|  Author | Topic: memories of Lee Park and Gateacre (Read 16,506 times) |
davros194
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|  | Re: memories of Lee Park and Gateacre
« Reply #15 on May 29, 2006, 4:07pm » | |
Memories, memories eh!
That bit about the Co-Op, yes I remember it too, a shop assistant (or was he the manager) called Josh with a white overall on and a pencil always fixed behind his ear! This closed down when it re-located into Bellevale Shoppie!
I remember too Mr Prendegast in the chemists. He had a huge bald head & if you were lucky you could catch a glimpse of him in a small cut out between the shelves. & what a completely disorganised shop! everything all stocked hap-hazardly everywhere!
Don't forget the Midland Bank, Normans (when next to Ullamount), Lyndsay Fletcher, a shop with Digital on it (never found out what that one was about next to the traffic light post by Lyndsay Fletcher).
& as the one & only shop to a boy going to Gatacre C of E DOUGIES sweet shop! where Normans latterly was handy for school!
Dont forget the old sports shop opposite the Brown Cow.
Along with Underwoods papershop, the old Launderette & Berties food shop and the riding stables!
Who could forget Marie the Lollipop woman (in the 70's & 80's) God rest her soul. She always called my mum Trudie which I could never work out why (her name is Ruby) & Dr Ellenbogan Wilf & Saul.
Funny how you can remember stuff in minute detail from 30 years back, but next to nothing from yesterday!
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jimhughes
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| | Re: memories of Lee Park and Gateacre
« Reply #16 on Jan 11, 2007, 3:54pm » | |
Quote:| Ken, I really enjoyed your tales of Gateacre and Lee Park, I have lived in the area for 20 years on and off. With my parents in a maisonette in Woodlee Road (All gone now) , Then my first home alone was above the shops on Belle Vale Road. Now I live in Gorsey Cop Road. I was intrigued with your story about the farm where exctly was it? I assume my road was named after it?Was the big house at the top of Grangemeadow anything to do with the farm? Sorry about all the questions but I love to hear stories about the area befor it was all built up. Julie. :D |
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jimhughes
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| | Re: memories of Lee Park and Gateacre
« Reply #17 on Jan 11, 2007, 4:28pm » | |
Hi Ken, I have very fond memories of Gateacre having moved there from Huyton in 1957. I think Lee Park Estate was still being built when my family moved to Widmore Road. Gateacre then was still the countryside and there were no gangs (yet) so it was a safe place to live. I went to Blessed John Almond school (now he's a Saint) with my brother Charlie, we used to catch the number 66 bus from Lee Park estate to Garston. Two of my best mates were Reggie Dixon and Pete Corbett, anyone remember them? I used to work in Old Ma Guys shop on a Saturday. I wish I had a time machine and could go back to Gateacre in 1961 because that was the greatest time of my life, I have very happy memories of the prefabs around the Besford Road area, I believe they have all been demolished along with another place that I remember very well, Childwall Valley High School. I haven't much time at the moment but I will be back at a future date with some of my memories, mostly good, some bad.
JimHughes
P.S. Do any of you remember Stanner Gwilt?, I think that was how you spelt his name, he was the leader of one of the local gangs.
Also, do you have any memories of Groppies at Childwall Fiveways? Good old George Groppie.
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lettuceleefy
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| | Re: memories of Lee Park and Gateacre
« Reply #18 on Jan 12, 2007, 1:53pm » | |
Hi Jim - thoroughly enjoyed your memories. Widmore Road is still there !!
I used to live in Lee Park and moved there when I was 18mths, also in 1957, I can remember them building the five Blocks of height, Chamberlain,Churchill, Attlee,Eden & MacMillan. I used to get the 66 Bus from the middle of Lee Park Avenue up to Woolton to see the Cuckoo Clock, then when I was older I'd get the bus to Bear Brand's in Woolton. I remember Guy's shop, the little old lady behind the counter, who was always very kind but there was always an old musty smell in there, sometimes you could smell like paraffin or something similar. I wish I could go back in time...to the happy childhood.
I remember the prefabs, most of my friends lived there, I went to Belle Vale School then onto Gateacre, so I visited the prefabs quite a lot, everything seemed so much happier and calmer, then I suppose it would being a nipper !!
Stan Gwilt died about 3/4yrs ago - I remember him well, he used to live around the corner from me when I lived in Liverpool, at one time he ran The Bridge Inn Pub opposite Naylor's Bridge. I don't remember Reggi or Pete, maybe if i saw them I might.
Do you have any photo's of the area?
