This old photo (from the Hoylake Photo Society library) captures the old Kingsway Garage that was next to the Blue Anchor (now open again by the way) and opposite the old Kingsway Cinema (currently Home Bargains). No, not that old cinema, this one – it’s Eric where Morecambe won a talent show before going on to meet Ernie Wise.
Many of you will remember the building as the Wirral Horn Arcade (a small development of shops and a cafe). But the shops were closed and the building was demolished in 2007:
The site has since been redeveloped as ground floor retail units with apartments above.
If anyone has any other photos of the Kingsway Garage or the old cinema feel free to get in touch.
Back in the early 60’s, I remember, many a cold winters morning, standing round that huge fire chimney, with Chris, Jim and Mr. Fothergill. Owen, Alfred and I from Warbrick’s waiting, while the lads serviced the van. Happy Days!!! Long gone, Happily remembered.
The Blue Anchor car park pictured at the top used to be a rough field behind a wooden fence. Kingsway garage used to dump derelict cars on there (access from behind the garage in Waverly Road. “Foggy” used to drive a Porche – early adopter I guess, and he had a nice Norton Motorcycle for sale late 50s. I admired it through the front window. The petrol pump was in the right of the doorway, it pumped petrol up to a tank on top (graduated to show quantity) and then gravity took it down to the car in the street with a simple tap on the hose controlling it. A lot of guys from the Woods family worked there.
I wonder if anybody has any photos of the old christmas decorations and lights they used to have in the Arcade around that time of year, I used to love walking through there as a young child, haven’t been there since but I remember it was quite a sight for me
What was the name of the lad that worked for Mr Fothergill at the Kingsway garage who always dressed as a Teddy Boy with thick soled shoes and thin black teddy boy tie?
His name was Norman Tottey. He was a mechanic who worked at the garage for many years , under my dads supervision , he being the foreman named Jim Moss