Here’s another great image from Syd Bird’s archives and this one is an artists impressions of the Hoylake YMCA building. Syd says that the building was originally called the Hoylake Institute.
I can’t really remember what the old YMCA building looked like but what recollections I do have are of an ugly looking building rather than the one pictured above. Many of you will have memories of the old YMCA so please do leave a comment on what you can remember of the place.
The building, on the corner of Hoyle Road and Market Street was demolished some years ago and is now retirement flats (I think). I’ve not seen it, but I think there’s a floor tile in the building that recognises that the YMCA building used to be there.
A quick google search suggests that back in 1936, Hoylake YMCA were the very first National Basketball Champions – there’s a claim to fame!
Following up last weeks photo, a few of you correctly recalled Finnigans Steak House. But I’m disappointed that nobody mentioned Finniland …Hoylake’s attempt at a theme park! Was it Mr Finnigan who attempted to create a unique theme park on land adjacent to the railway line, alongside Grosvenor Road?
I remember going through that side door of Finnigans on a few occassions for a late night drink …followed, predictably, by a sore head in the morning! You had to pay a pound I think it was for your ticket for a portion of chips. Presumably this is how such places got around the licensing restrictions in the early 90’s by making sure everyone had had food? The Grape Escape wine bar in The Row (remember that?) used to charge 75p for a slice of pizza. I never did  understood why in Finnigans you had to walk through the kitchens to get to the gents toilets?
I wonder if it was ever a school? My grandfather was born in West Kirby in 1902 and my mum recalls he said he went to school at an ‘Institute’ that wasnt Birkenhead. Hmmmm.
Gosh I remember travelling past that funland on the train, we never went though. That would be late seventies early 80s or am i dreaming?
I’d say Finniland was around even in the late 80’s
Finniland was still there in 1993 when I moved to Hoylake.
I think it had just been closed down by the council as it was built without planning permission.
Finnigan died 8 or 9 years ago. His best mate Little Irish Ian died last month.
both ‘remarkable’ local characters !
I worked at Finnegans both in the bar and building the infamous Finniland. The owner was actually called Frank Sheridan and I think calling him a ‘remarkable character’ is probably the nicest way of describing him – not wanting to speak ill of the dead you understand! I’m trying to recall the wine bar further down Market Street, opposite the Punchbowl, it was upstairs but I can’t recall the name………?
well at one point in time that wine bar opposite The Punch Bowl was called Streets. I think it was also called another name …maybe Clowns …but I’m struggling to remember!
I worked at Finnigans for Frank Sheridan (jeez I was 15 or 16 when I started there), I used to start work at 4pm to get prepped for the evenings events complete with floppy white hat like a maid haha & I’d finally get home at 4am after serving all the late nighters with their ribs & chips. Can’t believe Liam (the best steak chef ever!) has sadly passed away.
Does anyone remember the resident duo that played most nights Scintillating Winnie and her husband I Think he was, she could make the place rock. The novelty at Finnigan,s picking your own steak as you went in and the horse drawn Landou outside for a romantic ride home sadly it didn,t go as far as Greasby
Have just realised that the left bit of the building is quite likely what is now Hoylake Evangelical Church?
I too used to go to the YMCA, to keep me off the streets! Played Table Tennis, Snooker etc. Long before video games. But it was not like in the picture above, but a much plainer building, from what I can remember.
I too remember Finniland, but never went into it, I was maybe a bit wary of it’s ‘jerry built’ construction as it looked like it would collapse at any moment, especially due to vibrations from the trains going past!
Also one of the first venues for The Beatles,and they didn’t get a great response!Haha!
Yes I was at that dance I think we paid 7/6d for a ticket We waited a long time to see the Beatles they were rubbish I think it was only a week or so before they released Love me Do. Am I right The Big 3 and the Searchers were performing that night too, I always preferred the Big 3
There was a big argument that night, the Beatles had seen fame looming and only wanted to do a half hour slot. I played records whilst the negotiations took place, and reluctantly they added 15 mins to the half hour. They were booed when they eventually played. Rob Jackson and Bill Bingham helped me with lights and sound. I got a biz card off Brian Epstein and one for the Beatles as well. The Beatles wore leather, and for some reason Paul played with a copy of the Liverpool Echo stuffed up his trouser leg.
The Big-3 were our favourites, Johny Hutchinson on drums, Johnny Gustaffson on bass and Adrian Barber on lead/vocals. Their speakers were nicknamed coffins, a 15″ Wharfedale in the lead one and an 18″ in the bass. Domestic Quad 12 watt amps did the driving, a tribute to the efficiency of the speakers. Jonny Hutch used military “C” drumsticks and they were chewed half way down as he hit the rim as well as the skins – a tremendous sound and he also had two bass drums so he could do a roll on them. On one visit they brought Cilla with them, and she sang “Feever” holding her arms down by her side in Riverdance style!
