry was---he told them that a landmine was on its way down in Annie Road. Hoho they said---pull the other one. As Dad made it to the shelter there was an enormous explosion-------within 30 milliseconds, the 3 chaps he had just spoken to were fighting each other to get into the narrow doorway of the shelter---he said it was like watching the '3 Stooges' as they spent most of the time making all sorts of squirming movements as they were mutually jammed in the doorway.

Two further stories repeatd here from a post on the 'Looking for old friends'
My old Dad was making his way home in a complete blackout on one occassion. Feeling his way with arms outstretched, he tripped over a kerb and fell full tilt forward. Unfortunately the grand wheeze of using outsretched hands to feel his way failed as they neatly passed either side of a cast-iron fire hydrant. By using his face, he cleverly managed to break his fall ---------he thought that he had died as his head exploded in a burst of stars and pain. Whilst not amusing at the time, he used to laugh at this episode in later years.
Another tale told to my Mum by a work friend concerned the friend's father who was busily engaged on the outside privy when the air raid siren went off. He pulled up his pants and with braces dragging behind charged through the house with the rest of the family all making their way to the street shelter. As he traversed the front door-step, Mum's friend stood on his dangling braces---he kept going---the braces stretched----she took her next step----the braces like an elastic band, thwacked him in the middle of his back. Dad collapses in the street screaming that the b*****ds had got him------it took him a long time to live that down
Bob Greenhalgh
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:54 am

Thought I'd add a little to this thread.
My family 'The Greenhalgh's' lived at 608a Hawthorne Road. We lived over/behind the Ribble Motor Services Booking offices (later to be sold to a firm of printers and subequently to Wirral Tool Hire). My Mam and Dad-Winnie and Tom, children-Gerry, Valerie, Ted, Dorothy, David, Robert and Barbara - the youngest. At 606 were the Lappin's and at 604 the Beaumont's -the only family to have a phone. Over the wall from us was the 'Mailie' with its huge mountain of mail sacks. Businesses- Farrell's, Melanear ?, Lead Works, Rubber Works, Tannery, Cambell and Isherwood. Vernon's Pools on Linacre Lane/Hawthorne Road with its illuminated/ moving sign of somebody posting a letter!
I remember Greens at 56 (the first family in the street to have TV) Fosters at 44, Loughlins at 32, Rosettes at 28, Cousins at 30, Roaches, Whitings, Joneses, Luptons at 3, Glews at 6, Croziers at 1, Maggie Ramsay 11?, Mr and Mrs Dobson at 10, Clara and Joyce Williams at 5, Mr and Joyce Jones at 4, Mr and Mrs Webb at 2. George Baxendale at 40? Georgie Revell at 48? Edwards at 27? Mrs and Dezzy Gaynor at 39. I'm sure other names will come to me! Shops- Cullen's, Robert's, Ashcroft's, Charlie Clarke's, Williams' Rent Office, Scott's, Whipp's, Parkin and Purslow (great for spitfires), Blakeman's, Vass's, Thelwell's, Dorothy Turner's, Spencely's, Vass's 2nd shop?, White's and Irwin's. The local phonebox was at the top of the street on Monfa Road. The number used to be B00(922) 4246. Press Button A! Cost? 4d.
Ah well.
:)
ron waters

BOB Are you any relation to Leslie Welsh , the Memory Man .
Ron
Bob Greenhalgh
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:54 am

Good morning Ron,
No relation. Didn't have any relatives locally -neither of my parents were from Liverpool.
Bob
:)
whacker66
Posts: 468
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:55 pm
Location: south wales

Hi bob,
when you mentioned the shops in your thread...Blakemans was my dads aunty (lizzy) and her son david...was the shop called 'bobbys' the cleaners and alterations?
Peter
margaret willee
Posts: 3562
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2006 12:14 am
Location: denmark

Georgewilliam .... you sound like my husband he keeps everything ... as soon as some thing breaks he's off down to the cellar and sure enough he has an extra ...
love all your stories , as frank says it all comes back , still think it was the best time off my life ...
margaret
have a great day .......
Bob Greenhalgh
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:54 am

