From visits from the rag-and-bone man to having tea at a Berni Inn or shopping with Green Shield Stamps, there are a lot of things we don't really see anymore and miss in the region.
But, that doesn't mean we can't look back and admire the former traditions, occupations, buildings and more that were once part of everyday life in Merseyside. Some things have been confined to history - and whilst the city continues to evolve, it doesn't mean they have been forgotten.
Many of our favourite past times can no longer be enjoyed today and were simply part of one moment in time. Others are completely unknown to younger generations, who may not believe they actually existed.
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From lost chains to demolished sites, independent shops, events and more, they were a major part of lots of our memories through the decades. To reminisce, we take a look at 29 things you don't really see anymore in Liverpool.
This list isn't intended to be comprehensive, we've included a number of sites, occupations, past times and more that you no longer or rarely see in the city. But if you feel there are some we should have included, let us know in the comments section.
1. Cousins Confectioners
Decades ago, Cousins Confectioners was a familiar fixture across the region, selling everything from delicious cakes and Danish pastries to Devon Whip, sandwiches and more. Many will remember the large Cousins corner sign in Lord Street - the Radio Rentals building - that was a major feature in Liverpool city centre until the takeover by Liverpool One, as well as the company's many shops and factory on Woodend Avenue in Speke.
Founder Mr Ernest Gibson moved to Liverpool from Ireland when he was 17 and after returning from active service in 1946, opened his first bakery shop in Aigburth Road, where the baking was done above the store. On February 4, he sold his first cake from the tiny shop and the following year his brother, Eric, joined him and they soon started to expand the firm.
By the mid-1970s, the company was a household name, with more than 100 shops and coffee bars all over Merseyside. At its height, Cousins Confectioners employed nearly 3,000 people and in 1980, it was reported that the business had 400,000 customers in their shops each week.
2. Metal fruit and veg store
Bold Street boasts many long-standing restaurants and food shops and continues to attract new businesses. But one fixture many remember that's no longer there is its distinctive fruit and veg shop housed in a metal shelter.
The stall was run by the Christian family, whose great grandmother was the famous Lizzy Christian, who had a stall by Central Station and the old ABC cinema and whose portrait hangs in the Tate. The family moved back to Bold Street in 2002 after being given permission to build a temporary structure on the site.
However, when the metal structure remained in 2009, council bosses made the decision to remove the market stall from the street. Today, it remains in our memories.
3. Green Shield Stamps
Many in Merseyside will remember the British sales promotion scheme Green Shield Stamps that rewarded shoppers with stamps that could be redeemed, and used to buy gifts from a catalogue or from any affiliated retailer or gift centre. There was something exciting about collecting the stamps and sticking them into your book, to later be exchanged for a range of household goods such as toasters, garden furniture and toys.
Richard Tompkins introduced the scheme in 1958, which was inspired by the success of the long-established Sperry & Hutchinson Green Stamps in America. In the early days, you could get the stamps at small businesses like corner shops and at petrol stations, but by 1963 they could be found in Tesco and later Green Shield Stamps catalogue stores, which could be found in Liverpool city centre.
By 1977, Tesco’s boss, Ian – now Lord – MacLaurin, made a decision to scrap the Green Shield Stamps scheme and Tompkins was free to convert the entire Green Shield Stamps business to Argos and cash purchases. Argos was acquired in 1979 by the sprawling conglomerate BAT Industries, now just British American Tobacco. Soon afterwards, they stopped issuing stamps entirely.
4. Deep Pan Pizza
Once one of the largest pizza restaurant groups, in the 90s, Deep Pan Pizza had chains all over the UK and was an ideal destination for cinema goers or families looking for a weekend treat. Known for its "all you can eat" deals, the business didn't only offer deep pan pizzas, but also thin crust options.
Customers could also order the likes of deep pan dippers to start, an array of pastas, salads and different chocolate and ice-cream desserts. Instantly recognisable to pedestrians and drivers, Deep Pan Pizza had bold and bright red and yellow logos and décor and inside, groups would be shown to an American-style booths and could also watch "the latest music videos" on TV screens.
