Growing up in New Brighton

I grew up in New Brighton between 1945 and 1964 when I was 19. To the person who asked about the convent, it was Maris Stella convent and I went there for my first year of school, before transferring to Vaughan Road School (and what a hellhole that was!) I was fascinated to read all the comments. I had completely forgotten about the illuminated animals in Vale Park, as well as the floral clock. My sister and I went to Nesta Bellis Dancing School for seven years and every year we were in a concert at the Floral Pavilion. Those were fantastic times! I married a boy from Ormiston Road (we lived on Dudley Road, just up from the Hotel Vic) and we moved to Ottawa, Canada.

I have been back home a few times since then. Five years ago I took my oldest son to see the flat we had grown up in. That felt very strange. My sister and I used to go to the Kraal all the time. We loved the all nighters! We also used to see the groups at the Tower Ballroom as well as going to the Cavern and the other Liverpool hotspots. I worked for one year at the Gordon Smith Institute for Seamen on Paradise Street in Liverpool and one day a German frigate called the Scharnhorst sailed in - with hundreds of young German sailors aboard! It was a seventeen year old girl's dream! I brought one of them home to meet my family, and show him New Brighton.

When I emigrated to Canada we sailed on the Empress of England from Liverpool to Montreal and I remember standing on the deck watching New Brighton slip away. I was excited but also very sad. However it seems as if we lived there during the "good old days", and that things started to deteriorate soon after we left. Thanks for the site and for the memories!

 

Many thanks for your memories

 

The Inviting Shore: Social History of New Brighton: 1830-1939 More books from Amazon.co.uk

 

Comments

With all these people that attended Maris Stella does any one know when it closed, and what street it was on? rmcintyr6 Canada

I am 69 years old and attended Maris Stellar Convent from 1945 to 1951. My family emigrated to New Zealand in 1953. My name was Beryl Tonge. My contact is louisfamily @ extra.co.nz

My Father and his brothers and sisters grew up in a house on Magazine Lane in Wallasey, as a child I played in Vale park and walked the prom with my paternal family.. It is a beautiful place and very special to me. I returned 15 years after my Grandparents died and my own children were growing up and I introduced them to the place of my childhood.. magical for all of us. EB

My wife went to Maris Stella prep school in 1950-52. When did it close, an was it by the train station? Thank You rmcintyr6

Really enjoyed the trip down memory lane. I too was raised in Wallasey, but when I was 11 I went off to St Anselm's in Birkenhead and all the great girls I knew went off to Maris Stella !

I too grew up in NB AND AM NOW 65, STILL LIVING ON THE Wirral I TOO ATTENDED MARIS STELLAR CONVENT FROM THE AGES OF 5-11 AND ALSO WENT TO NESTA BELLIS DANCE SCHOOL CAN REMEMBER DANCING IN A COUPLE OF SHOWS AT THE FLORAL PAVILION WHICH INCIDENTALLY HAS BEEN REBUILT. I REMEMBER WATCHING THAT FIRE WORK DISPLAY SITTING ON THE VERANDA OF OUR HOME ON WELLINGTON ROAD, AND MUST HAVE BEEN STILL A TODDLER. MY MOTHER WHO IS 87 REMEMBERS THE "NEW" PROM BEING BUILT AND THE BATHS, AND RECALLS THE SAND DUNES WHICH PRECEDED IT AT THE BASE OF ATHERTON AND PORTLAND STREETS. I COULD GO ON, HAPPY DAYS!

I'm 60 years old, went to New Brighton Maris Stella Convents, Primary and Secondary. Living in Ireland but trying to connect with a school friend named Annamarie Mellon, not seen for 45 years!

After the war there was a giant firework display at New Brighton Baths - I was terrified that the "stars " would fall on me and had to be taken home . Strangely I grew to love fireworks displays and now wild horses won't keep me away ! As a teenager growing up in Wallasey New Brighton was the centre of our summer holidays . My best friend at the time worked for the prom photographer - possibly Bob Bird - and it seemed a very glamorous occupation at the time. My first marriage proposal was made on the pier - I said " no thank you " - I was 16 at the time !!! Is it me or was it always sunny in New Brighton ? If it wasn't it certainly feels as if it was . Although it has changed out of almost all recognition on a summer morning walking along the wall of the marine lake if I close my eyes it almost seems I can hear the noise of the fairground and smell the diesel used to run the machinery and the sweet overpowering flavour of the candy floss .......... ah - those were the days !

Heavens above I also attended Maris Stella convent school at New Brighton and also the Nesta Bellis dancing school. I am now 62 years old. To the anonymous writer, please get in touch. My email address is swchoir @ gmail.com I've lived in Australia for 40 years. Cheers, Marie Drscoll