Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Graham and Warwick Stafford

Does anyone from Pensby remember Graham and Warwick Stafford who used to live at the Lilacs on Pensby Road?

Google view:
http://g.co/maps/dbvtx

Graham was drowned off the Morocco coast IIRC sometime in the 1960,s. Their house has just recently been turned into a Chiropodist practice.

PB.

Hi paintboffin
Remember Warwick,worked with him at Paul L Smith tree felling
in the early 80,s.Total nutcase,sadly no longer with us.

I didn't know he was no longer with us, He was indeed nutcase although a likeable one, I've not seen or heard of him since the late 70's.

I also remember Paul L Smith tree felling but I've not seen his van for yonks either.
For curiosity how did Warwick meet his demise, I know he liked to drink a bit.

PB

Dont know how he met his demise,just remember reading an obituary for him.I think he was 55 when he passed away.

Paul seemed to go towards the reclaim business once the yard
at Heswall Hills had gone.The last time l saw him he was in to
sandstone cutting.He must be getting on now,maybe even retired.

Bye the way do you remember the pig farm in Fishers Lane?,we all grew opposite there.My dad still lives there now and has
done for over 50 years.Could tell you some tales about Pensby.

Hi Edgey, Thank you for your input.

Warwick was a few years older than me so I guess he passed away about five years ago.
I think the Ebbrell brothers of Heswall now do tree felling, I knew them too.

I went for a Saturday job at Fishers Lane farm to help muck out but didn't get the job, probably just as well really, yuk.

I new a bus driver who used to live in one of the houses opposite the farm, he kept rabbits IIRC.

Pray tell!
PB.

Hi PB
Yep the Ebbrels are still tree felling even Albert who must be near 70.Total loons,but such nice fellas.
The fella that used to keep rabbits was Danny Hanson ,remember as a kid walking past and they d be in his front garden.
Do you remember when Kentmere Drive ended just passed Rosemead?
It was just feilds all the way up to Pensall Drive.
Edgey

Edgey,
I used to work with Ian Ebbrell on his round when he was a milkman, I knew Joe the youngest of the brothers IIRC was Derek, he was a character, don't remember Albert unless he was their Dad.
But I know Derek rode his Indian motorbike through the bar at the Hotel Vic in lower Heswall, he was a case.

Never know Danny was his name, but I think he was a bus driver.

I also remember fields there too, I was about five years old when we moved into Wimborne Ave in 1958 and I grew up around the Pensby area.
I also remember the remains of a pig farm where Heswall Mount is just to the right of the Staffords house.

If you view the picture at:
http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk/example/boundary.jpg
you will see the white outline is the border of four houses before they sold the rear part of their gardens so they could build Pensby Close, You can see the white Jag on the front drive of the Stafford's house.
The yellow line is the route we used to take to get to Mike Leatherans house (another mate) outlined in green when they all had longer gardens, the small blue rectangle was where Graham dug a huge underground den which we used to play in, the red square was a large shed and the orange rectangle was a hen house which the Leatheran's donated to Heswall childrens hospital now Tescos.

My god almost a rant,

Cheers

PB.

Hi PB
Have only spoke to Ian a few times,about the times he raced his
hot rod at the old tower grounds at New Brighton.Albert is the
older brother and is the tree feller of all tree fellers.Worked
with Joe at Paul Smiths on the demolition,what a crackin fella he is.Know Derek well and is still about Heswall most days.

Remember Heswall Mount area being built when i was a child,do
you remember the quary down in Thingwall that had a small pond?

No rant mate ,you re just talking about somewhere that was a
great place to live.How many others had so many places to go
and explore within a couple of miles?

Happy Times
Edgey

Absolutely!

I've not seen any of the Ebbrell brothers in years, probably wouldn't recognise them now, but please pass on my regards to Ian and Derek if you do see them again, although I doubt very much they would remember me now.

I used to watch a mate (Dave Mclaughlin) driving round the New Brighton stadium in his old banger, not seen him in years either.

As a kid I used to play in that quarry just off Sparks Lane, it is surprising how many of the red sandstone buildings that have been built locally from that quarry.
The other quarry we used to play in was at the corner of Telegraph road and the appropriately named Quarry road east, they've also built on that too.

The Anchor at Irby had a revamp last year and they have widened their sandstone wall but to me at looks a bit of an eyesore because they have used none matching sandstone, well they couldn't use local red sandstone because all the local quarries that were used to build the likes of the Anchor out of have been filled in.
The Anchor http://g.co/maps/ansm8
It wouldn't be too bad if they cleaned the old wall up to make a better match though.

I suppose we've been very lucky to have so many places to play in as kids,
I remember when I was ten years old climbing one of the tallest trees in Thurstaston common and fell through the branches when the one I stood on at the very top snapped, fractured my arm then but the fir tree branches broke my fall.

Barnston Dale was/is another very popular place to spend time in, spent many a day there.
Do you remember the Steam trains carrying iron ore to Shotton, we could hear them chuffing up the gradient at Storeton from Wimborne avenue especially at night whilst in bed, could you hear them from Fishers lane?

PB.

Does anyone remember a dig that was in Barnston Dales in 2007, It was filled in soon after but I've got eight photo's to upload.

Here's one
http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk/example/100_1801.JPG

Not sure if this the right place for them?

PB