In Liverpool itself, many will remember chains at Edge Lane and on Stonedale Retail and Leisure Park off East Lancashire Road. But despite offering "all you can eat" deals for years, by 1998 it was announced that the Deep Pan Pizza restaurants were set to disappear from the high street.
5. Cocklemen in pubs
It may feel like a completely unheard of concept for younger generations, but many will remember the local Cockle Man doing the rounds at our Liverpool pubs decades ago. Before sit down meals and more of a variety of food and drink on offer, the Cockle Man would come calling in his white jacket carrying a basket of seafood for punters to buy and enjoy with their pints.
Sometimes doused in vinegar, customers could also enjoy shrimps, whelks, kippers and more, often bringing them home in grease proof bags for the family to try. Today, the job isn't as common and very much considered a thing of the past.
But for years, Cockle Men were a massive part of pub and nightlife culture in our city. Liverpudlians may remember local companies such as Seacove Shell Fisheries, based in Park Road, Toxteth.
6. Kwik Save
Kwik Save, with its familiar logo of white block italics against a red background, grew to become a common sight in Britain after the first store opened in Rhyl in 1959. The business adopted the model of successful continental supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl, buying a limited range of goods on favourable payment terms.
The chain continued to expand, and by the mid-1990s, they had more than 800 stores spanning the country with Liverpool's most prominent Kwik Save store on Hanover Street in Liverpool city centre. In the early years, the stores had little in the way of competition and had found favour with customers looking to save money away from the larger, mainstream supermarkets.
The stores were primarily aimed at the lower end of the market and vanished from our high streets in the 00s. But these days, a Kwik Save bag in good condition will fetch over £20 on auction site eBay.
7. ABC cinemas
Associated British Cinemas, known as ABC cinemas, were a cinema chain that operated around the UK for decades. The name started to disappear in the 1980s, but is said to have been reused from the 1990s until 2000.
Lime Street was once dominated by three ABC cinemas - the large one overlooking St John's shopping centre and the mainline railway station, along with its two smaller cousins, the Futurist and the Scala. The large one overlooking St John’s used to look majestic in its heyday but closed its doors in 1998.
Do these awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
8. 'The Pies' sign
For more than 30 years, the faded white lettering on a bridge above the M57 was among the region's most-loved graffiti. Changing in various forms over the years, many will remember reading "The Pies" written on the well-known motorway bridge.
Relating to the Liverpool band The Pies, the group have maintained a cult status across Merseyside as their name has been daubed in feet-high white paint at unusual locations, also the M6, the M62 and on the Mersey Tunnel ventilation shaft. However, in September 2020, people across Merseyside were outraged after the iconic landmark had been defaced.
Targeted by coronavirus conspiracy theorists, the historic graffiti was removed and replaced by the word "Plandemic." Many were left in anger as The Pies Music slogan has always been a key landmark to people returning home.
9. Cowkeepers
Liverpool was once home to hundreds of cowkeepers and cowhouses that were an "essential part" of city life. In the 1800s, generations of farmers from the Pennine Dales sought a new life in areas that now encompass Liverpool as we know it today.
They became Liverpool Cowkeepers, keeping cows in their backyards and selling milk to a rapidly expanding city population, serving customers for over a century. Refrigeration and pasteurization soon became common place, and other factors such as shelf life for milk being extended and the Milk Marketing Board coming into existence saw cowkeepers role as both producers and retailer decrease.
But whilst this way of life may feel like a distant part of our heritage, it is within living memory for a number of people across Merseyside. The Joy family, originally from the Yorkshire Dales, were one of many to establish cowhouses in Liverpool and continued in the trade for several generations, ceasing to trade in 1969.
10. Queues for event tickets
This isn't something completely lost - but something we rarely see now in the digital age. This year, music and comedy lovers waited in long online queues in the hopes of securing Glastonbury or Peter Kay tickets.
But years ago, generations will remember physically queuing up for hours outside a ticket office or venue to secure a ticket for a gig, club night and more - and what we don't see anymore is this being one of the only options to get tickets. Depending who was on the bill or how popular the event was, queues would stretch down our streets and some would be left disappointed when finally reaching the front to be told it was all sold out.
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11. Footbridge underneath Churchill Flyover
The demolition of the snaking footbridge which hung underneath the Churchill Flyovers saw the last of the city's 'walkways in the sky' erased from the city. The walkways were a network of sky bridges that were built in the '60s and '70s that have since been demolished.
