No 67: Litherland History Society

Following my visit in August I went onto Google and found a website associated with the Society which contained a selection of photos from Litherland's past some of which I've used on earlier blogs, http://litherland-digital.co.uk developed by Ronnie Cusworth. There is also another website with excellent photos, www.litherlandtown.co.uk developed by David Clayton. These have helped me recall memories and have given useful background information which I couldn't have known in my childhood. Most people think of family history research as being searching for the history of our ancestors. But we must not forget to record our own lives otherwise our grandchildren will be left with trying to find the stories as we are currently searching for our ancestors' stories.

I'm currently trying to write my life story for the benefit of my daughter and grandchildren but it's a long process as I haven't yet reached 1945! Hence my current interests in the war years and the activities of the Litherland History Society have been a real boost. I went to their Exhibition on 24 September and found it of real interest. There were some displays on boards and there were numerous folders full of photos which added to my recollections and knowledge. There were a number of people present and it was a joy to talk to them. They answered queries about some of the photos and helped me understand some of the backgrounds. I certainly learnt a great deal from this exhibition and I will keep in touch with the Litherland History Society website and will endeavour to attend any future exhibitions.

I saw that there were houses in one end of Stanley Park in the 1911 census but the majority of the street and the surrounding area consist of semis built in the 1930s. The houses in the part that we lived were built by Alun T Jones, a builder of 11 Marine Crescent, Waterloo, who was a deacon in the Stanley Road Welsh Presbyterian Chapel. My grandfather, a carpenter from Llithfaen, had moved to Liverpool during the 1920s and had worked in Cammell Lairds Shipbuilding yard where he had worked on the second Mauritania. By 1936/37 he was working for Alun T Jones and had worked on the Stanley Park development. My parents got married in March 1937 and moved into the new house as the first owners of no. 93 with my father's sister Ann and husband Glyn Jones buying the adjoining semi, no.91. My grandparents also lived in no. 91 and I remember my grandfather telling me that had ensured that the best wood was used in the construction of this pair of houses!

My grandparents had moved back to Llithfaen in May 1939 where my grandfather worked as a carpenter in the Trefor and Nantgwrtheyrn quarries. Ann and Glyn Jones remained in Liverpool during the war. Glyn was not medically fit for the forces and remained working for Royal Liver Insurance and I remember him telling stories of fire watch duties at the top of the Liver Building. From there he had a view of the bombs dropping all over city and the fires breaking out.

We went for a dive round the area on 24 September and the biggest difference was the car. In the 1940s there were hardly any cars around. My father, like many others, went to work in Everton on his bike. We had the trams and the Overhead Railway as I previously mentioned. We also had the No.58 bus which came from St John's Gardens in the city centre through a different route to the trams and came up Hatton Hill Road to its terminus at the Jubilee Inn. This was conveniently at the bottom of the road but when we went to chapel we would have to walk much further to get the trams.

One of the most wonderful sights could be seen if you were on a bus or tram passing a factory at the end of a shift. There would be dozens, if not hundreds, of bikes pouring out of the factory gates into the streets. I wish I had a photo of that sight. Later in my life, many of the paintings of L S Lowrey would remind me of these sights. Those 1930s streets were not designed with today's car usage in mind. The avenues in particular are today very congested with car parking.

I'd seen photos of the RWF Litherland camp during WW1 and I was pleased to receive confirmation at the Exhibition that the church spire in the background was that of St. Phillips. The camp was therefore situated in a field opposite to St. Phillips School which I attended and where the current English Martyrs School has since been built.

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

Caernarfon, 24 November (In Welsh, last Thursday of each month) 7.00pm at the Library, Lôn Pafiliwn: J Dilwyn Williams: "Teulu Tŷ Newydd, Llanor a Tan y Bryn"

Bangor, 6 December (In English, first Tuesday of each month) 7.00pm at the Quakers Meeting Hall, Dean Street: Neil Fairlamb "The Incorporated Church Building Society & church building in 19th & 20th century Gwynedd"

Conwy, 12 December (In English, second Monday of each month) 7.00pm at Capel Ebenezer, Abergele Road, Old Colwyn: Members evening

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

Dolgellau, 12 January (In Welsh, second Thursday of each month) 7.00pm at the Royal Ship Hotel: Angharad Williams: "Gwaith Comisiwn Brenhinol Hanebion Cymru"

Llangefni, 17 November (In English, third Thursday of each month) 7.00pm at Capel Smyrna, Ffordd Glanhwfa: Julie Stone: "Britannia Bridge - Stone masons and brickmakers"

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.

Saturday 12 November: 2.00 pm at The Church Hall, Church Lane, EWLOE, Ch5 3BF
Rev. Dr. D Ben Rees: "The roots and contribution of Dr Kate Roberts to Welsh Literature"