Growing Up In Tranmere

A Memory of Tranmere.

I grew up in Oriel Road in Lower Tranmere. My nan lived across the road from us. When I was 5 (1951) she had a stroke and my mum spent the next 5 years looking after her until she died, when I was about 10. In those days, there was a Salvation Army place at the bottom of Oriel Road and I remember when we had a street party for the Queen's Coronation, the Salvation Army lent the trestle tables which were put out in the street for the party. I was a real tomboy then and my favourite game was Cowboys and Indians. I always played with two of the boys who lived in Oriel Road as well, David and John. It was a good road to grow up in in those days, all the neighbours knew each other. Mum was never one for going into neighbours' houses but she would always chat when she met anyone in the street. I haven't been down there for a long time but the last time I went past on the bus going to Birkenhead, I hardly recognised Oriel Road. I think there was a little grassed area with a bench at the bottom of the road and the Salvation Army place has long gone! I also remember going to the Saturday matinee at the Coliseum cinema, known locally as the 'Flea Pit'. Of course, my favourite films were the Cowboy ones! Oriel Road wasn't far away from the tanyard and if the wind was in the wrong direction, the smell from there was awful! It always seemed to happen just as we sat down for our  dinner! Tranmere used to be called Donkey Town and I believe it got the name because there was a man who kept donkeys somewhere along the Old Chester Road. I still have very happy memories of growing up in Tranmere.