The largely unused footbridge was served by spiral ramps and stairs. This allowed pedestrians to cross the busy roads around Liverpool's Central Library, Lime Street Station and museum.
The death knell for the walkway came in came in 2018, when construction flaws and defects were discovered in the flyovers. They were subsequently demolished.
12. Rag-and-bone men
Younger generations may not have heard of them - but 'rag-and-bone men' were once a well-known sight on the streets of Merseyside and beyond. For those who don't know, rag-and-bone men, were known for collecting unwanted household items to sell on themselves, whilst travelling on a horse and cart.
Sometimes referred to as 'totters,' the trade was immortalised by the BBC sitcom Steptoe and Son. Rags, or any type of clothing, were usually sold on for recycling and animal bone, such as that left over from meals, could be used for fertiliser or to make other items.
Hearing their calls, Merseyside residents would bring out their second-hand items and the rag-and-bone man would let them know if he wanted to take it or not. By the late 1970s, it became less common to hear or see a local rag-and-bone man and whilst we do still see people in transit vans taking unwanted goods, many still have memories of the days the rag-and-bone man slowly travelled down our streets.
13. White dog poo
A bizarre choice, but this is in fact something we don't see on our streets anymore. It might seem like an odd thing to mention, but some generations will understand.
Due to a change in dog diets from meat and bones to tinned food, dog poop is no longer white in colour. This because there is less calcium contained in the food itself.
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14. The overhead railway
The Liverpool Overhead Railway was once a key part of Liverpool's transport system - and a city landmark in and of itself. Built in 1893 as a response to congestion and increasing traffic on the roads around Liverpool's giant dock, it was the first elevated electric railway in the world.
The nature of its design, which remains a rare one for a railway in the UK, and the fact that it ran close to the city's docks, providing cover to those walking underneath it, is what led to its nickname of the Docker's Umbrella. The views from the train carriages were truly breathtaking across the River Mersey with its packed docks, or the city itself.
What's more it was cheap too. A 13-mile round trip cost as little as 1s. 8d. first class and 1s. 4d. third class. The Liverpool Overhead Railway is still remembered by the whole city with fondness and regret that it isn't still here.
15. Yellow Duckmarine
Once one of the most popular and recognisable tourist attractions in Liverpool, the Yellow Duckmarine turned heads whenever it embarked on its tours around the city. Sadly, the famous Yellow Duckmarines - which operated on land and in water - have not made a splash in the River Mersey for almost a decade.
Back in 2013, a fateful tour of the city turned into a disaster that hit the national headlines as one of the amphibious craft, affectionately known as Wacker Quackers, sank in Salthouse Dock with 33 people on board. It was only a year earlier that Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by Prince Phillip, took a Duck Marine tour on her diamond jubilee visit to the city.
But it's not just royalty that took the opportunity for a ride in a Duckmarine - celebs including reality stars also hopped on board to take in the city's sights. Since the tours were stopped in 2013, there have been several rumours that duck tours would once again return to the city with new and improved vehicles, but no official confirmation has yet been announced.
16. Lost 'mountain' streets
Havelock Street in Everton is still remembered by many for its steep ascent and the fun this often presented for local children. The joke went that you needed an oxygen mask to make the climb up the street, according to Ken Rodgers, author of the 2010 book ‘Lost Tribe of Everton & Scottie Road’.
The locals nicknamed it ‘Mount Everton’ and reaching the top was considered a daily achievement. The Everton ‘Mountain’ was such a vertical challenge it needed a free-standing handrail to give local residents a chance of reaching the top.
By the 1960s, the bulldozers took to the street and local residents who occupied the terraced houses in the neighbourhood were scattered far and wide to random destinations across the city. This wasn't the only mountain street in the city, as many will also remember the likes of Fairy Street in the area..
17. Floating nightclubs
Originally a converted tank landing craft LCT 7074 that started life took part in the D-Day landings in June 1944, the Clubship Landfall nightclub was moored in Salthouse Dock. In its early Liverpool years, it became the floating home of the Master Mariners’ Association of Liverpool in 1946.
