I stumbled upon a really poignant photograph the other month that I’ve been wanting to share with you all. Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to contact the actual owners of the photo to ask for permission to publish it here. But if you click here you’ll see the photo in a new window.
Taken on November 11th, 1918 (Armistice Day) it shows the convalescing servicemen gathered together for the Armistice in Hoylake. Note the poor chaps all bandaged-up. Another example of Hoylake being chosen as a place to improve ones health – then again, after being in WW1 anywhere would be a significant improvement.
Where would you say that photo was taken? I think it’s either Kings Gap or the top end of Market Street …I can’t make my mind up though I favour Kings Gap.
bendygirl says
Isn’t that the corner of Market St & Kings Gap, where the roundabout is now? Or, actually now I think of it, that looks remarkably like the wall of the cemetary in Trinity Road where JC O’Neill VC, MM is buried.
Gail Rochford Gilchrist says
From very old postcards I have, this appears to be the corner of Alderley Rd, though it is much changed today.I believe there might be a Sainsbury’s there now.When I was young there was a garage and along the pavement line,benches to sit and watch the world go by,oh and a telephone box where we had to go before we had a phone in the house.
In ‘Hoylake and Meols Past’ by Stephen J Roberts, Page 96 there is a photograph of residents on benches,it looks very similar.There always seems to have been benches on that spot.
Peter Wilson says
Yes, well done! I think that is it.
I was puzzling over this and thinking that the terrace of houses looks like the one which is now mainly shops with parking in front before Lake Place. It was the high sandstone wall that was difficult to place but that must have been demolished when the house there was converted to a garage (now Sainsbury’s). According to the photograph in my book, More Pictures from the Past, which shows old men sitting on benches (prob the same as in Gail’s book) the house was called Grey Stones and I assume this is the same building as is there now?
One of those trees is presumably what grew into the large sycamore that stood there for many years. Did it go when the Sainsbury car park was built?
The terrace on the right is the site of The Row.
Gail Rochford Gilchrist says
Well strangely enough I recognised not only the roof line down to Lake Place but also the tree!!
The one that stood by the telephone box for so many years.Had not known about Grey Stones,thank you for that.
dave says
looks like corner of cable rd/alderley rd
Ian Davies says
Well done John for digging this out! I have been researching the history of Hoylake Lifeboat in order to update some of our photographs and documentation we have at the Lifeboat Station and one of the unexplained but probably quite simple queries is what is the connection with Oldham? We have had two lifeboats at Hoylake named after this town the “Oldham†which served on station from 1931 – 1952 and the “Oldham IV†on station 1952 – 1970. I have contacted the Pals site to ask if there is a connection to the people who had convalesced here after the war, but does anybody have any other ideas?