October 2009 Archives

RAF pilot Alan Murgatroyd took this stunning aerial picture as he flew above his Churchtown home.
In a letter to LookBack he wrote:
"I grew up in Southport during the second World War, and have memories of listening to Neville Chamberlain announcing the start of that war, only a few days before my 5th birthday.
"I recall sleeping in a Morrison air raid shelter erected in one of the rooms of our house in Churchtown, and listening to enemy aircraft flying overhead, seeking Liverpool and Preston docks.

"I left home in 1958, and following the death of my father in 1963 my Mother moved back to Yorkshire and I've had little opportunity to return since then.
"My son, now aged 43, was working in Liverpool last week and took the opportunity to spend a little time in Southport, and took some photographs of the family home and the premises that my father, G.P.Murgatroyd, operated as a photographic studio at 131 Eastbank Street from 1936 until his death.
"I enclose a copy of the first aerial photograph that I ever took, 52 years ago, after returning home to Southport following training as an RAF pilot for National Service, in 1957.
"I went to Speke Airport, now John Lennon International, and hired an aircraft to fly back to Southport to photograph my then home in Rathmore Crescent, Churchtown.
"The photograph shows Preston New Road and Rathmore Crescent, and part of North Road and Lexton Drive.
"I attended Churchtown Primary School, and St. Cuthberts Sunday School, and won a scholarship to King George V Grammar School.
"At the time the school was under the direction of the first headmaster, George Milward, who had founded the school when it moved from it's original site at Woodlands, near the end of Lord St. where the Police headquarters were in my days.
"In 1958 I joined British Overseas Airways Corporation, now British Airways, and ended my flying career as a Boeing 747 Captain and Instructor with Singapore Airlines, and my wife and I retired to New Zealand in 1994.
"From my perusal of Google Earth, the land towards the sea off the left hand edge of my photograph is totally different, and maybe I will be able to visit Southport once again before age finally curtails my travelling !
"I hope your readers will enjoy this view of part of Churchtown 50 years ago.
"Yours sincerely,
Alan Murgatroyd"

LOOKBACK reader Linda Pye submitted this lovely picture.
She said: "This is a charcoal drawing of my grandmother, Grace Lillian McQueen, drawn in 1886 when she was 12 years old, in its original frame.
"The artist's signature appears to be Robert Phininster.
"I know nothing about him other than the fact that many artists of the period had models sit for them."

Richard Hopkinson, Head of Paintings at Bonhams, Northern Region cast his eye over it - this is verdict.
"Your drawing looks to be a good quality example of a type of portraiture that was very popular in later 19th century Britain.
Your reading of the signature suggests that the artist is Robert Phininster - I can find no record of this painter listed as exhibiting pictures.
The records of artists working in this country at this period are very good.
This means that when a British artist of the period is not listed, he or she is viewed as quite a minor figure.
Your charcoal and pencil drawing looks very attractive and the draftsmanship is good.
This suggests that the artist was trained, either as an apprentice to another painter, or, more likely at one of the many art schools, both public and private, that were in existence by the 1880s.
The style and type of drawing is very much in keeping with those taught at art schools in this period.
The feeling of your drawing is closer to a commissioned portrait, rather than an artist using a model to create a picture.
Clearly, it would have been much quicker and cheaper to ask for a charcoal sketch than a portrait in oils, and so these were done in quite large numbers, although from the 1870s most portraits were photographs, which was cheaper still, and had a great novelty attraction.
Sadly, these charcoal studies are not really in fashion on the antique market at present, and so we find that comparable examples often sell for under £150.
This drawing has the advantage of a very attractive young sitter, which really enhances its appeal.
The condition looks good, and the frame is probably the original oak one.
In spite of these plus points, I would estimate this one to sell for between £50-100, which just underlines that a good, antique picture can be purchased for a very affordable sum, particularly when an artist in not known or collected."

MEET Antony Bennett, the man who can tell you what your family silver is worth.
The Bonhams regional director will be joining LookBack for a new valuation feature in which we invite readers to submit their antiques and to find out more about them.
The fine art specialist is based in Chester, but works right across the North West with Bonhams branches to value items.

Antony said: "It's really good for everyone to know what they've got. Many people have things that are more exciting than they thought.
"That might not always be financial, but historical.
"It can also cut the other way, you think you've got a really valuable item, and in fact you haven't."
Despite the economic downturn, the auction business is performing well.
Antony said: "The industry is strong, many people in different businesses are having a tough time, but we're not complacent about it.
"Gold prices have risen, and when gold prices rise, silver prices rise. The market for silver is particularly strong and so is gold too.
"The British pound exchange rate with the Euro and the American currencies has made it more favourable American and European people to buy British antiques."
Antony has been in the trade since his first job in an antiques shop in the Midlands, aged 14.
"As a person who has been in the business a long time, it's fascinating, people are selling and buying for economic reasons," he said.