But by the late 1960s, the venue took on a completely new life as business partners George 'Jud' Evans and Colin Peers bought it and transformed it into a popular nightlife venue. Clubbers would come onboard and walk through a hatch-like door to lower levels where they could grab a drink from the bar or head to the colourful dancefloor that lit up from underneath.
After owning the club for over a decade, in the 1980s the Clubship Landfall was sold and at one point sunk until it was rescued and restored. Landing Craft Tank 7074 (LCT 7074) is the only known surviving ship of its kind which took part in the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944 and has since undergone extensive conservation and restoration work and is on display at The D-Day Story in Portsmouth.
18. Sticky Lice
Many Scousers will remember this from their childhoods - and just the sight of it would likely make most modern kids turn their noses up. Resembling something you would throw for a dog, or start a bonfire with, these sweets were once incredibly popular.
Better known in Liverpool as the unappetising sounding 'Sticky Lice', the one-time childhood favourite was actually a liquorice root stick. Not only did it sound unsavoury, but looking like a pile of twigs, these days it's hard to believe it was such a hit with kids.
Traditionally grown in the fields around Pontefract, Yorkshire, it also had other names including 'Spanish', after demand for it grew so much after WWII it had to be imported from Spain. And not only was Sticky Lice tasty, it was also said to be good for your teeth - or at least that's what kids were told.
19. Berni Inns
The Berni Inn chain itself started in 1955 when Aldo and Frank Berni opened the first Berni Steakhouse, Rummers, in Bristol, alongside business partner Paul Rosse. Inspired by a chain of restaurants they had seen in America, Berni Inn introduced post-war Britain to the likes of steak and chips, prawn cocktails and Black Forrest gateau, arguably paving the way for the pub-restaurant chains we know so well today.
It later expanded its empire to London, Birmingham, Manchester - and Merseyside. From 1961 to 1966, they are said to have opened an average of one new Berni Inn a month, owning nearly 100 restaurants in the late sixties. At a time when eating out was becoming more fashionable and popular, Berni Inns started to appear in many towns and cities across the country.
In Merseyside itself, many will remember the likes of the Berni Steak Bar in Sefton House, the River Inn on St George's Road, Pierhead, The Albany on Old Hall Street and the Mersey Tavern on Lord Street. The brothers sold the chain to Grand Metropolitan for £14.5 million in 1970 and by the mid 1990s, the chain was sold to Whitbread who later converted the outlets into their own Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants.
20. Wacky Warehouse
Wacky Warehouse was a staple part of growing up in the 1990s and 2000s. A soft play centre within a pub, many of us have fond memories of steep slides, ball pits and slush puppies.
On a rainy day, parents could enjoy a pint while their kids got up to all sorts of mischief in the soft play area. It was also the perfect place for children to celebrate their birthdays and burn off their excess energy from all the jelly and ice cream.
But unlike other ball pit centres, Wacky Warehouse had an elevated, more adventurous feel to it. Today, not many are left, especially on Merseyside.
21. Knife sharpeners
Known as "knife sharpeners," men used to travel around Liverpool areas and knock on doors offering to sharpen a variety of household objects. This included knives, scissors, shears and more.
In today's society, many of us would just throw away these items once they became blunt and buy new ones. But in the 20th century, however, people were more conscious of making the most of what they had in order to save money..
The dangerous-looking machine perhaps wouldn’t be allowed on our streets nowadays, as they pose a health and safety hazard to the user and those nearby. But for a price, they would sharpen the objects using a contraption which consisted of a grindstone attached to a bicycle that was powered by pedalling.
22. 'Bubble' bus stops
Liverpool's lost 'bubble bus stops' belonged to a time when the city centre was a very different place from what it is today. One of the biggest changes to Liverpool city centre in recent memory was the demolition of the Roe/Hood Street Gyratory.
This was to build Queen Square bus station in 1996. The old gyratory had been known locally as the 'bubble bus stops' due to the curved plastic design of its shelters which took up the length of both Roe and Hood Street.
The above image captures what it looked like on Roe Street back in 1995. Many commuters will remember transport in the city as seen here.
