Weston Point I.C.I Recreation Club And Runcorn Town

A Memory of Runcorn.

Memory, Saturday Night Old Time dance upstairs in theI.C.I Club. My father played there on the drums. I was there with a girlfriend and her mother and father and grandmother, the old lady taught me a lot of the old time dances and the dance was led by the organizers, we could always follow them if not sure of the steps. I lived in Sandy Lane, near the top, 142. My father worked at I.C.I most of his career, he was in the office as a accountant. We lived in High Field Terrace for 14 years next to the Tannery off Canal Street, with my great-grandmother in a Tannery House,  he had his name down for 14 years for a works house, it was great when we got it, toilet next to the back door, and the first bathroom downstairs off the kitchen, a lot better than the tin bath or weekly visit to the rented baths at the swiming pool. I still think it was the best place a child could have grown up and I am still sad every time I visit the old town and see so little left that I remember. I am now living in Australia, 60 miles from Sydney, and have been there for the last 37years but remember RUNCORN with affection.
I went to school top of Steenhills Lane off Halton Road/then Victoria Road, and Balfore Road. The Crossby bus company was the local company, a penny went a long way. I always headed for the market on Saturday behind the swimming baths, under cover at that time, with the hardware shop alongside it and a thriving town all around. The Scala was not showing films, it was in use as a dance hall. The main electric showrooms was next door, MANWEBS. The castle was the place to go when we had a visit from the relatives from Liverpool, we had a great time playing on the roundabouts and the swings provided in the castle centre while the oldies had a few drinks, then outside to get the bus that turned round outside the pub and picked up passengers down the hill along Halton Road, and get off at Iron Bridge next to the Borrax works for the family wedding or christening, ending up at the Highfield Institute on Canal Street next to the football grounds. The next big thing was the Whitsuntide walk ending up on the Heath, followed by the annual visit of the fair on the ground a couple of streets one empty ground from Halton Road, this was the same place that during rationing, food coupons etc, a Mystery Van arrived and the word was out 'Biscuits off ration for sale', plenty of broken ones but who cared, there was always a good crowd, then they sold out and were gone. Then there was the Hush Hush Works, I think a left-over from the First World War, Grandma us to say 'Don't mention the Hush/Hush works' and we didn't,  who knows why?. Secret Runcorn, rock savage,  
With kind wishes,
R.D.Welding 1/1/0009