ken
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Post by ken on Dec 5, 2004 6:20:11 GMT -5
There don't seem to be many people sharing their memories of Gateacre, so I've decided to have a bash.
I'm not really a Gateacre person, having been born in Toxteth and having lived for 13 years in Lee Park Estate until 1970, but I have fond memories of Gateacre which formed an important part of my life as I grew up in the 1960's.
Our family moved into Beechill Close, Lee Park, in Dec 1957. The estate had only just been built and we were among the first families to live there. Having moved from deepest Toxteth, our new house was like a dream come true with the open countryside, then under a blanket of snow, on our doorstep. Our part of the close was still a rough cinder footpath leading down to Fordcombe Road, but we could see for miles across the golf course and the country beyond.
My new school was Woolton County Primary, and walking there through The Nook with my Mum, the area seemed enchanted to our eyes with the pure white snow lying undisturbed amongst the trees, criss-crossed with spidery bird-tracks. and when we were walking back home through The Nook we found that someone had traced in the snow at the edge of the trees "The Enchanted Wood".
Gateacre itself was a beautiful - and quiet - "olde worlde" place. I remember a little shop in the village, run by an old lady known as "Old Ma Guy" (in my local history research I discovered that the Guy family go back a long way in Gateacre). My new school, Gateacre Comprehensive, was being built in 1960, and up at the top of Grange Lane was open country, with Gorsey Cop farm on the right, and "Jacko's Pond" a little further along. We used to go rambling and picking blackberries up there - a little hard to imagine nowadays!
The minister of Gateacre Unitarian Chapel was the Rev. Phillips, and his son Donald was a friend of mine. I was actually Confirmed at St.Stephen's Parish Church which was then opposite a large Prefab housing estate centred on Wambo Lane.
In 1961, before those dreadful 14-storey Lee Park maisonettes were built, we were actually able to see, from our front porch, the new Widnes Bridge under construction several miles away. Nowadays the only view is of more houses with a screen of tall trees beyond. Anyway, I think I've gone on long enough so I'll stop here.
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Post by pinkgizmo on Jan 2, 2005 17:31:02 GMT -5
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.
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ken
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Post by ken on Jan 6, 2005 5:46:24 GMT -5
Hi Julie, Thanks for reading my article. Gorsey Cop is now the Grange Manor Hotel at the top of Grange Lane; the other large house on the corner of Grangemeadow Road is Grange Hollies, now owned by the Merseyside & Cheshire Bridge Association. Gorsey Cop Farm was just behind Gorsey Cop itself, and across the railway line was Coxshead Farm. (this message board won't let me write the proper name which is spelt C-o-c-k-shead). Both these farms are remembered in the road names. You can look up the families who used to live in these places, on the old census returns which are now available. Although I don't live there now, it's still a pleasant area to visit, with plenty of green open spaces and the railway line footpath.
Cheers, Ken
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Post by hooper on Mar 9, 2006 16:02:54 GMT -5
Hi Ken
Just in case you happen to call in again - I loved this story too and would love to read more - please come back!
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ken
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Post by ken on Mar 13, 2006 18:43:10 GMT -5
Hi "Hooper", Thanks for the message. I haven't been posting anything since I was so taken aback at not being allowed to use the name of that farm in my last reply. I guess it's a symptom of the times in which we live. In any case, you're only the second person to have responded to my effort. I do have a lot of great memories, but they're stuck in a 1960's timewarp as far as Lee Park & Gateacre are concerned. Whenever I manage to pay a visit, I find myself shocked at the volume of traffic thundering through Gateacre. In the Lee Park Estate of 1960, you were lucky to see more than one car at a time! Anyway, I'll have another go at sharing some memories presently, but judging by the level of contributions, there doesn't seem to be a great deal of interest out there!
Thanks for the encouragement,
Ken
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ken
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Post by ken on Mar 19, 2006 11:46:29 GMT -5
As promised, another short journey down memory lane, although I don't really think it's worth bothering as only two people (Julie & Hooper) have ever shown any interest.