LOOKBACK is working on a special family history feature and we'd like to hear your stories of researching the family tree, finding lost relatives and discovering your ancestry.
Perhaps you're still trying to find the missing Southport piece of the jigsaw and an appeal in the pages of LookBack could help.
Either way we want to hear your stories.
E-mail us at visiternews@southportvisiter.cop.uk, or write to: Southport Visiter, 26-32 Tulketh St, Southport PR8 1BT

"SOUTHPORT Football Club v Blackburn, The Rookery, Roe Lane, Southport; crowd of 4,000 expected." Who would have believed that this headline, from August, 1872, would have related to a rugby match and not football?
Today, with the club enjoying thriving senior and local sections, Southport RUFC director of rugby JOHN PORTER looks back on the club's proud history - and forward to a bright future.
IN the later part of 1872, Dr George Coombe, of Southport Infirmary, was the inspiration behind the formation of what was originally known as Southport Football Club, or as we now know it be, Southport Rugby Football Club.
It was formed with the intention of "improving the physical development of our young townsmen". Its first President was the then Mayor of the town, Samuel Swire.
The first games (Southport v Blackburn is the first officially recorded match) were a type of a free for all with teams of 20 or more taking the field, no referee and a multitude of ways to score points. The club though was experiencing some excellent victories and was attracting crowds of 4,000 or more, not bad when international games attracted only a couple of thousand more.
Ten years later, the now famous "Southport Olympic" were playing in their present day colours of red, black and amber and had moved from their original home of Roe Lane (the Rookery) to Mornington Ground, with teams now down to the official 15 and referees now in evidence!
The early 1900s saw great difficulty for the club as the breakaway of rugby league clubs gathered pace. Under the presidency of Sir George Pilkington, the club was reformed and played home games at Victoria Park. In 1913 the club changed its name to Southport Rugby Union Football Club and with it came a great change in fortune, as the team were undefeated throughout the whole season.
The following year saw the start of World War I with 11 players ultimately losing their lives as they went to answer the call to arms.
But the club was determined to carry on and by 1922 the playing staff had grown to 75 with the first XV regularly playing in front of 1,000 spectators. In 1927 the club moved to their present home of Waterloo Road and defeated local rival Preston Grasshoppers 16-0 in their inaugural home fixture.
The 1950s saw many players supplied by King George V School, which led to an amalgamation with the "Old Georgians", represented by former KGV school players.
Around this time the club acquired two more pitches "over the wall", and produced five teams on a regular basis.
In 1966 the club underwent major refurbishment and continued with mixed success on the field. The later years have proved to be difficult ones, the major contributing factor being the closure of the King George V Grammar School and with it the once endless supply of players.
It was in 1964 that I played my first game for Southport on a wet and windy October day in Widnes. I never touched the ball other than in the warm up, but I remember being so proud of wearing the red, black and amber jersey. It was at this time that I could remember the club running seven, yes seven teams - the first, second, third and fourth teams plus the Sandgrounders, Barbarians and Vagabonds.
During the 1970s and 1980s Southport enjoyed success both on and off the field and it was during this period that the Colts team won the Lancashire Cup.
These days, anyone who drives past Waterloo Road playing fields on a Sunday morning will see numerous children ranging from seven years old through to 16.
They will be training or playing a match and to see the pure enjoyment of the free spirit they portray is a pleasure indeed.
The club is now reaping their rewards from the "minis initiative" which started a number of years ago with a number of players coming through to press the senior players for their positions.
Southport is looking healthier than it has done for a while, and as recent as 2006-07 the club won a league title, doing so in tremendous style losing only two games all season.
This coming season will see the re-emergence of a Colts team. This team will be for the under 17 age group and will recruit from the local colleges such as KGV and Southport College plus local schools who extend their leaving age to cater for A-level students.
Under the generous sponsorship of Bernard O'Malley of Nationwide Produce, the club's funds are looking extremely healthy.
A number of projects to improve the facilities are in the pipeline, these include female changing rooms, gymnasium and improved catering and bar amenities.
All coaches, who are qualified and CRB checked, devote their time to our young players in order to introduce both enjoyment and discipline into their lives. The future is well and truly in the hands of these people both on and off the playing field.
The senior side has worked extremely hard during the pre season and look forward to a good campaign, with strength in depth as strong as it has been for a number of years. The link between the past, present and future is key to us moving forward.
Not only does the club provide the sporting opportunity, it also offers the social aspect for supporters, parents and friends alike.
After 137 years the future for Southport RFC is looking as bright as it has done for a number of years.
So, what are you waiting for? Why not come on down to support your local side at Waterloo Road, where there is adequate car parking for over 100 cars.
There is a game every Saturday, for full details please check with the Southport Visiter every Friday.
DO you have any memories or photographs of playing for Southport RUFC over the years?
Please e-mail us at: visiternews@southportvisiter.co.uk or write to: LookBack, Southport Visiter, 26-32 Tulketh St, Southport PR8 1BT.

ALMOST 50 years ago, Helen Connolly discovered an old diary buried amongst items in preparation for a jumble sale.
What looked like an battered homework book for children was actually a journal, penned when 20 young girls fled from the Nazis in 1938.
Amongst the pages were accounts of fond memories that the girls had all shared while growing up together in Southport.

After years of apprehension about what to do with the diary, Helen decided to donate it to the Manchester Jewish Museum.
The remarkable story was then told in a Yorkshire TV documentary, in which she re-enacted the moment she recovered it, and also featured in the emotional reunion which saw nine of the girls meeting for the first time since going their separate ways.
It was that initial discovery by Helen that eventually led to the reunion.
Reminiscing of the shock at finding such a priceless memoir, Helen told LookBack: "I couldn't believe it when I found out what it was, it could've easily made it into the rubbish bin when it looked like such a tatty old thing.
"I was very concerned about doing anything with the diary at first, I wasn't sure if it should be publicised as it's such a sensitive and emotional issue."
Helen found herself wondering what happened to the girls after their stay in Southport.
She later discovered that a few of them moved on to a hostel in Manchester, while some moved to places such as Austria, Israel, Vancouver, New York and Brazil.
A couple of the girls who stayed in England ended up with high-flying careers for organisations such as the BBC and the Commonwealth of Nations.
But the thought of the girls being reunited again was the driving force behind Helen's decision to reveal the diary.
And the occasion dissolved any doubts that she originally had: "I have absolutely no regrets now as it was amazing to see all the girls together.
"It was the first time after so many years and they all really enjoyed being in the company of eachother again. They were very thankful to me and even bought me flowers and a card."