23. Jack Sharp
Jack Sharp is a name still recognisable to Liverpudlians, not only because of his performances as an outside-right at Everton FC, but through his eponymous sports shop in Whitechapel which opened in 1903. Before rival shops, commercial sports deals and online shopping, it was 'the' place - and at one time the only place - to buy sportswear and certain sports equipment in the city.
For generations, a trip to town wasn't complete without going to Jack Sharp to see what the latest sport trends were or to pick up essentials for your school P.E. kit. For many, it was the place you bought your first ever football boots or even teams for Subbuteo.
Jack Sharp died in January 1938 at his Wavertree home - but his name continued to live on though his shop, which remained in the family, as well as his legacy with Everton. Once arguably the best sports store in Liverpool city centre for a number of decades, by the 1980s, it was bought by JJB.
24. Somerfield supermarkets
Somerfield arrived on the scene in 1991 with the first store opening in Nottingham. And it wasn’t long before the supermarket chain popped up all over the UK, including right here in Liverpool and Wirral.
The company was first known as Gateway Foodmarkets in the 1960s, later being known simply as Gateway. After a number of acquisitions and restructuring in the company, the Somerfield name and brand was born in 1990.
Unfortunately, all Somerfields had closed by the end of 2011. This was after the company was bought by the Co-operative group.
25. Scouse Mouse in the paper
It has been nearly 20 years since Scouse Mouse appeared in the ECHO - but he is remembered fondly by our readers. First drawn by cartoonist George Nicholas in 1983. Scouse Mouse appeared in the comic strips for nearly 15 years.
Other characters included friends Chaz the Chicken and Sconned. A firm favourite, the comic strip is now a thing of the past.
26. Liverpool May Horse Parade
As late as the 1980s, the annual Liverpool May Horse Parade would bring people in the thousands flocking to the city centre spectacle. The parade was a celebration of Liverpool's horses, which were at one time considered the best in the world.
As early as the 1820s, a journalist from the New York Times wrote that he had never seen such magnificent horses pull such huge loads as in Liverpool. The Liverpool May Horse Parade was so envied that it was copied all over both Britain and Europe.
Yet in Liverpool, the May Horse Parade, which was so popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, slowly died out. In the mid-1980s, after a 50-year gap, the parade was brought back so that a new generation could experience it, but the final parade took place in 1990 after problems with funding brought a stop to the centuries old tradition once more.
27. Lost public toilets
Many of us remember a time when these were dotted around the city - and there's a lot that we no longer see. There was a time when public toilets were common on Britain's streets, but now they have become increasingly rare.
Public toilets began appearing on the UK's streets in the Victorian era as a response to years of unsanitary 'befouling' of public spaces. These underground toilets were accessible by stairs and lit by glass bricks on the pavement above.
Many will remember the ones on Aigburth Road, Victoria Street, Smithdown place and more. Perhaps odd to include on the list, many are now a thing of the past.
28. Rapid Hardware
Founded in 1971 Rapid Hardware gradually expanded across the length of Renshaw Street, becoming one of the city’s retail landmarks. The iconic family run department store soon became famous for its DIY, garden and home improvement products, but after moving into the former George Henry Lee building in 2009, Rapid was hit hard by the recession.
It fell into administration in February 2013 after failing to agree a deal with its bank, Royal Bank of Scotland. The company reopened three months later in the same building under a different name, Rapid Discount Outlet, with many of its former staff and expanded its product range in the new discount store, but the company made losses in all three years of trading and closed in 2017.
Today, the buildings that were home to the original Rapid store on Renshaw Street now belong to a range of different businesses, from M Box Karaoke to Rudy's on the corner of Bold Street. The Liverpool ECHO recently reported how this month, Hardware Coffee & Kitchen was opened by husband and wife Callum and Rachel Scott, who wanted to offer a modern twist on the building's history.
29. Lost multilevel streets
The above image shows the now demolished multi-level streets of Liverpool and the people who lived there from nearly a century ago. The photograph, dated May 5, 1927, shows the Netherfield Road entrance to Everton Terrace, which was demolished in the 1960s.
Today's generations couldn't fathom multilevel streets being a thing. But some generation living in the area knew no different.
Everton Terrace survived until the slum clearances of the 1960s, when it was demolished. The land eventually made way for Everton Park which was built in the 1980s.
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