Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 16 to 24 of 24

Thread: Wirral Part of Liverpool's City Map?

  1. #16
    Senior Member Paul D's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Posts
    1,099

    Default

    Liverpool is a world brand name that they should want to be associated with but a lot of them don't like that one bit.
    Unless they're on holiday abroad.


  2. #17
    Re-member Ged's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Here, there & everywhere.
    Posts
    7,197

    Default

    Yes, i've found that too, someone whose company I was once in.

    ....'and where are you from?'

    Knowing full well that saying Moreton or the wirral will draw a blank expression or an unconvicing smile and nod - she said Liverpool - and too right anyway.
    www.inacityliving.piczo.com/

    Updated weekly with old and new pics.

  3. #18
    Senior Member taffy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    1,323

    Default Scouse accent

    Last time I was in Birkenhead, I could have sworn they spoke with a scouse accent !!!

  4. #19
    Roving Arriva Bus User! wallasey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Wallasey
    Age
    35
    Posts
    425

    Default

    Taffy: The Birkonians have a scouse twang; it is broad but a little bit different if you know what I mean. Walking around both places, you can tell after a while!!!

    Waterways: I hope you dont mind me adding a little bit more to your 'article' above??

    Birkenhead developed as a result of Cammel Lairds; not directly because of Liverpool. Laird wanted a base where he could expand his business with ease. Birkenhead made this possible; especially as it was undeveloped. Don't forget, it was Laird who actually built the town as we know it today, albeit planners since then have wrecked the town for good. If only Laird could see it now! Bootle is doing well, but why isn't Birkenhead I wonder?? That, however is for another thread!

    Liverpool did at one time cause Birkenhead to suffer greatly. I read in a Wallasey Corporation book (in Earlston Library) that during the 1800's (I forget the exact date) the Liverpool Dock Board company were getting worried that the Wirral docks would take competition away from the city. So they did something about it; causing 1000 people to leave to town and the docks to downsize. This maybe one one of the reasons why there has always been a love hate relationship between the two! I must try and find the article if and when I get some spare time!

    Tranmere developed differently. Pockets of it were built for commuting into Birkenhead and Liverpool during the 1860's. Its elevated position ontop of a ridge (much like Everton in many respects) gave it that X-factor that the marshes of Birkenhead couldn't compete with. It is somewhat upsetting now, seeing some of the original villa housing of Tranmere being demolished as part of New Heartlands.

    Wallasey, my home! Does sometimes feel as if it is a part of Liverpool in my view. The housing is much like what you would find in the city, and different to those in Birkenhead/Tranmere...


    Alverstone Road, Wallasey


    Westbourne Road, Birkenhead

    Can you see the difference??? Wirralites always think of Wallasey like they do of Liverpool in my view. Its either "over there" or referred to as a distant place. Its never really been accepted as a Wirral town, even though Wirral BC is administered in Wallasey Town Hall, and the old school Wallasean still regards the town as being in "Cheshire". The reason, may just be that it is almost and island, by itself. Or that it was Liverpool that caused the town to grow, with the villages merging into eachother.

    All in all; its a mixed bag. Maybe us Wirral people like to complicate things Or that the West Wirral folk make a fuss whenever the "L" word is mentioned.

    We may have more trouble if and when the Liverpool City Region is created! The likes of Halton, Ormskirk, Ellesmere Port and Chester may all be incorporated into Liverpool's realm. Merseytravel is reveling at the prospect and to be honest, the likes of Ellesmere Port and Halton need some expert supervision, their bus stop's are pitiful! Anyone been to EP Bus Station? Its a nightmare!

    Oh, before I go, Never realised until recently that St Helens folk look towards Manchester rather than Liverpool. How daft is that! It's only more traveling for them!
    Liverpool Suburbia@Flickr

    UPDATED 14JUN09 20 images added to Dovecot
    Last updated 26ARP09 (Aigburth)
    Apologies for the durge in updates!

  5. #20
    Senior Member Waterways's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Posts
    2,924
    Blog Entries
    22

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by wallasey View Post
    Taffy: The Birkonians have a scouse twang; it is broad but a little bit different if you know what I mean. Walking around both places, you can tell after a while!!!
    There is a difference between the north and south end accents too.

    Waterways: I hope you dont mind me adding a little bit more to your 'article' above??

