Liverpool Link, facilities and lack of elsan.

[Doorman]

Just arrived back from a wonderful few days at Salthouse. Brilliant trip, very helpful BW staff.

 

Just two points referring to the above. Eldonian does not have an Elsan facility unless it was installed after Monday of this week.

 

At Salthouse, Electricity works fine but there is no water available on the pontoons (taps but not connected)

 

On returning we decided (along with another boat) not to stop at Eldonian but to carry on to Litherland for our overnight. This was because we had problems with stone throwing kids at Eldonian on our way down. (as had the other boat)

 

However, overall probably the best value trip on the canal system

 

 

Every village has its idiots! These incidents simply spoil the enjoyment of people wishing to sample the city of Liverpool via the link. The Eldonian village

is normally a place where boats are welcomed. Indeed, I've heard say that there's a form of self control amongst the 'village people' who

wish to distance themselves from the minority vandals found in the surrounding districts.

 

Hopefully, the incident was reported to BW and thus reported to the community at the Eldonian. Unfortunately, especially during school holidays, there'll be

little scroats who venture into the village to 'play' with the boats because; "they have nowhere else to go, or nothing else to do", as their lovely parents always

seem to state, as mitigating circumstances.

Edited August 28, 2009 by Doorman

[gaggle]

Just arrived back from a wonderful few days at Salthouse. Brilliant trip, very helpful BW staff.

 

Just two points referring to the above. Eldonian does not have an Elsan facility unless it was installed after Monday of this week.

 

At Salthouse, Electricity works fine but there is no water available on the pontoons (taps but not connected)

 

On returning we decided (along with another boat) not to stop at Eldonian but to carry on to Litherland for our overnight. This was because we had problems with stone throwing kids at Eldonian on our way down. (as had the other boat)However, overall probably the best value trip on the canal system

 

was the stone throwing at the eldonian itself , i and others walk the bootle stretch regular to let kids know locals can see them and hopefully put them off any acting the goat.

[john4647]

was the stone throwing at the eldonian itself , i and others walk the bootle stretch regular to let kids know locals can see them and hopefully put them off any acting the goat.

 

O/K, I need to come clean on this.

 

It was in Eldonian village at the moorings outside the Leisure Centre and Village Hall. We had arrived early in the afternoon and had been watching some kids take kayak lessons, no trouble here.

 

In the early evening some other kids arrived, armed with stones and attempted a pincer movement on a quite large flock of Canada Geese. They managed to hit some before my wife took exception and told them off.

 

They then ran away and returned half an hour later to stone the boat from the top of the bank. This was around 7.00pm or so. I asked the Leisure Centre people when the gates would be closed, thinking this would solve the problem. The Lady insisted on calling the police who gave us a reference number but did not attend.

 

The gates were closed at around 8.00pm but the stoning and abuse continued from the other side of the canal until one the residents chased them away.

 

I don't know what problems the other boat encountered, only that they had experienced some trouble and preferred to moor at Litherland on the return.

 

However, this was still a fabulous trip and we refuse to let two or three kids spoil the memory for us. Next time the Geese can look after themselves.

[WotEver]

Next time the Geese can look after themselves.

 

Or better still beggar off back to Canada

[CanalWalker]

Litherland seems to be the prefered place to stop on the return trip, its less residential and there isnt as easy access to the bank for the locals.

[gaggle]

How many boats traveled in and out of liverpool with you on your trip ?

Bw are have refused us access to go through to liverpool saying only six can go in and out from bridge 9 each day , no advance warning has been given about this and stoppage restriction info given by bw still states passage to liverpool is by 48 hrs notice.

this 6 in and out was i am sure meant only for the link and not passage to liverpool or anywhere else on that 13 mile stretch , our whole bank holiday plans have been destroyed and bw at wigan could not give a toss , they dont want to listen when they are being asked what information they have given out about the changes.

The mathew street festival , beatles week , street music everywhere ,party going off big time and i am not allowed to take the boat down there , if i want to boat to eldonian village each weekend it seems i must book eack weekend cruise months in advance and by doing so deny a boat that wants to go on the link a place in the six a day allowance.

 

I dont think bw at wigan have a clue what they are doing about these bookings and seem to be making it up as they go along.

Emails to protest and asking for more information unanswered .

[Ian B]

How many boats traveled in and out of liverpool with you on your trip ?

