Liverpool Road, Birkdale, Southport, Lancashire-Merseyside
Spar Supermarket, 21-23 Liverpool Road (Was Hiscocks and Young World)
Birkdale of the 50s and 60s
I enjoyed your reminiscences very much mainly because they corresponded with my own recollections of Birkdale. However I became a resident of this village in 1947 when my parents moved into a house in Crescent Road. I probably only became aware of the village in 1949 when i started school at the Notre Dame Convent in Weld Road. My elder sister and I used to walk to and from school but the most direct route was to walk along the passage that ran alongside the railway. We did not see much of the rest of the village unless we had to go on a shopping expedition. I do remember Unsworths the bakers. As I recall there were three shops in a row in the 1950s. Dutton the butchers. Hiscocks the grocers and Unsworths. I think that all of these became the Spar shop that you quite rightly denigrate. Leighs the Butchers was originally run by two brothers. Harry was the elder. I knew the daughter of his brother, Christine, quite well but I cannot remember her father's name. We always took our photos to Hares the Chemist to have them developed and I well remember those large bottles together with a chemical smell that pervaded the shop. Other shops that you have either not recalled or that maybe had disappeared by the time you were living in the village are: Griffiths the watch and clock menders. Rayners the fishmonger. Townends that sold building materials and Bambers Garage which had a car showroom. The one shop that sticks out most in my mind though was Martins the sweet shop. A regular stopping off point when sweet rationing stopped in 1953. By that time I was attending a school in Ainsdale and travelled by train everyday. Next to Martins was another bakers but I cannot remember the name of it. There was the other side of the line as well. Goulders Garage and taxi service. A barbers; the library and at one time a Police Station. I do recall Mr Leather and, although I never had a bike off him, he did carry out repairs on the one I had. The other thing I remember about the village was the number of horses that were mainly used for delivering coal, milk, bread and laundry. But there was one pony and trap driven by an old man in a bowler who usually had a lady passenger (his wife?). He nearly always used to park his trap outside Unsworths and then go shopping in the village.
southport.qlocal.co.uk/southport/past/Anyone_recognise_me...
Liverpool Road, Birkdale, Southport, Lancashire-Merseyside
Spar Supermarket, 21-23 Liverpool Road (Was Hiscocks and Young World)
Birkdale of the 50s and 60s
I enjoyed your reminiscences very much mainly because they corresponded with my own recollections of Birkdale. However I became a resident of this village in 1947 when my parents moved into a house in Crescent Road. I probably only became aware of the village in 1949 when i started school at the Notre Dame Convent in Weld Road. My elder sister and I used to walk to and from school but the most direct route was to walk along the passage that ran alongside the railway. We did not see much of the rest of the village unless we had to go on a shopping expedition. I do remember Unsworths the bakers. As I recall there were three shops in a row in the 1950s. Dutton the butchers. Hiscocks the grocers and Unsworths. I think that all of these became the Spar shop that you quite rightly denigrate. Leighs the Butchers was originally run by two brothers. Harry was the elder. I knew the daughter of his brother, Christine, quite well but I cannot remember her father's name. We always took our photos to Hares the Chemist to have them developed and I well remember those large bottles together with a chemical smell that pervaded the shop. Other shops that you have either not recalled or that maybe had disappeared by the time you were living in the village are: Griffiths the watch and clock menders. Rayners the fishmonger. Townends that sold building materials and Bambers Garage which had a car showroom. The one shop that sticks out most in my mind though was Martins the sweet shop. A regular stopping off point when sweet rationing stopped in 1953. By that time I was attending a school in Ainsdale and travelled by train everyday. Next to Martins was another bakers but I cannot remember the name of it. There was the other side of the line as well. Goulders Garage and taxi service. A barbers; the library and at one time a Police Station. I do recall Mr Leather and, although I never had a bike off him, he did carry out repairs on the one I had. The other thing I remember about the village was the number of horses that were mainly used for delivering coal, milk, bread and laundry. But there was one pony and trap driven by an old man in a bowler who usually had a lady passenger (his wife?). He nearly always used to park his trap outside Unsworths and then go shopping in the village.
southport.qlocal.co.uk/southport/past/Anyone_recognise_me...