I’ve received some great old (mostly) photos this week depicting various parts of Hoylake. John Broster got in touch and sent me two photos, one really old and one very up-to-date.
After last weeks teaser photo relating to the Jigger Club, here is John’s first photo that was taken in approximately 1902 at the rear of what was the butchers/ Ann’s Florist premises. John goes on to say:
The boy on the right is my father Joseph William Broster then locally known as Bill, centre is his brother Gordon, the lad with the dog I have no idea who he is, possibly someone may recognise him as their father or grandfather. Regarding your 1960′s photograph Before the Row, 78 Market Street was the Farm House of the Brosters who farmed there from 1850 – 1931, my father Bill Broster being the last to farm there, there were stables and cow sheds to the rear of the Farm House, the cows and horses would have had to cross the railway lines to get to his fields, I would think an impossibility these days with the amount and speed of rail traffic.
John’s second photo of the same Jigger club building (below) was taken far more recently in 2008. I’m sure the current owners of the building will enjoy reading about the history of what they own!
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I remember going to Brosters bakery in Walker st, in the late 60′s, buying bread with mum each week. I think they had permission to bake Hovis bread, as I remember my mum buying me a mini loaf (which they have just revived) as a treat. When I was old enough mum allowed me to run to Brosters from Alderley Rd to get the daily loaf by myself. The streets were very safe in those days. Less cars!
Brosters used to have a delivery service in an old style Austin or Morris van. They called twice a week and the delivery man used to have a big wide wicker basket. Sometimes he used to slip my sister and I cakes free of charge! Is the business in Walker Street still going?
Does any one remember when Brosters horse bolted and demolished McKenzie’s island display area?
Hi John
Many thanks for this blog.
I’m Claire Broster … great grand daughter of Joseph William! Live on the Wirral in Heswall and really into family history! keep me in the loop my email is [removed by John to stop spam] (Mike Broster is my dad and Bill Broster was my grandad)
When I’m finally back on the net at home i will scan in some pics of grandad and send to you! I have a photo of grandmar and grandad on their wedding day which is lovely.
all the best
Take care
A Broster
Hi my name is Ray Courtenay and I do have some Brosters as my relatives My Aunt Majorie Courtenay married a Broster but I dont know his first name all I can say is they lived in Rock Ferry and had 1 Son I know of called William but was known to us as billy he would be in his late 60,s now and the last I heard of him he was living in Blacon chester many years ago but I moved to devon and when I got settled he had moved as well so any information would help
I lived near Broster’s Bakery, in the 50s and 60′s.
As I went to school in Bebington, had to get up very early to catch the train to School.
Oh what joy, as I passed Broster’s each morning…the smell lingers in my mind to this day!
Wonderful memories.
When I lived at 12 Rudd St our back gate opened up to Brosters back wall on Walker street. This wall was always warm as it was the outside wall of the ovens.
Brosters bead was only good for one day. Day old bread had to be used as toast…not like today’s loaves that last over a week.
You might note that French Bread also does not last very long at all, and the French seem to have a bakery on every corner to supply fresh bread. The reason is that the short life bread only has flour water salt and yeast, with none of the fat or emulsifiers which give the bread the shelf life needed due to today’s centralised production. Steam baked bread is like cotton wool.
Hovis bread by the way was baked from Hovis flour. If you bought the flour you could bake the bread in the Hovis tins and sell it as such.
I worked at Brosters Bakery for short while in the 60′s and still have clinker burn scar from raking out the bread oven. Hard work but good memories working 5am – 1pm Mon – Thur, Fri 9- 1 and then back early evening to work through the night until 9am Saturday. I remember falling asleep one Saturday morning in the. Hairdressers in Lake Place while waiting for a haircut. Jack Broster paid me well , £9 per week more than any of my mates at the time.