Hope to email a bit more info again
Kind regards
Carol
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jimhughes
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| | Re: memories of Lee Park and Gateacre
« Reply #19 on Jan 12, 2007, 5:05pm » | |
Hi Carol, So, Stanner Gwilt is dead!, bit of a shock. I had a run in with Stanner Gwilt in about 1963, it was in Groppies, him and a few of his mates pinched a record of mine (Bob Dylan's Freewheelin. L.P.) I'd just bought it and taken it with me to Groppies when they asked to have a look at it, they refused to give it back so I called them a few choice names, I was rewarded with a buttt in the face by Stanner a few days later when I was in a phone box. I got to know him later and we became reasonably friendly, I'm sorry to hear he has died as he was one of the local characters. I haven't any photos of Gateacre. My brother Charlie had an 8mm camera and we used to use it when we went exploring all over Belle Vale around the early sixties, what has happened to the films we don't know, they just disappeared over the years, I would love to see them again. My brother and I both worked in Bear Brand with the maintenance staff, I remember decorating the bosses office with a very expensive flock wallpaper, I think her name might have been Hunter, my memory isn't very good for names. Ma Guys shop was very smelly and she wasn't very free with the sweets either. One of the big events every year was the Woolton show, they used to have local bands playing there, I missed the Quarrymen when they played. I wonder do they still have the Woolton show or has that also gone. We used to all hang out around that building outside the Black Bull (I think it was called that), opposite the Conservative club in Gateacre village, is it some sort of a war memorial? I guess that's enough of my boring memories for now. Life was so much simpler then and a lot better because we were so naive, not like now where it's all gadgets and electronics, I think today's kids are much poorer for it, most of them don't even read, oh well I suppose this is progress, or is it????
All the best
Jim
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lettuceleefy
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| | Re: memories of Lee Park and Gateacre
« Reply #20 on Jan 13, 2007, 3:53pm » | |
Hi Jim, I remember all the places you've mentioned except, Belle Vale Hall & Lea Hall. I know they existed as Lea Hall had been built somewhere near the Golf Course, not sure if I have any info, but I'll certainly look for some, if I find any photo's would you like me to send you a copy? altho' I don't know how to do that through this site, but anyway we can sort that another time.
I don't think the Woolton show is still going, but certainly the Conservative Club & Monument still stand !! I used to live in Churchfield Road, in fact my dad & family still do, the rest of them live around the area, so I know Widmore Road very well, knew a few people who lived there... Debora Dixon, Jannice Iddon, Dorothy Beamish, Angela Tipping,Clive Smith, Charlie Adderley and Wally who used to work for Kamal's the veg & supermarket on the avenue...do any of the names ring a bell with you.
I remember Wambo Lane very well, I used to go to the farm there for fruit n Veg for my mum and Dad. The Blue Cap, my mum and three sisters worked there for a few years, and fancy you working in Bear Brand too!. I started at Bear Brand at 15 straight from Gateacre Comp into the Offices there, I was there for 3/4 years. If I remember rightly the Chairman was Mr Rougier, full of his own importance- I remember some names like 'Alan Cotton', Harry McKenzie, on the maintenance side was a lovely bloke who lived on Woolton Road about 3 doors from the entrance to the factory gates 'Harry something I think, what a lovely man he was. I worked on the switchboard and also the office my boss was Mr Bouchier' don't know if you remember them?
I will look for any info I have on Gateacre, altho' it does appear to elude me !!! I'm always looking for titbits, such as....photo's or info on the area where St Stephens stands...prior to St Stephens and the prefabs, very hard to find, but anyway I'll go for now and look for info, will let you know when I do - thanks again for another good read
Kindest regards
Carol
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jimhughes
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| | Re: memories of Lee Park and Gateacre
« Reply #21 on Jan 17, 2007, 5:53pm » | |
Hi Carol,
You mention a few names that I remember very well particularly Debbie Dixon and Jannice Iddon, I knocked about with Reggie Dixon (Debbie's brother) and Ellis Iddon (Jannice's brother) for quite a few years. Debbie lived next door to us in Widmore Road and Jannice over the road, I think the Iddon's were the first family to buy their council house in Widmore Road.
I've lost contact with Reggie Dixon, I believe he lives in Spain now, I still have some contact with Ellis Iddon. I also remember the Tipping family living in Widmore Road. I don't remember any of the names from Bear Brand, I can't remember the names of the two blokes who worked on maintenance, I think I worked there sometime in 1962/63, but, not for very long. Someone else mentioned the mobile shop that used to go around the estate, we used to look forward to this and there would be a big queue of kids all buying sweets etc., now, they would probably be selling drugs. You might know my sister-in-law Gina Huxley, she went to Gateacre Comp and lived down the other end of Churchfield Road, I've forgotten the name of her road. I'm trying to remember a few more names, Barry Woods, Dougie Gannon, Eric Mac, Doris Cooper, Margie Mc Hale, Ann Jordan or Jackson and many more who I can't remember at the moment. I didn't mention Belle Vale Hall & Lea Hall, I think that was probably somebody else. I must be getting the old peoples disease because my memories are so vague! Before we moved to Gateacre we lived in Huyton and our parents used to take us out for the day to Belle Vale, it was all countryside then, and, when we were told we would be moving to Lee Park Estate it was great, of course most of the countryside would be built on to provide the houses which was a great disappointment. So much for memory lane..
