Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Borough Rd.

Here's a plan from 1853 showing the planned route of what became Borough Rd. along the line of the Happy Valley. It follows pretty faithfully the present line. What I can't understand is why they decided to build a road along the line of a stream; it gave them problems later. See the thread "Borough Rd. overflow tunnel"

Typical Wirral council never, do things the easy way Chris

does anyone have any old photo's of borough road...?

My nan used to have a big antique/junk shop there, sadly gone in the road widening of the 80's, and it would seem that no-one in the family has any photo's.
it was Marriots at the corner of Tetbury street and Borough road and unsurprisingly some other shops on Oxton road, Marriots Motorcyles and Marriots bric a brac, were all relations ,
it was a big blue and grey building with stables at the back....
dont know if anyone but me will remember it now.

The name Marriot's certainly rings a bell. If I remember correctly, Birkenhead Brewery was on the corner of Oxton Rd. & Tetbury St.

I am really struggling to remember what was at the top of the road, but I do recall a big building, ( think the brewery closed in 1960), so this would be a fair bit before I was even thought of, but the building may well have still been there... Have seen a good few of the Iconic Birkenhead brewery signage around.. more distinctly I remember a old school butchers shop a few doors down from what would have been the brewery, headed in the direction of Charing cross, mainly becuase it was the first time I ever saw rabbits in a butchers shop window, and my nan explained that they left them to "hang" for a few days to improve the flavour.. I need to head back that way soon and check out what I remember versus what is actually left now.

That's definitely where the brewery was. There's a new building there now, but on the opposite side of Oxton Rd. there's still the ornate frontage which used to be the offices of the brewery. The butcher's was probably Hoyle's, on the corner of Windsor St., which was where my gran lived. Mr. Hoyle must have been a Catholic because I remember seeing nuns going in there & Mr. Hoyle putting meat in their big bag. I never saw any money change hands.
If you haven't been there for a while, you probably won't recognise the area, although Bernard's the ironmonger/tool merchant is still where it was when I was a child in the 1940's.
Here's a fine example of a Birkenhead Brewery sign.

the ornate frontage? is that the one shown in the fourth pic on the thread shops gone by.....?
that would be what was and possibly still is Marriots motorcyles ( another relative),
also two doors up the hill from colonnade insurance in those pics, painted in a very distressing green was Marriots household goods/ bric a brac shop.. may still be...
its a bit slack not knowing as I only live a few miles away now, but its just somewhere I never go.

on a different tack, does anyone know when exactly they did the widening of borough road, as I am guessing it was the 80's but am not sure now. but I remember the fuss as all the terraced houses and shops on one side were compulsory purchased for peanuts, forcing loads of folk who had been there most of their lives to move on.

Yes, that's the ornate frontage; I can't make out the name, but the Triumph sign is there. The brewery was behind the blue fencing opposite.

I think the plans for the Tunnel Approach Scheme were drawn up in 1964. I remember them demolishing the houses in Borough Road. Their coal was delivered via a manhole cover in the pavement outside and straight into the cellar!
The demolition/construction work finished around 1970. Councils are very good at ripping the heart out of communities.

My favourite Barber's shop Eaglesome's got the chop during the widening. It was almost on the corner of Borough Rd and Balls Rd. The owner had a metal caliper on one leg. He lost part of his leg when he was run over by a tram on Borough Rd. Sorry, going off topic AGAIN !

NURSE! NURSE! bring the sedatives.

The dates for the Tunnel Approach schemes were:-
Actual start of work 16th March 1967
Official opening 15th July 1969

Old Borough Road pictures are quite scarce compared to many other parts of Birkenhead.

Hey Pinz was that the one next to the Fish and Chip shop on the Larch Rd side. if it was he was a grumpy old bugger, no kids on a Saturday(that was for working men only)he used to pull my head around so now I can spin it right around. Uh Oh sorry, back to work.

My memory lets me down regarding where Larch Rd is/was. If you were going down Borough Rd (heading for the tunnel), Eaglesome's was on the left immediately before the Balls Rd traffic lights. Had an ancient polished copper boiler he used to put towels on to heat up. Always recall the sign on the wall by the mirror - "A fresh towel for every customer". I must admit, it could be the guy you describe. He wasn't given to smiling too much !

There was another barbers almost opposite called Frost's. He was the father of a classmate. Only went there once.

I bought an ex-WW2 No.19 set (military radio) from Eaglesome. He was into "ham" radio. Still listen to this huge beast in the shed today !

