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For Luck from Warrington.....


Bazj

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Didn't realise that Stanley Lunt bridge was famous or notorious. :blink:

 

There used to be plaques/coats of arms in Warrington which related to families who were somewhat important in Warrington's early years. I think they may have been on Bridge Street but not sure and no idea if are still there. One was for the 'Stanley' family who were the builders of one of Warrington’s first stone bridge and others no doubt.

 

I think there were ones for others such as the Boteler family too but can't remember. I'll have to check through my boxes or google :oops:

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Baz...great stuff again and most things like that have probably been thrown away by most people over the years. Keep them all safe as you may be the only one with any of these as I've never seen them before..... where do you live by the way 8)

 

I guess that must be the 'Cheshire Cat' on the front, he/she was supposed to give luck to the people of Warrington and Cheshire. I think I saw it yesterday lurking about near the town hall :lol:

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Just a generic black cat. A black cat walking across your path is supposed to be lucky (as is heather and the horseshoe).

 

In the US it is supposed to be unlucky.

 

Crossing the motorway it is usually unlucky for the cat :twisted:

 

When was the lake in Victoria park filled in I wonder as I cannot recall ever having seen it. Used to use the little boating lake in Orford / Oxford park though. had one of those little sailing boats that would manage to go about five foot before tipping over or getting stuck in the weed or mud on the bottom.

 

Just remembered that I have a similar type of thing from Cockington in the form of a match-book containing six black and white pictures.Wonder how many off these sort of thing were produced over the years.

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I think the postcard was long before we were thrust into Cheshire Dizzy....

 

Not sure of the date, but possibly 1930's or 1940's?

Never thought of that although the Cheshire Cat does go back many hundreds of years. St Wilfrid's Chrurch in Grappenhall has a carved sandtone chehsire cat and the church that is there today was rebuit in the 1500's from local sandstone.

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Dizzy, there are small plaques like those you describe running up the stairway of the Museum.

 

Thanks for that, I had a quick look last night and they used to be on the lamp posts along Bridge Street.

 

Just realised though Baz's photo calls it 'Stanley Lunt' but it's actually called 'StaNNey Lunt' (well according to every document, mention and graded listing etc.)

 

I wonder which one is actually right as the family plaque ALSO says Stanley

 

stanleycoatofarmscopy.jpg

 

Ohh bugger that will frustrate me now... :unsure::lol:

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Great photos. Great memories. When the buses all ran from the centre of town - the one shown is the Bewsey bus outside what now is the Halifax.

 

The bus at the river mersey was a Crosville Liverpool bus -the fact it was green made it a good ride (simple pleasures)

 

The restaurant at the bottom of Bridge street was certainly in big use during the war -I think you could use tokens or vouchers for a cheap 'proper' meal. I think it was called at one time the 'British restaurant' - patriotic to use it.

 

Happy days

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Nice 'hand me down' from your dad Baz and certainly worth keeping as it's not only a novelty but a good peice of local history.

Sid I was brought up to the age of ten in Oldham street and used to play on the park as a youngster and can't remember the pool in Vicky' park so I would say probably filled in, prior to the 1940s'.

Harry, being a just few years younger than yourself (71)I can only remember Tower building at the bottom of Bridge street as being a Wimpey bar, probably in the late 1950s'.

 

About 1900 (before the trams were running), this picture shows Tower Building being used as a Pawnbrokers and trade seems to be thriving, a sign of the times I presume. Whoever owned the building at this time are advertising office and showrooms for letting on the upper floors.

Early1900sLookingupBridgeStreet001.jpg

 

Tower building about 1910 occupied at the time by JM Greenalgh, cabinet makers, looking to the left of the tower and under the first apex roof there are a line of vertical openings for loading goods to each foor, above the top opening is a 'cathead' hoist to facilitate the craneage, these openings would later be filled in and used as windows.

1910WarringtonBridgeSteampacket.jpg

 

Another picture of the Tower, now 1912 with construction of the 'New Bridge' in progress. The openings more apparent in this picture, the building still occupied by Greenalgh's.

1912ConstructingthenewbridgealongsidetheoldVictoriaBridge.jpg

 

7th April 1915 JM Greenalgh seems to have departed Tower building which appears to be vacant and for sale or rent. The New Bridge is under load test and judging by the lack of young men watching most of them would have been in France fighting in our armed forces, no doubt some of the men in this picture would eventually be conscripted, I wonder how many would survive the conflict?.

19157thAprilTestingthenewBridgewithtramcarssteamrollersandpeopleDetail.jpg

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Harry, as an old Warrington Bobby, do you remember a cafe called "the Rendezvous"? I Think it was on Sankey Street possibly down where the office blocks are opposite the Town Hall

 

My Grandma was the manageress and my mum worked there for a while!!

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Baz. The Rendez vous. I didn't know it well as it was on a town centre beat given to the older bobbies. A Tea spot for a lot of them (I was a trusted outskirt cycle bobby after about 7 years service).

 

think it replaced the Maddocks hotel (Doris- the Chinese lady). Was it owned by Bill Medland and something to do with Bennet's cakes in Delamere Street.

 

Happy days

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Harry, as an old Warrington Bobby, do you remember a cafe called "the Rendezvous"? I Think it was on Sankey Street possibly down where the office blocks are opposite the Town Hall

 

My Grandma was the manageress and my mum worked there for a while!!

Baz.

The "Rendezvous" was a cafe in Sankey street a bit further down towards Bank Quay bridge, I think it was between Arpley street and Dixon street. Bennetts cake works at the top of Wellfield street had a social club at the rear of the cafe and you had to walk through the cafe to enter the club, I seem to remember that it finished up as an Indian restaurant.

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