Bishop Goss School

I've been around my old haunt a few times, photographing it when it was used as an assembly point and for teas for the local residents who attended the unveiling of the 'Little Italy' plaque on Christian Street.

I remember Ron Formby, Ray Baccino, Tommy and Alice O'Keeffe were among the old stalwarts who were exchanging memories and showing old photographs of the area. Dave Wood of Liverpool Pictorial also made the journey.


St Joseph's church was opened in 1845 in a building which had formerly been dedicated as All Saints CofE built in 1798. In 1876 the building collapsed and steps were immediately taken to provide a new church. The foundation stone of St Joseph's was laid on 15th August 1876 and the church opened by Bishop O'Reilly on 19th March 1878.

The school attached to St Joseph's church was named after Alexander Goss, Bishop of Liverpool 1856-1872. The necessary money was raised by subscriptions and donations and the school opened by the Vicar-General, Monsignor Fisher on 16th April 1877.

This church and school would serve my grand parents, parents, my brother and I and later my own children.

The main church fell into disrepair due to dry rot in the roof and was demolished in 1979, the church moving into the old part of the school until it too closed in 2001 due to re-organisation of the local churches.

This photo shows the church that was demolished in 1979, the presbytery dating from 1877 and the club as was in the 1960s.

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An original fire surround removed from the Presbytery and dated 1877, during recent renovations of the building into apartments.

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The original old school which once formed the seniors block. This was before St Gregory's was built on Prince Edwin St in the early 60s, pupils would remain in Bishop Goss from age 5 to 15 when they left. Part of this building was used by us infants in 1967 before graduating to the newer red brick building which housed the Juniors in the late 60/early 70s. At age 11, we would then move onto the big school up the road, the old senior block now becoming obsolete.

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The old building is currently undergoing renovation so lots of the original brickwork is visible as are the fireplaces, arches and ceilings.

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The newer red brick building, built at a time when a number of similar ones such as St Johns, Kirkdale and Wellington Road school were built. The rooftop was a playground. Hopscotch children's nursery is now based in this building.

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(This pic by Joe Devine)

These photos show the new £30,000 extension on 11.5.69. This building incorporated staff offices, an assembly hall and kitchens for school dinners. The North Liverpool Regeneration Co. now operate from here.

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Wonderfully typical of Irish Catholic Congregations and their schools...first to offer full wheel-barrow access. ;)

Some reminiscences going on in our house after reading and seeing your thread :handclap:

Thanks Lesley. That's what it's all about.

St Joseph's has been the centre of Tommy's family for such a long time.

What with us getting married there, his Mum supplying Alter flowers every week, putting the crib up at Christmas, in fact even with me being a C of E, I still helped out by polishing the pews with her.

Tommy. Anthony and Chris all served on the Alter.

All his brothers and sisters went to Bishop Goss over the years.

I remember the May processions around the streets and of course my own 1st Holy Communion with my cousin dressed as an Altar Boy - along Grosvenor st, down Chuacer st, along Comus st and back up peover st. Father Baker is also on these and i'm currently going through some of the papers he lodged at the HQ of the arch diocese.

Glad it's bringing back memories for Tommy and yourself. I'll post some more pics up. The last photo showing the new part that was built in 1969, that's when I was there and remember them building that.

Father Baker was the priest who married us.

My church was St.Georges and my vicar was Neville Black, and as it law was at the time he could not marry me in an Anglican church because I had been married before, so the solution was he would come to St. Joseph's and officiate with Father Baker, so we had an Nuptial Mass because we had gotten special dispensation from Rome.
A right Eccumunical affair.

Funny thing was Father Baker and Neville Black were mates and used to go the match together as one was a blue and the other a red.

Brilliant Ged. Always an interest to me this place. As you know a lot of mine were schooled here including grandad. They all used St Josephs church. Great pics.

Thanks Lesley and Spike. When walking around here, especially in its stripped back naked state, I thought of our ancestors schooling here.

A few more pics to follow.

---------- Post added at 03:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:43 PM ----------

St Joseph's church interior. The door was at the back, proceed on a few yards to the holy water then turn left up the main aisle to the altar far top. The confessional boxes were along the length far right, the school yard side of the side of the church. Outside, there were a few steps down a narrow outside corridor to all intents and purposes which followed the footprint of the church where there were a number of graves, marked by the Yorkshire flagstones you walked upon.


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A painting of the church and presbytery.

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The old school had this metal fire escape in situ when I went there which was removed many years back, it currently looking like it is on my first batch of photos. There were also toilets in the school yard in front of the new red brick building which were subsequently removed.

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Attachment 24388Thank you so much Ged, love the pic of St Joseph's interior.

What a brilliant photograph Lesley. Can't wait to see Tommy and yourself if you're still going the meet up.

Looking forward to my first meet up.