Larch Rd. is on the opposite side, next to Willmer Rd., so looks as if Mindplayer's barber was Frost, not Eaglesome. So, 2 grumpy barbers opposite one another.

Cheers, Chris.

Thanks Chris. You can visualise "Hairdresser Wars". The likes of Stadler and Waldorf (Muppet Show) hurling scissors, cut throat razors etc. across the road at each other. Price wars with "short back & sides" down to 1/11d instead of 2/0d !!

Now, where dem pills ???

Both of you were correct it was Frost's, he was called Jack not sure if that was his real name. Larch Rd is opposite Christ Church Claughton school, were I was formerley educated, Mmmmm I think.

Marriotts the Bric and Brac shop is still there in Oxton Road. I used to go to school with the daughter at Christchurch. (we were always told this school was haunted after a www2 bombing)

I remember the houses from between Cook Street to say where the Greek restaurant is now. They were knocked down in the 70's. Also the bookies between Glover Street and Brattan Road. The only building that was there for years.
I lived between Victoria Road and Elmswood Road. We had to move about 1980/81. The shops on the other side of the road from the Carlton pub to Glover street. Including Cooks Butchers had been knocked down for a few years. There was a bridal shop, Bens? the newsagents, a hairdressers, Yvonnes?, to name a few.

Eaglesommes was on the corner of Carnforth street which was a gents outfitters, on the other corner of Carnforth street was the pub called the Happy Valley. This strret was the second one along from Balls road East as you came down Borough road heading to town. The period of time i am talking about was 1950 to 1965.

Frost the barber. his first name was Charles. I lived directly opposit him in a sweet shop next door to the uphosterlers on the corner of mount grove which runs along side your old school

got mixed up in the messeage i sent you about eaglesome'.
the shop at the bottom corner of Carnforth street which was a gents outfitters was names Ingams. Eaglesome the barber was the second shop up in the block running from Balls road east to mount grove.

And next to Ingams there was i think a Chinese laundry and next door or a couple of doors away going towards Charing Cross there was a shop selling white contiboard, At least it was there in 1973 when i moved back in to town. It was run by a lady who would cut the conti board to any size using a hand held circular saw. Going back up towards the Carlton, i can remember a motor bike shop, i think it was called Turners, but not sure. The motor bike shop was there in 1968, i nearly bought a bike from them.

You'll remember the Plaza cinema, then. I was projectionist there in the early 50's.

Cheers, Chris.

Is that where Beasley and Fildes is today Chris ?

Yes. There's a pic. on page 1 of the thread "Cinemas".

Cheers, Chris.

Beesley and Fildes took over Boyds builders yard and then acquired the Plaza building. They knocked it down to extend their yard. Along from the Plaza there was an Army careers office before you got to the Kingsland. Across from the Kingsland on the corner of Kingsland Rd and Borough Rd there was a Jet petrol station.

Long before that jet petrol station, there was garage that sold petrol on that site. It was surrounded by a high brick wall [white washed} and you entered and exited via 2 narrow openings in the walls.

you must remember the live stage shows that where on there. {think they where on a sunday night} I went to see Red Skelton, would have been arround 1957-1959.

After my time. I left in 1956; did 4 years in the RAF & never returned to Birkenhead.

Crikey I remember the Plaza! My husband and I had our first date there! I used to live in Whitford Road which runs down from Derby Road to Borough Road and was virtually opposite the Plaza. In the block between the Plaza and the Kingsland was a ladies hairdresser and a travel agents that was opened by The Bachelors, probably about 1966.

Thats right Charley Frost...so what school did you go to, I was there about 56ish to 61 I think. I have some form photos that anybody who went to Christ Church at that time. I had a friend who lived close to you named Edwin Harris. Not you is it???

I used to work for Mr and Mrs Ingam delivering "Oil Cloth and other assorted haberdashery stuff" Used to get 10bob a week and did it after school. Their backyard was about 15 feet lower than the street and there was a ramp with steps on the outside of the ramp and it was murder getting that big delivery bike up that ramp. I also used to drink and play darts at the Happy Valley next door. Ah memories.

I left Temple Road Secondary School in the early 50s. Edwin Harris lived behind the shop next door to the sweet shop that I lived in. I worked in Cammell Lairds with Edwwins dad, Ted {sharka} was his nick name. Edwins mums name was Dylis, Edwin was still a little boy when I got married and left home. You must have come into are shop for a penny Vantas. {colloured fizzy water in a small pop bottle} bet I use to serve you if you did.

