Originally Posted by
Kev
My earliest memories of Garston where as a kid visiting The Red Lion Pub all the time where my mum worked behind the bar. We would often walk into the pub aged 8-ish and speak to my mum, running around an empty pub, sticking our hands down the backs of the seats for spare cash. I think I pulled my first pint at 10.
Cauldfields pet shop was the place to buy your budgies. Garston Technical School is where we used to play.
I remember the Garston Carnival and the 'floats' that were converted lorries. As the years went by the Carnival attracted trouble and it was stopped.
Shewsbury Place always had The Beatles playing from peoples houses. Behind Shewsbury Place were very old houses that were eventually knocked down and replaced with retirement homes.
I'd often cross the Northern railway line from Island Place to Argyle Rd, where my nan and grandad used to live, it was quicker.
I would often wonder where my grandad went on a Sat/ Sunday afternoon, 'On a message' he used to say. I had my suspicions and it was only when I became a teenager I clicked onto the fact it was the Bookies then a pint in The Masonic.
When we weren't playing around the pubs and buildings, we often ventured 'Under The bridge' for a game of footy on this small piece of astro.
Garston Baths, 9am most weekends we would be the first to 'Break The Jelly', that meant breaking the stillness of the water and being the first in. It was the only place I've ever seen cockroaches floating in the water but we didn't care.
There were plenty of places for 'Dens'. Old garages were the best places as they were easily accessible and contained many Ford Cortinas with comfy seats to sit on, if a little smelly and damp.
Where ever we could, we would 'climb'. Places we climbed included St. Francis' School, Garston Park Changing Rooms and into Garston Market when it was shut to find stuff. Garston Market was where everyone I knew shopped. The old fish lady I remember clearly. A lad I knew (Marty) worked on a stall, he must have been 10 years of age.
St. Michaels' Church was a place to have fun playing around the graves and occasionally climbing over the wall onto the railway track, before the Flyover was built.
When the Flyover was built, we walked the entire length which felt like a marathon when it opened, Garston Village became a dead place after that, things began to close, its only just picking up now.
We often ventured beyond Gartson into the Cheshire Lines club area, Springwood and beyond.
These are only a handful of memories.
A Garston Lad
When I was a kid,
We had the time,
To play in the park,
'Till it was nine.
When I was a kid,
We'd stay out late,
Riding 'round Garston,
'Till it was late.
When I was a kid,
We'd walk far way,
The Golf course we'd be,
That's where we'd stay.
When I was a kid,
Making cash 'till dark,
We'd wash the cars,
Down Grassendale Park.
When I was a kid,
We'd get all muddy,
Playing on the land,
They call 'The Woody'.
When I was a kid,
We'd walk the lines,
On Allerton Station,
From time to time.
When I was a kid,
We'd climb over walls,
12 ft ones, honest,
No fear of falls.
When I was a kid,
We'd have water fights,
With soapy bottles,
Into the night.
I'm still that kid,
And what a time,
I had in Garston,
When I was nine.
K. Keegan
King Street Garston
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