I’ve no idea who Jessie was and what the yard was for – but I’m sure some of you will know! This is the building to the right of the Ship Inn and is currently home to Rollwright doors. Go through the arch and there is a fairly new development of apartments.
If you know more about this buildings history then please a comment and enlighten me!
Years ago it was the business of Jessie Bird – House Removals and Storage. He stabled his horses in the back under the arch. I have heard stories from my grandparents that when the lifeboat rocket went off the horses had been known to run down to the lifeboat shed because they used to pull the boat out!
If my memory serves me correctly, (Iv’e been gone from Hoylake for over 35 years) Jessie’s Yard is the former sight of Jessie Bird & Sons a removals company that was located in Hoylake for many years
The house was built by my great grandfather Jesse Bird early in the last century. There used to be a drainpipe on the front of the building ( not sure if it`s still there) which had the inscription “JB 1901” on it . My grandfather (also Jesse Bird ) lived in house until the early part of the 1950`s and I was born there.
The premises were used for the family removal business which was first established in Birds Yard in1835 by my great great grandfather Richard Bird at that time mainly to haul fish catches to Liverpool, this yard was on the site of the old Kingsway cinema. The removal business closed in the early 1970`s (I think) after the retirement of other family members
The stables for the horses were located at the far end of the cobbled yard and were still in existence in the 1950`s but by that time were used for the storage of furniture
Jackie Hall commented (via email):
Jesse– was the local removals called Jesse Bird. Now spelt the modern way.
He had a horse and cart and the horse pulled the lifeboat in the olden days.
He had stables where the new houses are and the door shop was his house.
Lots of interesting tales about the Birds a well known Hoylake family.
Brian Jones commented (via email):
I think it was at one time a furniture removal firm.
Great that this has created so much discussion, I remember the area to the other side (the left) of the Ship Inn (or the “Slip In” as the bus conductors would shout out) was just grass, all the way back to the Railway along the side of Melrose Avenue. There used to be a Steam Roller housed at the back of Jessie’s yard, I don’t know who owned it but it was seen out chuffing along to roll the roads. The shop on fire in the Hoylake Photographic Website was straight opposite Jessie’s yard (Cunninghams newsagents, and I am sure they were stocked with fireworks at the time of the fire). Next door to Jessie’s was Haskyns sports shop, it was a strange box like building which filled the corner between Jessies yard building and the next block of shops which stuck out so much they reduced the pavement to about 3 feet wide (now a Supermarket and precinct set well back from the road). Our first Chinese Restaurant was in that block, the Bluebird. I still have one of their menus: the Special Chow Mein was 2/6 in old money.
I remember that a Mr Bird, a rather small chap was the only person we would trust to supervise the move of the Grand Piano off the YMCA stage onto the Hall floor so Dot W could play it for the annual Pantomimes.
Church Road became Trinity Road.
Thanks Jackie, I browsed the Old Hoylake photos on the link provided by Sue Vine in a different post (link to photos http://oldwirral.com/hoylake.html photos, page 1) and there WAS a photo of a Church Road Hoylake, with the shape of a church in the background. I am guessing the photo was taken from near where the promenade now joins Trinity Road (There was a red telephone box there). The promenade was probably built after the photo was taken. The sandhills on the left must have been the Dale estate (now Avondale, Ferndale and Clydesdale roads).
In the period up till, at least, 1992, the former Jesse Bird premises was occupied by Bill Bateman, trading as Hoylake Antiques. I sent him Christmas cards for many years but I gather he is no longer there. Presumably he had died; can anyone confirm this or does anyone have any more details ?
hi, my grandfathers farm was between jesse birds house and haskins, they both had stables at the back. my grandfathers horses with jesse birds, pulled the lifeboat down to the beach. many years later our farm did have shops on the ground floor. best wishes Helen Carr.
hi, in my comment on my Grandfathers Farm between Jesse Birds yard and Haskins shop on Saturday. I forgot to mention his name which was Broster. So it was Brosters Farm that was inbetween the two buildings. Does anyone remember them being there untill around 1931, when they left. Bye, Helen Carr