Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Who remembers... Wirral General History Chat...

Yes, the tall red (flourescent tubed) lamp on top of the lampost at the Charing Cross roundabout was indeed switched on to indicate that someone had been killed on the roads in the Borough.

Even when it was in operation, I don't think many folk knew what it was flashing for.

Welcome to the site.

Where abouts in Scotland are you Jeeps ??

Welcome, Jeeps; hope you enjoy the site. I suspect from your memories that you are of a "certain age". I'm sure I remember Roberts & Jobson, but not the toy train. Wasn't it opposite Mc.Kenzies, an electrical/photographic shop? That's where I bought my first camera in about 1954.

Cheers, Chris.

Any more info/pictures of Bidston Steel??

Right up by John O'Groats. Thanks for the welcome.

Thanks for the welcome. Yes, there was a camera shop, whose name escapes me but it was close to the Little Theatre I think? I'm wondering now if Roberts and Jobson were the other sports shop just off Charing Cross (close to where Christpher Boyton Hairdressers are if they are still there?)and the one with the train was not them.

As for being of a certain age, I was not born in 1954!! lol

From the 1950/1960s....

Roberts & Jobson was a sports shop between Charing Cross and Back Menai Street - I knew Mr Roberts - really nice bloke.

I seem to remember the train being on Grange Road West before the little theatre.

James McKenzie Ltd 25-29 Grange Road West

Birkenhead Brewery 73 Oxton Road

Manweb 7/9 Grange Road West

Robb Bros Ltd Charing Cross

Rostances 13-21 Oxton Rd, 62-68 Watson St, 55-57 New Chester Rd

Birkenhead & District Co-0perative Society Rd - Grange Road, Swan Hill, Moss Lane etc.

District Butchers - Oxton Road, 10 Market Place South etc.

Owen Owen - Grange Rd

Rediffusion - 21 Grange Road West, Elm St and 18 Seaview Rd

Roberts & Co (Birkenhead) Ltd 107/109 Argyle Street

R Byrne 53 Grange Rd West

Express Cleaners - Edinburgh House 597-599 Borough Rd etc.

W Watson & Co - Hamilton St

Kirbys Ltd - Woodchurch Rd

R E Wright & Co Ltd 790-794 Borough Rd, Upton Motor Works Arrowe Park Rd

Geofre Ltd 61/65 Hamilton St

R O Willams & Co Park Station Garage Duke St

D H Collins & Son Ltd 69-73 Conway St

Liverpool Savings Bank 3 Wilbraham St, 742 Borough Rd

I have some history on many of the above and/or pictures, adverts etc. Just shout if there are any you are interested in. I also have info on some builders, insurance companies, banks and heavier industries from early 1960s. Too much to scan completely.

A fine list there. So that's where Roberts & Jobson was; I knew I remembered the name & now I can place it.
Yes, speelings (sic) do seem to change spontaneously.

Cheers, Chris.

Roberts and Jobson had a dirty great tennis racquet logo thingy on the wall.

Before Leo's etc on the Woodchurch it was the UCLA which stands for United Co-operative Laundries (something?). My brother in law of the time used to drive for them and took me out to Wales many a time. He used to deliver to various army camps and RAF Valley.

I've never heard of the flashing light in Birkenhead though.

United Co-operative Laundries Associaton. OR Uncle Charlie's Lunatic Asylum as we called it. Used to have UCLA in big neon letters near the chimney base. Air raid siren on the roof too ! The tests "All Clear" always seemed to be on a Thursday at 1100hrs. Used to frighten the living cr*p out of me when I was a toddler !

I was going to add that later about Uncle Charlies Lunatic Asylum but events have taken over. I remember the siren as well now you mention it.

In my early days, going out to Arrowe park and the surrounding area was like a day out in the country. Took a couple of buses at least including a trip on a Crosville which we considered luxury. How times change!

was this up by Arrowe park then chaps

Birkenhead Institute, Whetstone Lane.

James McKenzie electrical goods was in Grange Road West, they had a Photographic shop opposite and slightly further up Grange Road West, this closed (probably in the 60s) and moved into the electrical shop. They also had a workshop in Oxton Road (where the Casino is now)



The train was in the window of 'The Model Shop' which was in Oxton Road, and at some point (again I think probably the 60s but could have been 70s) it moved but only further down Oxton Road to where 'Kit Shop' is now (the train moved with it). For many years you could still see the penny slot at the old shop.

Roberts and Jobson had a giant tennis racquet over the shop and where in the 'Bank of Liverpool' building at Charring Cross.

Jase - the coop laundry is where Woodchurch/ArrowePark ASDA is now - the laundry wells that Pinzgauer mentioned somewhere else were rediscovered when they built ASDA.

Uptoncx - thanks for train location you are quite right, just couldn't picture it.

I think the post I put in a while ago (can't find it now) about the wells, was relating to those below the Co-op Dairy on Swan Hill. A friend of mine was a fitter there and serviced the pumps.

Never realised that there were wells under UCLA, but logic would say that being a BIG laundry, they would have their own separate, secure supply, therefore wells !!

The water table shouldn't be far below the surface there. It's got to be just about the lowest point thereabouts for miles. The wells wouldn't have had to be too deep.