A mountainous street which terrorised Liverpool paperboys throughout the early 20th century was "so steep even a mountain goat would have baulked".
In its heyday Havelock Street, in Everton, was considered to be Liverpool's steepest street where daredevil children put their nerves to the test on roller skates and home-made go-karts. Known as "Mount Everton", the street needed a sturdy handrail for people who dared attempt the mighty climb to the summit.
Ken Rodgers, who was an ECHO paperboy with a local delivery round through Havelock Street in the 1950s, said: “I can vouch for how testing the ascent was. It was so steep even a mountain goat would have baulked.
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“It needed a handrail up one side to give senior citizens even half a chance of reaching the summit, especially during icy weather. The rail, running from bottom to top was a cast iron reminder that this was the steepest street in Liverpool.
“On a bitterly cold winter’s day, with two or three feet of snow underfoot, it would always be a challenge to respect. It was tempting to strap an emergency tent to your back, just in case you were forced to bivouac halfway up.
“Back in the 1950s, that early century daredevil spirit was still the order of the day, although now it was local kids taking their life in their hands, practising circus-style balancing skills down the steep metal handrail.
“The ultimate test of nerve was to consider careering down the slope on a homemade steering cart or pair of roller skates. You took your life in your hands if you attempted to race down on a steering cart, but many kids tried and lived to tell the tale."
Havelock Street was flattened in the 1960s but its memory remains alive and well in the minds of those who traversed its peak.
Jimmy Fearns, a former local resident, said: “I have to say that any mention of Havelock Street sends a chill down my spine. A few of the lads made a bet that no one could possibly ride a bike from the top of the street to the bottom.
"I did and my brake blocks went on fire, there was smoke everywhere. We had to do it in the night to make sure there were no cars coming when I got to the bottom. I was 12 or 13 at the time. The bet was for three bob.”
He added: “Another one was to walk up, yes walk up, the metal handrail that ran from the top to the bottom of the street. You were only allowed to fall off three times.”
Following the demolition of the infamous "Mount Everton", people who occupied the terraced houses there relocated to other parts of the city. In the 1970s, it was replaced with a steep path with wide steps rising up through Everton Park.
After the ECHO reported on the history of the street, hundreds of readers left comments with their memories on our website and social media pages.
Billious said: "I delivered milk for Reeces Dairies in the sixties and all the roads in that area were hard work in the winter as the Austin truck we had just couldn't climb them. As a 15-year-old 5'5" piece of skin and bone I developed muscles very quickly carrying crates of milk.
"But the one thing I really remember was the people. They had nothing but Christmas. They looked after me and my driver,. I should have known how good they were as I had lived in Adelaide Street when I was younger."
While on Facebook, Elaine Moore Prev Scott said: "I remember playing there when I was a child. We just lived a few streets away. We used to put a pair of skates on and skate down the street. There used to be a lamppost at the bottom and used that to stop us. I doubt my Mum and Dad knew what we got up to."
Another local, Bernie Cooke said: "I used it for training when I was in Liverpool mercury cycling club, not easy though I couldn't even make it down now never mind up."
Linda Brown said: "My aunt lived in Havelock Street, played there many times as a child, and my sister and I went every Saturday to the pie shop on the corner of one of those streets. It was good if you had a steri cart, lots of sore knees, and no shoe leather left trying to stop yourself going into Netherfield road - memories."
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