Lydiate Memories
"SIMPLE PLEASURES"
Lydiate canal 1950's
'I remember riding out there (the old Abbey)
on our motor bikes on dark nights' - Michael
'Used to visit the Abbey grounds and manor ruins
to go birdwatching' - Fred
'We all trooped upstairs (The Parish Hall)
for refreshments-Zing, I think it was' - Kay
'Eating cockles at The Running Horses
from the Sefton Seafood man.
Then up to the Scotch Piper
for a beer out the wooden keg ' - George
E-mail your memories to
PHOTOGRAPHS/AND SOME MEMORIES ARE NOW ON THE GALLERY PAGE
UPDATED 29TH April 2020
A FEW MEMORIES FROM THE ORIGINAL LYDIATEWORLD WEBSITE
Michael Hankinson-South Africa
April 09, 2006
Lovely to see pictures of the old abbey. I remember riding out there on our motor bikes on dark nights. We were a mad bunch, Barry Forrest and others from Maghull Grammar School. It was scary stuff but great fun.
fred walkden
April 09, 2006
Used to visit the abbey grounds and manor ruins to go birdwatching. found my first white throats nest there.
Kay Davies -New Zealand
April 16, 2006
Steve and I were founding members of the Lydiate Youth Club and enjoyed many of our teenage years there after all the fund raising dances at the parish hall.it is a shame that it is no longer there.The dances were great in those days.At the interval we all trooped upstairs for refreshments, Zing. I think,definitely no alcohol.I did hear that some of the lads used to call in at 'the Scotch ' for some Dutch courage before the dance!What great groups played there.We didn't have to travel into L'pool to see the very best.
Kathy Wright
May 10, 2006
I used to live in Ridgeway Drive then moved onto Green Park. During the sixties i used to hang out with George Drewery, Barry Woodward, Derek Dixon, Trev and big John. Remember us all going to the ruined abbey one night after visiting the Scotch Piper and decided to hold a seance, scared ourselves to death, convinced we saw something ! Ah! happy days
Br. Clement TOCD
June 23, 2006
The piano teacher, Miss Mansley, you mentioned was my mum. We moved to Lydiate just after the War into the flats at the Lambshear Lane. Dad had died during the War and Mum was left a widow so she stared teaching Piano so that we could live. The Widow's pension was not very much. They were still building Haigh Crescent. From Lambshear Lane to Needens Lane was all fields. It was a great play ground especially when they started building the school and the Barnes Drive houses. I recall that there were many stone fights between the Haigh Crescent kids and the kids from Southport Road. Around 1951, we did a Council House swap to Liverpool Road.
At the end of Liverpool Road was a garage, Harry Johnson's and a little further up some derelict cottages and what had been another garage. Nothing else. Just Oakhill House, where the bowling greens are now. From the Music teacher's house you could see open fields right over to Dodds Lane. I have a photo somewhere to prove it.
The Liverpool Road Flats, Coronation Drive, Virginia Avenue, St Gregory's, the shops were unimaginable. They were potato fields for goodness sake. We used to play there and chase rabbits and catch newts in the bomb crater where St Greg's was built. Happy days.
Dave Pace -Port Douglas, Australia
Great work, brought back a lot of memories for me,as a kid I spent a lot of time playing in and around the old farms of Lydiate
Patricia -New Zealand
December 01, 2006
Hi, anyone remember me. I was Patricia Clark, lived at the Running Horses with my grandparents the Waltons and my mother Mae until 1955 when I emigrated to New Zealand with my fiance Rob Spray. We married out there. Attended the RC school in Hall Lane and Our Lady's Church. Still have cousins in Lydiate - Monica Gard (nee Tickle) in Coppul Rd and Russell Sarginson in Barnes Drive. Joe Pope who owned the shop near the Weld Blundell was a cousin. My husband, Rob, was a Postman around the Lydiate Maghull area. He came from Dodds Lane. My uncle Joe Walton ran the coal business on the canal bank next to the Running Horses. Anyone remember the old Smithy next door? Used to go dancing at the Parish Hall - great times there. Knew Charlie Rigby who had the Scotch Piper well. .
Dave
February 17, 2007
Great site. Told about the site by Don McNair. I have lived in Lydiate all my life firstly in silverbirch way, then married and moved to Southport Road and then moved to Green Park but returned to my roots and now live on Bells Lane Lydiate. In Silverbirch I used to live opposite Jim and Dee Labone who then bought the Rope House which I see has mentioned previously. I will let my brothers know of this site and maybe they can add their bits. We used to drink in the Scotch Piper when Charlie ran it. Some great nights esepcially New Years Eve when the Bagpipes came out. Some names from the past Lee Mercer, Rob Lennon, Dave Griffin, Steve Bell, John Balshaw, Barry Hall and Family. Will come back to the site again soon.