Someone mentioned the lack of bus services to Gateacre. Well, when Lee Park was built in 1957, there were no buses into the estate, but within a year or so the 79c terminated at the bottom of Lee Vale Road, and the 79d in Lee Park Avenue. The 79c was great as it was just around the corner from where we lived; it was one of the longest routes in Liverpool, and the fare to the Pierhead terminus was one shilling (5p).
Another way of getting into town was Gateacre Railway Station, an old-fashioned station with a pedestrian subway through the embankment to the platforms. There were some pleasant rural views from the train approaching Gateacre, when there were no trees up on the embankment. That's enough for now, Ken
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anne
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Post by anne on Apr 6, 2006 9:52:25 GMT -5
I was very interested in your memories of Gateacre. I lived in the Church Cottages which are alongside St Stephen's Church and remember before Lea Park was built. We could stand on our front door step and see the Bridge Inn where the bus terminus was. My Primary school was Belle Vale and later on I attended Childwall Valley High School. Do you remember the old Co-op on Belle Vale Road, there was a lady called Miss Dodds who worked there. Anyway that's all for now,
Anne
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ken
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Post by ken on Apr 8, 2006 11:07:29 GMT -5
Hi Anne, Thanks for your message. It's great to hear from someone who remembers the old Lee Park. The first time I saw the place was in summer 1957 when the site of Beechill Close was a sea of mud! I would love to have seen the old house called "Throstle Nest", and Lee Hall itself, but they had both been demolished.
Yes I recall the Bridge Inn terminus when we first moved in, and the Co-op on Belle Vale Road with the overhead pulley system that used to whizz the little containers of change across the shop. My mum would probably have known Miss Dodds.
Church Cottages & the church were like a little hamlet, a world away from the raw new housing estate. It must have been a pleasant place to live before the road became so busy. I felt sad when they demolished Childwall Valley High School, it had been there for so many years, since the 1930's, and I vaguely knew one or two girls from the school. I would be interested to hear what it was like there,
Cheers, Ken
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viv
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Post by viv on Apr 8, 2006 12:16:54 GMT -5
Hi Ken and all I also have fond memories of Lee Park and Gateacre i have really enjoyed reading all memories We moved to Fordcombe Road about 1956/57 i was about 3 we had only mud instead of a path and the road was the same We used to play on the huge field facing our house,i remember being walked up to the railway station as there was no buses at the time (i think we must have been one of the first family,s to move in)I also remember the co-op and the money being put into a capsule type container then put in some sort of pulley and driven around the ceiling ,oh and my mums excitement at getting green shield stamps. I went to woolton county primary then on to Gateacre Comp Does anyone remember the two second hand furniture shops were the music shop is now We were gutted when they started building the flats facing our house how the view changed,but they were kept lovely for many years,my friends and i were guilty of playing in the lifts (sorry to anyone we may of annoyed) our parents used to ground us if they found out,we moved to Naylorsfield about 1970 due to family expansion but mum hated it so we got an exchange back about 4 years later to Churchfield Road I now live back in Fordcombe and have done for the last 25 years (next door but one to were we first lived)how uncanny is that,and for the record our address before Netherley was built read Fordcombe Road GATEACRE Then after Netherley i lived in LEE PARK it did not bother me but i know some residents were furious Viv
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ken
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Post by ken on Apr 9, 2006 18:32:30 GMT -5
Hi Viv, So there are more Lee Parkers out there after all!
When I saw your message it suddenly occurred to me that you may have been our next door neighbours all those years ago. We were in the end house in Beechill, and you were on the corner of Fordcombe with the low wall around the garden. If I'm right, your dad and brother were both called Leslie. Do you remember the mobile shop that used to stop in Fordcombe, and we'd all crowd around the back to buy things like sweet cigarettes and Jubblys. I also used to take a lot of photos around 1960 which I've still got.