Hi Whacker,
I think you're right-although we just used to call it 'Blakeos'. Just remembered-next door to that shop was Higham's the chemist -he had another shop by the Coronation on Linacre Lane. By the traffis lights at Linacre Lane was Mersey Cables and across from there, in Hawthorne Road, was Brown Bros Engineers. The first house in Provence Road used to sell Sunday papers and cigarettes-I think.
Merseyside Improved Houses bought the whole Klondyke estate 800 houses or thereabouts. The previous owners, who had bought it from Jones, got lumbered with rent controls and were severely restricted by how much and when they could impose rent increases. Seem to recall that they had carried out a lot of improvements to the houses-kitchen and bathroom extensions etc. I suppose they were anticipating clawing their money back through the rents -but couldn't.
Bob
:)
georgewiliam
Posts: 116
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: Iver Bucks

Bob Greenhalgh---Most impressed with your memories of the personalities in and around the area of the street. I mentioned in an earlier post, the interestiing aspects of childhood ageism where small differences in age determined whether or not a person was 'in' or 'out' of a particular circle of chums. Also, that whilst older siblings were looked up to as being 'grown-up', younger siblings were a pain in the butt and had to be tolerated. Chum's younger brothers and sisters were not usually full members of any particular group----they formed their own. Why have I mentioned this ----- I only remember Gerry, Valery, Teddy and 'some more Greenhalghs'. Much the same with Georgie and Marjorie Barkley who are well remembered but when Jim came home after the war, he and Hilda had their own personal baby-boom none of whom loom large in my memory.
I remember your father very well as being a man of small stature with an easy-going manner and warm personality. He was very proud of his Pye wireless with it's magic-eye tuning. Fancy remembering the telephone number of the box at the top of the road----I think the next nearest public 'phone was part way down Hawthorne Rd on the opposite side to Irwins. You mention that a call cost 4d------I seem to remember it going from 2d to 3d at one point. You may not believe it but when we moved to Iver in 1970, the telephone exchange was still manual with a button A Button B phone outside the post office. I remember in the mid 70s, a chap stood outside the box in total puzzlement having to ask what it was all about.
Your recall of names is wonderful. I suspect that you may be recalling from the mid to late 50s as in my day Mr and Mrs Green lived at number 2--they moved to the Sterrix estate where I came across them in my paper-lad days. I thought that Jim Daley who lived at about #8 next to Derek Salisbury were the first to have tv---I remember not being impressed with Muffin the Mule. Derek's step dad used to be a conductor on the Ribble buses.
Clare Williams, I believe, was a war widow whose husband never saw his daughter Joyce. Joyce was always immaculately turned out---Clare did a good job. Tina Whiting and our next door neighbour, Mrs Edwards, often carried out verbal warfare addressing each other in all manner of expletives from their respective doorsteps. I had no idea what a hooer was until much older when I realised 'hooer' was being spoken in the vernacular. During these bouts, everybody kept their heads down but doors held slightly ajar so as not to miss anything.
Bob, perhaps you could drop me a pm for an update on the family
Bob Greenhalgh
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:54 am

Does anybody remember Mr Pratt (Lord Kitchener's double)and his horse driven veg cart with oil lamps hanging along the sides? Or the single decker bus that used to come around the streets with caged animals aboard? Or the old glazier on a bike? The Pratts lived in Glynne Street and had an extension in their back yard from where fresh veg was sold. Peggy Unsworth nee Pratt who lived on the corner of Monfa and Glynne was my Mam's friend. I used to knock about with her son Paul. He had 3 sisters. Beryl, Norma and Carol -I think!
Regards,
Bob
tine
Posts: 229
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:47 pm

Hi George & Bob
We were only talking about the Pratts the other day, and who was the lady a couple of doors away who used to make toffee apples like no-one else could? Mrs Birch in the chandlers and the smell of paraffin. Remember the little paraffin heaters....square shaped like a stand-alone fire with a dome in the middle....at the time they looked quite posh! Being the youngest, I was usually sent to collect the paraffin but never complained because I loved the smell in that shop. The walls were crammed full of things, and bucket and such dangling from the ceiling suspended by string. Heaven!!
Tine
Campbell, Duffy, Davies, Melia, Gibson , O'Donnell, Owen and Evans Families.
margaret willee
Posts: 3562
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2006 12:14 am
Location: denmark

