Friday 14 June 2013

A walk to the Library. A walk in the past


        On leaving Wyresdale you turn left for a three mile round trip.

To your right you pass Heswell and Hooton Road.
And soon after that The Palace Cinema and Barnsley road
Before entering Warbreck Moor proper

On your left you pass Liggets Garage

 






Now you're in Walton Vale, Lovecraft territory


Where Nazis, cowboys, vampires and spies haunted the shadows.






Passing Grace Rd you'd see the TA barracks, but never a soldier.
A small shopping centre leads to the Blessed Sacrament

And soon you're into Rice Lane. Almost there.
And here we are, Everard Avenue Library
A place where dreams were taken seriously.

With thanks to Walton on the Hill and Friends of Orrel Park

9 comments:

Maria Zannini said...

Do these landmarks still exist? I love old libraries. The new ones look so sterile.

Mike Keyton said...

The Palace Cinema became a supermarket (Lennons - no relation) and later a shoe emporium. The other cinema to the far left of the lovecraft photo has also been knocked down. Everything else is still more or less there. There was a shabby blurred magic to the locality, best shown if you enlarge that lovecraft photo.

I love words, but I think I might post a few more ancient pics because, as they say, a picture's worth a thousand words...(have I made that up, or did someone say that? )

Claudia Zurc said...

Thank you for taking us on that little stroll, Mike. ;)
I love old buildings, especially libraries. I like the smell of books.

Anonymous said...

What a nostalgic walk that was Mike - it brought back memories of long ago times. If you have any more 'ancient pics' would love to see them. Made me remember going to the Vale picture house and Palace with my Mum. Although it is so long since you lived here you still seem to love the area.

Mike Keyton said...

Hi Claudia, smelling old books is good. Old libraries were good too. They had books that stretched the mind.

Anon, thanks. I may do another walk past the Race course and beyond.

Jay Paoloni said...

Next time I as for directions, I'll demand that they are that precise, with pictures and all!
Thank you for sharing. Those streets and buildings were really nice. Is it just my impression or is the world actually uglifying? A cinema turned into a shoe emporium, libraries are cubes made of concrete, theatres make room for parking lots...

Mike Keyton said...

Mundane, perhaps, Jay. The Liverpool I grew up in had bomb craters and slums, grand wonderful buildings exuding mystery and power and neat redbrick terraces. And of course the River Mersey, cutting through like a sword, sometimes a rather sullen serpent.

Unknown said...

I was born and raised on Cambridge Road, just off Warbreck moor. Shopped at Lennons and the co-op (which turned into Iceland.) They knocked down St Peters church in 1999, so very sad. This is a wonderful stroll back in time.

Mike Keyton said...

Thanks, Karen, and thanks for dropping by. I'm glad it brought back memories. If you google, say Record of a baffled spirit Ribblesdale you'll find more and names of people you may know. I have about five posts on or around Warbreck Moor.