That class mate you had who's dad was Charlie Frost the barber, He had 2 sons there names where Alec and Michale, which one was your class mate. I knew both of them well, Alec was older than me and Michale younger

Michael (Micky) Frost was in my class at Temple Road. I left in '59.

What a small world Jimbob, I remember your shop I can see the inside of it now. I used to spend a lot of money in there on uncle Joes mint balls and Tizer, but sorry do not remember you. There was another shop across Borough Rd up from Larch Rd I think the owner was Gooch, I used to go in there a bit. Ed Harris must have lived where you said as I remember going there once, buy not often thinking back I am not sure why. Anyway thanks again.

Veering slightly OT, Mindplayer mentioned Uncle Joe's Mint Balls. Great childhood memories. Hadn't seen them for years, then came across their website. Still the same product, still irresistable, still very addictive! If you want a taste of childhood look at:-

www.mintballs.co.uk

Hint: Buy one tin (still the old fashioned design) and top it up from a large poly bag. Works out cheaper AND you get to know your dentist really well !!

You can buy Uncle Joe's Mint Balls in a lot of shops still.

ASDA in Bromborough has a top shelf full of them, in the old tins and bags too

Thanks Joe. Never seen them up here (Scotland). Glad they are still around in their "home territory" ! Good to hear that the supermarkets are stocking them.

Not the same now Joe wrapped in plastic, we use to buy them by the quarter out of a jar and they would put them in a paper bag that they always stuck to. Mouth full of paper bag.

your dead right regarding the other shop, it was a couple of doors up from the corner of Larch Road {old mrs gooch} In those days the uncle joes mint ball where loose in the large sweet jars {unwrapped} and i use to have to bang the side of the jar so as to get a few loose ones out {2 ounces or a 1/4 if you had lots of money] the little pointed bottom bag for 2 ounces and the square bag for the 1/4. My mother was always behind the counter and i would be there after i got home from work while she got my tea ready. you would have gone down the entry and in the backyard door when you visited Ed Harris

I left Temple road in 1955. micky frost went to work at BT, then after getting married he got promoted and moved away from the area, about 1970 or even a bit later.

I had a No. 19 set once, when I used to run a goverment surplus shop firstly opposite to The Gaumont Cinema in King Street, then we moved next door to it! How about that?

Larch Road is the road after the shell garage heading down borough road towards birkenhead

Uncle Joe's - Used to be sharp edged and hurt your mouth! Not available down here.
Nuttall's mintoes were great! Easy to unwrap. Lived on them!

was there a pet shop not far from the happy valley pub used to stay at a school friends who lived behind pub used to hear parrot squarking late at night.

Wirral pets wasn't far from there, as the crow flies or in your case parrot

Uncle Joe's Mint Balls. I buy them in bulk via their own postal service. Still just the same as ever. In the same tins as well.

http://www.mintballs.co.uk/

That should keep you (and your dentist) happy !! I bought a couple of tins of them, then I buy a BIG bulk bag to refill the tins. Yum !

I had a No. 19 set once, when I used to run a goverment surplus shop firstly opposite to The Gaumont Cinema in King Street, then we moved next door to it! How about that?

Had a no19 wireless set myself with vibrator power pack ,atu etc,plus a couple of other types,can't remember the models no's now one was an aircraft one think 1175 and one was a giant brick navel one RCA,bought from Bert Ault down by Woodside.

hi i lived on borough rd & remember that shop use to go in it as i lived about 8 houses down in my grandads upholstery shop in between house it was white

Opposite the Plaza was a cafe called the Top Twenty. All the 'teds' hung out there and they were always 'at war' with the Kiwi cafe in Bedford Rd Rock Ferry. I remember a promotion for CocaCola in the Topper, they sold it for 2d a bottle. I drank that much I was actually sick on the pavement. Oh! happy days.

when i left school the top twenty cafe was a little supermarket and i used to work there it was owned by terry i think his family owned the kingsland

Don't remember the cafe but I remember Grimshaws newsagent opposite the Plaza.

Spot on. The owner was Terry Lyons and he did go on to own The Kingsland. His mum used to work behind the counter in the Topper. She was an old lady then, all the noise and the juke box music didn't seem to bother her and she had no problem sorting out any trouble.

Thought I'd put this picture in this thread as a few of the shops mentioned are here.