Thanks again Geargewiliam ... wish i could remember my childhood like you .
i do enjoy reading yours ... Margaret .
have a great day .......
loko
Posts: 46
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:31 pm
Location: bootle

hi/ been interesting reading about the klondike my wife was born and lived in 19 gynne st. untill 1968 when we married .she is always saying they had the best street partys ever.any photos around,would be nice to see them.walked around the area afew weeks ago like a ghost town now. .
georgewiliam
Posts: 116
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: Iver Bucks

Bob Greenhalgh, do you remember trotting over to the Ribble Garage to where the conductors handed over the shift takings with change to get a shilling for the gas. Ocassionaly, buses were parked right outside your house on Hawthorne Rd where we would empty the used ticket container to collect the 'white' tickets which could be sort of 'origamied' into an accordion. Possibly before your time, I remember three or more Foden steam lorries parked just up from your place. These trucks had horizontal boilers per steam rollers and looked really old fashioned not at all like the Sentinel steam lorries with their modern vertical boilers----God I'm getting old! I can't now remember which company, on Hawthorne, had the Sentinel lorry fleet. Looking at Google images of these vehicles really makes me feel my age.
Would like to compliment you again on your powers of recall---tremendous.
Tine---what about the hissing Tilley Lamp as a paraffin heater
maureenbrown
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:03 pm

I lived up Monfa Road/ Ainsdale Road, and Mr Pratt used to come up will his horse drawn cart, selling vegetables, and other things too. He really was a hardy character, flat hat, and of course, the moustache. Does any one remember the name of his horse.I think Mr Wild from Hanlon Avenue, took the round over after Mr Pratt and his horse retired.
Spensleys was where we went for our sweets.Were they two sisters who had it.Always had nice clean wrap round pinnies on.i had my ration book for my sweets, and a handfull of pennies, this would be about 1952/3
I went to Orrell School, and each week, we would take money in for stamps, because we were encouraged to save.I was the one sent to the postoffice to get all the stamps.
The chemist by the Coronation was not owned by Mr Higham, but Mr Massam.
On that block, was Dooleys shop,bread, ham,cakes,pies,biscuits and so on. The shop was always open Sundays, and always packed.I think the lady's name was Marie.Next was the Co-op where my mum did her weekly shop. I can still remember my mums divi number 113226......They used to have the overhead money carriers, which we all assosciate with the early co-op. Then we had the "Wine Stores". Then there was a butchers, but I dont remember the names any more. most important for any child, the sweet shop, where we would bye Reeces ice cream lollies, and Wessex fireworks.Boxes were 2/6 and 5 bob, and you got loads in them. bangers, roman fountains, mount vesuvius, depth chargers, snow drops, flood lights, golden rain,,rockets, pin wheels, and rip raps..theres loads ive forgotten.
Then there was the cobblers, a busy little shop, which had a smell all of its own...no it wasnt feet,but leather.
Then there was the barbers.. was it Swellwells, or something like that, then Mr Massams the chemist, where we would take our prescriptions.
My mum use to buy me white rain shampoo sachets, and a scented bath cubes, for bath nights.My dad used to send me there for his Gillette razor blades, which we used to take out of his razor, sharpen our pencils, and put the razor blade back.My dad liked the extra strong mints, which were kept in apothacaries jars behind the counter.Lastly on the block was the chippy, and at the front of the shop was a big sloping fish slab. Ive forgotten a lot of the names, :roll: but they are still there, buried in my brain, and they will come to me. :idea: When they do, ill let you know, unless some one else can fill in the gaps. I lived in that area from 1950 untill 1968.
Coffeypot
frank delamere
Posts: 1028
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:26 pm
Location: dublin, ireland

great memories COFFEEPOT. and original monicker also
frank
Bob Greenhalgh
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:54 am

Your right Maureen it was Massam's not Higham's. You have a good memory.
Sorry.
:)
Bob Greenhalgh
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:54 am

I didn't mean sorry that you have a good memory! Got things in the wrong order.
LOL
:oops:
tine
Posts: 229
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:47 pm