Bw are have refused us access to go through to liverpool saying only six can go in and out from bridge 9 each day , no advance warning has been given about this and stoppage restriction info given by bw still states passage to liverpool is by 48 hrs notice.

this 6 in and out was i am sure meant only for the link and not passage to liverpool or anywhere else on that 13 mile stretch , our whole bank holiday plans have been destroyed and bw at wigan could not give a toss , they dont want to listen when they are being asked what information they have given out about the changes.

The mathew street festival , beatles week , street music everywhere ,party going off big time and i am not allowed to take the boat down there , if i want to boat to eldonian village each weekend it seems i must book eack weekend cruise months in advance and by doing so deny a boat that wants to go on the link a place in the six a day allowance.

 

I dont think bw at wigan have a clue what they are doing about these bookings and seem to be making it up as they go along.

Emails to protest and asking for more information unanswered .

Me to.I have Emailed Wigan (Twice) no reply. The Link is vastly under used. 6 boats in and 6 boats out ,their having a laugh,

 

Excluding this weekend (special event) there are hardly any boats in Salthouse. Most I have seen at any one visit to Salthouse is 11

 

normally only 4 or 5 at best and there are 40 berths.

 

I don't know whether BW ever read this ,but just having paid £600 plus for my licence I would expect better!

[gaggle]

You are right , but the girl in wigan is insisting that the link is booked solid and that is why i can not go through just to eldonian.

What they say is happening is not what i am seeing , i even told them that as i was nearby i could slot in on any day this week going in , and i could come out whenever they wanted me to ,weeks later if they wanted ,whatever suited them ,still no passage.

 

well i think we have that sorted out!

The photographer agree,s it is not from stanley warehouse , he may find some pics of showing the route of the link as it was late seventies.

[Doorman]

Me to.I have Emailed Wigan (Twice) no reply. The Link is vastly under used. 6 boats in and 6 boats out ,their having a laugh,

 

Excluding this weekend (special event) there are hardly any boats in Salthouse. Most I have seen at any one visit to Salthouse is 11

 

normally only 4 or 5 at best and there are 40 berths.

 

I don't know whether BW ever read this ,but just having paid £600 plus for my licence I would expect better!

 

 

I have also emailed BW at Wigan, but to no avail! The ignorant sods don't even have the courtesy (or intelligence) to set up an automatic email acknowledgement system. Perhaps we all should remind them where their wages come from!

 

I find the BW lads you meet along the system, are generally helpful and willing to part with relevant information. Only the

people in the 'glass house' at Wigan appear to be reticent when posed with genuine queries!

[john4647]

We went down the link on Thursday 20th (to Eldonian). Then on Friday 21st to Salthouse.

There were only 2 boats on both these legs with one boat leaving on Friday morning.

 

Best Guess a dozen boats in Salthouse over that weekend.

 

We left Salthouse last Monday with 4 boats in total leaving.

 

However 6 boats (4 plastic and 2 nb's) passed us at Bridge 9 bound for Eldonian.

 

The BW chaps told us that 6 per day was the maximum allowed through and that there were going to be that many per day until this weekend. This mainly for the Matthew St. music festival it was thought.

[gaggle]

We went down the link on Thursday 20th (to Eldonian). Then on Friday 21st to Salthouse.

There were only 2 boats on both these legs with one boat leaving on Friday morning.

 

Best Guess a dozen boats in Salthouse over that weekend.

 

We left Salthouse last Monday with 4 boats in total leaving.

 

However 6 boats (4 plastic and 2 nb's) passed us at Bridge 9 bound for Eldonian.

 

The BW chaps told us that 6 per day was the maximum allowed through and that there were going to be that many per day until this weekend. This mainly for the Matthew St. music festival it was thought.

 

 

yes ,but the six a day was in and out the link , bw are now saying it to pass through the two swing bridges.

When you travel through these bridges if one or two boats lag behind the bw lads close the bridge and open it again to let the slow boats through , they are in position to and want to let me through but only six allowed , its some pathetic joke at wigan.

I have my renewals for mooring and licence and the timing is all that i can find to laugh at this weekend.

[gaggle]

bit of info for anyone going through , jesse hartley grave can be seen at st mary,s churchyard bootle , bridge o coffee house bridge look past the little merton pub and about 200 yrds away the site of st marys church "destroyed in the blitz" can be seen , this is now a memorial garden of rest and hartley and his wife were intered there , although stones are in the centre to mark this the remains may have been moved to bootle cemetary after part of the graveyard was dug up to widen the road.

Further along the canal at bridge M ,millers bridge namesake of "william spurstow miller" next door neighbour of jesse hartley , that in 1841 but by 1851 he moved onto derby road ,close by THE STREET THAT DIED OF SHAME.

