Great Homer Street

The golden shopping mile that was 'Greaty'

Denis Hargreaves upload: 1967 Great Homer St and Luther St

Joe Hewlett's well known butchers on Great Homer Street with the Dryden Arms on the corner of Dryden Street.

Great Homer Street between Collingwood and Virgil Streets.

This was my mother's favourite on 'Greaty', the well-known Sturlas Department store.

A good clear head on shot of the famous Woolworth's store that stood at the south end of Great Homer Street.

Attentive children in Great Homer Street Library 1969,uploaded to Netherfield Road & Surrounding Area Facebook by Mary Thornton.

My mum had a stall in the old 'tin sheds' market in Scotland Road. She used to take me to Thorns cafe where we used to have a roast dinner followed by a college pudding. Ginny was the waitress and I can still hear her shouting the orders to the kitchen "2 roast beef, 2 college". There were tin barrels out the back full of cut up cabbage "steeping in water" ready to be cooked. No health and safety there. The old stall holders in the tin sheds always used to say to my mum,"do you want a pinch Theresa" then they would share snuff.In the late fifties my mum had an inside stall in the Cazneau Street market and on Saturdays in the summer went on the outside market. I can remember going to one of the many vans selling food and buying biscuits, a real luxury. In the 70's I sold 2nd hand clothes in Greaty on Saturdays as my mum now had a stall in St Martins. I saw Cilla White (Cilla's mum) often also Winnie Boyle who I have seen a picture of on the internet. My mum gave up her stall in St Martins market in her 70's and I was offered the stall but with two small children I could not take it, something I have regretted ever since.

1960s Great Homer St temporary Library in the former Ridings Furniture shop, with the Spot next door, uploaded to the Netherfield Road Facebook by Dennis Hargreaves.

1960s Great Homer St temporary Library in the former Ridings Furniture shop, with the Spot next door, uploaded to the Netherfield Road Facebook by Dennis Hargreaves.

Window shopping along 'Greaty' in 1962

A mist hovers over Greaty's legendary open air market alongside Cazneau Street with the distinctive tower in the background/

Greaty's Cazneau Street open air market in 1962.

Greaty's St Martin's Market.

Great Homer Street Library 1969

Great Homer Street from the top of Marwood Towers.

Denis Hargreaves says: 2020 Great Homer St, the old Woolies building on the right and what was Vinny's / Richie's chippy on the left, the gap between them would have been Jackson's the Barber.

Looking for bargains on the original 'Greaty' open air market.

A wonderful shot of Great Homer Street at its junction with Dalrymple Street. Just look at all the different little shops that was a feature of this once golden shopping mile. I love the old Sayers van outside the famous bakery and cake shop. My mother's Saturday cakes order never deviated as we waited in a constant queue of eager customers: Custard tart,custard slice, blackcurrant tart, trifle, cream bun, Eccles cake . . . all packed up neatly in a box to be consumed as a special treat at teatime on the Sunday. Happy memories of old Everton and Greaty!

The famous Co-op at the Kirkdale Road end of Great Homer Street. I would go there with my mother and marvel at the overhead cable system that whisked your money up to to the accounts area before returning a receipt and any change.

One of Greaty's famous pubs in 1920, the Sefton Arms at the bottom of Thomaston Street, identified by Denis Hargreaves.

Denis Hargreaves of Netherfield Rd & Surrounding Area Facebook identifies this 1980s photo as being taken from Marwood Tower looking across Great Homer Street.

On the Netherfield Road & District Facebook page, Denis Hargreaves explains: The Box House pub at 34 Great Homer St in 1905, between Sheridan St and the Wesleyan Chapel.

Dennis Hargreaves of the Netherfield Road Facebook uploaded this image. It shows (right) the familiar shape of the old Woolworth's store on 'Greaty' - one of the first Woolies in the country.. Many people will remember Vincent's chippy.

Great Homer Street and Roscommon Street 'Then & Now' from the Netherfield Road Facebook platform.

A lone gentleman walks along Great Homer Street with his memories of what had been Seacome Stret in the 1970s.

An intriguing 1970s aerial shot with Great Homer Street to the left.

Another busy day on 'Greaty', this image looking towards the Dryden Arms on the corner of Dryden Street. Uploaded to the Heyworth Street & S.A. Facebook by Jimmy Johnson.

The former temporary library on Great Homer Street which had previously been Ridings Furniture Store. Uploaded to Netherfield Road & S.A. Facebook by Denis Hargreaves.

Great Homer Street with Thomaston Street to the left. The Globe cleaners and a hairdressers amongst the hundreds of little shops along this road.

An intriguing shot taken by John Prescott in the late 1960s, looking up from Great Homer Street towards Netherfield Road. High rise blocks are now dominating the sites of countless famous old steep terraced streets. To the right of the tower in the centre can just be seen the iconic St George's 'Iron' Church on Northumberland Terrace, the latter still standing of course after over 200 years.

St Martin's indoor market on Great Homer Street, late 1960s, taken by John Prescott.

The famous Duffy's store on Great Homer Street in the late 1960s. Image taken by John Prescott.