Jim
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shytalk
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| | Re: memories of Lee Park and Gateacre
« Reply #22 on Jan 27, 2007, 6:08pm » | |
Hi, I lives at Coxhead Farm when I was a kid, and yes that is the way it was spelt when I lived there, it is spelt with a ck on old maps I have seen.
We moved in 1950 because it was being compulsary purchased by the corporation. The prefab estate between Hedgefield Rd. and Bellevale Rd. was already built.
I was a choirboy at St. Stephens and attended the C of E village school as a junior, I later went to Gilmour Springwood in Danefield Rd. Allerton.
Someone mentioned the cottages by the church, i remember them well, the village plumber Alec Hesketh lived in the one that fronted Bellvale Rd. Irwins Jam factory was on Wambo lane I think that had been part of a manor house type estate because there were stone lions guarding the closed off gate on the corner of Wambo lane and Bellvale rd. further along were a block of red brick houses, probably about 5 of them not too sure. Next to that was a farmhouse that was used a a residence only. Capsticks farm it was called.
From there it was a cinder path in those days to Coxhead farm, it stood about where they built the Catswhisker pub.
The farm that used to be where the Lee Park estate is was owned by Horace Jones, hence the name of Jones farm Rd. my name is Jones but not related. On Grange Lane there was a dairy farm run by Jack Taylor, His fields were behind the Co op and between Grange Lane and the railway.. There was also a brick works on Grange Ln.
I could go on forever but I don't want to bore you so I'll leave it there for now, feel free to email me with any questions you have, I'm retired so I've got plenty of time to answer.
Chris Jones.
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ken
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| | Re: memories of Lee Park and Gateacre
« Reply #23 on Feb 19, 2007, 5:24am » | |
many thanks for all these wonderful memories. I've been saving them to put together as one document, and perhaps one day they could be published by the Society,
Thanks,
Ken
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jacko
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| | Re: memories of Lee Park and Gateacre
« Reply #24 on Feb 21, 2007, 2:27pm » | |
hi to everyone,I lived in gateacre from 1948 to 1971, all my dads family originated there from the early 1800,s. My mum is 93 and lives in Woolton, when she married my dad in 1937 they lived at no 2 Church cottages, in those days it was a little rural village. Mum said there were fields front and back, and farms, and lee hall was a ruin, and there was a large pond at the back,behind what is now the youth centre.Every night after they had their tea in the summer they would walk through the stiles to Halewood.Dad had a friend who lived in wood lane, he was Bill gore and his wife Phyllis, they had acottage there, it is still standing.I went to gateacre church school, Mr Lunt had just become headmaster, and every summer we had the gateacre fete and rose queen, and I remember being in the maypole,I never forget I never slept the night before for fear of getting it wrong.Miss Brown had the sweet shop, up the brow Miss Hitchen had the fruit and veg shop, Morphets the butchers on the corner,and old mrs Guy had her little cottage , by the railway, turned into a sweet shop. We used to get twopenny loosies [cigarettes] off her and tell her they were for our dads.Grange lane was an unadopted road in the fifties, and it was all rough sandstone all the way up to the childwall abbey and church. At the top of grange lane was gorsey cop farm, I can still see in my mind the old plough in front of the house, and opposite on what is now gateacre park drive, there was a .farm field and I can remember playing hide and seek in between the bales of hay.
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kevineast
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| | Re: memories of Lee Park and Gateacre
« Reply #25 on Mar 23, 2007, 4:27pm » | |
Hi guys I have just found this site by accident and it has brought back so many memories that I have to add mine, my name is Kevin East and I used to live at number 9 Fordcombe Road Lee Park, by the way hello Viv, yes its me Kevin, for all you others me and Viv used to be neighbours Ken must have been a neighbour also but I cannot recollect you Ken sorry about that. Well were to start I was born in number 9 Fordcombe Road and grew up in Lee Park mainly hanging around in Beechill Close with all my mates Ken may remember some of the names the Mowatts, Cummins's, Chadwicks, Griffins, Welsh's, Newberry's, Casey's, so many people I wonder what they are doing now......I went to Belle Vale C.P. and the comp and when I got older drank in the nook as so many of us did. I had occasion to go back to Lee Park some months ago and it has changed so much no pensioners flats the shops are a mess and the general feel of the area is one of a run down estate, I remember back when I was a child growing up there it felt so much different the sun always shone and there was always something to do, we used to go to the club every Wednesday, St Stephens that is I still remember making a union jack flag when I was in Belle Vale for the opening of St Stephens club by a royal dignitry (Margaret I think) I rember the prefabs very well they surrounded our school, my first girl friend lived in them near to the park, Diane Chrstian see I still remember her name wow, I have not seen Viv since 2000 when she attended my fathers funeral I did not speak much to you then Viv sorry about that but the occasion got to me hope you and your family are well, by the wat Ken if you lived in the house first one up the alleyway to the Close, when you moved out a bunch called the Barkers moved in there were millions of them, thanks Ken for that, you back garden backed onto ours so we actually shared a back fence, we had an apple tree in our back garden that my dad planted on the day I was born I often wonder if its still there maybe one day I will knock on the door and ask can I come in and look at the back garden just to find out. I;m going to get off now hope to hear from Ken and Viv soon now I know that this site exists I will keep coming back to check it out bye to everyone and keep up the good work see yeah
Kevin East.