Not a lot of people know that.

[Doorman]

bit of info for anyone going through , jesse hartley grave can be seen at st mary,s churchyard bootle , bridge o coffee house bridge look past the little merton pub and about 200 yrds away the site of st marys church "destroyed in the blitz" can be seen , this is now a memorial garden of rest and hartley and his wife were intered there , although stones are in the centre to mark this the remains may have been moved to bootle cemetary after part of the graveyard was dug up to widen the road.

Further along the canal at bridge M ,millers bridge namesake of "william spurstow miller" next door neighbour of jesse hartley , that in 1841 but by 1851 he moved onto derby road ,close by THE STREET THAT DIED OF SHAME.

Not a lot of people know that.

 

 

Gaggle, could you please enlighten this ignoramous as to the history behind the folk you mentioned and the reason for the street name?

 

Cheers

[CanalWalker]

LYONS Street in Bootle was once the scene of so many murders, it was renamed Beresford Street, and known locally in the early 20th century as the “street that died of shame”.

 

The notoriety linked with the street can be traced back to a singularly heinous crime – the brutal killing of several prostitutes by two sailors known as the Teapot Murders, because Lyons was associated with the famous tea-brand during that period.

 

If such infamy was not enough to blacken a street-name, there came two other terrible widely-reported murders on Lyons Street: the vicious and cruel killing of Maggie Donoghue, who had her brains bashed out by fireman Jim McGuirk in 1903, and the mysterious, callous killing of six-year-old Tommy Foy in 1908.

from the echo.

Edited September 2, 2009 by CanalWalker

[Doorman]

LYONS Street in Bootle was once the scene of so many murders, it was renamed Beresford Street, and known locally in the early 20th century as the “street that died of shame”.

 

The notoriety linked with the street can be traced back to a singularly heinous crime – the brutal killing of several prostitutes by two sailors known as the Teapot Murders, because Lyons was associated with the famous tea-brand during that period.

 

If such infamy was not enough to blacken a street-name, there came two other terrible widely-reported murders on Lyons Street: the vicious and cruel killing of Maggie Donoghue, who had her brains bashed out by fireman Jim McGuirk in 1903, and the mysterious, callous killing of six-year-old Tommy Foy in 1908.

from the echo.

 

Thanks, what with that sort of infamous history, is it any wonder boaters are reluctant to venture any further than Lydiate, on the L&L

[gaggle]

Gaggle, could you please enlighten this ignoramous as to the history behind the folk you mentioned and the reason for the street name?

 

Cheers

jesse hartley ,

http://www.mersey-gateway.org/server.php?s...p;chapterId=133

 

spurstowe millar was liverpool solicitor , millers castle , millers bridge .

 

some bootle history .

 

I am Membership Secretary and Magazine Editor for the Old Bootleians Association, membership of which is open to all former pupils of Bootle Secondary/Grammar School for Boys This school ceased existence in that form in 1972. In spite of that, we still have over 400 members on our database and regularly hold Dinners and other functions.

In 2002, I included a 'History of Bootle' in our magazine and I am attaching a file copy of this item, in the hope that it might be of some interest for you to include on your web site. I have asked our web site designer to include your site as a link for our members.

 

Kind regards

 

Arthur Williams

 

__________________________________________________________

 

 

The first known reference to Bootle is in the Domesday Book, compiled for William the Conqueror in 1086. This states that "four Thanes held Botelai". We can only presume that these Thanes or landowners were descendants of the Anglians who came to the area after defeating the Britons at the Battle of Chester, about 613 AD, or of the Danes who had landed on the coast. The name Botelai meant a house or a dwelling place, and over the years it has been corrupted to the Bootle of to-day.

 

