A well-loved pub which stood derelict for years has now been changed into flats.
Standing on the corner of Hill Street and Mill Street in Dingle the Dick Jennings pub held fond memories for many people in the area. When the ECHO asked readers about pub the city has loved and lost, the Dick Jennings popped up time and time again.
One person on social media described it as the "hub of the community" and others shared memories of their "old stomping ground". Before it changed its name to Dick Jennings after the manager Richard Jennings between the 40s and 50s, the pub was formerly known as West House and The Grapes.
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Behind the pub were the King Gardens tenements where the Dick Jennings became residents' local. The creation of these self-contained communities started in the 1920s and was driven by a need to tackle slum housing and a provide better standard of living for working class families.
This issue of overcrowded housing was particularly prevalent in cities like Liverpool, where 11,000 families were living in single-room dwellings in 1919. For many people who moved into them, this was the first time they'd had access to hot running water, an indoor toilet and reasonably spacious rooms.
A strong sense of identity and community spirit was established among those that lived there and they quickly became a place where everyone knew each other. However, by the 1980s this kind of housing had fallen out of favour, with the buildings no longer considered modern by city planners and requiring considerable renovation to bring them up to standard.
This led to the eventual demolition of tenements across the city much to the dismay of tenants, who in many cases campaigned fiercely against the decision. However, despite the landscape around the pub ever-changing over the decades, the Dick Jennings remained steadfast.
However, the pub was forced to close its doors to customers some years ago and fell into dilapidation. Windows were boarded up and part of the sign had fallen.
In 2019, planning permission was approved with conditions to change the derelict pub into three, four bed HMO's, one three bed HMO and build five "dormers" to the roof at the front and side. Work has progressed and the flats have kept some original features.
Pictures show the building with the original pub pillars and the carvings of capitals , keeping some of its history on the community.
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