Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History The Ford Estate

nice pix mate any of the towers getting knocked down?

Yes, I remember mother used to tell me that it wasn't safe to go to Tranmere (although my first school was Well Lane). We had relations who lived in Seymour St. & others on Olive Crescent, so the Tranmere connection was pretty strong.

I lived in Fairleaf way in the early 80's. Visited the Flats with my day when i was about 3yrs old can clearly remember it, live in Herondale Avenue (don't know if spelt right) in the late 80's and St Oswalds in the late 80's early 90's and i can rememeber how it use to look and how it is now weird. lol

I remember the Ford being built but i can't remember what areas families moved from. When i moved to the Woodchurch with my parents in 1957 from Watson St a lot of people from the same area got a house on the Woodchurch. Was it the North End ?

I think they moved people from any where there was major (slum) or housing that had been in bomb areas during the war. I remember them even moving people from Liverpool to new estates out near Ellsmere Port, I went with a girl from Liverpool and she told there was a mass exodus. I had a mate who moved there from Water Board House on Borough Rd opposite the Plaza Cinema, his dad was the "Inspector of Water" or some weird title, I think there was some sort of pumping device there, not real sure. Anyway there name was Litton and his brother was some sort of councillor. MMmmm her comes the nurse, must be time to get back in the cupboard.......

I guess that would be to pump water up to the reservoir on Greenway Rd., at the top of Tower Hill, which is shown on a map dated 1884.

That water tower was still there in the 1960s and possibly as late as the 1980s

Seåcombe got a stigma as well! Wallasey a 'nice' blanket name covering all parts -'good' and sh!te.

I moved to First Avenue in 1966 from the Woodchurch as did some others. There were quite a few from Birkenhead area ie Cathcart Street. Later they moved people from the North End into sixth to eighth avenue.

Good info Bossfan - thanks!

Are you still in First Ave??

I lived in Fairoak mews 71-84. That was right behind the Towers. We used to play in the lifts in the Towers and I don't know how many times we ran up and down them 12 floors. Oh my god! I even remember the key code to block 4, was 151!!!
The estate had a terrible name from people who never lived there. I wish I could give my kids the freedom my parents gave us when we lived there. We had the biggest playground a kid could ever want, the woods and then Bidston Hill.

Dave2479 I think I know you. Did you have a dog called Sandy?

bert1 the photo you posted, I can't remember what that close was called but a remember a very tragic fire in a house.

Vini

No. I left in 1980 when I got married. But my Mum stayed there until 2000, when she passed away.

Just wondered. Thanks

Pub called the 7 stiles because out there used to be fields which were known as the "7 stiles", also there were the Flat Lanes further out towards the Woodchurch. Up the top of Ford Hill used to be the Thermopylae Pass, so, from town us kids used to go through Birkenhead Park, up Bidston Road, through the Thermopylae Pass and on to the 7 Stiles and Flat Lanes. It used to be a day out and there were frongs, taddies and jacksharps in the cattle ponds out in them there fields. Loads of long grass with furry seed heads which used to tickle your legs as you ran across the fields. And......it was always summer.