We may well wonder why anyone should decide to settle in an area which was mainly marshland and sand dunes, but Bootle had a secret weapon. There were apparently springs of fresh water which flowed out into Bootle Bay. In these salmon could be caught and otters were to be seen playing on the banks. The early inhabitants settled down to a life of farming and fishing and continued in these occupations for many centuries. The ownership of he land changed hands a number of times over these years, until in1724 it was sold to the Earls of Derby for the sum of £14,000, by Sir Cleave Moore of Bankhall. The village of Bootle had grown up around the source of the springs which had attracted the original settlers in the area and around present day Litherland Road and Waterworks Street a number of small industries such as tanning, paper-making, bleaching and dyeing had begun - all made possible by the purity and abundance of the water. The supply of water been the envy of the surrounding districts, not least Liverpool, which in 1709 made an unsuccessful attempt to obtain an Act of Parliament in order to convey fresh water to the ever growing seaport. It was to be another 90 years before fresh water was supplied to them by a network of underground wooden pipes, and even then it was still Bootle's water, as the Bootle Water Company had been formed in 1797. It wasn't until 1850 that the Company was acquired by Liverpool Corporation. At the beginning of the 19th century there was a national craze that sea bathing improved health and all over the country small seaside villages were growing. Perhaps the best known of these being Brighton, because of its royal patronage. To the people of Liverpool, Bootle was no less important, and once again they seem to have been casting an envious eye over the area. They called it the North Shore, thus implying, if not actually saying, that it was part of their territory. A book entitled "A Stranger in Liverpool" published in 1807 gives the following passage "Taking a direction to the river side we arrive at the North Shore. The ride along the shore is, in summer, remarkably pleasant and much frequented. The sands are hard and smooth and the wind, especially if westerly, cool and refreshing... At Bootle Mills are two good houses with accommodation… In the months of July, August and early September the beach is covered with an immense number of people employing a number of caravans to conduct them into the water, where the old and young, agile and infirm plunge together

 

 

These visits to Bootle were indeed so pleasant that a number of the visitors decided to make their homes at Bootle and it was largely because of their influence that Bootle began to expand. Perhaps the best known of them was a gentleman called Mr William Spurstow Miller He was a Liverpool solicitor with an eccentric taste in houses. In 1824 he had built what was to become known as Miller's Castle, because of its castellated roof and walls. The house was built near the shore close to the bottom of present day Miller's Bridge, named later in his honour. He seems to have become a true Bootleian and was instrumental in many of the improvements which were to take place over the next few years.

One project he took great interest in was the building of St Mary’s Church. This was the first church in Bootle and opened in 1827. Originally it was built with two towers and these were used as navigational aids. The towers were replaced by a spire in 1849 and the whole building was demolished by enemy bombing in 1941. As we have seen, people from Liverpool would travel to Bootle along the shore and although this was no doubt very pleasant, it was hardly suitable for the 19th century commuters. Neither was the only other means of public transport, by flyboat along the canal which had opened in 1776. Other means of transport had to be found. First there was the horse-drawn omnibuses in 1830, followed by the railway in 1850 As the town grew and the population increased from 537 in 1801 to 1133 in 1831 so amenities such as churches and schools were opened. As St Mary’s had been the first church in the area, so the first purpose built school was the National School of St Mary’s, built in Irlam Road on land presented by Lord Derby. The school opened in 1835 and was supported by the Church of England and a grant from the Privy Council. In the same year as the school opened the first form of local government came to the area. On September 11th 1835, a group of ratepayers met and decided to adopt the Act of Parliament of 1830. They appointed 12 Inspectors to the duties of Watching and Lighting the town and decided to purchase a fire-engine. This form of local government seemed perfectly adequate until once again the old adversary, Liverpool, cast greedy eyes over the rapidly expanding Bootle. The reason for the re-awakened interest seems to have been the development of the docks over the Bootle boundary. This occurred in 1862 when Brocklebank Dock was opened and it became obvious with the amount of trade coming to the Port that other docks would soon be required The people of Bootle were quick to defend their own and decided to apply to Queen Victoria for a Charter of Incorporation. The Charter was eventually granted on 30th December 1868 creating the Borough of Bootle-cum-Linacre. Notice the inclusion of the words cum- Linacre. To this time Linacre had been a small rural village adjoining Bootle. Its existence is commemorated today by the name Linacre Lane. The cum-Linacre was dropped from the name in 1890. The granting of the Charter secured. Bootle's independence. Liverpool made one more attempt to gain control in 1903, but the people of Bootle refused to be taken over, going so far as to erect barricades in the streets along the boundaries. From 1868 to the end of the century many important changes had taken place. Some of them had been for the better, with the provision of municipal buildings, schools, churches and the Hospital. Others were not so good. The population rose by a staggering 42,803 in the 30 years between 1861 and 1891 and to accommodate these people, many of whom worked on the docks, houses had been hastily built and they were shabby and inadequate. There was gross overcrowding and primitive sanitation. This led to outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, typhoid and smallpox. The town also attracted many unsavoury characters such as pedlars, gypsies and beggars who came thinking to make some easy money from the thriving community. By 1888 the town was officially classified as 'rough’. It might have been 'rough' but it wasn't slow to adopt new ideas and in 1900 an electric tramway was started. Also, by the beginning of the 20th century the town’s elders were considering widening the boundaries. They decided to absorb the township of Orrell, once described as a Hamlet of Litherland. Orrell became part of the Borough of Bootle on 9th November 1905. As the 20th century progressed and the area of Bootle grew larger so, in some respects, the world shrank. National events began to impinge upon the day to day activities of the inhabitants. Some of these were good, like the celebrations held for the Coronations of King Edward VII in 1902 and George V in 1911. Others were not so good. The First World War broke out in 1914 and on 15th of August the Colours of the 7th (Bootle) Battalion, the King’s Liverpool Regiment were deposited at the Town Hall for safe keeping while the Battalion was on active service. Many of the men who marched off so bravely did not return and on 2nd September 1916 a Roll of Honour was unveiled in the Town Hall to commemorate those killed.

