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

Hello! I used to live on the Ford for a short while with my Nan and Grandad in Beeston Close, just off Second Ave. As my Grandad died in 1976 and my Nan moved away shortly after, my memories are a bit hazy. I recall the recreation centre and the shops with the Kwiksave and have a vague memory of being pushed there in a pram as a nipper (I was born in 1971) but could anyone fill me in on other things that were there? I recall a newsagent near to the Kwik Save and I also seem to recall flaking paint on the wood everywhere round the place.
I also recall the shop near the flyover. Me and my Nan would go in and I'd be reading words from the front of papers when I've been around 2 or 3 and I remember the bloke working there was fascinated and would give me words to read out. Was there a butcher called Diamond near there or am I imagining it?

This may interest you.

https://www.wikiwirral.co.uk/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/280224/1.html

i lived there about the same time did you go to any schools there

The Ford was as rough as a bear's bum in those days. I remember one night in the early 70s before the M53 existed. My dad was driving my gran home to Wallasey and I went along for the ride. For some reason we went through the Ford and I remember seeing "FEBB - Ultra Violence" in grafiti on a wall. Bearing in mind that the film of A Clockwork Orange had already been banned, I wonder whether all the boneheads had sat around reading Burgess' novel.

Those graffiti signs were every where in those days.
SEBB
LEBB
EEGG
Known in those days as Seacombe,Leasowe,Egremont boot boys!
Oh and of course the notorious
BEBB.,Birkenhead boys

Aha! i'd forgotton that! Intimidating, when i was a kid and thought the Toxteth Riots were coming over here. Lol

Oh,bless you!!!!Poor kid,you must have been scared stiff!!!

I live on Ford Estate just off First Avenue.
Asparagus - it's now called Beechwood Estate - they renamed it to try and lose the reputation Ford Estate had.
For those who don't know me, I moved up here 4 years ago and before I came up I spent many hours on the internet trying to find out info about tthe area and came across this article written in the Observer in 2004
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2004/may/30/features.magazine27

Having read it I was unsure what I was getting into but carried on digging and found some minutes from a council meeting (can't find them again) The thing that struck me when read them was that ............. where people were due to be rehoused as part of the regeneration programme, most of them wanted to stay on the estate. That told me that yes there were bad people but the majority here were good people who were part of a community. The rest, as they say, is history

I agree,I grew up in Seacombe and the majority of people were great

its generally a small minority, maybe one extended family who sullys the reputation of an area/ estate.

bezzy. As you know, i'm in Sunny Seacombe, people are generally great.
i did have a run-in years ago with the 'notorious' Bridge family-but then, so did half the North West.

the ford was great grew up there and it was brilliant

I remember FEBB and BEBB being sprayed everywhere.

Ahh! The lovely 'Bridge Family'. I wasn't aware that they had once lived in Seacombe. They lived down the road from me in New Brighton when they where finally given the ASBO(stay out of Wirral)order.

Yer, they lived St Pauls Rd around 1999-2000

Must have been just before they moved to NB then.
They caused such misery in their time spent here, including cutting the fuel pipes on mine and neighbours cars.
The idiots had a tray that they placesd under the cars but,ended up mixing diesel with petrol.The police found them hiding behind a hedge.They followed the strong smell of fuel that they had on their clothes.

a lot of people from ilchester square went there to live many years ago .There was a chippy and a sayers in the shopping area they are still there now flats by shops knocked down years ago.there is a few new houses on the estate now down by ford hill end ,afew kids i went to school with moved there as it was still being built mud everywhere but nice houses ,my anutie lives there and she loves it,i worked in the sayers shop and it was great .

I lived on the ford estate in 1976-1983
first Gaypine close and then Herondale avenue.
worked in the Corsair for a few years too. every friday night was fight night

Lived there 1970 to late 90s

still go on the ford most days,

i lived on the ford mid 80s I cant really remember much about it only that I was about 6 and witness a fella robbing the 50p meters and running out of someones house with it

didnt realise at the time but this must of become the norm for most people! not right,but it happened to us too, but we knew who the culprits were,taking all our 50ps! but in that day and age,there was nothing we cud do about it! sad i know

i lived on the ford from 69 (1 year old )till about 83 .first we where in deeside close and then moved to arley close when i was about 8 i think ,we where a big family 7 kids ,my older brother became a smack head and we had to move because me mum and dad didnt want the rest of us falling the same way .but i loved the place ,hated moving to tranmere, though the house was great ,got punched the first day up there for nothing by some knob so spent all my time back down on the ford .yes it was bad sometimes but that was the minority alot of my old mates have never moved off and have settled down there as parents and hopefully there kids are enjoying it as much we did .oh yes and i was part of fabb which stood for first ave boot boys and alls we ever did was play football and alio and the sweeney not really bad boy stuff lol

We moved into Airdale Close in March 68. Brilliant times as a kid, the place was still being built. We used to play in the half built houses and maisonettes, or make our own dens with bricks. Playing footie in Manor County, 15-20 aside with grownups joining in, used to get people from the first to fifth aves.

if you where there up till and beyond 1983 then i bet you know me and my family because our house faced airdale close and we used to always play in the all day football matches in manor lol

I got married in 79 and moved out, although my mum was there until she passed away in 2001.

what number did you live in? we where number 83 i was 11 in 79 but can remember most of the people who lived there then

Number 7. If you went to the back I painted my initials underneath my bedroom window.
I can remember nearly all the occupants of Airdale, and most of Arley but some are escaping me now( old timers disease)

i cant remember but my brother seems to remeber a lad a bit older than him and he used to hang around with ravo ,and did you have a few sisters

have just looked on google maps your initals are still there r.c. have a look on google earth

I only had one sister. I think your brother is thinking of the lad who lived at No5, he had 5 or 6 sisters. By Ravo is your brother thinking of Graham, or Phil? I'm the same age as Phil, who we called Figaro.

I think I may drive up there some time to see the old place, especially my initials, it must be about 40 years ago I painted them!

the whole place has changed except for airdale that hasnt changed much at all but the biggest shock to me was the school going .think the ravo he meant was the one with the moto guzzie motorbike so he must be the young one i think

My mum andher family lived on the ford for many years. My grandad and grandma lived on the front by the bus stop. Think it was third ave. Loved going to my grandads. He said the were one of the first families to move onto the estate and remembers that were the seven stiles pub was it was a farm. I never remember any problems on the estate. Iused to visit every saturday and wednesday until about 1993 whe my Grandma passed. I remember the vicar lived next door to her and was lovely.

I had a mate lived out their at 4 Ford Close, Ford Estate(always sounded funny, never mind) His name was Terry Lytton, his dad used to be the Water Inspector at the Water Works on Borough Rd opposite were the Plaza Cinema used to be. His brother ran for council and I remember dropping dodgers in the letter boxes up the North End(scary thought that eh!) This would have been back in 1968/69 as I left in Jan 1970. Always thought the Ford was quite a nice place. Sadly lost touch with Terry.