Wallasey Reflections

by Les Jones

Wallasey expanded massively in the nineteenth century following the construction of the docks, which brought in a wealth of other industries, including shipbuilding. Wealthy Liverpool inhabitants moved to be beside the coast on the Wirral Peninsula and the area also attracted visitors as a resort was built up at New Brighton. What was originally a number of villages merged into the town of Wallasey, but in the second half of the twentieth century the town went into decline, having to rebuild following the devastation of aerial bombardment during the Second World War and as trade in the docks moved elsewhere. Going forwards into the twenty-first century, the individual towns have managed to keep a distinctive identity.

Wallasey Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Wallasey with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect readers can see how streets, buildings and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. This fascinating visual chronicle ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Wallasey and will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the area.

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 12, 2023

About the author

Les Jones was born in Accrington, Lancashire, the only child of Charlotte and Thomas Jones.
Les left school at 15 and worked in several manual jobs before taking employment with a local engineering firm. After a number of years Les took a post with the Inland Revenue, where he stayed until returning to full time education, gaining a degree in Economics, plus undertaking further studies in computing.
Les became a secondary school teacher and also an evening school tutor, taking on responsibilities as Head of Department plus various administrative tasks. He also became involved in the examination process, eventually becoming Assistant Chief Examininer and Principal Examiner. Les moved into further education and taught in a number of colleges.
Born into a working class background Les has a strong social conscience, becoming a Labour Councillor with interests in cooperate enterprise. Les became disillusioned with Labour on various matters and joined the Liberal Democrats, and has stood as parliamentary candidate on four occasions.
Les's interest in writing flows from his social concerns, literature and philosophy capture man's experience and convey it to others. We are damned to freedom, but also uplifted and ennobled by it. Man's experiences of the fine tapestry of freedom are related and developed in language, it maps the boundaries of our world, and widens and strenghens those boundaries. How better can we enhance the humanity of mankind?
Les's interests include literature, philosophy, birdwatching, physical fitness, an eclectic mix, but there are other interests as well too numerous to mention here.