A Little Bit More . . . Page 3

The Community Site For Chester & Newtown

I recall one hot summer in 1955, (just after the Coronation party had been held in the cattle market), a cow had escaped and shot straight down Back Brook Street, only to be chased into number 27, and into Mrs Carline's front room!

The unfortunate animal was in so much panic that it moved from the front room and tried to get up the stairs. You have to imagine how small these houses were, like 'Wendy' houses; and a cow is a very large animal with a very large girth! As a consequence, the animal got stuck halfway up the stairs, all the while screaming with terror, and shitting itself with fright, all over the stone parlour floor, walls and stairs of Mrs Carline's 'umble abode!. What a sight! What noise! and what a smell! ... But what a riot for us kids!

I remember that there used to be a corner shop at the end of George Street and Brook Street and this tiny shop suffered the same cow blessing. The milkman used to pull an (battery run) electric milk float and the coal man and his horse drawn waggon used to deliver coal to us from the coal depot in Black Diamond Street, and any horse dropping were immediately fought over and removed from the road, for use on our back gardens.

The local amenities were ample, with a butchers shop; and greengocers run by our Autie Kath Holliway with plenty of organic fruit and veg n' spuds in abundance. Read more »

You can still see the Butchers and veg shop buildings in Brook Street, and the tiny bit which is left of Back Brook Street here.

This is all that is now left of Back Brook Street. From the white sided building on the right to the white sided building on the left. Looking towards Hoole.

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