I remember your family name as well, so if it is you, would you mind if I asked you to e-mail me to confirm. It would be great to hear from you after all this time,
Ken
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anne
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Post by anne on Apr 10, 2006 8:25:57 GMT -5
Hi Ken, I laughed when I read about the overhead pulley system in the Co-op because that used to fascinate me. I even remember Mr Crebin the manager who would sit in his ivory tower in the centre of the shop and survey all the goings on. Do you remember the Post Office which was next door to Mr Prendegast the Chemist? It was run by two sisters; one of them was called Clare. Looking back now it was as if Gateacre was in a time warp. Does anyone remember Corbishleys on Belle Vale Road, they had a taxi business, also wedding cars and I’m not sure if they were Funeral Directors too. Although Gateacre was still very much a village, the Pre-fabs were already built when I was born and most of my friends lived there, then later on moved onto Lee Park. I used to walk over by Joseph Williams School to Mr Drummond for piano lessons (he also used to play the piano for my dancing class with Miss Houghton, which was held at the Labour Club situated on the corner of Belle Vale Road and Childwall Valley Road. Childwall Valley High School was so strict and we were made to play hockey etc wearing brown knickers which was so embarrassing especially because the boys from the Holt would be sitting on the playing field walls watching. O’h happy day’s e’h!
Regards
Anne
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ken
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Post by ken on Apr 11, 2006 5:55:48 GMT -5
Hi Anne, I recently came across some 1939 photos of Childwall Valley High School, presumably when it was newly-built. The style was very "Art Deco", similar to the old Speke Airport terminal (a favourite haunt of mine in the early 60's) which was built at the same time.
I think school discipline was generally strict in those days. On my very first day at Woolton County Primary I saw a boy being slapped across the face in front of the class by the form mistress! Later at Gateacre Comp there were a few oddball teachers who seemed to enjoy manhandling and humiliating the pupils. There was one occasion when we all sat in subdued silence while a boy was "roughed up" by the teacher, and we dared not say a word. That same teacher gave us a caning for not doing our homework!
The Chemist and the Post Office in Gateacre village, they were like a picture postcard. I opened my first savings account at the P.O. I remember the prefabs very well; apart from those around Wambo Lane there was another prefab estate between Grange Lane and the railway line. I knew some puplis who lived there, which was unfortunate because you could see Gateacre Comp from there!
It's great fun sharing these reminiscences, so please keep in touch! and anybody else out there who's reading this. I'm sure there must be more than half a dozen of us with memories of the area!
Regards, Ken
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viv
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Post by viv on Apr 13, 2006 15:15:07 GMT -5
Hi Ken and all How amazing was that, i tried to find your email address but with no success,but yes you have got the right family,I will come back with more of my memories,just wanted to confirm Viv
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ken
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Post by ken on Apr 14, 2006 4:45:35 GMT -5
Hi again Viv, It's finally dawned on me that I can send a personal message, so no need to look for e-mail addresses. You should have my message when you log in.
Did you ever go up to the top floor on those Lee Park maisonettes; the view from 14 storeys up was pretty awesome, and our house looked like a doll's house. But they formed a giant wall along Fordcombe Road, completely destroying the countryside view. I've still got the newspaper cuttings from when they were demolished, it must have been quite a sight. I went over there afterwards and saw the great piles of rubble.
I also seem to remember that when King's Drive and Lee Vale Road were first laid out they both came to a dead end without meeting up, so there was no through traffic. The 79c buses simply terminated at the end of the road and went back the way they came, which was very handy for us,
Ken
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ken
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Post by ken on Apr 21, 2006 17:05:23 GMT -5
Hi it's me, sending a reply to myself! I thought we were doing ok for a while with folks sharing some great memories, but it's all gone a bit quiet again. Still, since I started this thread, we seem to have had a record number of silent visitors, so it must be entertaining at least.
What about some more entertaining stories of life at Gateacre Comprehensive, such as the time when the Beatles became famous in the early '60's, and us lads had to line up to have our necks inspected, and anyone whose hair was touching their shirt collar had to go and get a short back & sides asap! And if you did something bad like forgetting your homework, you could have the pleasure of stepping outside the classroom to be thrashed with the cane. That's what you call discipline - bit different nowadays when schoolkids run riot and do as they please.
What about places like Throstle Nest, Belle Vale Hall, or Lee Hall? who remembers these, and what was it like before Lee Park Housing Estate was built? I'd love to hear more; my local memories only go back to 1957 when the brand new housing estate was in a sea of mud.
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