    Birkenhead developed as a result of Cammel Lairds; not directly because of Liverpool. Laird wanted a base where he could expand his business with ease. Birkenhead made this possible; especially as it was undeveloped. Don't forget, it was Laird who actually built the town as we know it today, albeit planners since then have wrecked the town for good. If only Laird could see it now! Bootle is doing well, but why isn't Birkenhead I wonder?? That, however is for another thread!
    Lairds started on the Liverpool bank. The docks were expanding along the river and the ship builders had to move. Laird went across the river. Wood and whatever could be taken over by barge if need be. Birkenhead Docks were constructed because they were only 1/2 mile, and few minutes by ferry, from Liverpool centre where all the admin and trade houses were, and still very close to the core of Liverpool Docks - using barges to take goods between. Initially Birkenhead Docks were a total flop until taken under the umbrella of Liverpool Docks (MDHB)

    Birkenhead was being a me-too coining it on the trade Liverpool created. Birkenhead and Wallasey would not exist only for Liverpool.

    Liverpool did at one time cause Birkenhead to suffer greatly. I read in a Wallasey Corporation book (in Earlston Library) that during the 1800's (I forget the exact date) the Liverpool Dock Board company were getting worried that the Wirral docks would take competition away from the city. So they did something about it; causing 1000 people to leave to town and the docks to downsize. This maybe one one of the reasons why there has always been a love hate relationship between the two! I must try and find the article if and when I get some spare time!
    When there was talk of Birkenhead converting Wallasey Pool into docks, the city of Liverpool bought land on the Wirral banks and delayed the idea for obvious reasons. Eventually the docks were built, they flopped and Liverpool rescued them.

    Wallasey, my home! Does sometimes feel as if it is a part of Liverpool in my view. The housing is much like what you would find in the city, and different to those in Birkenhead/Tranmere...
    In all effects it is a part of Liverpool, as Wembley is a part of London and Salford a part of Manchester.

    Wirralites always think of Wallasey like they do of Liverpool in my view. Its either "over there" or referred to as a distant place. Its never really been accepted as a Wirral town, even though Wirral BC is administered in Wallasey Town Hall, and the old school Wallasean still regards the town as being in "Cheshire". The reason, may just be that it is almost and island, by itself. Or that it was Liverpool that caused the town to grow, with the villages merging into each other.

    All in all; its a mixed bag. Maybe us Wirral people like to complicate things Or that the West Wirral folk make a fuss whenever the "L" word is mentioned.
    I have relatives on the Wirral - a lot. I find that they don't want to associate with Liverpool because they falsely perceive the city as having a poor, working class rough image. They rate themselves as middle class and better. In short narrow minded petty snobbery. Strange, that world-wide Liverpool has a positive image.

    The point which the narrow-minded petty snobs of the Wirral don't like to face up to, is that they effectively are a part of the city and clearly in the same socio-economic sphere. ...and the accents of Wallasey and Birkenhead and some of the surrounding towns and villages are ......Liverpool accents. Amazing eh!!!

    Oh, before I go, Never realised until recently that St Helens folk look towards Manchester rather than Liverpool. How daft is that! It's only more traveling for them!
    The sooner St. Helens, Southport and Newton-Le-Willows are out of Merseyside and back into Lancashire the better. They are of a different culture.

    Liverpool is the city and the immediate towns that directly border it and the Wirral. The rest don't matter.

    The sooner it is all incorporated into one city the better for all. A city state as Hamburg is.

    A digression: The recent near flooding of London was a wake up call. The government has to get out of that city ASAP as the matter is only going to get worse. Liverpool is the obvious choice for the capital being central in the UK and many knowledgeable commentators point to the city too. Liverpool is not prone to flooding.
    Last edited by Waterways; 01-06-2008 at 06:21 PM.
    The new Amsterdam at Liverpool?
    Save Liverpool Docks and Waterways - Click

    Deprived of its unique dockland waters Liverpool
    becomes a Venice without canals, just another city, no
    longer of special interest to anyone, least of all the
    tourist. Would we visit a modernised Venice of filled in
    canals to view its modern museum describing
    how it once was?


    Giving Liverpool a full Metro - CLICK
    Rapid-transit rail: Everton, Liverpool & Arena - CLICK

    Save Royal Iris - Sign Petition

  6. #21
    Roving Arriva Bus User! wallasey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Wallasey
    Age
    35
    Posts
    425

    Default

    Thanks for that posting Waterways, I have now officially been enlightened!

    Never knew that Lairds started on the Liverpool side!

