Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Tracing history of Bob simister motorcycles.

Is the premises of Bob simister motorcycles still standing?

The 1938 directory has his address as 542-544 New Chester Rd, now according to google maps, new houses.

I remember that site as Palace Motors - and establishment that morphed into a car auction establishment with a very dodgy reputation indeed.

I have an idea that there had one been a fleapit Cinema called the 'Palace' on that site, but perhaps I've got that wrong. It was well gone by the time I arrived on the scene.

Palace Motors was 506 New Chester Rd, Rock Ferry, previously a cinema named, Rock Ferry Electric Palace Company.

Bob Simisters was on the corner of Nelson rd with a showroom at the top of of Nelson rd. Palace Motors was built on the site of the Palace cinema.

It seems the cinema, Simisters and the car showrooms all occupied the same site

No different sites, image 1952 directory, for those who can't see it. Palace Cinema next to Trinity Methodist Church, corner of Canterbury Rd. Bob Simisters, corner of Nelson St.

I used to live in Nelson Rd In the 50s and I can assure you that Bob Simisters shop was on the corner. The Palace cinema which I used to go to was was further down New Chester rd towards Bedford rd

From what I remember of Palace Autos it occupied a site between Canterbury Road and Nelson Rod - they are only 50 metres apart I think Simisters had that site before them.

The palace cinema had long gone before I arrived in the area but I assumed from the name that it had been the original building on the site.

Electric Palace Theatre/Palace Autos/Autosafe/Rock Ferry Car Auctions etc was on the north side of Canterbury Road on the site of the old Methodist (Trinity) Chapel. There was a fair sized carpark on the southern side of the building adjoining Canterbury Road.

I vaguely recall a motorcycle establishment somewhere along there, presumably Simisters. Did that occupy the same site for a while or was it elsewhere?

Bob Simister's was on the south corner of Nelson Road, this might remind you ....

Alas no. I don't recognise that at all. It must have gone before I moved to Wirral in the Mid 60s

I can't remember exactly where it was but I bought my first 'motorised transport' from him, a Lambretta LD150, in 1955, the year they came out. He had already registered it FCM55, presumably for publicity and this is the number in the advert, though it's not very distinct.
It cost £140, I think, plus extras, screen, spare wheel and panniers. Happy days!
Does the first floor frontage give a clue to the building?