OVER THE BRIDGE

ST ALBANS PUPILS 1955

We thank Sue for this photo picturing former pupils of St Alban's School (Athol Street) in 1955.

ST ALBAN'S HOLY COMMUNIONS 1955

For quite some time we have had this photograph of pupils from St Alban's School who made their First Holy Communions in 1955 on the Archive section of the website. Our thanks go to Christine Kenny for contacting the website to advise some of the names of those photographed.

SAINT ALBANS CHURCH

OTB KIDS

We wonder if any readers will be able to identify any of the faces on this photograph picturing children living in the ‘Over The Bridge’ area of Vauxhall.

If you can identify any of the faces and perhaps where and when the photograph was taken we will be pleased to hear from you. We will also be pleased to receive other photographs of the Over The Bridge area of Vauxhall for this webpage.

OVER THE BRIDGE

When residents of an area of Vauxhall divided from other areas of Vauxhall by the Leeds & Liverpool Canal were asked "where do you live" they would say "Over The Bridge". Essentially the area concerned comprised of streets and courts located in and around Athol Street. Athol Street is situated in the north end of Liverpool and runs down between Scotland Road and Great Howard Street.

A 19th century census shows that the Over The Bridge population had come from a wide variety of places throughout Britain and Ireland. The Welsh builders who erected houses between 1830 and 1870 left evidence of their identity in the street names that survived them, Menai, Snowdon, Barmouth, Denbigh, Cemeas.

From 1840 the population was swelled by Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine and associated problems. In 1848 Father Thomas Newsham purchased a piece of land near the docks on which to erect a church. Just ten months later in 1849 St Alban's church was opened.

In 1987 Liverpool City Council announced that they were going to clear Over The Bridge by demolishing the houses to make way for industrial units. There was bewilderment, disbelief and a great sense of sadness felt within the community that the world that was Over The Bridge would be no more.

We welcome hearing from former residents of Over The Bridge who may wish to provide memories and photographs for this webpage.

WAS THIS A ST ALBAN'S FOOTBALL TEAM?

We would be very interested to hear from readers who may be able to advise us if this was a photograph of a St Alban's (OTB) Football Team and perhaps name the players photographed and the year the photograph was taken. If it is an St Alban's Football Team we will be adding it to the Archive webpage 'Over The Bridge'.

Our thanks go to Terry O'Neill who originally lived in Idris Street (OTB) who recognised the football team photo (above) as that taken in the 1950s picturing members of a St Albans Football - which included: JIM WELCH, GERARD MORGAN, GEORGE BENNETT, JOHN GALBRAITH, HENRY SCOGGINS, NED WHITE, PAT KINSELLA, JOCK TIERNEY, FRANK ERRITY, RAY O'GORMAN, SAM CORRIGAN, HENRY SAGE and MICKY KEEGAN.

Terry told the Scottie Press that all the lads pictured on the photo above were friends of his who he had known since childhood days.

We also thank Ellen Wallace for contacting the Scottie Press to tell us that the St Alban's Football Team photo above may have been taken between 1946 and 1950. Ellen and friends recognised J. WELCH, D. BUTLER, G. BENNETT, M. FRY, B. GRANT, J. GALBRAITH, H. SCOGGINS, NED WHITE, P. KINSELLA, JOCK TIERNEY, F. ERRITY, R. 0'GORMAN, F. CORRIGAN, M. SAGE and M. KEEGAN.

We would be very pleased to hear from readers who can identify faces on this Football Team photo (below) which have listed on our Archive as OTB Football Team. If you can name the players and provide a possible date when the photograph as taken we will add the details to this webpage. We also welcome receiving other Football Team photographs for inclusion on this webpage.

WAS IT A WEDDING OR A CHURCH DAY OUT?

Dear Scottie Press, The photo (above) pictures several people who were members of St Alban's Parish. My grandfather, Felix Doyle (with the moustache) is sitting behind the man in the front seat. The older man standing behind Felix Doyle is my great-grandfather, Lawrence Doyle. The two women standing near to the front are Margaret Ann Fitzgerald and Margaret Jane Wingate who was my maternal grandmother (the wife of Felix Doyle). I'd love to know what the occasion was for. I notice that most of the men are wearing buttonholes so it could have been a wedding or even a church outing.

Yours sincerely, John McDonald