Hi Georgewilliam

Our hissing Tilly lamp was reverently taken to the outside loo in the dark and hung on an obliging nail :)
Campbell, Duffy, Davies, Melia, Gibson , O'Donnell, Owen and Evans Families.
georgewiliam
Posts: 116
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: Iver Bucks

Outside loo------having a fairly vivid imagination, I used to terrorise my brother and sister in our bedroom with tales of gorillas and other things under the bed that I shared with the brov. Other things were lizard hands or skeletal arms all poised to grab you if you you put a foot out of bed. Much to my delight, these tales really got my brother going but it had obviously been taken too far when he would not go to the outside lavvy in the darkness of Winter. Mum and Dad on finding out what I had been up to became concerned that darkness induced constipation would do him no good at all. From then on, I had to sit on the dustbin with the headlamp off Dad's bike to illuminate his endeavours. Perched on the bin in the middle of Winter keeping brother company was no fun whatsoever. Needless to say, I stopped making up stories.
frank delamere
Posts: 1028
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:26 pm
Location: dublin, ireland

GEORGE, one lesson HARDY EARNED
frank
warbaby
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:25 am
Location: Victoria, Australia
Contact:

Testing,

Margery Webster (nee Barkley) wishing to contribute to this forum. I have had problems posting this is just a test message.

Margery Webster (nee Barkley)
warbaby
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:25 am
Location: Victoria, Australia
Contact:

Looks like I am home and hosed!! However, given that I have wasted a great deal of time writing a virtual tome which was lost in the ether in getting to this stage, I will serialise my contibution!

At the outset I would like to say how much I have enjoyed all of your contributions so far. Georgewilliam I really enjoyed the photos of your Mum as I well remember her and her family, including you as my brother's friend. Peggy Savage (#13) gave me a ball of wool and taught me how to knit. Your mother saw me sitting on the step at my place (#19) engrossed in my effort at knitting and invited me up to your house where she produced a brown paper carrier bag full of wool oddments depicting every colour under the sun. This gift may well have been the crown jewels from my perspective and sparked a life time interest in knitting which is still appreciated by me and my family to this day.

Will contribute more when I know it is getting through!!

Warbaby!!
warbaby
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:25 am
Location: Victoria, Australia
Contact:

Jim and Hilda Barkley had five more children after George and me (the two mentioned by georgewilliam). Beryl, Bill and Susan were born in #19. In 1955 we moved to a big old house (now demolished) in Gorsey Lane, Ford (near Cookson's Bridge) where Pam and Jim were born - well they were actually born in Oxford Street Maternity Hospital, the rest of us were born in the front bedroom at #19. I can distinctly remember my father carrying buckets of hot water up and down the stairs the night that Susan was born. Nurse Hoy and Nurse Thrash were the two local midwives who delivered most of the babies in the district.

Sadly my brother George died in 1980 from lung cancer, probably caused by a combination of breathing in the polluted air from the noxious factories in his childhood, heavy smoking and his occupation as a painter and decorator, my father died of the same condition 20 years earlier.

I married Bill Webster from Humphrey Street in 1957. My father refused permission so because I was under 21 I went to Bootle magistrates court where the Magistrate (Alderman Simon Mahon) declared this is "a genuine love match". I still have the newspaper cuttings reporting the case and the written decision which cost me 7 shillings, it describes me as "an infant desirous of contracting a marriage"!! Bill and I, followed in our familys' footsteps by having five children of our own and happily celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary last year.

As I remember it, Mary, Eleanor, Marion, Annie and Menai were the 'posh' streets mentioned by georgewilliam. They had the small front gardens and bathrooms (like those on Monfa Rd). In these streets the metal railings had been removed from the low front walls of the houses to be used in the war effort.

Who remembers dried egg powder, Spam and grey bread? And visiting the clinic in Knowsley Road to pick up concentrated orange juice, cod liver oil (ugh) and malt and national dried milk for the babies? Coccoa powder, sent from Canada arrived at Orrell School after the war had finished - we were invited to take a cup to receive our share.

I remember celebrating Empire Day at Orrell school, when we were all asked to come dressed in costumes to represent all the countries of the Empire.

Does anyone remember taking a sack in a billy cart or an old pram to the gas works in Marsh Lane and queuing up to buy coke when coal was in short supply in the winter?

