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Post by dennyboy on Apr 3, 2008 16:18:45 GMT -5
Hi Ken and everyone, I've have just registered onto this great web site and all those stories bring back lots of good memories to me of the 'good old days' I would just like to thank you for all the photo's you have added, especially the one of Lee Vale Road showing the 79 bus terminus. I was a driver on the 79 route from about 1972 to 1985 (off & on). Our family moved from Aigburth Road in 1959 to the then,new Belle Vale Estate which was in the early stages of being built. The prefabs were opposite our road (Meriden) and I remember them being pulled down in the mid sixties. Then Netherley and the new Belle Vale estate were built. What a planning disaster they were!!! I went to Our Lady's School, on Hartsbourne Ave, but spent a lot of time walking around Lee Park and Gateacre Village in my youth and later on drinking around the area. I don't suppose you remember Steve Daley who lived in Lee Park and was on the 79 buses. Or, Barney McKenna who went to our school do you? I finish for now, but will be back with more memories, All the best, Dennis
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ken
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Post by ken on Apr 5, 2008 10:55:39 GMT -5
Hi Dennyboy, Welcome to the most under-utilized forum on the web! You're only the 2nd person to comment on all those pics I posted! I left Lee Park in 1970, so that would have been before you were "on the buses", but I used to regularly catch the 79C into town from Lee Vale Road, and I remember when the Atlanteans came into service in the early '60's. They still had conductors then, and the fare to the Pierhead was a bob (5p). I attended school at Craighurst Annexe in 1960, while we waited for the new Gateacre Comp to be built, and the Childwall Valley estate was all brand new then. Look forward to hearing more memories, Regards, Ken
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Post by jean1954 on Apr 5, 2008 11:23:23 GMT -5
Hi all, Just thought I'd put a few more memories down.. When I was at the Comp, there was a couple of 'freaky' teachers, anyone remember Mr Much, he was a history teacher, slightly crazy, really into German history and would get really angry,he used to scare the crap out of us, there was also Mr Rodwell he used to teach french, a real 'weedy' guy his classroom was next to Mr O'Connell who taught Spanish, German and Geography, he was my form teacher in 4th year, Mr Hughes was the Headmaster, we had a great art teacher' Mr Webster and the music teacher was Mr Owen, he was one strange bloke..I got detention every week and was also caned on a regular basis..Oh the good old days!! Anyone remember them? jean1954
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Post by dennyboy on Apr 5, 2008 16:16:08 GMT -5
Hi Ken, Many thanks for your reply and warm welcome. It's such a shame that this web site isn't used by more people and I will certainly spread the word about it's existence and try and get more people to register. I started school at Our Lady of the Assumption Juniors in 1959 and as you said in your message, Childwall Valley Estate (not Belle Vale as I said) was just getting built. Imagine the shock I got we I recently visited the place last year (I live in the Isle of Man now) and all the high flats and maisonettes had been pulled down, not to mention the Flats in Lee Park as well. Mind you O.L.A seniors was pulled down long ago and it does make you feel that you are getting old when all these place no longer exist. I too used to get the 79c bus into town when I started work in an office in 1966. I remember the Metro Cathedral getting built over the following years down Brownlow Hill. The new St. John's market with it's tower and the new Royal Hospital taking shape over the following years into the 1970's. We all thought the future was going to be so good for Liverpool and then it all went 'pear shaped' with the riots in Toxteth and the closing down of most of the big factories, but 'Thank God' the City is on the up again and the future really looks good. You never know I might even move back! But I think it would be somewhere like Gateacre, as the village has still kept it's appeal and charm and I don't think it's changed that much since we were both kids, except for the amount of traffic of course!!! Best Regards, Dennis
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ken
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Post by ken on Apr 6, 2008 11:26:09 GMT -5
Hi Jean, When the Comp closes it will apparently be replaced by - guess what - a housing development! I recall some of those names at the Comp in the early 60's. There were some oddball teachers; one I remember well was Mr.Adams, our maths teacher. He was a vicious character, as I recall. He gave us the cane for not doing our homework; he shouted a lot and gave verbal & physical abuse to some unfortunate pupils in front of the whole class, while we looked on, too terrified to move a muscle! To my mind, the big difference in those days was that the teachers were a different species; they did not exist outside of school; they had no first names apart from Mr. or Miss., and when you went home they simply vanished into limbo until the next morning! By the way, as I'm writing this, it's snowing again after the hailstones we had earlier - roll on the summer!
