1960: BUS CORPORATION GARAGE, NEW CHESTER ROAD
Formerly site of tram shed, the bus company took it over in the 1930s. Replaced by post office in 1980s.
1960: THE GREAT EASTERN HOTEL
Andra Fall and her sister Dorne with their pet dog outside the Great Eastern pub which, for many years, was a landmark.
1960: NEW FERRY SWIMMING BATHS
The handsome chap posing for the camera with his top off was one of the lifeguards, Terence ("Tex") Threlfall.
1960: NEW FERRY BYPASS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Built to relieve growing traffic congestion, it initially went from Bolton Road roundabout to Thorburn Road.
1960: NEW FERRY BYPASS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
This screengrab from old cine footage shows New Ferry Road bridge under construction.
1960: NEW FERRY BYPASS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Construction workers laying the sub-base of the new dual carriageway road.
The houses are at Esher Close.
1961: PRE-FABS ON SHOREFIELDS
Built during WW2 to house the Polish gun crews, after the war they were used as temporary homes for Blitz victims.
1961: BEBINGTON STATION:
Looking towards Port Sunlight station. The tracks and platform to the left were replaced with the station car park.
1961: BEBINGTON STATION
Looking north towards Rock Ferry. The tracks and shelter to the right are now gone.
1962: NEW CHESTER ROAD/GROVE STREET JUNCTION
For many years, New Ferry's post office stood on the corner of Grove Street and New Chester Road. Here was can see a 41 bus heading towards the Mill Park Estate in Eastham.
1964: NEW CHESTER ROAD
A super rare view looking down on the same section of New Ferry Road with yet another bus passing by. Notice the gorgeous classic car parked just inside the bus depot where the parcel office is today.
1964: NEW CHESTER ROAD BUS DEPOT
....and just a little further along the road, the 39 service bus pauses at the bus stop immediately outside the New Ferry depot.
1964: NEW CHESTER ROAD
Those green buses certainly were a feature of the 1960s! Here is yet another as it approaches the junction with New Ferry Road and Bebington Road. The building on the corner was still the Wynnstay Arms pub - today it is Antalya's Barber.
WYNNSTAY ARMS c1960
And just here to complete the tour down the street is a view of the Wynnstay Arms itself. It was a popular drinking venue for many generations of New Ferry residents.
1963: NEW FERRY ISOLATION HOSPITAL
The former isolation hospital at Shorefields had been built in 1865 to treat tropical diseases brought back to the UK by Liverpool seamen. After it closed down, it was burned down by firemen when contractors refused to demolish it incase they caught something.
NEW FERRY SWIMMING BATHS c. 1963
A rare view of the cafe at the shallow end of the pool. Several of trees seen in this image are still with us, but the dark yew tree in the centre is now lying on its side, having collapsed during a storm in 2022.
NEW FERRY SWIMMING BATHS c.1963
In this shot we see some children sitting under the shade of the trees. Behind them is the cafe you can see in the photo above, with the pool behind it.
NEW FERRY SWIMMING BATHS c.1963
Someone doesn't like having his photo taken. The houses seen to the left are the far end of Merseybank Road (Kevin and Ann Ward currently live in the one on the end). Number 59 to 65 Shorefields now stand on the site of the changing rooms seen here.
NEW FERRY SWIMMING BATHS c.1963
More keen to have their photos taken are Peter McBirney, Steve Fletcher, Paul Fletcher and Keith Woodward. Note the high diving board behind them. Who had the guts to climb to the top and dive from it?
NEW FERRY SWIMMING BATHS, 1964:
The handsome guy shown in this photo sent to us by Phil Summers in 2010 is his uncle, Roy Quinney. Roy is kneeling in what became the 'small' / 'baby' pool with his son, Colin on his shoulders. Colin was born in 1962. You can tell it's the small pool as you can just see the ramp leading into the water in the background. (What was originally one large pool seen in
NEW FERRY SWIMMING BATHS, 1964:
Another photo sent to us by Phil Summers, but he did know who the young boy watching from the side of the pool is. Maybe someone might recognise him and let us know so we can update this caption?
The wooden slide seen in this photo was at the shallow end of the pool.
EXTRACT FROM THE BEBINGTON COUNCIL LOCAL GUIDE, 1966:
This text, printed in a 1966 guide book to local services published by Bebington and New Ferry District Council (who administered the area before the days of Wirral Borough Council!), gives some good information about the New Ferry Swimming Baths.
Adult season tickets cost £1 back then. Hmmm! The average annual UK salary in 1966 was £891 (ju
NEW FERRY SWIMMING BATHS c.1968
A rare view of the end of the pool nearest to the river. The houses of Scythia Close are positioned here today. The period semi-detached houses in the distance are the bottom of Shore Bank.