Any history of the Street would not be complete without mention of "Jigger Mike" the local cop who did his rounds on a Raleigh Roadster, symbolising law and order to some and a nightmare to tear-a-ways like my husband Bill and his family.

White's the Grocer was also the post office including the payment of family allowance and pensions. Sometimes Mr. White would allow credit on a Monday on the promise of being repaid on Tuesday (family allowance day). However he would first cross off the list any "luxuries" such as biscuits or sweets, which had been added in order to bribe kids to do the messages!! Old Mrs. Monks, short in stature, was the kindly shop assistant in the grocery section. I used to watch fascinated as she cut and patted the butter into 8 ounce blocks, shaping them by dipping the wooden paddles into cold water every now and then. Murial, a very pleasant woman served in the post office.

I think there was a shop called Liggetts on the corner of Willard Street, the butchers next door was Thelwell's and the chandlers on the same block was run by Mr. Blane (Blain?), he had a problem with his eyes and his daughter helped him in the shop.

Lillian Farnsworth, her daughter (also Lillian) and son David lived in # 18. Lillian was my age. Their father did not return from the war and never saw his son. Old Mrs. Farnsworth lived in #22 and Mrs Bird and her daughter Elsie in 24. I can remember my Mum speaking about a Mabel King, but the Rosetti's lived in 28 in my time in the Street.

In #21 lived Alice Stewart with her father. Alice was my god mother and Eric and Leslie Whiting's Aunt. I visited Alice in 1997, she was in her 90's, frail and nearly blind. I only vaguely remember the Miss Llewellen previously mentioned in the Forum, I think Ethel and Eddie Iddon who were somehow related to the Roach's moved into that house. They were the first in the Street to make their front door flush by covering the four panels with hardboard!!

Cheers!

Warbaby
georgewiliam
Posts: 116
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: Iver Bucks

Warbaby----why is it that the ex-inhabitants of the street have such powerful and evocative memories. I am in no doubt that Staley Streey was a little bit special. Marjorie, your memories are spot-on. After the house in what was then open country in Gorsey Lane, you moved to the region of Marina Avenue. I remember visiting with my Mum and you turned up----it was quite a surprise to find that you were married, this must have been in the early 60's. By the way, I am not too sure that the houses on Gorsey Lane were demolished as they can be clearly seen on Google Earth but that may be as a result of site redevelopment.
Sorry to hear about George, he wasn't dealt the best hand of cards for life's living. Mum told me that when your Dad died, he was on the verge of making his fortune as a developer in Maghull.
Bill, your husband, I am sure, is the guy who felt that I was an easy touch when Mum threatened to set me onto him for his giving my brother grief---not wrong, he could handle himself.
Yes, foodstuffs of the time are well remembered as well as visits to the gasworks for the coke.which was amazing stuff---rock hard with a silvery-lead sheen.
Ligetts? did it not become Irwins, I remember the name but I do not clearly remember where it was
Alice Stewart was well into either the Salvation Army or the Boy's Brigade and I remember her well as a fussy be-spectacled lady with a sharpish tongue.
The young couple who took over Miss Llewellyn's nouse, we understood, actually bought it for the huge sum of £100-----how times have changed. Rosetti's------was this Billy Rosetti married to Margaret Edwards from 33, if so Margaret was widowed at an early age. I think that Billy was born somewhere near 'The Saltbox' pub in Litherland
warbaby
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:25 am
Location: Victoria, Australia
Contact:

