Images of Liverpool Past

**Waterways** · 12-08-2006

Originally Posted by ChrisGeorge

Hi Philip

A great post-World War II aerial view, Philip. Your dating to circa 1949 appears about right to me. Possibly Waterways or someone could confirm that the date of around 1949 seems right. You can certainly see the bombed-out areas, including the Customs House and the area around the Victoria Monument and the look of the landing stage also appears as it would have, I think, in the decade after the war.

Chris

The Customs House was demolished around 1949. There was debate on what to do with it and London said demolish and they moved the Customs operations to London - another rape of Liverpool.

The picture is 49 to early 1950s. That scene was pretty well like that until the 1960s. Lord St is has not even been started. Fir many years after WW2 Liverrpool did little to re-construct the city. The Germans started immediately. I recall what one old guy who I worked with say. He said "as soon as the war ended bricklayers appeared from nowhere and started to build and repair things". When he got back to Liverpool sweet nothing had been done.

**ChrisGeorge** · 12-08-2006

Originally Posted by Waterways

The Customs House was demolished around 1949. There was debate on what to do with it and London said demolish and they moved the Customs operations to London - another rape of Liverpool.

The picture is 49 to early 1950s. That scene was pretty well like that until the 1960s. Lord St is has not even been started. Fir many years after WW2 Liverrpool did little to re-construct the city. The Germans started immediately. I recall what one old guy who I worked with say. He said "as soon as the war ended bricklayers appeared from nowhere and started to build and repair things". When he got back to Liverpool sweet nothing had been done.

Hi Waterways

Quite an inditement but then I suppose the excuse would be that in the post-war austerity, there wasn't the money to spare. (You will probably say that there was money to rebuild London then why not Liverpool too.) I am endlessly impressed the way whole towns and cities on the continent were rebuilt as they were before the wartime devastation. Amazing.

Chris

**snappel** · 12-08-2006

Originally Posted by ChrisGeorge

You will probably say that there was money to rebuild London then why not Liverpool too.

Well, London is the capital after all. Besides, other places got it far worse, like Coventry...

**Kev** · 12-08-2006

Folks, I've merged this thread and edited its title. As you were....

**ChrisGeorge** · 12-08-2006

Fine. Thank you, Kev.

Chris

**Kev** · 12-08-2006

Originally Posted by ChrisGeorge

Fine. Thank you, Kev.

Chris

No probs - some pics of the old customs house can be found here.

**ChrisGeorge** · 12-12-2006

Hi Philip G et al.

Another postcard I have just bought on ebay, described as Childwall Church, Dale Series No. 22, with divided rear, postmarked, Mossley Hill, 1905, still with the halfpenny stamp. Earlier postcards, circa 1890-1900, had an undivided rear, and I have a couple of those early cards as well, although none of Liverpool.

Chris

**Kev** · 12-12-2006

1890: Cleaning the floors at The Seaman's Orphanage

**ChrisGeorge** · 12-12-2006

Originally Posted by Kev

1890: Cleaning the floors at The Seaman's Orphanage

Great picture, Kev! Thanks!

Chris

**Kev** · 12-12-2006

There's a joke in there somewhere

**Ged** · 01-09-2007

Arden House, Salvation army hostel. Does anyone know what it was built as and when, was that it's original use?

Blacklers. No introduction required there.

Christian Street childrens lending library. There's some old internal pics of this in the records office when it was packed to the brim with flatcapped gentlemen but was a kids library when I lived facing it. A well known local Liverpool pop group played their debut concert there when it later became the community centre, in fact I think it was their last gig too. Paul (The Gardens) may be able to assist me with that one?

The other two pics are similar but taken in different years, you'll notice how the cottonpicker pub has been spruced up a bit in the later pic. The heights at the back are Georges Height (the big white ones), the others being Mazzini (where my nan an auntie and a few uncles lived), Cavour and Garabaldi Heights. The Farmers Arms pub stood on the South side of Roscommon street and one of the old properties being demolished is No. 22 where Sir Herbert Morton Stanley of 'Dr. Livingstone I presume' once lived.

**Kev** · 01-09-2007

@Ged - Brilliant pics

**The Gardens** · 01-09-2007

Great pictures Ged, you can see The Clayton Square Shopping Mall under contruction behind Blacklers.

**Ged** · 01-09-2007

Two of these are credited to my old neighbour Joe Devine the others are mine.

The Piggeries, which consisted of the high rise blocks were Crosbie, Haigh and Canterbury Heights situated on William Henry Street. Only a very small number of houses were built to accommodate the people from these and the large nearby Four square tenement complex when they were demolished resulting in the community being ripped apart which led to the closure of many shops in the area though the Morris brothers wearily plod on, hoping for an upturn in business with some new houses that have been built on the next block to them.

Four churches at least once served this area, St. Mary of the Angels, St. Anne's, Holy Trinity and SFX - only the latter now remaining open, two of them having been demolished.

The next pic is of Elliot st leading to Parker st with the old Clayton Square on the right. The next pic is of the T&GWU building being erected, it's now empty awaiting demolition. Then comes Roscommon street school, being used here as an adult centre but now recently demolished. The last pic is of a green goddess army fire engine with a conventional one and a police car in Church st, I don't know why though?