Many thanks to Graham Thwaite for this week’s Friday Photo.

Pictured are the kite buggies out on the sand bank off Hoylake competing last week in the 2011 European Championships.

The event should not be (though it has been, including by me) confused with the land yacht championships that are scheduled to start tomorrow (Saturday 17th). I’ve seen a few competitors arrive and park-up their land yachts on the sand behind the promenade wall and there were a few motorhomes at the bottom of Hoyle Road last night.

Do take the opportunity to come down to the beach as it’s great to hear a wide variety of different languages spoken by the competitors and the colours on the yacht sails make for a vivid display and an excellent photo opportunity.

Here’s a good old photo for you all this week, kindly sent in from Syd Bird.

The scene is Trinity Road and Syd tells me on the back of the photo there is handwriting that reads ‘Harry Bird, November 1898′.

Syd goes on to say: “The person who gave me the photo said the reason the adult has his arm behind back was because his hand had been amputated as a result of an accident and he had a claw fitted. Don`t know if it`s true but that’s what I was told.”

Trinity Road was known as Church Road 1898 and you can clearly see the church that has generated so much discussion.

Can you guess from inside which Hoylake property the above photo was taken?

Well, in case you can’t, it’s the spiral staircase inside The Lighthouse at the bottom of Stanley Road. The property isn’t (wasn’t) a real lighthouse of course, it’s a private residence that is currently available for rent. For a fiver shy of £4000 a month!

The top of the tower (not sure what you’d call it, observation room perhaps?) was removed nearly two years ago – the views from up there must be fantastic! At the time of the 2006 Open Golf there was a rumour that Coca Cola had paid to place advertising banners on the tower. That never happened.

It’s all a bit too much for my own tastes (and wallet) but have a look at the selection of photos over on rightmove and see what you think. Quite possibly one of the few residential properties in Wirral with it’s own dance floor!

Having received consent for plans for a housing development on 9th August, Wirral Methodist Housing Association has already commenced works on the former Heap & Partners site behind Manor Road Station.

I took some photos of the site as the demolition of the existing offices was in progress a week or so ago – the site has probably been cleared by now.

You can read more about the redevelopment plans in this item.

Here’s another view:

A few weeks ago I mentioned that it’d be great to see some photos of Hoylake from the 60′s and 70′s. So many thanks to John Piatt for sending in the above photo taken outside Hoylake Library in 1975. The chaps in the funky flares are from left-to-right: John, Pete, Paul and Barry. Do you recognise anyone? And there’s a bonus point for anyone able to name the LP!

Below is a photo of a Hoylake football team from the 1920′s. Alan Veals, who lives on the Isle of Lewis and kindly sent in the photo says Leslie Veals, his father, is the third from the left. What’s the letter W for on the shirts? Please leave a comment if you recognise anyone.

Below are two photos of the collapsed promenade wall on Meols Parade, kindly sent in by Graham Thwaite. These photos most probably tie-in with this other, previously published photo of Meols Parade wall being repaired.

and here’s a second view:

And we’re back!

Here’s a photo kindly sent in by Syd Bird of the original Punch Bowl pub on Market Street (click for larger). Apparently the original building was demolished in the 1930′s in order to widen the main road.

The current Punch Bowl is a large building – did it once offer accommodation?

I took this photo on a lovely Wednesday morning as I walked past the rear (or is the front?) of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club clubhouse.

I suspect a lot of locals don’t know that you can walk across the course, but there are in fact two public footpaths on the course itself. There is one route from Pinfold Lane (off Meols Drive) that takes you across the course to the boardwalk at the back of the sandhills between West Kirby and Red Rocks.

The short route I followed took me from the footpath opposite the Green Lodge and down the side of St Hildeburghs and onto the course. You follow the blue line that is painted in the grass and walk behind the houses on Meols Drive. Then you pass the rear of the clubhouse, where players are waiting for their tee times, go up the short drive and through the iron gate and you’re back onto Meols Drive opposite Morpeth Road. You could then take a stroll down the alley between the houses on Meols Drive and Drummond Road.

Am I correct in thinking that the two clocks on the clubhouse and the clock on the old town hall at the Quadrant are the only public clocks in Hoylake?

It’s by no means anywhere near complete yet but the new Kings Gap Hotel is starting to take shape.

After a walk along the beach this morning (it was beautifully sunny and not a breath of wind) I passed-by to take the above photo on my mobile phone. That’s the view of the rear of the Kings Gap Hotel, looking from the junction of Valentia Road and Lighthouse Road.

What do you think …bigger than you had envisaged or an improvement on what was previously there?

Just out of sight and opposite Lighthouse Road is a pair of 3-storey semi-detached houses that I think are quite attractive. In fact, I recall the right-hand property being for sale in the early 1990′s for around £85,000 - you won’t find too many properties for around that price in Hoylake today!

Many thanks to Graham Price for these additional photos of the Hoylake Spitfire that once stood on a garage forecourt on Market Street. You can see the first photo of the Spitfire right here.

Michael Bennett has sent this link (also mentioned in the original comments by Kevin Radford) which indicates that the plane flew in the remake of Pearl Harbour in 2000.

The old petrol station is now Sainsbury’s Local, so imagine the plane sat there in the car park! The following photo shows a second plane:

Here’s a final photo for you:

Not one but three interesting photos of a similar theme for you all this week!

Firstly, the photo above (click for larger) was kindly sent in by Syd Bird and its a view of the Hoylake lower lighthouse, dated around the 1890′s. Look to the left hand of the photo and you’ll notice the lifeboat cannon, used to alert the RNLI crew of a shout.

Below are photos of two former lifeboats kindly sent in by Julian Triggs. Firstly there’s an old photo of the Hilbre Island lifeboat with crew.

And finally we jump the 1970′s for a photo of a former lifeboat called the Mary Gabriel – you can click on the photo for a larger view. Look at the sign above the station doors …would be great to see that back on the lifeboat museum!