Speke in the early days -- SPEKE GUESTBOOK

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Date Posted: 12:17:45 02/24/06 Fri
Author: Gillian
Author Host/IP: 84.68.236.54
Subject:

Speke in the early days

Hello,
I have been reading all the memories, seeing names I remember but can't put a face too so before I collaspe in floods of sentimental tears I thought I'd better write something.
My family moved to Speke 1950, from what they had moved from this was luxury. My sister Agnes told me about everything being new, hot running water, toilets inside, the only downside to this paradise was for a while was, it was a building site very very muddy. In time things changed but it was very much a community, groups and activities were formed, ok there wasn't enough schools but other arrangements were made. Something which was told to me not long ago, my Father much to the horror of my elder sisters started up ball room dancing classes(I am glad it didn't continue after I was born).Is there anyone out therewho went through this purgertry.
My memories of Speke are good ones, okay some bad things did happen but on the whole it was good. I remember going off to Oglate Shore in a gang, those poor people in the cottages where continually being harrassed all day and all summer long "please can we have a bottle of water". Oglate shore was our nearest bit of seaside that many of us saw. The fear of walking on to the sinking sand (mud) to disappear for ever, and of course we all knew someone that did. There was the orchard that was raided constantly. Okay we couldn't build sand castles but if the tide was in we could risk life and limb swimming about in the sewage.
Going a long the top towards the light house there was a drop which you would carefully slide down collecting graised and nettled legs and arms, but we done it time after time.
What about the mobile shops? O'connors, Barr's forgive me if I spell it wrong, "The Bewlies" with their annual sale of toffee apples. Poor Mr O'connor was for ever getting broken in to, I remember one night while we were playing around the van we heard noises inside so Mr O'Connor was summoned with Police side kicks to investigate. I don't know who the villains were but they were kids and terrified.
When all my brothers and sisters left home it was decided to move to Warrington in 1978. By that time Speke was not the place I knew. The flats that we lived in with their three floors of landings and stairs and from the begining had been brushed and scrubbed and neatly finished off with whiter than white edges and front door steps, became vandilised neglected and at time no go areas.
Even though my life and work was moving else where I can honestly say I left Speke with a heavy heart.
I live in the south of England and I have no remaining family in Speke but do have family in parts of Merseyside and Cheshire.
I visited All Hallows and spoke to Miss Short, that was a little time before it closed, she knew straight away who I was and asked if my sister Sylvia had learnt to behave herself. Sadly it was the last time I saw St Christophers Church, I was horrified to find it had been demolished. Does anyone know what happened to the time capsule with all the childrens names in side? From what I was told the parishoners bought a brick each, did any one get their brick back?
The last time I came to Speke was thre years ago when we where interning my brother Davids ashes in the family grave. I was quite shocked by the changes, I knew that the flats where I lived had been rebuilt in to houses, and the area of ground that I and my fiend John Morrishroe had dug up a lime pit, had been taken over by the houses where George Harrison lived. (I don't remember him but his Father was a miserable old bugger!!!
Standing on the road where I had kicked the can, played various games including knock and run? many opologies to my victims but I didn't do it on my own. I looked towards Ganworth and there was a new School, The park was no more, I remeber being chased out of the rose garden many times by a very angry gardner, our limit of not being chicken was walking on the bowling green.
It was very sad seeing so many changes but what I could see was a very determined effort to raise Speke from the ashes(excuse that pun).
I am sure there are still lots of the origional Speke people from the early years that will hopefully keep it all together. I will not forget Speke because I have too many good memories of friends schools and good times.

Best wishes
Gillian

Ps Please can any one tell me what the "labricks" or "lavricks where? I know it is where fords was built and there was lots of ponds.

Also what happened to St Christophers Statue?

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Re: Speke in the early days -- Ken Savage, 13:28:30 03/20/06 Mon (82.42.166.95)

Hi Gillian
Great to read your email. My family lived in Linner Road from 1939 so remember
St Christopher's from when it was a tent, through the wooden hut to the large Church
and then the new small one. It is true, every one bought a brick & no we didn't get it back,
but we did get one of the pews. We didn't even get a brick from our family house in Linner
Road when they knocked it down. The parishioners paid a lot of money to help build the
Church and were not even consulted about knocking it down. Thou I suppose it was cold
and draftee. I remember going to the first Midnight Mass when it was built, It was freezing
cold with braziers to keep us warm.

The Time Capsule was not disturbed, it is still there and the Statue is in the grounds of
the new church but the weather as got at it and the face as fallen off.

Dose anyone remember the bomb that fell outside the front of the old wooden Church
and didn't break anything not even the Statue.

Ken Savage

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[> Re: Speke in the early days -- Brian Reynolds, 07:41:48 03/21/06 Tue (84.64.255.1)

Hi Gillian

Good to read your memories of Speke. I moved there in 1939 when I was three months old and Speke really was a kid's paradise to gow up in then, even during the war. My cousins from the Dingle used to come to Speke on their holidays! I have written a few mempries about those days and will dig them out and psot them. Meanwhile, I think the area you are referring to was what we called The Laburnum Woods. There were lots of low-level bushes and a few ponds. A bit further on was Bluebell Wood, which had a moat around it and then the there was Mill Wood. There used to ne a railway station at Speke and the famous Table Bridge. near here there were also lots of large concrete triangles designed to stop tanks. Towards the airport was the Old Lane and on the other side of Speke Boulevard was Wiggy's Orchard, which we often raided and just as often got chased by Wiggy. The whole area was full of wildlife, particularly birds. I first lived in 127 Rycot Road, right opposite the entrance to what used to be B,B & G. where I did my apprenticeship/ later we moved to 37 Bray Road and then to 83 Hale Drive; my parents must have had something of the gypsy in them. I now live near Oxford and Banbury.

Regarads

Brian Reynolds

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[> [> Re: Speke in the early days -- robert connor, 05:51:13 05/11/06 Thu (81.152.92.192)

hi brian i am wiggys grand son i was only 3yrs old wen my grandad wiggy died. my mum is his daughter. the wiggys are all beried in the church opposite the cottages where they lived. i cannot remember my gradparents mutch only little memories of what he was like or if you would like to no anything more about wiggy and speke i could talk to my mum for more info. wiggys grandson

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[> [> [> Re: Speke in the early days -- Ted Carew (Happy), 14:32:24 09/30/09 Wed (86.5.151.251)

Hi Rob , tell me if i'm right is your Mum named Rose and lived at 82 LINNER ROAD b4 she got wed?and was her name Wignall?. cheers ..

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[> [> Re: Speke in the early days -- Colin Pattison, 04:05:01 09/10/07 Mon (84.70.136.68)

With mention of St. Christophers church, does anyone remember going to the pictures there in the church hall (hut)? I, with our "gang", used to go on Saturday afternoons and watch the "films" usually cowboy ones and then come out afterwards and pretend we were "cowies" slapping our backsides as if we were riding horses. Don't see any kids doing that now!
We also used to go up to table bridge and the woods nearby.
all where Fords is was fields in those days we could walk for miles without any trouble.
An other memory was of football matches lasting about 3 hours where everyone joined in being played on the field in Blackrod Avenue usually 20 a side, great fun.

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[> Re: Speke in the early days -- rose payne nee higgins (happy days), 12:17:10 08/25/07 Sat (90.201.243.201)

jill was lovly reading your thoughts on speke what a great life we had your sylvia margret doyle margaret flatley were still running round the 7 ponds before fords was built untill we were 15 miss short from all hallows when i go back to speke it breaks my heart thinking off the old days but lets face it 40 odd years life changes but i love talking about old speke

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