Daniel K Longman

Millions of people around the world are focused, for the time being at least, on their New Year resolutions. There’s a distinct probability that weight loss and exercise is a common goal for many in 2013. Today Liverpool has plenty to offer the health-conscious individual but we are by no means the first generation with the urge to keep fit.

On July 18, 1865 the Mayor laid the foundation stone for a brand new gymnasium on vacant land in Myrtle Street. There was great local interest in the construction as the desire for health and physical well-being was then at an all-time high. The land had been purchased by the philanthropic Charles Melly who was championing the cause of his associate John Hulley. The two men had previously formed the Liverpool Athletic Club and organised the first Grand Olympic Festival on the parade ground at Mount Vernon. On that occasion over 10000 people witnessed a varied programme of athletics predating the modern Olympics by several decades.By the time his new gym opened Hulley had carved himself the persona of being something of an all-round fitness guru and was a strong advocate of the role physical education in society.

His gym-goers entered a large hall full of exercise equipment, such as dumbbells, vaulting horses, Indian clubs and a forty foot high piece of apparatus known as ‘The Fort’. This had originally been used in France to teach soldiers how to climb efficiently, but now it proved to be excellent in the efforts for personal fitness. At one end of the room was a busy network of ropes and cordage allowing members to harness their balance and upper-body strength. Hulley’s background in gymnastics was clear in the layout.

Attached to the gym was a school of arms where the arts of boxing, wrestling and fencing were taught. Within eager students would become familiar with the foil, sabre and even the bayonet. There was also plenty of gallery space which could often be found crowded with watchful young ladies and no doubt their presence gave members a little extra incentive to perform to the best their abilities.However women too were free to use the facilities with 80 females of various ages making up the 890 members who had joined by the December of that year.

One contemporary reporter wrote this timeless remark, “If any of our readers, ladies or gentlemen, are afflicted with ennui, or run the risk of dying from sloth or indolence, we would strongly recommend them to the Myrtle Street gymnasium.  If the exercises for three months do not give a new impulse to the springs of human life and restore their wonted vivacity, such persons are in a hopeless state of collapse from absolute inanimation.”

Best of luck with your resolutions!

As we press on forward into the New Year it is in our nostalgic nature to look back on times passed. This act of reflection was also done back in January 1911 when a local newspaper reprinted a marvellous artists’ impression of long-lost engineering works that had once been set to totally transform the city.

With the completion of the magnificent St George’s Hall in the autumn of 1854, Liverpool entered an era of confidence not unlike our own much later Capital of Culture optimism.  Our Liverpudlian predecessors wished to see a continuation of their town’s progression with the creation of more grand, more respectable surroundings for their brand new neo-classical masterpiece. The ambitious plans that followed were the brainchild of architect Henry Sumners.

He envisaged massive changes to the Haymarket, St Johns, William Brown Street, Queen’s Square and Williamson Square.  The most prominent feature of his urbanite dream was a huge salt-water bathhouse, complete with 150 foot dome and bell tower. This would have occupied the current site of the Gladstone Memorial and the entrance to the Mersey Tunnel.He also pictured a union between the Williamson and Queen Squares to create one large fruit, flower and vegetable market along with an adjoining hotel.

Sumner was reported to have been very forward-thinking in regards to his view of Liverpool, far in advance of certain members of the Council. His Latin motto ‘Artibus Legibus Consiliis Locum Municipes Constituerunt Anno Domini MLCCCXLI’ (For Arts, Law and Counsel the townspeople built this place in 1841) is still clear to see on the south façade of the hall, but this was not by unanimous choice. One councillor wished to see something more representative of Liverpool’s trade endeavours, such as rum, sugar cotton and corn, whilst another put forward the rather direct slogan, “The land we live in and those who don’t like it may leave it.” What a charming message for visitors of Lime Street Station that would have been!

Hopes for William Brown Street to be filled with a library and museums did come to pass, but ideas towards relocating the Georgian church of St Johns to the corner of Hatton Garden were less successful. This was eventually torn down in 1898 and gardens now occupy the former sacred site. Nevertheless, the image above does give us a precious insight into the stately and imposing sights Sumner had in mind for us and in some sentimental way, we can now appreciate what could have been.

Who knows how Liverpool will fair in another century and a half, but as the light of 2013 dawns over the hopeful waters of the Mersey, we surely wish her the best of luck.

A recent post showing Prime Minister Winston Churchill signing the Birkenhead Visitor Book caused quite a stir. It is of particular interest as it depicts the aftermath of a bombing raid in one Birkenhead street. Wirral and Merseyside on the whole was bombed extensively during the conflict, making it somewhat difficult to pinpoint exactly where this photograph was taken.  However, local historian Neil Holmes, whose books include ‘Merseyside Blitzed’ and ‘Liverpool Blitzed: Seventy Years On’ has put forward a very plausible possibility.