Pat
March 20, 2007
Nice to see the class photo with Mrs Carr - she was a kindly lady when I was at the school but she was not headmistress then - it was a headmaster - Mr. Dauber - greatly feared! He once caned someone who had chilblains and the boy's irate mother came up to the school. Very unusual for a parent in those days - the teachers were the law. Lydiate school the early 50's had just three classrooms. One room with a fire and a lovely rocking horse for the tinies. The other two rooms were divided by a screen with windows on the top. If Miss Hesketh made you stand on your chair Mr Dauber could see you through the window - scary because you knew you were for it! After Lydiate C of E school I went to Lambshear Lane Primary - I have a class photo with our teacher Mrs Robinson. I feel very nostalgic for Lydiate and remember it so well although I have lived many miles away for years now.
Darren McCormick
January 11, 2008
Fell on the site whilst looking for photographs. I lived in Lydiate from childhood until I left to work down south after doing my degree. Now living in West of Ireland. Would like to thank the site design team for a great site. The photograph of the Runnies brought back memories of my 18 year birthday celebrations (i always looked old for my age). As kids spent most of my time in the fields at the back of Bells lane. Summer days picking strawberries at the local fruit farm. Cycling up to Formy, Burscough, Southport. I have now put page on my favourites list. Again a lovely site and brings back many happy memories.
Fiona nicholson(nee corbett)
March 25, 2008
Great site, i have many memories of Lydiate .I was only talking to the post office staff saying about how times have changed. I remember it as House proud,,i have photos, Kidgers where i use to get my 1p bag of sweets,( mick lowe) I too remember Frank the butchers, yes i remember them filming The Liverbirds scene where the dogs took the sausages from the butchers shop.I was only young but i remember standing on the corner of Coronation Rd whilst they were filming, the minimarket on the corner seemed so much bigger than it does now ,Does any one remember the fella in the van who use to sell fish and chips outside the Coronation shops, they were lovely chips better than Dicks chippy.I could go on and on what great memories and a great place to live.
Irene Richman (Mullany)
March 27, 2008
Just found the site! So many wonderful memories of growing up in Lydiate. Helping my dad at Our Lady's 'Fielday' every year. Playing along the canal bank; the 'Mountain' as we called it along the footpath from Hall Lane to Billy's bridge..Our Lady's school, a brilliant village school. Playing tennis at Sandy Lane park every summer evening. Playing cricket with the Hankins on the parish Hall field. Walking across the 'pads' to Pygons Hill lane to my friend Teresa's house where she kept her geese and making homemade fish & chips and eating them out of newspaper because the 'fish & chip' shop was miles away. Playing and exploring at the Weston's farm. Great Days!!
mike maybury
April 19, 2008
My (late) father was brought up at Rose Farm ,Station Rd Lydiate.
Love to hear from any relatives.
He moved to New Zealand in 1939.
I visited in 1984 such a nice place. I hope to come again soon.
John Smith (Ted Smith has passed away)
May 18, 2008
Hi all, excellent site.Dad-Ted Smith put me onto it. Happy memories of playing on Parish Field with the Hankin's, Ross Duggan and Julien Buckel, his father had the "Mace"sweet shop next to Co-op Buildings at Lollies bridge. Also cycling over paddocks footpath to see other friend Phillip Johnson at Pygons Hill Farm. Does anyone remember the annual Rose Queen fare? I won the fancy dress one year as an OXO Cube!
We lived at 274("Ten Trees") Southport Rd. this was the house next to the canal at Lollies bridge..
Attended C of E school and can remember Headmistress Mrs, Carr retiring(sorry to see school no longer there), also attended Deyes Lane Secondary. We left to live in Blackpool in early 70's, now living in Amble Northumberland.
Ted Smith
I used to attend the C of E School when it was next to the Parish Hall about 1940,we used to live on Lollies Bridge next to the row of shops .I remember them making rope at Izzards,I also remember the Home Guardat the Parish Hall which was their headquarters .My father was the Q.M.S.Smith
derek taylor
January 03, 2009
Congratulations on creating a wonderful site. I came across it while researching the area for something I'm writing. It has tapped into lots of memories.
I lived on Southport Road, Lydiate, from 1956 to '58 (later in Butchers Lane) and went to Lambshear Lane School. Mr Pickup was the headmaster and my really wonderful teacher was Miss MacMahon. I cried when we had to leave the area and the school.
My best mates were 2 lads called Derek (Deggsy) Cheetham who lived in Bells Lane (if I remember correctly) and David Molyneux who lived on Northway.
Fond memories, fond memories of fishing in the canal and roaming through the fields, picking peas in summer,playing football in the claret and blue school colours. I even remember school assemblies where they played Sheep May Safely Graze.
Oh my, I wish I were young again!
Jennifer Galvin
February 03, 2010
This is a wonderful site. Unfortunately, I left Lydiate when I was nine so I don't remember too much, but I passed it along to both my sisters (one in England and one in North Carolina) and they loved it. I live in New York State, USA but have grown up hearing stories about Lydiate from my family. I did actually drive by our old house on one of my trips back (Sandy Lane) and it didn't look too much different! I just sent a photo my sister gave me of a trip on the Bootle Belle in 1952 to celebrate the Queen's coronation, so hopefully it will get posted soon.