 

The ending of the war in 1918 coincided with the 50th anniversary of Bootle as a Borough, and almost as though in celebration, in December of that year Bootle returned its first own Member of Parliament. This was Sir Thomas Royden. With so many men away at the war, women had begun to play a more active role in society and some were reluctant to return to their pre-war existence. Once again Bootle was not slow to accept the change and in 1919 appointed its first woman Councillor. She was Mrs. Elizabeth Hannah Smith.

 

The 1920s were to be an age of contrasts. People were trying to re-adjust and in some cases rebuild their lives. There was for some a frantic search for fun and excitement and others had more serious intentions. Whatever the activities it became clear that life was never going to return to its pre-war fashion and that the freedom that had been so bravely fought for did not necessarily provide all the good things of life. The 1930s were to be the scene of mass unemployment and much poverty and despair. In order to alleviate these a number of recreational facilities were provided. The Sports Stadium in Aintree Road (1933), the golf links (1934) and playing fields in Stuart Road (1935). Ice skating races were arranged on Derby Park lake. Attempts were also made to feed the hungry people and several large halls were converted into dining halls. In 1939 the unemployment problem was solved by the outbreak of the Second World War. War was declared on 3rd September 1939 and once again the people of Bootle responded to the call to defend their country. The first air raid warning was on 17th November 1939, but nothing actually happened. It was to be nearly twelve months before the difference between this war and the last became apparent. The first bombs dropped on Bootle on 29th August 1940, in the Aintree Road area, fortunately no-one was killed or injured. This state of affairs was not to last, however, and gradually the bombing raids increased in intensity reaching their peak in the first week of May 1941. During this week occurred what even the Germans admitted in their news bulletins were "the heaviest raids yet delivered on any English town". These raids killed many and devastated much of the area. Never again was the bombing so bad, but it did not end until October 1941. Up to that date a total of 1,886 people had been killed or injured. This figure is remarkably low when you take into consideration the amount of damage done and demonstrates the success and efficiency of the evacuation of 13,000 women and children from the town which had taken place in 1939. After the war was over the Borough began to think of ways of renewing itself. New houses were desperately needed and quickly. The council had acquired land in the Netherton and Ford areas in 1939 and it was here that they began to build new housing estates for those people whose homes had been so badly damaged that they were no longer fit to live in. As these people also needed somewhere to work industrial estates were created. These attracted not only some of the old established businesses but also brought new industry into the area. In 1951 the boundaries were once more extended in the Netherton area to provide more land for these purposes.

 

Through the 50s and 60s the town grew and once again changed its image. Large office blocks began to appear as the rubble of the war years was removed and a 'New Bootle' began to arise from the ashes of the old. This Bootle intended becoming as one Council official proclaimed 'The Whitehall of the North' and as usual it has succeeded in what it set out to do. Many departments of the Civil Service have offices in Bootle, but perhaps its greatest achievement during this period was obtaining the headquarters of the National Girobank. (Now, of course, the Alliance & Leicester offices)

 

In 1964 Bootle's influence stretched abroad when it was officially twinned with Mons in Belgium, and since then there have been many visits between the two areas.

 

As Bootle entered the 1970s there was talk of local government re-organisation and the inclusion of Bootle in an area to be known as Sefton. Many people felt that this would be the end of the Borough, but you cannot repress the spirit and identity of an area which has fought and won so many battles in the past and although this brief history ends with the formation of Sefton Metropolitan District in 1974, gaining Borough status in 1975, this is because of lack of space, not activity.

 

This article is reproduced from the Bootle Cricket Club’s 150th Anniversary publication and was originally written by the late Mrs. J. Jenkins who was Bootle librarian in the 70’s and 80’s

[Doorman]

jesse hartley ,

http://www.mersey-gateway.org/server.php?s...p;chapterId=133

 

spurstowe millar was liverpool solicitor , millers castle , millers bridge .