Isn't Google Earth amazing?!! Yes the Gorsey Lane site was redeveloped (I believe there is a doctors surgery there now). Our semi-detached house, called "Newlands" was built on quite a large block, the adjoining house was a dairy (distribution only). These houses had five bedrooms and were very similar to the old houses in Merton Road. Another pair of houses in the same row were of a different vintage and still standing when I visited a few years ago. My Mum, like many who moved away, always missed Staley Street and it's neighbours. She would have been delighted to have the visit from your mother in the 60's. Mum died in 1984.
I think it was most likely Bill's brother George who your Mum would threaten to set you onto (God help you!!). Twelve months to the day, younger than Bill, George was always up for a fight - Bill, the elder of the two, used to threaten anyone who had a go at him with a serve from George and that resolved the situation!! The Webster's had lived in Middlesex for a number of years and returned to Bootle to be near family when their father died. You can imagine that there was much mocking of their southern accents at Orrell Primary School and a bit of bullying went on too. Bill went into his shell and was the quiet one, George responded with his fists. He returned to the south as an adult, where he lives with his lovely wife Rose.
Bill attended Bootle Grammar school from 1948 and, like others on the Forum, hated every minute of it. He spent much happier times regularly attending the Air Training Corps in Crosby and eventually joined the RAF as a Halton Apprentice in 1953. I attended Roberts Secondary Modern. My memory of the curriculum - how to starch and iron a tray cloth, scrub a wooden draining board, make a rhubarb pie, draw up a family budget and sing "Where the Bee Sucks there Suck I" while trying to keep a straight face!! (apologies to Miss Richardson the very glamorous, red haired music teacher). On leaving school I worked at the Merton Grove Company (Tate & Lyle) as a telephonist/relief typist and they paid for me to attend night classes at Gregg College in Rodney Street to learn shorthand typing.
Liggets was not highly regarded by the local housewives. There was another Liggets shop at the top of Hawthorne Road, near Vernons, also a Ross's Green Grocer, and a sweet shop run by a guy called Bert (who looked like George Formby!). That block of shops is not as clear in my memory as 'our' shops, like Harris Drive, it was considered to be miles away and too far to carry the shopping!! Everything seemed so much smaller and closer on recent visits.
I visited Orrell School in 1997. One of the teachers showed me around and explained that an indoor garden, built on a low table like structure in the hall, was in rememberance of a little girl who had recently been murdered on the canal bank by a fellow student. Several attempts at establishing an outside garden were destroyed by vandals. How sad.
I remember Bill Rosetti, Margaret Edwards husband. I don't know if they were related but the Rosetti family I am thinking of lived in #28, they had a boy called (?) Stephan and a young girl. Their mother's name was Dolly, my Mum used to call her Dolly Wooley (I think that may have been her maiden name). Dolly had very thin legs and had difficulty in walking, I believe due to a childhood illness. May Seddon lived in that vicinity too. Luptons with kids Rita and Edward lived in #3 and an old woman called Maggie Ramsay occupied #7 or 9. I think Mrs. Varey was in #15 and Hughie and Edna (nee Palin) Jones and two daughters next to us in 17.
Alice Stewart (#21) was a sunday school teacher at St. John & St. James Church and did run the Boy's Brigade. You're right about the sharp tongue, she was a devout Anglican Christian and expected no less of others!!
Your memory of the house being sold for 100 GBP jogged my memory. I think that was the first privately owned house in the Street!!
Mrs. Beaumont, who lived with her daughter Murial, in the Ribble owned house with the front door in our street, made her own bread and often asked me to go to Whites for fresh yeast, or "balm" as she called it. I think she was from Yorkshire. She sometimes let my Mum use her phone too, as Bob Greenhalgh points out it was the only private phone in the Street!!

Cheers for now

Margery
georgewiliam
Posts: 116
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: Iver Bucks

Bobhamo
You were kind enough to email me a copy of the street residents after the war------any chance of offering it as a post. A lot of the old inhabitants have good memories of the various personalities----it would be nice to fill in any 'holes'
warbaby
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:25 am
Location: Victoria, Australia
Contact:

Just returned from a visit to Bootle. How sad to see all the houses boarded up in the Street (and adjoining 'Klondyke' streets too). Notices on the doors announce that anything of value has been removed. We probably would not want people to now live in the very basic conditions we experienced during those times, witness the number of ex resident contributors to this forum who have relocated to all corners of the globe! However, as Georgewilliam and other contributors have so graphically described, there was a supportive network which sustained us through many tough times including war time, the TB plague, coal shortages etc., while still remembering celebratory occasions such as the Festival of Britain, the Coronation and VE and VJ days. Do any of you remember those winters when we stood outside the gas works in Marsh Lane for hours on end to collect coke in a sack or two transported in an old pram? My reward for this chore was a hot drink made from an OXO cube!

Warbaby
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