wow! hi! presume you went to the infants an midle school then? do you have any pics? one of my favourite teachers there was mrs garret, she was lovely! -scared stiff of mr wilson!
I think the bank may have been the TSB. I always thought the building to be out of place there, as it is single story, newer than the rest and rather grey. The small windows that once had bars on them were a giveaway. I remember Montague Fisher Ltd., the photography people, opening there after the bank closed, about 1968 I guess. It didn't seem to do much buisness. It was nearly always empty when I went in there. I don't think they stayed there for too long. Their main shop was at 186 Grange Road. The address here is 724 Borough Road and the front of the building has changed a lot over the years.
You wanted some old pictures, then look at these from 1969. Just out of site on the left is Raffles Road. The cobblers is just off to the left, but there is still one there. The Good Year sign hangs outside the car dealers (Simisters). The launderette is on the corner. On the opposite corner is 'North West Finance', but the premises had previously been a grocers shop. The big building in the middle of the block is Hodgesons bakery, more lately known as Borough Road car spares. Next was E.B. Parker, the grocer, Pearsons milliners, the Fish & Chip shop, and the vegetable shop. Then Larch Road, with the fishmongers on the corner. Further along that block was Mrs. Gooch, the sweetshop. The modern building past that block was Wrights 'Wirral Way' filling station - selling Shell petrol and BMC cars and vans. On the corner of Ball Rd East is an chandlers shop, with a 'Pink Paraffin' sign on it. Out of site is the newsagents and Post Office. Also of interest are the vehicles - A VW Carmen Giah turning right while a ford Anglia, Triumph Herald and Rover 2000 wait at the lights while the Bedford TK wagon crosses. Waiting at the opposite side are an Bedford CF van, the Leyland PD2 bus on the 64 route, with a Morris Minor Van alongside, waiting to turn right, with a Mini car behind the bus. Photo's taken by the bus stop outside the Happy Valley pub, almost opposite the Library, January 1969.
Balls Rd East could be pretty treacherous in those conditions as was quite steep you could easily come unstuck in very cold weather despite being well gritted. I wouldn't like to have been a bus driver on the "Oxton Circle" (Nos 2 & 6) at times like these. I can reacll the No 6 (clockwise, up Balls Rd) not making it more than once.
Balls Rd East could be pretty treacherous in those conditions as was quite steep you could easily come unstuck in very cold weather despite being well gritted. I wouldn't like to have been a bus driver on the "Oxton Circle" (Nos 2 & 6) at times like these. I can reacll the No 6 (clockwise, up Balls Rd) not making it more than once.
I,too, remember the bus going up Balls Road East having problems on occasion. I used to catch that bus every day for many years to take me to school.