I’ve been browsing through my archives and stopped on this very old image kindly sent to me by Paul Doleman. I like the way the photographer has captured the people chatting on the street corners (posed perhaps?) …something we all still do today when we bump into someone along Market Street.
By my reckoning the view is toward Meols with Trinity Road on the left (or Church Road as it was then) and Elm Grove on the right. Today you’ll find Wellington-Young Insurance Brokers on the left and Ambience Hair & Beauty on the right.
Those gates must be Shaw’s Yard and Elm Grove (or at least the land around Shaw’s Yard) was then known locally as Cockle Alley with, according some of your previous comments, several local fishermen living in cottages in Elm Terrace.
In the row of shops on the right you’ll find Joseph Iles, maker of plain and fancy biscuits no less! Mr Iles, being something of a big-shot in the village, had a second shop further up Market Street. Today you’ll know it as the Indira restaurant.
I wonder if the Lighthouse Inn was around back then? I suspect it was. And ideal for a restorative pint or two of ale after a hard day’s fishing the Irish Sea.
A delightful photo. I’d have struggled to identify the location. Guess this is very old.
The Lighthouse Inn would have been a little further up the road, just past the tree on the right. The white cottages on the left (which had a Hovis sign outside) were demolished in the 1930s to build the Kingsway cinema – the row that remain are just out of sight. And the white cottages on the right of the road were also demolished in the 1930s to build Woolworths – I think this website had a picture of them last year. I guess the sandstone wall on the left is part of the yard of the old Punchbowl Hotel – which was also pulled down in the 1930s – but I’m not sure if it is!
Thanks for all these old photos – really interesting!
mmm, i’m struggling too!
Is the wall on the left where The Punch Bowl is now? And the low building on the right has been replaced by what was a hairdressers (collinge?) is and now a stove shop? Does that mean that the tall building on the right next to it is what was the Hague Cafe? They had a Dutch scene in tiles near the door..
The low white cottage-shaped building further on the left is presumably where the library is now. You can just make out the block of shops at the end of the street opposite the YMCA etc. I did google “Market Street Hoylake” images and found another image which show a low white cottage-shaped building… This confused me even more as it could be either of the buildings in the Friday photo. I THINK it is the building on the right and the view is looking the other way “up” Market Street towards the Ship Inn etc. Sorry I cannot attach this image to the email but will post the link in the next comment….
http://www.oldwirral.com/hoylake_photos3.html
It says that the picture was taken in the 1890s, so presumably the Friday picture is of roughly the same vintage.
No..that cannot be right. …… The buildings on the right are FURTHER down the road than the Hague Cafe.
The white building is where Woolworths store (later Jon David) and also McKenzie’s the record shop?
On the opposite corner of Elm road there was Wilson Estate Agents, and next door to that Horswill’s butchers. So they took the place of that large gates at Shaws yard. The Hague Cafe was a bit further “up” Market street on the left going towards KIngs Gap.
This is more difficult than it seems as we live in Milton Keynes.. so cannot get out to check it all out!
….. i’ll get my coat!…..
Cockle Alley on the right is where Elm Grove is now…My father JACK CLARKE was born there. His father was a cockler/fisherman and presumably that is where they sorted out their fish and cockles..They lived there for several years before moving to 23 Rudd Street where eventually my father started up his coal and haulage
business with his brothers.. CLARKE BROS
Hi there
I currently live at number 23 Rudd street and was interested in the history of the house.
Do you have any old pictures by any Chance?
Many thanks
Of course before my father started his coal business … His mother had horse and floats and donkeys on the shore……LOTS of memories there !!!! They were of course stabled at 23 Rudd Street.
Cockle Alley was on the right of the picture where Elm Grove is now… My father JACK CLARKE was born there in 1906…. His father was a fisherman-cockler. Then the family moved to 23 Rudd Street where my
Grandmother then had a horse and trap..and donkeys on the shore (or beach being the posh word for it
now!!) Eventually my father started a coal business with his brother… CLARKE BROS.
My Grandmother was Doris “Dolly” Townsend nee Clarke who, I believe, was your aunt; my mother was her daughter Gillian. I remember going to New Brighton to meet Jack and to ride the donkeys. Mom always said she had a great deal of cousins, you must be one of them. I would love to hear from you. Regards, Tom.
Sorry Tom but you have got the wrong family…Jack Clarke had donkeys on the New Brighton
sands.. My grandmother Mrs Clarke had her donkeys and ponies on the sands at Hoylake.My father Jack Clarke was never involved with them…. He had the coal and haulage part of the family.
hello Sheila wilson nee clarke
I was very interested in reading your comments about your family having a coal business, I am doing some research about the horses that helped launch the Hoylake Lifeboat up to the early 1920’s and was wondering if any of your family horses were involved. I am from the Broster’s family and my Great Grandad and Grandad Broster had horses that were involved, infact one off them caught pneumonia, while standing around in the cold sea I expect.
Helen Carr [nee Jones]
Sorry for the delay in answering your e.mail Helen.. None of our horses were ever part of the lifeboat launch…My grandma only had ponies on the sands.. not horses…She did also have horse and carts trips to Hilb re and around but never anything to do with the lifeboat horses.. Dad.(.Jack Clarke) drove the lifeboat tractor during the war.
Greetings, Sheila Wilson (nee Clarke). I well remember accompanying my mother to pay coal bill. I was always fascinated by parrot in huge cage in front room (office). Incidentally my late Dad’s brother – Sam Taylor – lived a couple of streets away. He was well known in old Hoylake circles as a window cleaner as he came from a well known fishing family.
I remember Sam Taylor very well … lovely man… wasn’t his wife called Gladys… daughter Doreen and a son….sorry forgotten his name…
That african grey parrot lived for many years with Grandma Clarke… it was a brilliant talker.. unfortunately
never went out of the cage because of the fears of it biting anybody…. Ahhhh memories…..thank you for”stirring” (in a nice way) them up……..Sheila …. in Brisbane… Australia…….