Regards, Ken
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ken
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Post by ken on Apr 6, 2008 11:36:17 GMT -5
Hi Dennyboy, It's turning into a 3-way dialogue! I also started getting the bus to work in 1966, and every time we passed the Beacon, people would look up to see how much it had grown. The Isle of Man must be a nice place to live; one of my fondest memories was of a summer holiday in the IOM in 1959. We stayed in Ramsey and toured the island. One really lovely place was Dhoon Glen, which was amazing, unlike anything I'd ever seen. You must have seen some great changes when you visited Lee Park. I'm still hoping that someone who actually lives there will take some up to date pics to post here,
Cheers, Ken
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Post by dennyboy on Apr 6, 2008 17:04:22 GMT -5
Hi Ken, The Isle of Man is really a nice place to live, but it's changing like everywhere else in the British Isles (can't mention the U.K. or mainland words, they don't like those words over here!) There was a murder in Douglas last week, they think it was drug related, so it's not all rosey here, but saying that, it's the first one for a couple of years, so still a long way to go yet to catch up on the mainland. We must have traveled on the the same 79 bus back in the mid 60's, mind you I didn't have to be in work till 9.30 a.m (heaven) and finished at 5.30p.m. I was in a Solicitors office in town and I could kick myself sometimes for not staying there. I was only on £7 a week when I left and then went to The Ford Motor Co. were the wages went up to £24. The things you do for money!!! While I think on Ken - it that you who has put all those great pictures and postcards on the Scousehouse Forum. If it is you, you should be proud of yourself and need to write up a book and put them all in it (if it isn't Ops!!!)- but I think someone has mentioned that to you before with all these great Gatearce memories and stories, Bye for now, Dennis
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ken
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Post by ken on Apr 7, 2008 10:27:42 GMT -5
Hiya Dennis, Yep, that's me! when I figured out how to post pics, I realised that many ex-pats would probably enjoy seeing my old postcards. In fact it was when I started work that I saw the first colour p/c's of Liverpool at the kiosk at the new Pierhead Bus Station. They looked so good that I started collecting them there and then! I worked for most of '67 in the Liver Building, and would see the big liners out of the windows, getting to know them so well that I could identify the Empresses just from the shape of the funnel. The IOM packets also had a distinctive whistle; the Ben-my-Chree, Manx Maid, etc. I reckon it's a bit late to try publishing the p/c's now that they're available on the net!
Looks like it's just you, me, and Jean keeping these memories going. Where's everyone gone? surely there must be one person with a camera in Lee Park!
Regards, Ken
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Post by dennyboy on Apr 7, 2008 16:54:54 GMT -5
Hi Ken, I thought so!!! What a brilliant job you have done on the Scouse House forum posting all those great pictures and postcards along with all the information to go with them. Anyone reading this - take a look at them - and feel proud to be born in such a great City with so much history and heritage. I think Freddie O'Connor had better watch out, it looks like he's got some competition on his hands!!! Thanks again Ken, for sharing them with us all and bringing back so many marvelous memories from years gone by. All the best, Dennis
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Post by jean1954 on Apr 12, 2008 10:08:30 GMT -5
Just a quick hello and welcome to Dennis I was great reading your memories and I agree with you Ken really does a great job, posting all those amazing pictures and information about Lee Park and Gateacre, I hope he keeps adding to this forum. I'm looking forward to reading more of your memories. regards Jean
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Post by jean1954 on Apr 12, 2008 10:25:16 GMT -5
Hi again Ken Thanks for the information about the Comp, why are they closing it down? and to replace it with another housing estate, just what Gateacre needs, - more houses!! So it's a bit 'cool' your side of the world, I'm glad to say it has finally coolled down here, we had a few drops of rain today and it only reached 27c...I nearly had to put my jumper on!! Keep all the wonderful memories and info comming, I am sure I am not the only one who enjoys reading it.. kind regards Jean P.S I have looked at a number of web sites trying to find some old photos of the pre-fabs, I've looked at the ones from the book, but there's nothing posted specifically on Endbrooke Rd. It would also be great to read any memories from anyone who went to Joseph Williams C.P from the 1960's. Any leads about more photo's would be appreciated..thanks
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Post by johnkw on Apr 12, 2008 19:57:59 GMT -5
Hi, Guys:
I just found this site on Google while searching for something else (Google is now *that* good - it pops up the sites you don't even know you need to visit by simply scanning your memory as you look at the monitor!)
I was fascinated by some of the memories here, though - there's an ocean of time and a real ocean (I now live in Toronto, Canada) between now and the time i lived in Woolton and schooled at the then-new Gateacre Comprehensive, but it certainly all came flooding back when I read the posts and saw the pics (nice job, on those, Ken, by the way - thank you for taking them for posterity before the Comprehensive goes!
So, here goes - some memories from my days at Gateacre Comprehensive - and if you know what happened later to any of the people I mention, please feel free to respond.
I joined in September, 1960m and my $A form master was A.J. Horrocks, who taught math. Reigning beauties of that form, as I remember, were Beryl Hall and Susan Maudaunt. Great mates of mine at that time were Gary North (he later married a girl called Linda and, I think, became a biology teacher), John Heywood (who, I understand, later went off to New Zealand to look after trees - whatever that involved!), Gary Phillips (who made us all Buddy Holly fans, and later became a shop steward somewhere) Eric Connor, in our form, was the big athletic star then - Lancashire cross-country champion or something. We used to go up a staircase to our form room every day past a large flaming orange and yellow print of Turner's 'The Fighting Temaraire' on the landing - it certainly warmed you up on winter mornings!)
Moving up into sixth form (all of us reluctantly made sub-prefects, as we were too high-spirited to be really trusted) those of us who continued on with GCE A level study occupied a form room at the other end of the building under Harry Dixon, a really fine teacher who drummed the niceties of English into us in all sorts of creative ways. Next door was an aforementioned teacher (see earlier posts) who delighted to administering 'discipline' left, right and centre wjenever he got the chance. When I once cheekily suggested that we should enter the Common Market because it would mean 'abandoning the Empire' (what did I know!), he was only restarined from giving me a thrashing by Harry Dixon's benign presence and my supplementary onservation that I'd be happy to share any experience of assault and battery with the police! Compared with today, it all sounds positively innocent! Harry Dixon, I remember, later went on to become a headmaster somewhere else.
Speaking of headmasters, I always had a sneaking respect and affection for the gruff but good-hearted Mr. Hughes, headmaster at the time. I remember the amplified 'Trumpet Voluntary' summoning us to School Assembly every morning. Mr. Hughes always took those morning worship Assemblies seriously, God bless him, which couldn't be said of some of the staff standing at the back!
Among the eccentics I remember was a teacher who was frequently 'off'. We soon learned that 'off' meamt arrested at an anti-American protest or demonstration somewhere and spending some days in jail pursuant on his refusal to pay the fine! He never lost his job over it, and, when actually present in school could readily sent off on an entertaining harangue with an innocent question like 'What's wrong with the Americans, do you think, Sir?'
There was a green field in front of the school then, another beyond the school's upper fiels at the rear, and more further down the lane. The school's annual cross-country run statrted at the bottom of the lower field and wended for miles thereafter. One year, Gary North and I took great pains to fall right behind, then high-tailed it to the nearest bus stop, where we took the 79 9or was it the 79C?) bus for an impressive short cut. I'm very ashamed of that now, of course!
So, folks, if you know the subsequently successful life-stories of my enormously-wicked Comprehensive generation, feel free to share them with me1
All the best,
John
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Post by johnkw on Apr 13, 2008 14:32:34 GMT -5
If you're living overseas, as I am now, and need help in refreshing your memories of Gateacre's layout, place names, streets etc., here's a link to the superb Google satellite photo of modern Gateacre, with street names and place names superimposed.
Hope this helps with any fading memories...!
<a href="http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=Gateacre,+Liverpool,+Merseyside,+UK&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=image">Google satellite photo of Gateacre, Liverpool</a>
- Johnkw
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Post by johnkw on Apr 13, 2008 14:36:24 GMT -5
(If you right-click with your mouse at any point on this Google photo/map, BTW, you can zoom in there)
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Post by johnkw on Apr 13, 2008 14:43:56 GMT -5
(Sorry to multiply the postings! If you keep right-clicking and then selecting 'zoom in', you can keep enlarging your view of any portion of this incredible satellite shot. Use the arrows at the top left of the photo to shift to the left, right, or up or down on the photo, as you do so. You can probably end up looking right down the chimney of the house you used to live in, if you do this enough!)
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