Lost Wirral

by Les Jones

The Wirral peninsula in North West England, lying between the River Dee and the Welsh border to the west and the River Mersey to the east, has long had its own identity. The large towns of Birkenhead and Wallesey grew around their docks and industrialised rapidly, benefitting from their proximity to Liverpool across the estuary of the Mersey, and at the same time New Brighton was developed as a resort. The towns on the estuary of the River Dee, Hoylake, West Kirby and Heswall, on the east of the Wirral, grew more slowly and many areas on the peninsula remain rural today.

Much has changed on the Wirral in the last 100 years. Industries have declined, particularly in the once-busy docks, some areas suffered immense destruction from aerial bombardment in World War 2 and coastal resorts suffered as British holidaymakers moved abroad, but more recent years have seen the regeneration of many areas.

Lost Wirral presents a portrait of this region of North West England and a way of life that has radically changed or disappeared today, showing not just the buildings, streets and industries that have gone or changed, but also a way of life. This fascinating photographic history of lost Wirral will appeal to all those who live in the area or know it well, as well as those who remember it from previous decades.

96 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2019

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.