TA Centre in Toxteth?

[Tockeyhead]

There was an abandoned building not long ago on High Park street but is now flattened, I remember a Royal Engineers badge on the building so i thought it could have been a TA Centre. Does anyone know about this building?.

[PhilipG]

There was an abandoned building not long ago on High Park street but is now flattened, I remember a Royal Engineers badge on the building so i thought it could have been a TA Centre. Does anyone know about this building?.

Do you mean Upper Warwick Street?
Just before Prince's Road, near Claribel Street?
It was a TA Centre (a Drill Hall).
It was called Crawford House, and in the 1980s, I got the impression it was a place where they did courses.
I even heard that the Florence Institute from Mill Street moved there.
Sorry to be rather vague.
There is a new building on the site, but I don't know what it's supposed to be.

[Steven]

The only one I know around here was the one in Warwick street. It was a training centre for the T.A.

We use to call them the S.A.S (Saturday's and Sundays mob)

[marky]

Re: Crawford House
A couple of years ago I heard of plans to refurbish the building, but keep the facade. I went up to take a picture, but nothing was left of the original building and the framework of the new building was being erected.
I have one of those Council magazines that mentions the plans and an artists impression...I'll have to dig it out.
I think the it ran Y.O.P. training schemes in its' later years.
Didn't the cadets from the Irish Guards train in that building in the 1970s ?
There is a website for the new building...
http://www.crawfordhouse.org.uk/building.htm

[marky]

Here's the architects impression of Crawford House from a Council magazine (issue 5, Summer 03).

[PhilipG]

Thanks Marky.
I've not seen that before.
It's a great reminder of what it used to look like, seeing that I never got round to taking photos.
Is the new building in use yet?
It all seems very quiet whenever I pass.

[marky]

It's in use...you sometimes see people sitting down, with their backs to the windows.
It's a pity they didn't keep the original balcony, as was planned.

[verdi]

The buildfing is some sort of centre for the muslim community, with some shop outlets inside. The stone emblem that was on the outside of the building is now incorporated in the brickwork inside.

[Waterways]

There was an abandoned building not long ago on High Park street but is now flattened, I remember a Royal Engineers badge on the building so i thought it could have been a TA Centre. Does anyone know about this building?.

There was one on Admiral St near to High Park St. The other was the top of Upper Warwick near Princes Rd and the Irish Guards would train there. The Admiral St building was demolished late 70s/early 1980s. Going from the city centre up Admiral St it was on the right just after North Hill St.

I recall speaking to an old lady who remembered the troops leaving the building going to France in WW1. They would march down the road with a band playing. She remembered one soldier who had a cat and held it like a bagpipe under his arm with the tail in his mouth. He would bite the tail and the cat would scream - with a bagpipe type of sound.

[Ged]

My mate was in the Upper Warwick street T.A. for many years, he's still in it now in Childwall I think. He has been in the 808 medics corp for 30 years and been all over the place including Iraq. We had many a lads night in that place, strippers and curry and rice (but not together)

[phredd]

Ged
Are you sure it is 808 and not 208.

Reason I ask is I have never come across an 808 of any kind in the army.
I think you may mean 208 Genral Hospital RAMC (TA).

I do know that a Section of 208 Gen Hosp are on 'standby' for the middle east. They may have gone by now.

Part of my role in the Medics (Regular) was to ensure they had up to date medical eqpt, as far as MOD funds would allow (?).

I left the Services in 81 so things like Unit numbers may have changed since then.

To:- 208 >>>> GOOD LUCK Lads and all the best. Come home safe.

Phredd

[Ged]

Sorry Phredd, yes, you are correct 208. He brought back some harrowing memories of people with legs blown off - they were in Basra. Big tent hospitals set up receiving the injured daily.

[ChrisGeorge]

Here's the architects impression of Crawford House from a Council magazine (issue 5, Summer 03).

Thanks, Marky. The facade of the building -- which unfortunately, as you have reported, was swept away -- reminds me of the similar facade of the Territorial Army HQ on Mather Avenue, Allerton, as I remember it. Maybe they were built at the same time. I suspect so.

All the best

Chris

[Ged]

There's one on Aigburth Road too very similar.

[ChrisGeorge]

There's one on Aigburth Road too very similar.

Aye, you're right, Ged. Thanks for reminding me.

Chris