My Liverpool Home, Kirkdale

I have always been proud of the fact that I was born and grew up in Liverpool. Throughout much of the city's history it has been great for many different reasons.
I was born in Liverpool not long after the Second World War, and grew up there during the 1950's and 60's. The city was vibrant! It was alive, bustling and full of purpose. People were great communicators - everybody had opinions! They joked, argued, told stories, and found any excuse to celebrate.
The sense of community and identity across Liverpool was deep and powerful. The city almost thought of itself as a state in its own right: 'The Peoples' Republic of Liverpool'!
Things started to change when the town planners rolled up their sleeves. Some of the changes they brought in were positive, whilst others were disastrous! The planners succeeded where the Luftwaffe had failed! They not only destroyed thousands of buildings - many of which where perfectly sound - but they wiped out entire communities! With a little more thought and imagination things could have been very different.
I decided, before the bulldozers moved in, to photograph parts of my neighbourhood and have used them in this little video. I took others from my family album and several from some dear old friends. I hope you like them.

[@paulalaurie7935]

My Mum lived in 59 Melrose Road, Elsie Brooks. Her sister was Ethel Brooks and she was a Tailor. When there other sister married she bought the corner shop in Melrose Road called Lucas's. She had it during WW2 and in the 1950 and 1960s. I remember celebrating the Queens Queens Coronation at a Street party in the road off Melrose Road in 1953 and we were all given a Coronation cup and saucer, I have still got mine and its 2021.

[@markellis7857]

A once beautiful area demolished a great community from wesy rd fountains road an Melrose, I went to west rd school upstairs RC, lived in Delamore, me dad was from Sellar st an me grandma lived in fountains rd loved it growing up there everyone knew each other an looked out for one another now it's all so different, great to see the old place as it was an how I remember it 👍

[@meighanobrien3962]

My relatives lived in Rockingham street, off Commercial Road, Kirkdale. My Dad returned back in the early 1980's. The street had been knocked down in the 60's. It would be great to see the street. :) He was born 1930.

[@JoyceKennedy-i6c]

I was an old girlfriend of Keith’s brother ,Joe when we were teenagers(Philly) innocent and naive,love the pictures of old kirkdale. Kicked on to Australia fifty years ago

[@hookywookywithmalarkyman704]

I lived near the the billogs opposite the rec @ 9 suffield road 50s till mid 60s if any one remembers john lloyd with both parents deaf mute had a mate jimmy long & frankie mcintosh if it tickles any ones memory's we left to go live southport wich was fab !!
suffield road

[@barnowljohn]

Hi Keith, Great video of kirkdale and interesting school photos of Westminster road school in the 1950s, did you attend Westminster road school? Regards John.

[@keithdavies2052]

Thank you, John, for your kind comment! Yes, I did attend Westminster Road school during the 1950s and I appear in each of the class photographs! :)

[@barnowljohn]

@@keithdavies2052 Thank you for your reply, I have been tracing my family history and wanted to know more about my early childhood I attended westminster school from circa 1953-59 when our family moved to Kirkby, I also had two older brothers now deceased called Brian and Julian Morrison who went on to Alsops School, I remember Teachers Miss Spicer, Mr Ingram, and Mr Davis .I can't place any of us in your photos do you have any recollection of any of my family?

[@stephenkay3048]

Westminster pub gone now we had a few pints in therynwa

[@stephendowdall9193]

Does anyone have pictures of braemar street kirkdale. I was born there in 1953

[@stephendowdall9193]

My mum's name was Nellie dowdall my dad was Alfie dowdall I had a older brothers Billy and Alfie who was killed in the seventies by the strand

[@stephendowdall9193]

Would love to see the street again I remember the corner shop by braemar street run by Maggie Gavin and her sister also the Miranda pub

[@paulag4536]

Hi I googled braemar street Liverpool old photos , up came a picture , maybe by now you may have seen it but at least one is there.

[@JoyceKennedy-i6c]

Think that was his brother Joe

[@robbiematthews743]

Is this the same Keith Davies who was the cock of Lambeth road school 😊

[@JoyceKennedy-i6c]

Think that was his brother Joe