When it was first created in the late 1960s, the sprawling Ford estate just outside Birkenhead was considered "ultra modern."
Up to 8,000 people were housed in its high-rise blocks and houses. But like so many similar estates around the country, it soon became a byword for deprivation, drug abuse, and anti-social behaviour, despite the pockets of community pride that existed.
Eventually, the four high-rise blocks which dominated the skyline were demolished, the houses were substantially rebuilt or refurbished, while the estate itself was re-branded "Beechwood." The Ford estate was originally created to house people moving from the North End of Birkenhead, with the aim of providing a better standard of living.
