As part on my ongoing family tree project for my Mother in Law, I've found out that her Great Grand Fathers family had a tobacco shop at 60 Oxton Road in both 1871 and 1881. Google maps shows it but I can't work out which shop is 60? anyone with any knowledge or old pics? Also any tips on how I may find out more about the shop and hopefully the Penn family who lived there. I've found them in Piggots directory but am now a bit stumped.
Ever grateful
Emmski
As of 2011 this block building on left of 1st pic would have been the brewery on map
Alex Green is the cycle shop I think - and he's still there I think.
122 Oxton Road Birkenhead Merseyside CH41 2TP
Even farther back - My g-g-grandfather, Alexander Elmslie, occupied that shop. The 1891 census lists 122 as his residence and his occupation as "bread and flour dealer, baker".
Those 'Stable Blocks' in Tetbury St always puzzled me, and the mystery deepend as my large scale OS map has numbers on just about everything, except the buildings in Tetbury St, even though the extract from Willmers in an above post does actually number them. I only ever went there to get my bikes MOT'd, at Ken Stuarts Motor engineers. A nice bloke who liked old bikes and cars, and kept an old Vauxhall of his in the left-hand building, where he had his inspection pit. The car was a either a Victor, Velox or Cresta from about 1962, in pale primrose yellow and had a 4-digit number plate with 2 letters (Liverpool, KD or KF, I think). The MOT side of things dropped off a bit when Marriots relocated to the top of the road. Ken himself was not in the best of health by now and the buisness must have closed in the mid to late 80's.
However, when there was still an operating brewery on the corner of Oxton Rd, it had an unusual feature in its outside wall, in Tetbuty St. There was chute built into the wall. At the time, (late 50's) there were still a few horse drawn wagons in use. It was not unusual to see a horse and cart outside the chute, getting the horses nose-bag filled with what I assume to be spent malt and hops. I guess it was their treat for the day. After the brewery ceased brewing, the chute was removed and bricked up, but you could still see where it was - a square in the bricks, about 18 inches wide.
As to Midland Street, well I only remember it from being knocked down (about 1967), including the terraced housed and the prefabs at the end it and those in Carlisle St, behind it. I presume that the prefabs went up during the war, as it had all been terraced houses there before then. I guess they would have been basically flat fronted with lower bay, almost right on to the street, with no garden, and a little larger than a 'two-up two-down', all in one long terrace. Carlisle St was bombed twice at the end of September 1940, and again in early October. Two of these raids corresponded with the nights that the Argyle Theatre (and many other places) were destroyed.
As a new member I don't know whether it's worthwhile answering the questions on the old threads, but I will anyway. the ice cream parlour at the bottom of Oxton Road, was "Fabris", lovely coffee and ice cream, I used to go in with my mother in the 40s and early 50s, I lived in Mornington Street at the time. I went to the BI with young Alec Green, I also bought my first big bike off his dad when I started work in 1959. I also knew Ken Stewart through motorbikes.
Our houses in Warwick street were knocked down about 1971.Ken Stewart was my Uncle George's Brother.There was a Chandlers on the corner of tetbury street, think it may have been called Wrightsons.My relatives lived in Mornington street and also Carlisle street.Happy times growing up there in the 60's.So much has changed in and around that area now.When you think of all the lovely Shops that were all around that area. I wonder what became of them.Seddons the bakers my mum worked there.Twice as nice the fashion shop I was a Saturday girl there I know that became The Entertainer Video store in The eighties.The Variety store owned by Roy and Celia Davies who first had The Chip shop next to Dewhursts Butchers, before going into Hardware and toys I worked there too after School and weekends 1969 to 1971.Peberdys and Mays the sweetshops Pollocks the pramshop, Madame Nelsons Ladies Fashions.The Globe Cleaners, Rostances Dashleys pie shop.Landays the stationers.Mary Apters fruit shop My Auntie Audrey worked there.My Uncle Harold worked in The Brewery where Marriots cycles are now.There was a Milk bar in the 60's next to the Park view pub Think their son was called Roland.Barnards is still there .Wirral pets became a chinese restaurant.The coffee bar became the Himalaya indian restaurant.And The Chinese Laundry owned by the Sui Family becamme Marriots hardware and toy shop.The Dance hall at the top near Alec Green was also a grocery shop that opened late,Bryant Glass was over the road by The Belmont.
