Reading through my posts, I feel the need to redress some of the criticism I have thrown at the politicians and planners who contributed to the relandscaping of Liverpool. As today’s photograph of Rice Lane shows, much of our ‘heritage’ had deteriorated to a state where demolition was the most effective response. Rice Lane was just one of hundreds of streets which had been ‘thrown up’ in the nineteenth century by jerrybuilders catering for the explosion in population. Without maintenance, most houses will fall apart after fifty years – and Liverpool had too many for a city which lost in the region of 300,000 people beween 1951 and 1981.
The image of Rice Lane is particularly bleak. In the background is the tower of Walton church, but otherwise, there is little to raise the spirits (although I do rather like the street light with its elegant curves).
Is there a date with this photo? I suspect it is mid to late 50′s or even early 60′s. I lived near Walton Church and used to walk past these shops when going home from “the baths” or Queens Drive Baths. I don’t think they called it a swimming pool. Much too posh! Bleak it may have been but I have very happy memories of that row of shops and the pub at the end which was called “The Brown Cow” I believe. One of the shops (which appears to be boarded up) was called “The Herb Shop”. My mates and me used to call in for a glass of dandelion and burdock or similar. They used to pour it out of a type of stoneware bottle which was about 3-4 pint capacity. Bubble gum was also available at a reasonable price. Cannot remember if they used to sell single Woodbines or was it Park Drive. Perhaps that was the news agents at the front left of the photo. To sum up, this row of shops/pubs did raise my spirits and the spirits of my mates. This is no criticism as I understand what you are trying to get across but there are historical things that we look at today which are not glossy or cool but at a personal level are wonderful memories. I guess this row of shops are to me what the old St Johns Market is to you. Great website please keep it going.
Hi John, I think the photograph is probably early 1960s – it is part of a series that spans the late 1950s to the mid 1960s.