 

some bootle history .

 

I am Membership Secretary and Magazine Editor for the Old Bootleians Association, membership of which is open to all former pupils of Bootle Secondary/Grammar School for Boys This school ceased existence in that form in 1972. In spite of that, we still have over 400 members on our database and regularly hold Dinners and other functions.

In 2002, I included a 'History of Bootle' in our magazine and I am attaching a file copy of this item, in the hope that it might be of some interest for you to include on your web site. I have asked our web site designer to include your site as a link for our members.

 

Kind regards

 

Arthur Williams

 

__________________________________________________________

 

 

The first known reference to Bootle is in the Domesday Book, compiled for William the Conqueror in 1086. This states that "four Thanes held Botelai". We can only presume that these Thanes or landowners were descendants of the Anglians who came to the area after defeating the Britons at the Battle of Chester, about 613 AD, or of the Danes who had landed on the coast. The name Botelai meant a house or a dwelling place, and over the years it has been corrupted to the Bootle of to-day.

 

We may well wonder why anyone should decide to settle in an area which was mainly marshland and sand dunes, but Bootle had a secret weapon. There were apparently springs of fresh water which flowed out into Bootle Bay. In these salmon could be caught and otters were to be seen playing on the banks. The early inhabitants settled down to a life of farming and fishing and continued in these occupations for many centuries. The ownership of he land changed hands a number of times over these years, until in1724 it was sold to the Earls of Derby for the sum of £14,000, by Sir Cleave Moore of Bankhall. The village of Bootle had grown up around the source of the springs which had attracted the original settlers in the area and around present day Litherland Road and Waterworks Street a number of small industries such as tanning, paper-making, bleaching and dyeing had begun - all made possible by the purity and abundance of the water. The supply of water been the envy of the surrounding districts, not least Liverpool, which in 1709 made an unsuccessful attempt to obtain an Act of Parliament in order to convey fresh water to the ever growing seaport. It was to be another 90 years before fresh water was supplied to them by a network of underground wooden pipes, and even then it was still Bootle's water, as the Bootle Water Company had been formed in 1797. It wasn't until 1850 that the Company was acquired by Liverpool Corporation. At the beginning of the 19th century there was a national craze that sea bathing improved health and all over the country small seaside villages were growing. Perhaps the best known of these being Brighton, because of its royal patronage. To the people of Liverpool, Bootle was no less important, and once again they seem to have been casting an envious eye over the area. They called it the North Shore, thus implying, if not actually saying, that it was part of their territory. A book entitled "A Stranger in Liverpool" published in 1807 gives the following passage "Taking a direction to the river side we arrive at the North Shore. The ride along the shore is, in summer, remarkably pleasant and much frequented. The sands are hard and smooth and the wind, especially if westerly, cool and refreshing... At Bootle Mills are two good houses with accommodation… In the months of July, August and early September the beach is covered with an immense number of people employing a number of caravans to conduct them into the water, where the old and young, agile and infirm plunge together

 

 

These visits to Bootle were indeed so pleasant that a number of the visitors decided to make their homes at Bootle and it was largely because of their influence that Bootle began to expand. Perhaps the best known of them was a gentleman called Mr William Spurstow Miller He was a Liverpool solicitor with an eccentric taste in houses. In 1824 he had built what was to become known as Miller's Castle, because of its castellated roof and walls. The house was built near the shore close to the bottom of present day Miller's Bridge, named later in his honour. He seems to have become a true Bootleian and was instrumental in many of the improvements which were to take place over the next few years.

One project he took great interest in was the building of St Mary’s Church. This was the first church in Bootle and opened in 1827. Originally it was built with two towers and these were used as navigational aids. The towers were replaced by a spire in 1849 and the whole building was demolished by enemy bombing in 1941. As we have seen, people from Liverpool would travel to Bootle along the shore and although this was no doubt very pleasant, it was hardly suitable for the 19th century commuters. Neither was the only other means of public transport, by flyboat along the canal which had opened in 1776. Other means of transport had to be found. First there was the horse-drawn omnibuses in 1830, followed by the railway in 1850 As the town grew and the population increased from 537 in 1801 to 1133 in 1831 so amenities such as churches and schools were opened. As St Mary’s had been the first church in the area, so the first purpose built school was the National School of St Mary’s, built in Irlam Road on land presented by Lord Derby. The school opened in 1835 and was supported by the Church of England and a grant from the Privy Council. In the same year as the school opened the first form of local government came to the area. On September 11th 1835, a group of ratepayers met and decided to adopt the Act of Parliament of 1830. They appointed 12 Inspectors to the duties of Watching and Lighting the town and decided to purchase a fire-engine. This form of local government seemed perfectly adequate until once again the old adversary, Liverpool, cast greedy eyes over the rapidly expanding Bootle. The reason for the re-awakened interest seems to have been the development of the docks over the Bootle boundary. This occurred in 1862 when Brocklebank Dock was opened and it became obvious with the amount of trade coming to the Port that other docks would soon be required The people of Bootle were quick to defend their own and decided to apply to Queen Victoria for a Charter of Incorporation. The Charter was eventually granted on 30th December 1868 creating the Borough of Bootle-cum-Linacre. Notice the inclusion of the words cum- Linacre. To this time Linacre had been a small rural village adjoining Bootle. Its existence is commemorated today by the name Linacre Lane. The cum-Linacre was dropped from the name in 1890. The granting of the Charter secured. Bootle's independence. Liverpool made one more attempt to gain control in 1903, but the people of Bootle refused to be taken over, going so far as to erect barricades in the streets along the boundaries. From 1868 to the end of the century many important changes had taken place. Some of them had been for the better, with the provision of municipal buildings, schools, churches and the Hospital. Others were not so good. The population rose by a staggering 42,803 in the 30 years between 1861 and 1891 and to accommodate these people, many of whom worked on the docks, houses had been hastily built and they were shabby and inadequate. There was gross overcrowding and primitive sanitation. This led to outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, typhoid and smallpox. The town also attracted many unsavoury characters such as pedlars, gypsies and beggars who came thinking to make some easy money from the thriving community. By 1888 the town was officially classified as 'rough’. It might have been 'rough' but it wasn't slow to adopt new ideas and in 1900 an electric tramway was started. Also, by the beginning of the 20th century the town’s elders were considering widening the boundaries. They decided to absorb the township of Orrell, once described as a Hamlet of Litherland. Orrell became part of the Borough of Bootle on 9th November 1905. As the 20th century progressed and the area of Bootle grew larger so, in some respects, the world shrank. National events began to impinge upon the day to day activities of the inhabitants. Some of these were good, like the celebrations held for the Coronations of King Edward VII in 1902 and George V in 1911. Others were not so good. The First World War broke out in 1914 and on 15th of August the Colours of the 7th (Bootle) Battalion, the King’s Liverpool Regiment were deposited at the Town Hall for safe keeping while the Battalion was on active service. Many of the men who marched off so bravely did not return and on 2nd September 1916 a Roll of Honour was unveiled in the Town Hall to commemorate those killed.

 

The ending of the war in 1918 coincided with the 50th anniversary of Bootle as a Borough, and almost as though in celebration, in December of that year Bootle returned its first own Member of Parliament. This was Sir Thomas Royden. With so many men away at the war, women had begun to play a more active role in society and some were reluctant to return to their pre-war existence. Once again Bootle was not slow to accept the change and in 1919 appointed its first woman Councillor. She was Mrs. Elizabeth Hannah Smith.

 

The 1920s were to be an age of contrasts. People were trying to re-adjust and in some cases rebuild their lives. There was for some a frantic search for fun and excitement and others had more serious intentions. Whatever the activities it became clear that life was never going to return to its pre-war fashion and that the freedom that had been so bravely fought for did not necessarily provide all the good things of life. The 1930s were to be the scene of mass unemployment and much poverty and despair. In order to alleviate these a number of recreational facilities were provided. The Sports Stadium in Aintree Road (1933), the golf links (1934) and playing fields in Stuart Road (1935). Ice skating races were arranged on Derby Park lake. Attempts were also made to feed the hungry people and several large halls were converted into dining halls. In 1939 the unemployment problem was solved by the outbreak of the Second World War. War was declared on 3rd September 1939 and once again the people of Bootle responded to the call to defend their country. The first air raid warning was on 17th November 1939, but nothing actually happened. It was to be nearly twelve months before the difference between this war and the last became apparent. The first bombs dropped on Bootle on 29th August 1940, in the Aintree Road area, fortunately no-one was killed or injured. This state of affairs was not to last, however, and gradually the bombing raids increased in intensity reaching their peak in the first week of May 1941. During this week occurred what even the Germans admitted in their news bulletins were "the heaviest raids yet delivered on any English town". These raids killed many and devastated much of the area. Never again was the bombing so bad, but it did not end until October 1941. Up to that date a total of 1,886 people had been killed or injured. This figure is remarkably low when you take into consideration the amount of damage done and demonstrates the success and efficiency of the evacuation of 13,000 women and children from the town which had taken place in 1939. After the war was over the Borough began to think of ways of renewing itself. New houses were desperately needed and quickly. The council had acquired land in the Netherton and Ford areas in 1939 and it was here that they began to build new housing estates for those people whose homes had been so badly damaged that they were no longer fit to live in. As these people also needed somewhere to work industrial estates were created. These attracted not only some of the old established businesses but also brought new industry into the area. In 1951 the boundaries were once more extended in the Netherton area to provide more land for these purposes.

