I remember being intrigued by the large board in front of the Swimming Baths on Picton Road which bore the words "Russian Baths" but never thought of asking what exactly Russian Baths were. There were two swimming baths. One larger than the other . I could swim two lengths of the larger bath completely under water.

Herbert Henry Hunt was my father. I also had a much older brother who bore the same name. When I was older I was told that it was intended to name him Henry Herbert rather than Herbert Henry but there was some confusion at the Christening. (Just to clear up any confusion that may arise by two of the family having the same names in your records).

At one period a tramcar would pass each evening along Smithdown Road from the Penny Lane end, possibly about 7 p.m., with a Post Box on the front. This would be one of the old open fronted trams whose drivers would be  exposed to all the weather and wear large flowing oilskin capes for protection. The tram lines ran out to a terminus at  Woolton, so the Post tramcar might even have started there. It stopped at the usual stops and  took the mail down to the Sorting Office which was, I think, in Whitechapel. Local letters could be delivered the following day.

It cost the same to travel on the train from Lime Street to Wavertree Station as on the tram to Wellington Road or to the top of Avondale Road on Smithdown Rad. Was it 2d or 2½d. i.e. two pence or two pence ha'penny?. And the service was quite frequent, the train often being pulled by a little tank engine.

At one time I worked in the Biological Institute of Evans Lescher and Webb in Runcorn (later renamed Evans Medical at Speke). I would catch a local train at some ungodly hour of the morning (7.30 a.m?) at Wavertree Station. The train would stop at Sefton Park, Mossley Hill, Allerton, West Allerton, Ditton Junction and Runcorn before going on to Hartford, Winsford, Crewe, Sudley Port, Wolverhampton and Birmingham. I got so used to the Porter singing out the stations that it is imprinted on my memory! Some of the Stations are now long closed.

And, of course, the Sunday trips to New Brighton on the Ferry Boat during the Summer. That could fill another page of memories …

Ralph Hunt

August 2018