    To be honest, I dont think the Wallasey and Birkenhead (inc Rock Ferry and Tranmere) have a problem. Its the East Wirral set along with Beb and Oxton imv.
    Liverpool Suburbia@Flickr

    UPDATED 14JUN09 20 images added to Dovecot
    Last updated 26ARP09 (Aigburth)
    Apologies for the durge in updates!

  7. #22
    Senior Member Waterways's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Posts
    2,924
    Blog Entries
    22

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by wallasey View Post
    Thanks for that posting Waterways, I have now officially been enlightened!

    Never knew that Lairds started on the Liverpool side!
    William Laird was a Scotsman. He had grand ideas of expanding Birkenhead docks to Hoylake and have locked entrances there. One idea was to take the docks to the Dee as well. What that would achieve I don't know when ships can enter via the Mersey.

    "In the 1820's Thomas Telford and his associates produced a scheme to construct a "Floating Harbour" along the entire length of the North Wirral coast with two sea ports, one in the mouth of the Dee and one in the mouth of the Mersey. Hilbre Island would have become the pierhead of the Dee port, linked via. Middle Eye and Little Eye to the mainland by an embankment and road. A further embankment from Red Rocks to the northern tip of Hilbre Island with an opening 300 feet wide would have turned the sands between the islands and the mainland into a 50-acre tidal harbour. Needless to say this scheme and a contemporary scheme to build a ship canal from Hoylake to Wallasey Pool were never implemented."

    Thomas Telford also planned a Manchester ship canal starting at West Kirkby with extensive docks at West Kirkby. It would go along the Wirral to Frodsham and follow the line of the current canal.
    http://www.jim-shead.com/waterways/History17.html#MDSC

    The Manchester Ship Canal was a very expensive white elephant - it only lasted in any large scale for 75 years or so. Manchester city could have created three or four large docks at Eastham and used cheap rail lines to depots in Manchester and beyond. Why take large ships inland in the days of rail is beyond me.

    To be honest, I dont think the Wallasey and Birkenhead (inc Rock Ferry and Tranmere) have a problem. Its the East Wirral set along with Beb and Oxton imv.
    The narrow-minded petty snobs - how English!!!
    The new Amsterdam at Liverpool?
    Save Liverpool Docks and Waterways - Click

    Deprived of its unique dockland waters Liverpool
    becomes a Venice without canals, just another city, no
    longer of special interest to anyone, least of all the
    tourist. Would we visit a modernised Venice of filled in
    canals to view its modern museum describing
    how it once was?


    Giving Liverpool a full Metro - CLICK
    Rapid-transit rail: Everton, Liverpool & Arena - CLICK

    Save Royal Iris - Sign Petition

  8. #23
    Roving Arriva Bus User! wallasey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Wallasey
    Age
    35
    Posts
    425

    Default

    Goodness Me! West Kirby? A dock? Unimaginable! I never knew that!

    Well Margot Leadbetter has to live somewhere I suppose!
    Liverpool Suburbia@Flickr

    UPDATED 14JUN09 20 images added to Dovecot
    Last updated 26ARP09 (Aigburth)
    Apologies for the durge in updates!

  9. #24

    Exclamation What IS a Wirralite, exactly?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ged View Post
    I too believe this, but for the natural seperation by the river (take that out of the equation), then Birkenhead could be seen as adjoining Toxteth/Dingle and Seacombe could be adjoining Vauxhall. Those districts for instance are nearer the Liver Buildings than say Kirkdale or Kensington. They do however, as you know have their own dock system utilising/operating many services like Stanlow, Irish crossings and ship building. There is a huge argument on that thread about Liverpool council and where money is/isn't or would be/wouldn't be directed and about Wirralite using the tunnel for jobs over here but then disowning the place when questioned about it. Liverpool is a world brand name that they should want to be associated with but a lot of them don't like that one bit.

    I live in Birkenhead, and am descended from a family displaced from Liverpool to Kirkby in the '60's. I would just like to ask - what is a Wirralite? Is it derogatory, or just a result of general (Snobbish) ignorance? 'Wirralite' rhymes with sh**e - the correct term is Wirralean. I'm not a prude (unlike most woolies!), but Wirralite rhymes with sh**e, and I'm not an Ev*rt*n fan!!

Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 8
    Last Post: 03-21-2011, 03:10 PM
  2. 1951 Festival of Britain - Liverpool's part.
    By Ged in forum Liverpool History and Heritage Discussion
    Replies: 16
    Last Post: 07-25-2008, 12:13 AM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •