Clubmoor (in the 50's)

Clubmoor was a very green area compared to some other places. I was brought up on Knoclaid Rd. (tho. later my stomping grounds were Tuebrook, and all points.....) Within a couple of blocks from my house there was all kinds of parks and playing fields. The fields pretty well stretched to Walton Hall park, with just a few houses across from Walton Hall.
The 'Tew' Brook was uncovered back then for the length opf Maiden lane, just climb a sandstone wall and you were in the brook. Along with the rats and other 'orrible stuff.. The other side of Maiden lane was Corpy 'ouses and behind them, another field, never much used untill the early 50's. Then, the Yanks from Burtonwood and Sealand started playing baseball there. Well on a Saturday afternoon the place was packed with kids. You know, it was like the 'grotto' we came away every week with baseball bats, maybe split a little, but a little tape soon had them fixed. We'd baseballs, cos maybe they didn't feel right to the pitchers, They'd just toss them out to the crowd. We'd get mits, maybe a little frayed at the edges, but wow, we could use them. Along with all that was getting up close to those yanky cars. The size, the fins, v8's it was heaven.

A nice read, thank you Bobbymac :)

My family originated from Clubmoor, going back to early 1900's.
My grandmother could remember when the Maiden lane area was quite 'countryfied' - lots of fields and greenery. Those were the days before any of the council houses were built, ie; Larkhill, Broadway, Norris Green.
It was all farmers' fields then .. I expect that's why the local pub was called the 'Farmers Arms'
The brook alongside the stone wall in Maiden lane was still in existence until 1960s I think. I can remember it when I was a kid. Can't quite recall when it was filled in - maybe late 60s/ early 70s ??

Also, my grandmother told me about the American troops marching up Townsend lane and stopping to rest on the grass.
I believe that there were tanks housed in the Breckside park depot - have you heard about this Bobbymac? I think they went there for repair or something like that.

Yep Lindy, you're right about the tanks both there and the field that ran along Richard Kelly Drive, I believe they were marshalled there to prepare them for shipping to Europe and Africa. Also, when the war was over, they came back to, the field on Richard Kelly anyway. I remember playing on them as a nipper. There was Tanks, Ack Ack guns, Landing craft, all sorts of stuff really. Then suddenly they all vanished. (Would have loved an Ack Ack gun for the back yard.):Colorz_Grey_PDT_16:

Now it's raining I thought I'd mention that I've seen the brook at Maiden Lane flooded right out into the playing field. Good stuff for welly's.:Colorz_Grey_PDT_16:

Lindylou.could I ask you about the amunition train on fire at the clubmoor,what is the full sp .do you know about it? the kids from far and wide
had prams and carts full of ammo taking it home as souvenirs.thank.edwardo

I live not far from maiden lane and remember the brook, flowing down to
the metal grating the Townsend end. Still a lot of green around the area
but I doubt for long, as the field has houses built on part of it now, just
by the bridge.

My parents bought a big 5 bedroom house off Maiden Lane (it backed onto the field) in the late 60's. I remember them building houses on the other side of the bridge where there used to be a Parcelforce (or something like it) Depot. I used to watch the brook's level rising from my bedroom window and see the cars trying to make it through the water.There was only one other big house in the road next door to us as from there to the railway line was all newer houses, the streets with American States as names.

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Originally Posted by edwardo

Lindylou.could I ask you about the amunition train on fire at the clubmoor,what is the full sp .do you know about it? the kids from far and wide
had prams and carts full of ammo taking it home as souvenirs.thank.edwardo

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I have heard the story of the amunition train being blown up.
The story I was told by my mother and grandmother, was that the explosion sent the debris flying in all directions - and at such speed that a train wheel smashed through the bedroom window of our family home at that time.

Hi.
Further to the story of the ammunition explosion.
I think it happened in May 1940. I was nearly four at the time.
We were living in the corner house, as I remember it, in Cherry Close, off Cherry Lane, parallel to Queen's drive. The train was on the railway line close to Cherry Close.
I have a memory of peeking over the edge of a table we were sheltering behind, and seeing the front windows imploding towards me illuminated from behind with a bright light.
Just that, like a short, silent video — what came before or after — ?
Love to hear more.
Joge

Hi,
Further reading leads me to think the train explosion was a result of the May blitz in 1941 — which makes me nearly 5 when it happened.
Joge

Hi Joge, does that mean that they were trying to get you then?:rolleyes:

Just 'cause I'm paranoid don't mean someones not out to get me!!
No! I'm just trying to understand when I was where I was when it all went BANG!!
Joge

I heard that the train was on fire at the docks and was driven away to avoid planes targeting the docks. Apparently the driver got a medal for bravery.
I'd love to hear the full story.

There would have been something about it in the local newspapers at the time. Would be interesting to read.

Looks like I got it wrong about the train being on fire all the way from the docks.
Almost everyone agrees that it was parked on the sidings at Clubmoor when it was hit. They moved it from the docks so it wouldn't get hit! I'm not sure which side of the line it was on, can't seem to find out.

I'm a bit unsure about who got a medal (probably a fella called George Roberts) but it seems that a lot of people acted extremely selflessly and managed to detach the back end of the train and shunt it away to stop it from catching fire. One of the men was off duty railwayman John Guinan from Witton Road who ran to help as soon as he heard the blast.

I still live in Glamis Road and spent many happy years playing on the black hills. Does anyone remember a large stone on the hill? I think it was about three or four feet long and sort of roof shaped. It was covering a hole with brick walls. You could just see inside it, I think it was just filled with rubble or something. I always said I would find out what it was but never did...

I didn't know about the medal. Did you know the names of people involved ?

There was a local butcher called George Roberts, wonder if it was a relative ?

My grandparents lived at 181 Lisburn Lane. They moved there in 1922 I think. Grandad ran Excelsior Sawmlls in Soho Street with his brothers.

They had a chunk of railway line in the back yard from that siding explosion, I remember mucking about with it as a kid. It blew all their back windows in.

It was my first home- my mum and dad were living there with her parents because they couldn't get a place of their own and I was brought back there as a newborn. We stayed until they got a little house in Ursula Street, Bootle.

My mum remembers the street getting strafed by a German plane, narrowly missing a baby in a pram outside a house opposite. She showed me a large circular tarmac patch in the playground of her school around the corner (can't remember it's name) where a bomb had dropped, forming a large crater. She got evacuated to Bala soon after that.

For unexplained reasons, my gran wouldn't let my parents stay in the house on Sundays so they had to walk the streets or sit in the park across the way all day... The place we moved to was rough compared to Lisburn Lane but my dad says he was very glad to leave!

The last time I took her to see it, my mum said the area had "gone right down" compared to the way it had once been..

I was brought up in Norris Green, by St Theresas Church, and me and my friend would often go for walks up to Clubmoor, we thought it was very elite there. lol. Knocklaid road was one of the roads I remember we used to walk down, and wasnt there a park around there? I seem to remember a park and I am sure it had a little bridge, we thought we were in the countryside. lol.

There's still a park off Adshead rd. I have pics of Knoclaid road and the surrounding streets here.



http://inacityliving.piczo.com/?g=50969832&cr=7


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Ged.Thanks for that link, I perused alot of the pics, some where of more interest than others, I finally got to a pic of Scarisbrick Road, in Norris Green, taken on Coronation Day 2nd June 1953, it was showing a street party. All of a sudden an image of a familiar face stared out at me. I thought it was my best friend, but then realised that she wasnt born till about 56. It got me to thinking was it her mum, as my best friends lived there all her childhood and her mum had moved in there about 1950. And only ever seeing 2 pics of my friends mum when she was young,(although I did know her in later life) I had remarked at the time, how alike my friend and mum where. Anyhow I told my friend about this pic, who is going to take a look, she said even if it isnt her mum, it would be nice to see, because of the road and all the memories it holds for her. So thanks once again. and if anyone else has any pics of Scarisbrick road or Sedgemoor road(where I lived) I would be pleased to have a look. I will keep you informed, as to whether it is her mum or not, I know she would be so thrilled if it was, and would write to the Liverpool Echo Archives to see if she could have a copy of it.

Thanks Linda. As luck will have it, I uploaded that picture to this forum here just last weekend and it's on message No. 199 on this thread here if you want to right click it.

http://www.yoliverpool.com/forum/sho...yliving/page20


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Here's one of my postcards for Clubmoor but I dont know how old it is.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2731/...41d0704f_b.jpg

Cant seem to get my head around where this is. I know it says Carr Lane, but thats further up Utting Avenue East. Thats not the Broadway bridge is it?

Right, is it looking from under Broadway bridge, and behind that tram is where the 17 terminus used to be? Broadway being behind to the left?