No 65: Litherland Nostalgia

"Following my visit to the Liverpool Records Office at the end of August I went on a nostalgic tour of Litherland where we lived before the war and where we returned to in 1945. We lived there for two years to the summer of 1947 and, whilst I have no memories of the pre-war period, I have many memories of this period. From the Records Office I drove up the long Stanley Road passing Capel Stanley Road, the Presbyterian Chapel where I was baptised, and then along Linacre Road to Litherland.

Stanley Road and Linacre Road was the route of the No 16 and No 28 trams that ran from St. John Gardens to Litherland. At the end of Linacre Road there was a huge white building which was the Richmond Sausage Factory and here the trams would turn left down Bridge Road towards the Seaforth and Litherland station on the Liverpool-Southport line. This was also the northern terminus of the famous Liverpool Overhead Railway which provided an absolutely fascinating journey to the Pier Head. The photo shows the 28 tram, probably before 1930, coming up Bridge Road and turning into Linacre Road with what looks like the original Richmond factory behind.

The Overhead ran above road level along the docks so you could get a wonderful view of the docks, which were all working in those days. Many called it "the docker's umbrella" as it gave shelter from the rain. I used to look forward eagerly, in particular, to passing Hutchinson Dock where there would be ships with "Welsh Granite Company" written on the sides. These were the ships that carried granite from the quarries at Llysfaen, Penmaenmawr, Trefor and Nantgwrtheyrn. Granite would be unloaded here and transferred to larger ships for transportation abroad or by road within Britain. My grandfather on my father's side was then working at the Cae'r Nant Quarry in Nantgwrtheyrn and I would always think of these connections as we passed Hutchinson Dock.

The Sausage Factory was an important landmark in my childhood memories. This factory was built in 1930, having started as a small business in a butcher's shop in Linacre Road in 1889 which developed into a small factory in 1917. The business flourished and was taken over by Walls in the 1950s. This factory closed in 1970 and was subsequently demolished in 1980 but Richmond Sausages can still be found in the supermarkets. The photo shows the Sausage Factory fairly soon after it was built.

If you turned right at the Sausage Factory you would go over the Lift Bridge over the Liverpool-Leeds Canal to the part of Litherland where we lived. The Lift Bridge was another significant landmark in my childhood memories as I would walk over it to catch the trams or go to the Overhead Railway. Built in 1934 it lifted the whole section of roadway vertically to allow the canal barges to pass underneath. The bridge was demolished in 1974 to make way for a new flyover to be built over the canal. You can no longer turn right at the end of Linacre Road, you have to turn left to a roundabout near the railway station and then turn back onto the flyover over the canal. I show a photo of the bridge raised and a canal barge passing underneath.

I then went along Hatton Hill Road and turned into Stanley Park to see where we lived in number 93. I got out here and in a number of other places and was pleased to see that there are still shops in Sonning Avenue but there was no longer a William Ross greengrocer shop which is where I saw my first banana in 1946. I still remember, as we were playing outside, hearing people passing-by saying "There's bananas at Ross, there's bananas in Ross" and rushing home to tell my mother. We rushed to the shop to join the enormous queue, everyone with their coupons, to buy this exotic fruit which was available for the first time after the war.

I visited Watling Avenue which, back in 1945, was the last street of housing, behind which there were fields. The Litherland Tannery stood on the side of the canal and we used to play football on the field behind the Tannery and further long there was a foot path leading to Crosby with a wooden swing bridge over the canal. The Tannery is now long gone and there is housing as far as you can see. I show a photo of the tannery taken from the canal side.

I then went for a stroll in Hatton Hill Park where I spent many hours in my childhood. There used to be a "Parkie" in a uniform patrolling the park in those days. Here I came across a poster announcing that the Litherland Historic Society would be holding an Exhibition on the history of Litherland at the end of September. I was now really hooked on finding out more about the history of this part of the world which played a significant part of my childhood.

Gwynedd Archives - Caernarfon
Caernarfon Archives will be closed for one week from 10 October and will reopen on 18 October.

Gwynedd Family History Society, www.gwynedd.fhs.org.uk
Meetings for the next four weeks are:

Caernarfon, 27 October (In Welsh, last Thursday of each month) 7.00pm at the Library, Lôn Pafiliwn: Dafydd Whiteside Thomas: "Peking, Paris a Betws Garmon"

Bangor, 1 November (In English, first Tuesday of each month) 7.00pm at the Quakers Meeting Hall, Dean Street: Sandy Balfour "Going for Gold - The Story of the Steam Clipper Royal Charter"

Conwy, 14 November(In English, second Mondayof each month) 7.00pm at Capel Ebenezer, Abergele Road, Old Colwyn. Rev. Eirlys Gruffudd: "Harriet Elias"

Pwllheli, 18 November (In Welsh, third Friday of each month) 7.00pm at Capel Seion, Lon Dywod: Gareth Haulfryn Williams: "Edmund Glynne"

Dolgellau, 11 Hydref (In Welsh, second Thursday of each month) 7.00pm at the Royal Ship Hotel: W Lloyd Davies: "Bachgen bach o Felin y Wig"

Llangefni, 20 October (In English, third Thursday of each month) 7.00pm at Capel Smyrna, Ffordd Glanhwfa: Gareth Robinson: "Billets to ballots: vestries to votes - the poll books and family history"

Clwyd Family History Society, www.clwydfhs.org.uk

The meetings are held on the second Saturday of each month (except August) at 2.00 pm at locations that rotate within the former county of Clwyd.

Saturday12 November: 2.00 pm at The Church Hall, EWLOE, CH5 3BF
Rev. D Ben Rees: "The roots and contribution of Dr Kate Roberts to Welsh Literature