*click for larger
Here’s an image of the old false teeth factory that used to be at the top end of Celtic Road, Meols. The image is a scan of a photo in the late Jim O’Neil’s book West Kirby to Hoylake that is now out of print. I used to live in one of the old houses in Celtic Road but never had a clue about the gnashers!
It would seem that the false teeth business was popular in Meols and Hoylake, with factories having been present in Celtic Road, Chapel Road and Trinity Road. Perhaps factories is a little misleading …workshops is maybe a better description? It strikes me as unusual that there were three local sites producing false teeth. I’ve had a bit of an online search but not managed to find out any more about these businesses. If anyone knows any more feel free to leave a comment.
I’ve copied some of the comments below from the recent photo of Gibson’s Stores.
Syd Bird comments:
During the late 40`s and early 50`s the Rigby family also operated a Tooth Factory in Chapel Road ,this was situated between Nos 3 and 5. I lived at No.5 so the factory was right next to our house. After it closed Joe Royden took over the premises for his construction business. Jackie Hall confirms this and adds: “They also had a factory at the bottom on Trinity Road where the garage is now. Brian Rigby and John Rigby inherited the firm from their Dad”
Bernie Watts writes:
Regarding the tooth factory, my mother worked there and I can recall her one day bringing home boxes filled with brand new, shiny, individual teeth. I guess her job was to sort them into various sizes, box them and return them to the factory.
I do recollect that one day she had gone out and the temptation to look inside the boxes was too much for a five year old and the next thing I remember was playing with them.
The boxes were about 8 inches by 6 inches by 1 inch high, with a slide on top, in the middle of the lids on either side were half-moon cut outs to enable ease when opening the boxes. Well these lids were absolutely perfect for filling with teeth and dragging along the table top, the individual teeth exiting through the half-moons thereby leaving long trails of teeth which in a small boys imagination quickly became roads and highways leading all over the world. It was a great game, there were long trails short trails windy trails and overall tremendous fun, at least until mum came home and discovered that all of her previous sorting work was for naught as I had mixed all of the teeth up and put them back into one box.
I didn’t do that again, although she subsequently did let us play with them, as long as they were unsorted.
Now one thing I am a bit confused about, after all 60 odd years is a long time to remember, but I thought the factory was in Chapel Road?
Pat Ireland, another former resident of Celtic Road commented:
After we moved in [Celtic Road] we decided to make some changes to the back garden and had a patio laid and when the ground was being prepared my lovely 11 year old son would “mess†about in the soil and mud doing what 11 year old do in such a situation and he collected a bag full of what I thought were muddy stones but on further inspection it was a bag of individual false teeth. They were revolting but he thought it was hilarious – for years afterwards when the soil was turned over these white “stones†kept coming to the surface.
Helen Carr comments:
My husband pulled down the Tooth Factory in Celtic Road Meols; his firm was called Lazonby and Carr. Unfortunately he did not take any photo’s of the building. He found so many bags of teeth he threatened to bring them home and pebble dash the house with them!
My mum also worked at the factory (in the 60’s?) and I remember telling people and seeing the look on their faces! I seem to recall that there was a gas leak of some sort and everyone had to leave, some of the women were overcome with the fumes I think. I’m not sure but it might have been just before it was pulled down – maybe the reason it was closed.
Yes, I was there that day there was a gas leak. I remember a couple of us heading for fresh air at the top of a fire escape.
My friend Becky and I gave up our jobs working with horses and dogs (different places) to work here because the tooth factory offered more money than we were being paid, and being a couple of 16 yr olds wanting to keep up with the fashion well it was an adventure. Jobs were easy to come by then 1965/6.
There was a lovely bunch of staff there. One of them actually lives opposite me now. All happy memories being there.
Oooh thanks for this one. My Aunty was married to Brian Rigby and she had mentioned his dental work and that there was a factory. On his wedding certificate in 1953 he was listed as a Dental Factory Worker. His father was Gilbert Rigby. Fascinating stuff!
TWO OF MY AUNTS ALSO WORKED AT THE TOOTH FACTORY LILY PRESTON nee RAINFORD AND KATHLEEN McCARD nee RAINFORD AND THEY USED TO BRING THEM HOME TO FILE THE BITS OF PLASTIC FROM ROUND THE EDGES TO MAKE THEM THE NEAT SHAPE THAT WAS REQUIRED.
I was at the Parade School between 1969 and 1973. It then became Hilbre School and we spent half the week in Hoylake and half in Newton. It must have been about 1972 or 73 when some of our miscreant lads broke into the tooth factory and brought handfuls of false teeth back to the playground. I remember seeing teeth lying around for weeks afterwards. One of the many bizarre and distinctly uneducational memories I have of life in that strange institution.
Hi, I’m tracing my family tree and my great grandfather Richard H Roberts worked at the tooth factory on Celtic road.
To Barbara C Triggs
I wonder Barbara if you can remember any of the families names who’s Horses were used for launching the Lifeboat into the sea. I am doing some research about the Horses to put in our Hoylake Lifeboat Museum. If any one else can help I would be most grateful. I do know that some of Jessie Bird’s Horses were used, but there must have been others.
Best wishes
Helen Carr.
SORRY HELEN, I ONLY KNOW OF JESSE BIRDS HORSES, AND THERE ARE MANY LOCAL STORIES ABOUT THEM,THEY WERE A LOCAL LEGEND,AND I DON,T BELIEVE WERE EVER REPLACED. MAYBE SOMEONE ELSE KNOWS MORE BUT I DOUBT IT SORRY.
Hi Barbara Thank you for your reply. I have just gone on the Friday photo Hoylake Fishing Family and ther is an email from an Ian P and he says that he thought one of the Trigg’s Horses was called Dolly Day Dream and Mr Triggs told him that the Horses used to pull the Lifeboat and when the Maroon went up, they would kick open the stable doors and race through the streets to the Lifeboat shed and the Horses were always there first. Do you know where about the Stables where Barbara.
Thank you very much,
Take Care,
Helen.
Does anyone remember Madryns little shop in the centre of Lee Road my Ganny lived there, my sister Janet and i spent a lot of our school holidays in Hoylake with cousins from West Kirby
. We lived in Liverpool, but have wonderful memories of our times there. The little shop was run by two ladies as i recall we spent our pennies there and then enjoyed going to the milk bar called the Rondezvous at the top of Lee road anyone recall either of these places ?
My mother, Margerat Rigby, married to Kenneth Westerby, was a daughter of Gilbrt Rigby, owner the Reliance Tooth Factory, and exported teeth all over the British Empire, .. I recall the driveway of our house, on Meols parade had many false teeth embedded in its surface.
In the 59’s we were over the garden fence into the tooth factory , I recall many on a card with some kind of elastic holding them in. We must of had thousands of them , probably the finest catapult missile ever, .pockets full off them. firing them all over. The sand hills and meols park. They’ll be finding teeth for years to come…lol……I knew lazenby and Carr very well, Jack & Tony, . However never knew they took the factory down. Goodness we live and learn …
I have just been researching into my family history, I am a Rigby, based in the Wirral. My Great Great Grandad was Edmond who was Gilbert’s brother. I was fascinated to learn about this, I only found this as I was on Edmond’s census that he was an artificial tooth maker, so I did some more research and came across this page!