More memories

[sue]

Hi, my name is Sue, I now live in Australia, but lived in Gateacre for a few years as a child. Used to live at number 1 Wood Lane. I think there was a farm across from us. Down the road was a large estate with big double gates at the front, used to have German Shepherds guarding the place.

One of the memories I have is the snow was so deep one year that the school bus couldn't get through, (don't know whether they used a snow plough) but the bus driver carried me through the snow, to my mother who was waiting at the top of the lane.

Our house and land was resumed by the department of main roads for the new expressway. It was a 15 century cottage I think.

Sue

[sue]

Doesn't look like anyone is going to bother with my memories, would anyone be able to tell me whereabouts in Gateacre was Wood Lane?

As mentioned I was only a child when I lived there.

Regards

Sue

[ken]

Hi Sue,
I've just found your message. Don't worry, you're not the only one having trouble getting any response; I've just about given up on my thread which has now petered out after some fascinating contributions by a few thoughtful people.

I remember Wood Lane in the 1960's; a quiet country lane with farms and a big house called "Woodlands" in its own grounds. Wood Lane was just to the east of Lee Park golf course, at the junction of Belle Vale Road and Netherley Road. If you carried on down the lane you ended up in Halewood.

The winter of 1962-63 was a very bad one - plenty of snow and ice! maybe that's the one you remember. I also recall lots of snow in 1957 and 1968 when we had a White Christmas.

It's great to hear from an Aussie who used to live in Gateacre. I also have relatives in Oz and NZ - they actually miss our winter weather!!

I'll see if I can find out a bit more about Wood Lane as it was in the "olden days"

Hope to hear from you again,

Regards,
Ken

[sue]

Thank You Ken, I was begining to wonder whether anyone would answer!!!!

Whoops! Showing my age here, but it would have been prior to that 62 - 63, as we moved out due to the road going through.........

I used to attend Belle Vale Primary School. Don't recall much about it!

Recall the milk being delivered by horse and cart, and it was in the churns not bottles..... Mum used to go out with a jug to collect it.

Farmer across the road from us used to grow wheat, and I can remember trying to help with the gathering of it, probably more of a hindrance than a help!

Yes! I miss the snow! It doesn't get cold enough here to snow, I live in Queensland!

Thank you so much for the information, and if you can think of anything else please let me know!

[ken]

Hello Sue,
Thanks for sharing those memories. With things changing so much, our precious memories are all that remain of life in very different times. The top half of Wood Lane was destroyed in the late 1960's when the new housing estate was built, although Belle Vale School is still there between Besford Road and Wambo Lane, but all those Prefabs have gone!

I have some old census records and street directories on CD showing the inhabitants of Wood Lane, including the landed gentry at "Woodlands", but the various farms & cottages did not have street numbers in those days. Next time I get to Liverpool Records Office I'll look up some more recent Kelly's Directories (they go up to 1970).
Also, I notice that on the 1849 O.S. map, "Woodlands" was smaller and called "Peck Mill House". And Lee Hall was called "The Lee".

My cousin's family live on the Gold Coast south of Brizzie and they came all the way over here in the depths of Winter last Christmas to have their baby christened in sunny old Runcorn! Unfortunately we hardly had any snow till later; I looked out the window one morning to find it lying "deep and crisp and even" and still coming down in bucketloads. Looks very romantic till you have to go out in it with wellies and a shovel to find the car.

Hope all this is of interest; if there's anything else you wish to share or ask about, then there's one person at least who'd love to hear from you!

Regards,
Ken

[coxhead]

Hi,
Nice reading your threads, I live in Aussie also, between Brisbane & the Gold Coast, I have vague memories of wood lane, but I did not hang around that area much, prefering Coxhead farm and surrounding area, I remember one warm summer day, visiting Woolton Fete, I am pretty sure it was 1958, and the Quarrymen were performing, little did I know that they would become the BEATLES,
Myself and a cousin where on our way back toward cuckoo lane via a narrow lane who's name I cannot remember, when a violent storm blew up, and lightening flattened a tree about 100 yards away, boy did we run, all the way home. I will be visiting Gateacre in August this year, ( 2011)I am looking foreward to seeing familiar places, and having a meal in the Bear & Staff.

[andrew]

I was 1 year old in Gateacre in the winter of '57!!

Talking of schools, does anyone know which primary school Miss Smythe was headteacher of in the '50s/60s ?

Sue - do you (or anyone!?) have any memories of Gateacre Chapel? My dad was minister there from 1955-61

Andrew

[carolefrayne]

Hello there
I too was disappointed that the memories seem to have stopped I and my family moved into 4 Lineside Rd in 1947 I immediately formed a very close friendship with Marie Smith who lived at no 1 we were friends for 62 years until Marie very sadly passed away four years ago.My other friend was Joan Cormac who lived at no 9 Joan moved to Ausralia and I have'nt seen her since we were fifteen.My memories of Gateacre are vivid from starting school at Joseph Williams following the policehorse and then going on to Belle Vale every morning the headmaster Mr Quayle would pass on his bike doffing his hat at the mothers
I could go on and on.Our lives changed forever in 1955 when my Dad arrived home from sea( he was in the Merchant Navy)he had contracted malaria and passed away aged 33 years we then moved to South Wales were my Mum was from so my idyllic childhood in Gateacre was over.

[coxhead]

Hi, I'm sure I remember Mr. Quayle, did he have a baldy patch in the middle of his head, and he appeared tall to me, (but I was young so everyone seemed tall) did he go on to teach/headmaster at Belle Vale School.
Tom