Yes, that building on the left is now Hoylake Evangelical Church.
The Beatles played there in 1962, and the site below has a photo of the current plaque:
http://www.harveystevens.com/BeatlesGigs1962.html
Hi Darren,
Thanks for the link, I didn’t realise the Thistle Cafe in West Kirby was so important to the Beatles success.
I wonder how come I missed that “gig”, perhaps it was the Co-op’s Social Club Bachelor & Spinster Hop !!!
..and back on topic, we Parade School kids got to do many activities in the old YMCA, including how to dance the military 2 step !
Hi John
Hoylake YMCA was a fantastic place for the “young” of Hoylake/West Kirby/Meols etc. for many years and I’m sure Jackie Hall will give you a lot of valuable information about the place and it’s groups and activities as she was a major influence in it’s success in the 50’s and 60’s.
Many of the “Mersey Sound” groups played the stage – Cilla Black (or Prisilla White as she was then) The Big Three, The Searchers, The Merseybeats and many more so not only the Beatles – Gerry Marsden was a great favourite and a good supporter of the place opening Summer Fayre’s etc. which at that time brought the crowds.
It was a sad day when places like that went “out of fashion”.
I’ve just stumbled on this page – I was backstage when the groups played the Hoylake YMCA in the early 60s. I was the only one most nights so I could call myself stage manager, and I remembered the Beatles playing very clearly. Gerry and the Pacemakers, too. Those were the days when the music was for dancing to, but when the Beatles brought out a record with Tony Sheridan they took on a new status.
I have many memories of those days …
went to the ymca for a number of years but the photo doesnt look the same was it rebuilt ?
b jones
Hello Brian,
I first came across this artists impression of the Institute/Y.M.C.A. in the 1960`s and made a photo copy of it. From the way the lady in the scene is dressed it looks as though the painting was made early in the last century. I suppose it is quite possible that the artist used his/her imagination to make the building look more attractive than it actually was. I spent a good deal of time in the 1950`s playing snooker football and basketball in the Y.M.C.A and I do seem to remember that to the immediate right of the main entrance there was a flight of steps leading to the upper floor. This flight of steps do not appear in the painting and I wonder if various modifications were made to the building over the years. Funnily enough I have never seen an actual photo of the building except for the one I have taken during it`s construction.
AS A SMALL CHILD DURING THE WAR ,I REMENBER STANDING BY THE SIDE OF THE YMCA
AND SEEING A LONG LINE OF BREN GUN CARRIERS PARKED UP ON HOYLE ROAD.AFTER THE WAR MY DAD WAS A GREEN KEEPER AND PLAYER OF THE BOWLING GREEN AT THE REAR OF THE YM.
IT BELONGED TO THE YM.AND PLAYERS HAD TO BE CAREFULL NOT SWARE WHEN A WOOD WENT ASTRAY.
DAD TOLD THAT THE PRE-WAR BASKETBALL TEAM HAD BEATEN THE USA AT THE OLYMPICS
WHICH ONE I DONT KNOW
ikipediaThe 1936 Olympics in Berlin Germany was the first time basketball was a sport and was played outdoors. TheU beat Canada 16-8 on a wet court they could not dribble on. Mexico placed third, England was not listed as sending a basketball team. this is from the wikipedia site.
It was a memorable Olympis because for Windsor Ontario, six of the silver medal team played for the Ford V-8 team.
Maybe the Hoylake team played an exhibition before the Olympics.
Shame there are no pre-demolition photos of the YMCA, I found a wife there and my mother in law bought one of the retirement flats and lived on the very spot where I first met her daughter!
The stairs which were added to the right of the main door were obviously an emergency exit needed as the only other exit was at the back of the building. They also provided the secretary with an office. There was a bay window in the main hall window, I housed my spotlights there for the annual panto. (anyone know where they went? I left them there when I moved). Also missing in the photo, the flag pole, the steel bus shelter and the ladies loo which was in Hoyle Road. Built on sand, the hall wall was slowly moving out towards Hoyle Road! Maybe that was a factor in the demise of the building.
Ref the basketball, follow the link above for interesting info about how the YMCA gave basketball to the world. My uncle Eddie told me the best player of all at Hoylake was Yanni (?) Bird, give him the ball anywhere in the oposition half and it would be in the basket. Question for Syd, was that a relative?
Ahh, just seen the other post which answers the above, but still mystified about the knickname – Syd, can you help?
