With regard to the History of Lark Lane. My connection was through my Great Aunt (my material grandmother’s sister) who had a greengrocers shop on the corner of Bickerton Street.

The living accommodation was behind and above the shop with a separate front door in Bickerton Street and there were two large wooden gates to give access to the yard behind the accommodation where the van could be housed. Next door, along Lark Lane was the Masonic Public House, which also had a section of the yard, the separation iron railings.

My sister and I were evacuated from 1939 to 1941 so missed most of the bombing but the blackout was still maintained. I well remember coming home from a party at Lark Lane and walking into a pillar-box which had been in the same position for many years.

We often had family parties at Lark Lane and I remember going into the yard where I could see through a window, the occupants of a back room in the Masonic singing dancing and drinking. They appeared to be having a good time and I wished I could join them

V.E. parties were held all over Liverpool but I attended the one in Bickerton Street. A bonfire was built outside Auntie’s gate and in the morning it was discovered that the paint on the doors had all been scorched off and there was a pit in the street where the entire tarmac had been burned away.

After doing my National Service my connection with Lark Lane changed and now centred on the Albert area. In those days the Albert had an upstairs room which contained three snooker tables which were for use by the clients. The snooker room was connected to the bar by a Whistle tube (as seen on old films of Navy vessels). By which drinks could be ordered to be brought up to those using tables.

After a few pints we would cross the road to the milk bar for a coffee. Milk bars were very popular, this one started with the one shop but became so successful that the next door shop was acquired, the wall knocked through and a “U” shaped bar installed.

We would then make our way to the chip shop on the corner of Bertram Road for a bag of chips to eat on the way home. The greengrocer’s shop no longer exists, it has been incorporated as an extension to the Masonic. When bicycles came back onto the market, about 1945 I was given a Raleigh, which was bought, from a shop on the corner of Little Parkfield Road. Some years later Raleigh produced a bicycle called the RRA (Raleigh Record Ace) based on the machine used by the world spirit champion. I used to stand and look into the window and dream that one-day I would be able to afford such a wonderful machine.