Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Laird Street Memories

Hi Was wondering if anyone had memories of Laird Street they might like to share?

I can remember it before it turned into a one-eyed, take-away alley.

Wondering if anyone remembers the following?

*The old St James Library, when it had tons of books and a very peculiar sweet smell (probably floor polish)
*The Post Office with the penny-sweets
*The shop a bit further on that you had to go up steps to get in (think they sold shoes etc), demolished now
*The small supermarket (think it was either a small Tesco or a Spar) where there is now a closed down sewing shop (has an Irwins tiled advert on the wall still)
*Butchers on corner of Milner Street (Tom Griffiths?)
*The baker next door with the scary little robotic baker man in the window (who's eyebrows were falling off)
*The Golden Sunrise chippy (rumoured to use cat and dog in their meat and potato pies)
*Chandlers at bottom of Methuen Street that sold paraffin (we used to have a paraffin heater which I thought looked like a dalek)
*Ellis's the chemist
*Prices greengrocers
*Gorton's butchers
*Mrs Spriggins wool shop (sounds like something from Postman Pat)
*Shallcross bikes/prams (always smelt of bike oil)
*Sylvia's Flower World (still there?)
*Page hairdressers which moved to the corner
*Chippy where the small carpet shop is opposite ALDI (which had a spectacular fire at some point)
*The Midland Bank

LOL Christ memories.. I remember most of the Above..

Prices Fruit And Veg was owned by a Guy called George he comes in the Co-Op all the time.. The Zero Centre know occupys his old store..

The Midland bank has know gone its a wasteland with stupid railings i thought at one point it was going to be a wine bar as thats what they advertised the sale for but i think they just knocked it down.

The HairDresses Pages is in Malleby Street been there since the 1950s Where you thinking about Hair By Anne??

Ellis the Chemist was moved to where the Chemist is know in the Mariam Centre but i think he retired as well the chemist is know a Cake Shop "Cameo"..

The Golden Sunrise used to be owned by a lady Called Val but the best chippy around here is the one in Brassey Street Georges Liver Dinner "fantastic"

The small irwins supermarket was an irwins?. Tom Griffiths was the name of the butcher but the Co-Op owned the butchers before they closed it then Tom Griffiths had "i think" it i miss that place and you are right Suze Laird street should be know called Take Away City.. There are 8 know "WHY??" lol all trying to compete let alone the one in malleby street to.. To many.. BUT the best which i have to add is Rizos lol.. This used to be Simpsons Aerials

Gortons butchers closed down and was brought by the News Agents Next to it which was then converted into the One Shop owned by the newsagents, the hair dresses Hair By John was next to it which is know owned by a Curtain makers and other things "not sure on this" CostCutter know own the building..

The hairdresses which is called Bazz used to be a Fantastic bakery and place to get your nudgers Patissere from Anglesy Remember that??

The Co-Operative funeral care which is on the corner of plummer street next to the Co-Op used to be a Willam Hill bookmakers i cant remember what it used to be.. Next brumptons opticians is still there today...

The Pawnbrokers which was next to the News Agent and Golden Sunrise used to be the Second Hand shop which is featured on the Video i posted about Tees Street isnt working..

The Fisherman used to have a smaller shop which was next to Kathys Barbers Shop Which then was G.B. Finance then mordiment asian foods but didnt last long..

There used to be a Taylors "clothes makers" next to the Post Office

Where aldi and carpet world used to be used to be a Huge Factory cant remember what the made someone told me once but i forgot..

The Cafe which is know next to Lauras Hair World "which was sayers i miss it badly grrrrr" was the Chandlers the guy used to have a Amstrad CPC464 for his till and used to repair lawn mowers..

The shop which is know SDT Pawnbrokers used to be Laird Street Services shop which housed the petrol station shop for a few months while the forcourt was being refitted used to be called This And That which sold used furniture..

The place of work for me the Co-Op has always been a Co-op branch 7 to be exact and the hall upstairs which was the Gym for Gladiators was a Nusrery it laid dorment for years untill the Gym leased it. The hall upstairs is called Hollyoak hall it was used for weddings and other functions..

Up the top end of laird street near the church we used to have another chippy cant remember the name over the road from the Old turntable youth club along with the Garage and St Pauls fund raising shop i do remember the old St James libarary it was great look at it know "Balamory"

Theres a spiritulist church which is great its located in the old Surestart building which have know moved to Brassey Gardens in brassey street this building used to be our Victoria Wine.. Remember the Shop next to it The Newsagents?? The guy who used to own it still lives there and owns half of the laird street propertys he leases them out to people. The Shop which is being created into another Balti House which is actually Nahid one is moving to the old Pet shop which used to be on laird street..

Hope that keeps peeps remembering lol

That's all triggered a few more memories:

The pet shop - used to buy rabbit food in there
The house clearance place on the corner opposite Laird St Baptist (Mal's - my bro had a job with him for a bit after he left school)
The hairdressers on other corner - Alan Paul?
Village Gossip in Mallaby St
The Co-op funeral place was run by a friend of mine and her husband for some time under another name, but they went out of business and co-op bought it I think
I got my first pair of specs from Bromptons - daylight robbery!
Hair By Ann I think moved from Lansdowne Rd before they flattened all the terraced houses along there (eek now I remember Powell St, Kimberley St, Goschen Street!!).

D.T. Sheridan suze (the funeral place)

There was an hair dresses in the old Corner Shop newsagents run by a couple John and Irene great shop that. The hair dresses was called Jaspers

There was also a shop called Galaghers too, my nan worked there.

Yeah - my mate Nicki is married to Dave (?) Sheridan.

The factory made tin boxes after school i went to wait for my aunt to finish work at 430 then walk to my nans ilchester sq aunt lived over blood tub.my nan was cook in tapestry for many years

The factory on Laird Street - wasn't there a Remploy there?

here r shops i remember on laird st.baxtors. smiths sweet shop.mr bedfords.the wool shop. o conners.brumptons.the sweet shop on the corner were jaspers hair dressers was.mr murphys cobblers over the road from the turnny.the butchers shop on the corner of dundonnald street now the pound shop.dewhurst butchers .jonns hairdressers.lisas chippy.and bowskills cloths shop

a few moore margie taylors cloths shop.the florist shop.the fishing shop was were cathys hair dressers is now.williams chemist.barbers shop next to bowskills.the rising sun pub.the laundrette were kfc is now

i think the factory on the corner of mallaby/ laird st was called Metal box.

was Baxters the chandler who sold paraffin near the wool shop?

car sales show rooms. only two cars at a time in window And one in the back for repairs? think one glass door pushed across to get them in. name was RALF i think? church end

What about Ted Clough's bicycle shop? It was next door but one to the library, then there was Clayton's Cobblers (Shoe repairers), Cowells Newsagents, Griffiths Bakery and Neary's Greengrocers (corner of Corporation Road). There was also a butchers shop where the furniture upholstery shop is.

The betting shop in Laird Street was originally a bakery. The site where Laird St flats is, used to have pre fabricated houses on it. These were temporary housing built after the second world war.

On the other side of Laird St. there was an empty field between the Rose and shamrock and the Kentucky. The Kentucky was another newsagent and there was Williams's Pawn Shop on the corner of Landowne Road, which closed down in the late '60's and was eventually demolished.

I wish I had pictures from that time as it has changed quite a bit.