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ken
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| | Re: memories of Lee Park and Gateacre
« Reply #26 on Mar 25, 2007, 5:39pm » | |
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for the post. Some of those names do ring a bell, somewhere! I vaguely remember your house; Leslie & Viv were next door to us on the corner of Fordcombe, and the Hoares were next door up Beechill. I haven't heard from Viv for a while; we exchanged a few e-mails and I sent her some snaps I took in 1960 when it was all open country across Fordcombe. They include Les & Viv and their mum, and my own family in the back & front garden when it was all still new. A different world then! I still sometimes dream about going inside our old house again!
There's a good aerial close-up on 192.com and you can see a big tree in the back garden near the corner of Lee Vale, maybe it's yours,
Cheers,
Ken
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lettuceleefy
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| | Re: memories of Lee Park and Gateacre
« Reply #27 on Apr 3, 2007, 11:28am » | |
Hiya everyone
I love this site, I used to live in Lee Park and now live in York - fab memories when I read the stories. I don't want Gateacre to change anymore, it's too sad when I come home and see so many changes. I'm happy to oppose any Planning Applications to change any buildings in the area. Gateacre Hall should still be here, how on earth did they manage to knock it down !!
Kindest regards
Carol - keep the memories coming !!
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elsie
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| | Re: memories of Lee Park and Gateacre
« Reply #28 on May 4, 2007, 5:43pm » | |
Hello Ken and all other visitors,
I wonder does anybody have any information about Lee Hall. I would love to know what it looked like; perhaps if there are any photographs of it before it was demolished ( if they could possibly be posted onto the site??)and any details of the last known owners of it before the land was, I believe,sold for development. Am I right in thinking that the development was Lee Park?- as you will have no doubt guessed, I am not local! My interest is that I am trying to solve a family puzzle. Apparently, a relative of mine was approached by a solicitor ( I believe the solicitor to the owners of Lee Hall) in the early 1950's and asked whether she wished to sell her "birth right to Lee Hall". As she was not a wealthy girl she agreed to do so and received a lump sum! My mother remembers being taken by her late uncle , when she was a small child, to see Lee Hall and having the story relayed to her. I can only imagine that my relative was the beneficiary under a life interest trust/ settlement , which she capitalised
( hence her receiving the lump sum) but how and why she became entitled to the interest is the mystery! I must admit I have not tried to trace a family tree yet and as I came across this site when looking for info on Lee Hall, I thought I would see if anybody had any info or leads for me. I doubt whether a family tree would reveal her connection to Lee Hall in any event! I would be most grateful for any snippets anybody has- or if they could point me in the direction of any information! Thank you!
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ken
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| | Re: memories of Lee Park and Gateacre
« Reply #29 on May 4, 2007, 6:37pm » | |
Hi Elsie,
That's an intriguing snippet of family history, wonderful. You must be related to the last owners! Lee Hall was lying derelict for many years, and I have a photo of it in 1956 just before demolition, that was when Lee Park housing estate was being built. I also have some old maps showing Lee Park before the housing estate was built.
Lee Hall was originally owned by the Okill family, and was built in 1773 by John Okill, a shipbuilder & timber merchant. It was later owned by Councillor John Hays Wilson who opened the gardens and park (Lee Park) to the public, and in 1881-83 the Tarbock Races, organised by the Toxteth Hunt Club, were run in Lee Park.
Another owner was Dr. Richard Caton Esq., Lord Mayor of Liverpool in 1907-08.
You can trace the owners of Lee Hall on the Census Returns 1841-1901.
Lee Park Golf Club now stands adjacent to the site of the hall.
If you like, I could e-mail the pic to you. You can sent me a personal message containing your e-mail address. I have done this with other members, as no-one's ever posted any pics here.
Hope this helps,
Ken
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