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TALES FROM THE NORTH END |
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Recorded and edited by Estelle Condliff, BBC Radio Merseyside producer as part of a national BBC Campaign called Voices which gave local communities the opportunity to tell their stories on the radio and online. The CDs (a 4 CD set: £6.99 + £1.50 p&p, or a single MP3 version: £3.99 + 75p p&p) are now on sale at Birkenhead Central Reference Library. Contact the Library for further details. Samples
These samples are in MP3 format and may take a while to download if you are using a dial-up modem. |
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On Wednesday the 23rd of October 1844, the foundation stone was laid for the Birkenhead Docks System. The occasion heralded a future for the area we now know as the North End of Birkenhead. It was such an important day for the town that a general holiday was declared.
Three years later, the area's most famous landmark, St. James' Church was built, closely followed by a school of the same name, which for over a century would educate the local children . What about the shops and the people owned them? Halliwells the Butcher in Laird Street, Mrs. Chamberlain's chippy in Stanley Road, later to become Packer Francis's, and the smell of fresh bread from Wilkinson's Bakery, delightful. Do you remember the world famous Tapestry Works? Founded by the Lee family in the late 19th century. Mr. Lee's Magic Lantern Show was every Thursday at half past five. It had children from the local area clamouring to get in, many would be disappointed. Perhaps you witnessed one of the many Saturday night altercations in The Blood Tub, the local hostelry - where bare fisted men, stripped to the waist fought it out and when their last punch was thrown and their energies spent, shook hands and headed for the bar. We've compiled an oral history with the help of the people who lived there. There have been stories from the war, the wash house, school days and favourite teachers. Also... memories of the boating lake, the coronation parties, days spent caddying at West Cheshire Golf Club, day trips to Bidston Hill and the Rhododendron Gardens... And much more... |
