Ann Levers Recollections

A Memory of Fleetwood.

I remember Ann Varley as she was then called. I was a mate of Peter Simpson who lived on Queens Terrace & I lived in Custom House Lane.
Peter's grandfather was called Potts & was the landlord of the Steamer Hotel.
The last I heard of Peter was that he went to America on an exchange scheme through the I.C.I & was working at Cape Canaveral.
The lad with the spade on the ferry beach was always called daft Tommy by the kids & lived on Blackiston Street.
The other families that lived in the area of Custom House Lane were the Crostons, the Abrams, the Whitesides, the Brooks family, the Peddars & others that I can't recall.
When the Isle of Man boats started up again after the war my aunty used to sell jugs of tea to the people in the Queue & charge six pence deposit on the jug & two cups.
When the queue moved forward they would leave the jugs & cups on the pavement & me & Peter used to collect them, for which my aunt gave us a penny.
I recently returned to Fleetwood & although they have the new shopping area in the old dock area Lord Street appeared to be like a ghost town. Even the Broadway & Marine Hotels, which were probably the last two pubs to be built as I recall have gone. Both were owned by Duttons Brewery. The Mount was all hoarded up & the building covered with graffiti & now to top it all the pier has burned down.                                                                              
Oh! how times have changed & not for the better.

---

---