How my lifeline intertwined with Merseyside folk.

My name is John (Jack) Robinson and I have lived in Southern California since 1971 - before that in Northern California since 1967 - before that in Birkenhead and Mold. I would like to hear from anybody who may remember me or our family. This is a photo of the entire (inc. cat) family just before we emigrated in 1967. Our oldest boy (bottom right) is now a 50-year-old police inspector in Washington State. Probably nobody cares (or there's nobody left to care!) about my early years which were from 1923 when I arrived in Birkenhead as a newborn so I'll start at age 12 or so when I was at Temple Road School. My buddies were Dennis Swain, Roy Felthouse, Bob Doan and others who I can't name offhand. The teachers were Messrs. Caruth, Driver, Williams, Kermene, Gooch and others. I kept in touch with Dennis Swain right up to his recent demise. A couple of girls I knew were Mary Wilde (lived around Well Lane), Doris Purdy (lived in Holm Lane) and Florence MacDonald. I worked at McKenzie's in Grange Road West in 1939 with Alf Looney in their radio department, then GPO telephones in Palm Grove Birkenhead as jumper boy. (If you have to ask me what that was you aren't one of the people I'm looking for!). Later moved to the Cherry Lane Automatic Exchange to help track spy transmitters (the war had started). Then to Lancaster House, Old Hall Street, the communications centre which was just being finished in 1940. Some names from that era were Alf Mutch, Larry Bisson, Eric Houlgrave, Jack Brignal, Alf Lincoln, Eric Bulmer, Jack Owen, Stan Peacock, Bill Farmer. Please come in, somebody! The Navy years - Pete Cardle, the hypnotist. After demob., had a TV shop in Wallasey called Prestige Radio with Navy buddy Ted Harle. Used to pub with a few regulars - Fred Vary, Arthur Chambers, mainly at the Boot or the Magazines. This was 1950's. Then Radio Rentals for a few years. Worked at both Birkenhead and Wallasey branches. Then to Sealand at the 30M.U. (Jack Dempsey) and living in Mold at house called Taybor in Chester Road (saw it still there recently.) Married Dawn Richmond of Thompson's Mission, Hemingford Street, Birkenhead. Her father was Ben Yates - well known in those days in the Mold/New Brighton area. Anyone who remembers us - please call! Even if you don't, but you remember the Plaza cinema on Borough Road and Louis Oddey at the Compton Unit organ, or trying to raise the Thetis submarine, or the air raids- still like to hear from y'all. My e-mail: jadar3031@cox.net Stop Press:The Beckhams have arrived!