 

Through the 50s and 60s the town grew and once again changed its image. Large office blocks began to appear as the rubble of the war years was removed and a 'New Bootle' began to arise from the ashes of the old. This Bootle intended becoming as one Council official proclaimed 'The Whitehall of the North' and as usual it has succeeded in what it set out to do. Many departments of the Civil Service have offices in Bootle, but perhaps its greatest achievement during this period was obtaining the headquarters of the National Girobank. (Now, of course, the Alliance & Leicester offices)

 

In 1964 Bootle's influence stretched abroad when it was officially twinned with Mons in Belgium, and since then there have been many visits between the two areas.

 

As Bootle entered the 1970s there was talk of local government re-organisation and the inclusion of Bootle in an area to be known as Sefton. Many people felt that this would be the end of the Borough, but you cannot repress the spirit and identity of an area which has fought and won so many battles in the past and although this brief history ends with the formation of Sefton Metropolitan District in 1974, gaining Borough status in 1975, this is because of lack of space, not activity.

 

This article is reproduced from the Bootle Cricket Club’s 150th Anniversary publication and was originally written by the late Mrs. J. Jenkins who was Bootle librarian in the 70’s and 80’s

 

Many thanks,

 

as an ex-pat scouser who was dragged away by his parents to a village called Penketh, at the age of ten, I still have my roots in Liverpool and it's history.

 

One of the benefits of 'emigration' to this tiny outpost in Cheshire, was that it enabled me access to the Sankey canal, adjacent to the old Fiddler's Ferry pub, on the banks of the Mersey. It was here, after many hours of playing on long removed, wooden working boats, I became infected with the love of the canals.

 

Thanks again,

 

Mike

[gaggle]

boaters will be able to access the winning design so i suppose it is a facility on the run in to the link , i dont know where exactly each contender will be located if it wins but one i can see will be at the canal wharf adjacent to changeline bridge carolina st bootle.

 

 

 

THE ANTILLA COLLECTION - EDINBURGH SCOTLAND

 

BIANCHINI E LUSIARDI ARCHITETTI ASSOCIATI - CREMONA ITALY

 

DUGGAN MORRIS ARCHITECTS - LONDON ENGLAND

 

NEX ARCHITEXTURE - LONDON ENGLAND

 

STUDIO KAH JULIA KASHDAN -BATH ENGLAND

 

 

As far as i can see this is not costing bw a penny , no licence money is being spent on it and it will be free for all to use.

No doubt some will ask WHY IS MONEY BEING SPENT IN LIVERPOOL instead of noting it may be of some use to boaters who visit the area , me , i am just glad the canal in bootle is improving.

[gaggle]

Pennington rd footbridge now gone ,if you count down and tick of bridges going through take note.

The council have put public notice that it will be closed for 3 months at least before reopening with the new designer bridge in place.

reason for replacement is for the bridge to comply with disability access laws.

 

 

and so the boats can now progress through again.

 

[Ian B]

Talking about the link, a couple of questions, people have mentioned about being able to

 

get right out in one hit (without an Eldonian overnight stop), has that ever been possible on the way in?

 

Secondly ,when in Salthouse at the moorings are you allowed to go for a little trip? ( like the amphi duck does )

 

through Wapping and Queens dock and back ?

 

Thanks

 

Ian

[gaggle]

Dont know if anyone has gone straight down without overnight in eldonian or litherland and you can go for a whizz around the docks "south bound and albert" at times which you get told when you arrive , think it is after 11 am .

The harbour master may ask you to call first before you leave the moorings if any events are taking place .

Open water swimmers use the salthouse and can be in the water for some time.

[CanalWalker]

 

nice boat!

 

think it was between 11 and 6 that you could go round the docks. But like gaggle says you get told when you arrive.

[gaggle]

THE WINNER IS

[Big John]

think it was between 11 and 6 that you could go round the docks. But like gaggle says you get told when you arrive.

As long as you don't arrive at the weekend

[CanalWalker]

As long as you don't arrive at the weekend

well you can always go and ask at the office.