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By decent, I mean, better than this one:

Someone else was asking for pictures of the flyover a while ago - so it is spot on for that. Cheers Joe

Cheers goes to Derek from this post

Hi sorry to reply to a post from two years ago ;-) Just found this site from researching the Wirral.

My Mum remembers Bill Boht well. Dapper man, German born, was interned on the Isle of Man during the war. Managed a lot of Birkenhead nightspots and was married to Jean Boht of 'Bread' fame - her maiden name was Dance. For some reason they split and Bill apparently fell on hard times while Jean went on to fame and fortune...

Good info Si - thanks for that!

Yes, my thanks too, Si. I didn't know Bill Boht was German; I think he must have come to England at an early age, as I don't remember him having any trace of an accent.
Hope you find the site interesting enough to stick around & contribute.

Cheers, Chris.

Cheers guys!

I won't be much help on research as the family left Birkenhead when I was 10 back in 66, but me Mum is a Birkenhead authority, particularly the war years.

She lived on Briardale Road, Barnston Street, Park Road North and Noctorum over the years. Worked at Pikes Jewellers, Lees and Littlewoods and relatives worked at Lairds, Liverpool Cotton Exchange, Rushworths and Lever Brothers.

My maternal Granddad was knocked down and killed at Woodside Ferry back in 1940, so she stopped at home to look after my Grandma rather than join the Land Army as both her brothers were in the Forces.

She's got some great stories of the war years. A few G & T's and out come the stories! Here's one of my faves:

Anyone heard of the 'Bunny Run'?

Before the war, Bidston Hill was the 'Bunny Run' - where all the girls and fellers would stroll on a Sunday afternoon sizing each other up and making dates etc. During the war, Grange Road became the 'Bunny Run' with Servicemen from all over the world and all the local girls parading up and down.

Despite the hardships and the tragedies of the war years, she had the time of her life... ;-)

My Dad's side of the family lived on Park Road North, right opposite Birkenhead Park Rugby Club. The family ran all sorts of shops and businesses including a shop near Park Station and the Myrtle Pub at one point. Big Irish family, went to Our Lady's Church.

He used to tell some chilling stories about the Sectarian divide in Birkenhead and Liverpool - there was terrible violence in the 1920's and 1930's on the Orange Lodge and Catholic Marches. And there definitely was a Liverpool FC Catholic/ Everton FC Protestant leaning...

My Mum is from the 'other side' - family is from Blaenau Ffestiniog and she became a nine day wonder when she converted to Catholicism in the early 50's when she and my Dad had been together a few years.

If you have any questions on Birkenhead 1930-1960, I'll do my best to get you an answer!

Great stuff, Si. Don't think you won't have anything to contribute because you left so long ago. I left in 1956 & still manage some small contributions. The point is, most of the folk on here, with a few notable exceptions, weren't even born when you left, so your memories will be new to them. Keep feeding Mum the G&T's.

Cheers, Chris.

I left Birkenhead back in 1965 but my father's side of the family (Kavanagh)were from School Place (long since demolished)but I have a friend whose mother is also full of information re Birkenhead and especially Our Lady's church and school - she is very involved with the CWL.

Yes I remember the Co-op on Woodchurch Road - quite an impressive building with lots of lawn in front of it - on the way down Swan Hill. We used to walk down the lanes behind there and feed the ducks in the little pond (that was up near where the Sainsbury's is now. All fields behind there - plus the Arno - don;t know if that is still there?

I lived in Ennerdale Rd off Woodchurch Rd until '77. Well remember the Co-op. Forgotten about the lawn in the front - surrounded by low green railings if I recall. LH side was the Butchery Dept. RH side General Grocery. Both served by the Lamson Paragon overhead wire cash delivery system. Fascinating to watch ! Swan Hill (Co-op) Dairy now sadly gone.
The duck pond is now there in name only "Duck Pond Lane" alongside a supermarket car park ! Used to play in the lanes behind. Also the Flat Lanes (off Holm Lane). Mostly under bricks, mortar and tarmac now. It's called progress !!! The Arno is still more or less as it was. I only get back to B'head a couple of times a year from Scotland, but on every visit things have changed - and not for the better either !
I think you made the right move going to Canada. If I had my time over again... blah blah blah - droan droan...

Know exactly how you feel!
I left Bebington in mid '60s and am scared to think of what I would experience now, returning to Merseyside.

On the other hand, I'm SO SURPRISED to find how much greenery has replaced the suburbia I knew in the '40s-'50s. Why are some people so wound up about what they have now? It is infinitely better than what we had left after WW2!
The times we live in, I surpose!
Bri

Possibly because the council are intent on destroying everything? or at least what's left after the local hooligans burn and/or destroy!

It is only us older generation who remember as children living in small terraced houses with no bathrooms or inside toilet, no electric, no fridge, no washing machine and rationing of food. So since then progress has meant a better standerd of live for a lot of ordiary WORKING class people and yes to get this it has meant a lot of green fields have disapeared. the figth we have now is against the council and the hooligans who want to turn birkenhead into a bomb sight

Now I am not sure how many of you guys are young enough or were poor enough to remember the following scenario.

I used to go out with a girl from Oak Gardens. On a saturday night we would all(Mums and Dads included)go to the local pub. All the mums and dads would be in there best clothes(as you did in the 60's). Then come Monday morning all the mums would be outside the pawn shop, I think it was in Cathcart St, pawning the good clothes. Then come Friday afternoon they would be back again to get them out. I always thought it was a pretty sad thing to happen.