I lived in Rock Ferry for the first 39 years of my life but when I became redundant at Cammell Lairds in 1984 I moved to Leicestershire. I used to visit my Mum & Dad in Howson Street but when they passed away there was no reason to visit anymore. I know things can't remain the same and time moves on but not for the better in Rock Ferry. Things started to change long before I left and some houses needed knocking down but why were they not replaced. The whole of the estate on the river side of New Chester Road went, the houses in the bottom half of Gothic Street and Howson Street went and now the houses in the New Chester Road, Chattham Road, Railway Road area have gone. No new houses went up on the river side of New Chester Road, Gothic Street or Howson Street. When I think of how it used to be a busy, bustling area with shops on New Chester Road and both sides of Bedford Road which also had two banks I just get angry. Even part of Ionic Street school has gone.
Where did all the people go and what genius's planned it all? The Palace cinema went years ago and so did Kirklands secondary modern school in Alpha Drive, quite a few pubs have disappeared too. I use Google Earth now and again to see what else has changed but I'm glad to see there is still a tiny bit of sand still clinging to Rock Ferry shore. There was never much sand there at the best of times, lol. The Rock Hotel went years ago and now even the Admiral pub is boarded up but then that area all went down hill when they built the Rock Ferry bypass right across Bedford Road and blocked easy access to the shore area. I bet none of the town planners who were responsible for it all even lived in Rock Ferry.
Dear Shipyardbernie
I read with interest and sadness your post asking where your Rock Ferry has gone?
I lived at 37 Howson Street until about 1967 when my family (Watts) moved to the Midlands. I've made the rare visit back to see the few relatives left there and, in fact, paid a visit only yesterday to my aunt in Highfield Road. I was keen to take my sons to my former home in Howson Street and was truly sad to see that my memories of the place are no match for the reality of the present. In my recall, Howson Street, and most of the others in the neighbourhood, were neat, tidy and secure places to live. Now, there is clearly the outward signs of neglect and disinterest. As a child, I recall the homes almost shone with the pride of the families who took time to keep them nicely presented. Now, rubbish and discarded furniture lies strewn around the entries and abandoned cars are a feature. Is this a symptom of progress where councils insist on multiple bins to meet recycling targets and as a consequence leave people with nowhere to keep the damn things? Or, perhaps, the sense of pride in the neighbourhood has been surgically removed as efficiently along with removal of the houses you lament?
As we age and move away our memories of happy times are rose tinted and the truth of the present comes as a shock upon our return. Perhaps the best plan is not to revisit the past but leave it in you heart?
I did not expect such a quick reply to my post, I only came across the site yesterday after looking at Rock Ferry on Google Earth and wanting to vent my feelings about the place as it is now. I absolutely agree with all of your comments and could have wrote them nearly word for word if I had made my post longer. The first thing you see on Google are the Dalek like wheelie bins that infest the street and the rest of the UK it seems. Why have most of the walls outside of the houses disappeared, have the bricks become valuable over the years? I lived at number 46 with my parents Mr & Mrs Davies and was 20 years old when you say that your family left for the Midlands. I can remember a lot of family's that lived in Howson Street and where my childhood friends lived but I can't remember a family named Watts. By 1967 I was involved with friends in other parts of Rock Ferry and had been working away at holiday camps a few years earlier so I would not know who had left or who had moved into Howson Street.
My last visit was in 1997 when I took my daughter to see the house and show her where I had played as a kid. We had to cut the visit short so I didn't get around to showing her all that I had planned to. Now when her job allows and she comes to visit me we keep saying that we will go back for a longer visit sometime but I am going off the idea fast. I can fully understand what you said about taking your sons to see the place. I hear what you say about rose tinted memories of another time but I cherish them and I bet someone growing up there now won't have such good ones.
I lived in lower Gothic Street when I was a child from 1946 to 1952. I lived with my mother, father and sister and my grandmother Agnes Pritchard and great-grandmother, Mary Ellen Redhead who was the householder. I attended Ionic Street Primary and my best friend was Pat Wilson who lived up the street. Pat moved away before I left with my Mum, Dad and sister for the Woodchurch Esate. I would love to see any pictures of the houses in lower Gothic Street that have been demolished as according to my recollection they were different to those that remain. I remember a chip shop round the corner on New Chester Road.
-- Edited by Lynne Bebb on Sunday 21st of January 2018 10:11:39 AM
Hello Lynne, what a surprise getting a message on here after 4 years. Sorry but I have looked for photos of lower Gothic Street but have not found any yet. I lived in Howson Street from 1947 to 1985 and have only found one photo of lower Howson street c. 1900. The houses in both the lower parts of the streets were different and older, sadly they were demolished in the '70s and the land has never been built on since. I too attended Ionic Street school but you must have left for the Woodchurch Estate as I was starting at the school. There was a chip shop on the corner of Gothic Street/New Chester Road and another one on New Chester Road between Gothic Street and Howson Street. We used to take bundles of news papers to them and get free chips. I am on Facebook and in some Birkenhead/Wirral groups where there are lots of photos of Rock Ferry including the one I mentioned earlier. Join the groups if you want to see them, plus you might meet some long lost friends.
I used to live on The Wirral, my Dad grew up in Rock Ferry and my Mum in Tranmere between Victoria and Mersey Park. I know this is a long shot as your post was back in 2018, however my Dad was George Alan Redhead (most family and friends knew him as Alan and his Dad was Robert George Redhead and his Nan, my Great Gran was Mary Ellen Redhead, born Mary Ellen Powell from Tryddn in North Wales (I think she passed away in 1958) and his Grandad, my Great Grandad was John Redhead who passed away around 1929 I think. I think your Grandmother, Agnes was a sister to my Grandad and hence an Aunt to my Dad. Sadly, my Dad passed away in May 2021 in Arrowe Park having lived most of his life in Bromborough with my Mum. My Dad ’Alan’ as in George Alan (above) was born in April 1934 and lived in Russell Road and I think my Dads parents moved to Woodyn Road, border of Rock Ferry and New Ferry sometime before WW2 (Dad had an older sister Eunice). I just read your post about Gothic Street. My Grandad lived at No.2 Gothic Street (where he was born in 1907 and his parents had lived since the late 1800’s). I think Dad went to Ionic Street School and Alpha Drive. I still go down to the Rock Ferry Slip just to reminisce and an old school friend of mine mentioned her Dad grew up down there to, born about 1930 and his surname / family name was Williams, she’s trying to trace her family history also! I hope you get this! Kind Wishes, Clive (I was born in ‘65 by the way!).
-- Edited by Clive Red on Sunday 10th of December 2023 10:05:19 PM
-- Edited by Clive Red on Sunday 10th of December 2023 10:05:55 PM
-- Edited by Clive Red on Sunday 10th of December 2023 10:41:16 PM