Hello Ian,
it`s a bit of a mystery to me how my father came to have the nickname of Yannee. As is always the way of things I never asked my mother about the nickname of my father and how it came to be . As his middle name was Sydney I wonder if it`s in some way a shortened version of that. I know that he was always known by his nickname, I have a copy of the Hoylake Advertiser from 1941 which contains a report of his funeral and the name Yannee is used consistently,
Regards,
Syd
I was talking to my father about the 1936 Basketball team, which he remembers when he was just a young boy. One of the players was Nathaniel Langley – a few years later my father was apprenticed to Nathaniel’s father (also Nathaniel). Sadly, he recalls the basketball player died of an infected cut finger when working at Cammell Laird’s during the war, and Nathaniel’s brother Joe died just 10 months later of rheumatic fever.
Nat and Joe had 2 sisters Rene and Jenny, Rene married a Jennings and moved down south and Jenny (my wife’s mother) married Eric Lennard and moved to North Wales, Erics father Thomas Christopher Lennard lived at 20 Shaw Stand on his death the house was rented to a Mr and Mrs Bird.
Eric Leonard and his wife moved to Conway from Meols in the late 50’s early 60’s and had a daughter Melanie.at The house at 20, Shaw St which was opposite Whiteleys Chip Shop was rented by my parents, Bill and Isabel Bond (not Bird)
We moved from there to Groveland Ave.
This question is not about the YNCA, but CO_OP 1946 to 1951. I wounder if anybody remember a butcher thier named Jack Hilton he worked their after the war until 1951, when he moved to Canada. I think he was originaly from New Brighton and lived in West Kirby after the war.
The reason I asked is he was my wifes only uncle.
Richard McIntyre
The Hoylake Institute hosted a cinema from 1912 to 1916 and spasmodically thereafter. It was also occasionally a venue for ‘Concert Parties’ (a popular entertainment up to the second world war)and staged local pantomimes annually for many years.
With reference to your article on “The Mortuary”. (4th April 2010) It was situated in Carr Lane, on the left, a short distance from the “Manweb” entrance ( Just before the right hand bend). There were tables for three bodies, and a “veiwing gallery”. The building was small (a single room) and had a pitched roof and stood in its own grounds.
I came to Hoylake in 1960 as a young Police Officer in the Cheshire Constabulary, and at that time we were also Coroners Officrs and as such we had to attend postmortems, when the deceased doctor could not issued a death certificate. In my time as a Pc in Hoylake I have witnessed very many posrmortems performed in the Hoylake Mortuary mostly conducted by a Doctor McLean from Clatterbridge Hospital.
Sadly another “piece of old Hoylake” has been demolished.
Hello John – thanks for your comment!
That’s really interesting and solves another query about Hoylake.
Thanks
John
I started a Rhythmic Gymnastic club at Hoylake YMCA in about May 1971 but then we were told that the building was closing and we had to find somewhere else. In Sept 1971 we moved to the gymnasium of West Kirby Girls Grammar School, where we stayed for about 6 years.
Hoylake YMCA had a great sports mentor in Charlie Tranter, Myself and a few friends travelled representing the YM in swimming galas. Tony Smith was an excellent diver and he will recall Charlie buying 1 of the first full sized trampolines to be seen in Britain Charlie allowed the trampoline to be used by pupils of The Parade school and I am sure a lot of kids improved their diving skills thanks to Charlie.s generous gift. Charlie was also the organiser of the weekend dances at the YM bringing all the major 60,s rock groups to Hoylake. We had a local group the Apaches with Frank Burns as lead singer but surely one of the best acts never to have made it was Gus Bull and the Midnighters who later went on to become Freddie Starr,s backing group
The local group was the Morockans – named and managed by one Charles K Tranter! Robin Cartwright was the leader on rhythm guitar and Pete Watson played lead (I remember Pete buying his Burns Tri-sonic guitar. I think it cost about £600 , but that might be wrong as you could buy a Jag or Triumph 2000 car for about £1200. He did buy a new set of strings each week, but stopped that when he realised the cost). Names of the other two members have slipped my mind, but Brian and Colin are possibilites – I shall have to ask around!
I thought about Charlie this morning when they introduced Tom Daley on TV. Charlie invited Brian Phelps, one of our earlier Olympic hopes to present prizes at one of his events. Brian rode up from London on his Triumph motorcycle.
Hi Ian and Roger,
The Morocans line up was Lead singer – Frankie Burns, Drummer – Derek Cooper, Robin Cartwright and Pete Watson – guitars. We had some great local (Merseyside) talent playing at the YMCA saturday night dance. Gerry & the pacemakers always finished with “You’ll never walk alone” and was a big favorite. The Big Three, Kings Size Taylor and the Dominos, Gus Travis and many more. I remember one night escorting the Beatles off the stage, out the rear door, after they were booed off the stage – 6 months later they became world famous. – Happy Days.
Ian (Pud as you were known) – I well remember you and Neil Huddlestone, working those spot lights and dances and Pantomines – and activating ghosts !!