Batten Road is a residential street off the main Birkenhead thoroughfare of Borough Road. It sits upon a gradual slope leading all the way up to Woodchurch Road. Neil argues six key points for this being the location of Churchill’s signing.

1) It is known that Brattan Road was severely damaged in the air raids of March 1941 when a land mine flattened houses on both sides of the road. The photo shows considerable damage to both sides of the road

2) The publication  ‘Birkenhead at War’ states that Brattan Road was one of those visited by the PM during his April 1941 visit.

3) The width of the road matches Brattan Road, also anyone stood in the road looking away from Borough Road would be looking uphill so to speak, as the photograph appears to show.

4) You can just see the base of a lamp post on the left of the photo. In the wartime panoramic image of Brattan Road there is a lamp post prominently featured in the centre of the photograph.

5) What surviving older properties exist on Brattan Road match the style of the buildings on the right of the photograph

6) It appears none of of the other roads we know the PM  to have visited – Borough, Bidston Avenue, Mallaby St, Park Road North or Well Lane, would match anywhere near as well, if at all, to Brattan Road.

Although we can’t be 100% certain, Neil makes a very good case for Brattan Road as the exact spot where Winston Churchill recorded his official visit to Wirral in a much-needed effort to boost morale in this very crucial shipping town.

Been to North John Street lately? If you took a walk down there at the turn of the last century this is what you would have seen.

The festive season of 1863 saw an inquest held on the demise of twenty-two year old William Chadwick. He had made a living as a labourer and had been lodging at a pub in Kirkdale’s Dingle Lane. By the time of his passing William’s landlady, Mrs Elizabeth Burgess, had rented him a room for ten months and had come to know him as a rather keen drinker. The time of year was a perfect excuse to continue the indulgence, with William drinking almost non-stop over the very merry Christmas weekend.  On Boxing Day the young man left his room to begin another hazy day of boozing and by ten o’clock that night he was helplessly wasted at a bar in King Street. The landlord Mr Clifton had no choice but to order him out and assisted the overly-eager patron outside. Far past the line of tipsy, William was escorted home by a policeman by the ingenious means of a barrow. He died within half an hour of reaching his lodgings and a verdict of ‘Died from Excessive Drinking’ was formally declared.

Merry Christmas to one and all!  Thanks so much for visiting the site and reading the stories these past few months. It has been fantastic to be able to share all this research and information to a wider audience and discover more about Merseyside’s amazing history. 2012 saw the release of Merseyside War Years Then and Now as well as Not a Guide to Liverpool. There was also the start of the Nostalgia page in The Liverpool Echo and of course, the launch of www.Danielklongman.com. The year ahead has so much potential with plenty of plans and ideas already underway. Keep on clicking and have a brilliant Christmas!

The Christmas cheer of 1857 finally gave the unfortunate inmates of the Liverpool Workhouse something to smile about. On Christmas Eve that year a beautiful tree provided by a charitable lady by the name of Mrs Cropper, arrived at the doors of the institution. She and her benevolent friends had tastefully decorated the tree to a very fine standard and they had also included a big parcel of presents. This was quite a gesture as it amounted to approximately 400 gifts, one for each of the poor children inside.  Later that evening the entire household came together to hear the youngsters sing seasonal songs and marvel at the new addition. The night was concluded by a traditional rendition of the national anthem and a short hymn. The following morning Christmas had arrived and the grim humdrum of workhouse life was happily suspended as inmates sat down to a pleasant breakfast of coffee and buttered bread. Their main treat was still to come and at one o’clock the long-awaited Christmas dinner was finally served. In the great workhouse dining room hungry inmates took to the tables and were given a hearty plate of meat and potatoes. The room had been decked out with a variety of colourful flags and a number of evergreens had been brought in to complete the merry look. In total, 1206 main courses were served each followed by a tasty dish of plum pudding. The children in particular were said to enjoy the desert whilst the adults were also treated to a special pouring of ale. The rest of the day was spent in good humour with paupers chatting and socialising over the fruit, cake and milk which had been laid on in abundance. In all 33kg of coffee was consumed along with 53kg of sugar, 498kg of bread, 30 gallons of milk, 1016kg of beef and 1778kg of potatoes, not to mention the equivalent of over 2000 jolly pints of ale! The day was a welcome change to the otherwise disheartening environment of the dreaded workhouse and one which the residents of the institution thoroughly appreciated.