More concrete Gardens

[Colin Wilkinson]

Cartwright Gardens, 1975

Prince Albert Gardens, St James Street, 1974

Kent Gardens, 1970

St Oswald’s Gardens (on left) 1979
My last post on Liverpool’s inter-War tenements created a lot of interest, so here are a few more photographs of now-demolished blocks. The only one I am struggling to name is the block on the right in St Oswald Street, Old Swan. The tenements on the left are St Oswald’s Gardens, which were demolished to make way for a Tesco superstore in 2000.
I have been referencing an interesting book Housing: A European Survey published in 1936, which included local authority housing in Paris, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Barcelona as well as Liverpool, London, Leeds and Birmingham. The survey was of progressive schemes to improve the housing conditions of the working class and it heralds the unprecedented efforts made since the War ended in 1918 to tackle the slum housing and overcrowding prevalent in all of the cities covered.
Sir Lancelot Keay provided the information for Liverpool and it was under his guidance that the city pioneered both the tenements and what he named cottages (the council houses still standing along Queen’s Drive, in Dovecot, Speke and elsewhere), His plans were for 5,000 cottages and 16,000 flats.
The cottages were preferred by the younger generation whilst the older generation were happier being rehoused in the city centre neighbourhoods they were familiar with. The need for city centre tenements was primarily to provide proximity to the docks for workers.
It would be hard to underestimate what moving into a new flat must have been like for the fortunate tenants. For the first time, most would have running (and hot) water, an indoor toilet and bathroom, dry and spacious living areas and a kitchen fitted with a gas cooker. By the time the photographs were taken in the 1970s, they were no longer modern and needed considerable renovation to bring them up to standard. As we know, the agreed solution was to demolish them – so we are only left with a photographic record of a major housing initiative.

More...

[Gerard Fleming]

Cartwright Gardens, 1975

Colin...


It was Cartwright House, not Gardens..
and each of them blocks had a different name..
they were not all Cartwright House..
that block is also Lionel House...Thurlow House.. and Downe House..

The shop in the photo was Jim Morans..




Edited.. and deleted..

Too much info that nobody will have a clue what I'm on about
relating to the area in the photo....or will be bothered about knowing...





I hope some of that helps Colin...



Gerard.

[GeorgePorgie]

Da mn I missed some

[JNugent]

It was Cartwright House, not Gardens..
and each of them blocks had a different name..
they were not all Cartwright House..
that block is also Lionel House...Thurlow House.. and Downe House..
The shop in the photo was Jim Morans..

Gerard.

I'd never have remembered the names of those flats, but Moran's shop - a general grocer's and sweetshop - I remember very well. We lived for a while in the Byrom Arms, the top floor of which would have been approximately the spot the photo was taken from.

JN

[Gerard Fleming]

I'd never have remembered the names of those flats, but Moran's shop - a general grocer's and sweetshop - I remember very well. We lived for a while in the Byrom Arms, the top floor of which would have been approximately the spot the photo was taken from.

JN

I remember Jim Morans well, very well as my mam shopped in there..



Gerard.

[Ged]

I'd never have remembered the names of those flats, but Moran's shop - a general grocer's and sweetshop - I remember very well. We lived for a while in the Byrom Arms, the top floor of which would have been approximately the spot the photo was taken from.

JN

Hello JN.

A pic of the Byrom Arms for you. Listed as both 32-34 Byrom st and 2-4 Hunter street, this photo is from 1912 when it was run by George Henry Allen, it then had adjoining cocoa rooms. It replaced the earlier Brunswick buildings. Hunter st once had 16 pubs as well as Mellors brewery, Mellors owned a number of pubs in the city, it was taken over by Higsons. This pub was demolished to make way for re-widening of the street and to include the flyovers. Pic and info - Freddy O'Connor. A pub called the Byrom aka locally as the Pie Shop was built on the opposite side of Byrom street much later than this one.



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[JNugent]

Wow!

I'm so grateful for that picture, Ged. Although there were two floors above the pub, each floor was effectively a separate flat (accessed from a door in Hunter Street which led to a couple of staircases parallel with Byrom Street - ie, behind the building, with windows facing up the hill). Both flats were massive, as you can imagine, and each had three bedrooms, a large living room, kitchen and bathroom. My brother and I shared a huge bedroom big enough to ride a (small) bike around. The windows to that room were just above the "ALES" part of the gold signwriting fronting Byrom Street. The living rooms were at the back. Sometimes we would play on the empty floor above, though it always felt a little spooky!

JN

[lindylou]

Wow!

I'm so grateful for that picture, Ged. Although there were two floors above the pub, each floor was effectively a separate flat (accessed from a door in Hunter Street which led to a couple of staircases parallel with Byrom Street - ie, behind the building, with windows facing up the hill). Both flats were massive, as you can imagine, and each had three bedrooms, a large living room, kitchen and bathroom. My brother and I shared a huge bedroom big enough to ride a (small) bike around. The windows to that room were just above the "ALES" part of the gold signwriting fronting Byrom Street. The living rooms were at the back. Sometimes we would play on the empty floor above, though it always felt a little spooky!

JN

Interesting memories there - I can just picture the place as you describe it.

[collegepudding]

Wow ! thats some in depth detail from Gerard,

isnt the block on the right in the St Oswald street shot Hurst Gardens ?

collegepudding

[Gerard Fleming]

Wow ! thats some in depth detail from Gerard,

isnt the block on the right in the St Oswald street shot Hurst Gardens ?

collegepudding

Edited.. and deleted..


Too much personal family info again relating to the Cartwright House photo.






I wouldn't know about Old Swan cp... sorry mate.



Gerard.

[hmtmaj]

isnt the block on the right in the St Oswald street shot Hurst Gardens ?

collegepudding

Yes CP, it was Hurst Gardens

Mart

[GeorgePorgie]

http://inacityliving.piczo.com/?g=50570994&cr=7

[collegepudding]

Yes CP, it was Hurst Gardens

Mart

Thanks for confirming that Mart .


collegepudding

---------- Post added at 08:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:42 AM ----------

Sorry cp mate for deleting what I'd earlier put..
I think some of that was a little too personal...
nobody would have a clue or relate to any of my personal/family
experiences involving the Cartwright House photo..


Sorry mate..



Gerard.

Thats perfectly understandable Gerard, I agree with your decision to Edit & Delete.The World Wide web may sometimes be ok for private thoughts but some Private family details etc are usually best not submitted.
Thanks all the same for your original comments and i understood & appreciated your reasons for posting them. .


collegepudding[COLOR="Silver"]

[Gerard Fleming]

Thanks for confirming that Mart .


collegepudding

---------- Post added at 08:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:42 AM ----------




Thats perfectly understandable Gerard, I agree with your decision to Edit & Delete.The World Wide web may sometimes be ok for private thoughts but some Private family details etc are usually best not submitted.
Thanks all the same for your original comments and i understood & appreciated your reasons for posting them. .


collegepudding[COLOR="Silver"]

Thanks mate...




Gerard.

[collegepudding]

Good God Gerard , I know I have said it before but you are a walking encyclopaedia of Liverpool and its Characters and especially the little italy area...you're a very valuable contributor to this forum mate! thanks for the in depth post

collegepudding