Cheers John
Hello Jean and John How on earth did I forget the name of the the Morockans Must of been a senior moment don,t know were the Apaches came from.
Working the dances and pantos at the “YM” were some of the best times of my life especially making toast during the pantos when it was all hands on deck to get ready. I remember often working through the night with so many folks and Keith painting scenery.
Those were the days !!! Long time ago. It’s 50 years since we had those good time Neil George Shone, Renwick Black, Pete Cooper, Ian and Joan Powers Jackie Hall just to name few, Moving flats etc. Seeing and hearing those great groups before they became famous. Remember carrying those amps etc up the stairs to the stage
Hope you’re keeping well
In the early sixties my mate Ken Dean and myself used to run dances in Hoylake, and we usually hired
the Morockans. They were a fabulous group and their fee at that time was seven pound fifty per night.
Those were the good old days.
Hi, My nan as asked me if I would cope a newspaper cutting for her and print it out, it is about the morockans, as Frank Burns is her brother but sadly passed away last week, so I just googled them and ended up on this site, well I have finally printed a few pics for her so the rest of the family can have a copy
Read the intrduction to the YMCA story about part way down thier is a spot to clickon to another site read through it and you find Hoylake mentioned. Their is another article about the basketball team with pictures in Hoylak Juntion but can not remember title.
I think it was the late forties and Bill Leyland the YMCA manager called me in and persuaded me to organise an
under twelve boys` footbal league. We advertised in the `Addy` and eventually we formed a league with teams
from the area. – We published the results each week in the `Addy` including the odd photograph.Joe Mercer,who
had retired had a grocers` shop down Market St. He refereed our final on Hoylake`s ground. Billy Liddle came over
from Liverpool and gave the lads some coaching in the YM. One of the lads eventually signed up for Everton!
My mother and a team of WVS ladies helped to run a canteen there as the RAF camp was still open. They spoke
of the BEATLES five bob hops. My mum had a friend in Ferndale Rd.who was the mother of Cynthia Lenon who
had a baby called Julian- son of John Lennon.- and pushed him out in the pram. My mum also had another friend
who had a full sized stuffed sheep in her hallway; our spaniel dog would habitually pee on this monstrosity !!!!!!***
I have just been looking on the internet and found all these stories about Hoylake YMCA, It brought back a lot of memories as I saw my own signature along with the other five who did the sponsered trampoiine marathan.
Charlie Tranter was a great man who put a lot of time and effort in for both the divers he coached and judged but for all of us who enjoyed the trampoline and gymnastics. It was because of CKT that I was able to go to Ghana Accra YMCA with other young people from YMCA’s around the country.
Those panto’s were great and when I was old and strong enough I helped with changing the scenery back drops
I too can remember Charlie’s training sessions on the trampoline which seemed preferable to ‘bouncing’ on the spring boards at the baths in all weathers! Charlie never seemed to notice the weather………….. I wonder what ever happened to Ace.
I worked for a short while at The Grape Escape wine bar. The manageress was called Marie and it was owned by a guy called Frank. It didn’t have an upstairs part that I can remember. The food was cooked in a “kitchen” behind the bar. I remember one of the pizzas on the menu was called Jump Delight basically it was mushrooms and tinned frogs legs!! It use to get a bit dodgy after the pubs closed at 10:30pm back in the day.
The Morockans used to play in the old bandstand on Hoylake prom. What a great place that was!
I think The Grape Escape was then Owned by Frank Riley who went on to Open Riley’s Restaurant in Heswall. I Started there as a Pot Washer at 13 years old working for Frank and his Wife Sue in 1980.
Worked also when i was at Catering College Sunday Nights at the Grape Escape making the Pizza’s in 1986. It was the Owned by Mike Jackson Brilliant Guy, Got a Job there to Work in Crete as a Chef went in 1987 Very Funny Memories of Drunks Piling in after the Pub’s Shut at 10.30pm.
I worked at the Grape Escape many years ago. Always got busy when pubs closed.
I remember the old YMCA from playing Snooker upstairs to the Roller Disco in the hall, they were great days, nights and memories.
The Grape Escape Wine Bar as it was called back then the little entrance at the front next door to the chippy, my mate Pete, his mum used to work there a good few years ago.
Streets in Market St i think it was called, i went there a few times one of the groups i remember playing there was Alternative Radio, great group and i still listen to their stuff now thanks to Spotify.
My memories of this building are mostly of standing outside in the early and mid 70s while waiting for the Crosville bus for school in Greasby…an old cast iron(?) bus shelter with many holes that were betrayed every time the rain fell…on dry days there wasn’t much else to look at except the old YMCA building and at the age of 8 or 9 wonder what the letters stood for!