This picture was uploaded by Denis Hargreaves to the Netherfield Road Facebook platform. It perfectly shows the world famous Greaty market site, now and isolated on a giant island, surrounded by the curving approach roads that lead to the Wallasey Mersey Tunnel. This development, while crucial in its own way, was an important second road link between Liverpool and the Wirral, but it took out many old streets and finished the old market although modern versions have helped Greaty retain some of its old shopping traditions..

Great Homer Street with a barrow lady left. This was where Thomaston and Potter Streets met 'Greaty'.

Denis Hargreaves from the Netherfield Road Facebook platform uploaded this great image, circa 1910, of the Wesleyan Mission, Girl Guides, Great Homer Street. This building later became the Rydal Youth Centre

An interesting angle, looking down towards Great Homer Street with Scotland Road and its familiar St Anthony's Church beyond.This obviously features some of what was then the new build following the main clearances of the 1960s, but even this scene has changed considerably.

An intriguing view of a market day on 'Greaty' by Gerard Fleming.

A busy day on the former 'Greaty' open air market.

May Lambert and the shop for tasty ice cream on Greaty. It must have been a hot summer's day. Look at the little boy in his Wooly's sunglasses! Brilliant.

Great Homer Street with a glimpse of the famous Sturlas department store.

A man with his memories. The old streets have gone. Seacome, Ellison and Edinburgh high rise towers rise over the demolition destruction with St George's Church peeping through at the top of the hill.

Taking a seat and a well earned rest in Great Homer Street's St Martin's market.

Great Homer Street at Robsart Street.

Workmen removing cobbled sets on Great Homer Street.

The Great Homer Street Methodist Church near the market which we think closed in the late 50s. It later became the Rydal Youth Centre.

A fascinating silhouette of Great Homer Street with demolition up the hill and the emergence of the High Rise blocks.

The famous Ice Cream parlour on 'Greaty'

The Edinburgh Castle on one side, Joys store on the other. A great 1960s shot of Great Homer Street.

Great Homer Street looking north.

A wet day in Greaty Market, but still plenty of enthusiasm.

Crown pub and Costigans on Great Homer Street.

Another busy day on Greaty market.

The words Great Homer Street and market instinctively go together.

Bargains were always to be had on the stalls at Greaty's open air market

A typical old chippy and cafe on Greaty.

A UCLA laundry van on 'Greaty' in 1956

Twist's Fishmongers on Great Homer Street.

A.E. Vaughan's on Great Homer Street.

A van pulls out of Beatrice Street onto Greaty.

Some well known 'Greaty' premises on the corner of Buckingham Street.

The legendary Duffy's store on Greaty sold everything. There is another image further down the reel. Duffy's stood on the corner of Rose Vale.

The Carnarvon Castle Stood on the corner of ‘Greaty’ and Collingwood Street.

The Elephant pub stood on the corner of Great Homer Street and Roscommon Street. Picture researched by Netherfield Road & Surrounding Area Facebook platform.

The Houghton Arms stood on the corner of Great Homer Street and Great Nelson Street near the original open air market.

A wonderful colour shot of Great Homer Street and a fruit barrow alongside the well known Nobles hardware store. Image courtesy of Netherfield Road & Surrounding Area Facebook platform.

The famous 'Greaty' Woolworth's store, one the first in Liverpool,on a fairly quiet day as two young Sixties boys and two girls swing past - very smart indeed. Was it Sunday Best?

It is always demoralising to look at images that show devastation where there was once vibrant community life. This is a good example, taklen from Great Homer Street at the height of the clearances.Thankfully there are people like Joan Gallagher Killey whose memory of this photograph, used on the Netherfield Road & Surrounding Area Facebook platform, help to remind us of the way it was. To the extreme right is Rose Vale with The Vale pub at the top. The next one along is Anthony Street with the shop at the top. The houses in between the streets are Netherfield Road and you can just see St George’s Street where the block of houses start

The famous Daglish's pawn shop on Great on the corner of Ellison Street..

A fascinating picture taken Inside the Peagrams grocers store on 'Greaty'.

An unusual colour image of shoppers on Great Homer Street in the 1960s.

The famous Duffy's store on Great Homer Street where it seems you could buy just about anything. I assume the two policemen were about to buy some Dolly Whites or a new mop bucket!

An excellent picture of the vibrant Greaty/Cazneau Street fruit and veg market in 1962.

Great Homer Street at its junction with Roscommon Street. The popular Lee's Footwear shop will bring back memories and I love the old car.

Great Homer Street at its junction with Crete Street. This was the Kirkdale Road end of Greaty.

The famous Homer cinema.

Irwins had a store on 'Greaty', always a familiar shape. It was next to a records shop near Collingwood Street.

A familiar Schofields lemonade truck outside the well known Sayers shop on 'Greaty'.

The original legendary golden shopping mile of Greaty has been destroyed by the bulldozers, but nothing could stop these ladies meeting for their familiar chat before trying to find out what might be left to put in their shopping bags.

The Great Homer Street shopping story continues to come together with this fascinating image of properties between Conway Street and Robsart Street. This is further great work by the Netherfield Road & Surrounding Area Facebook page and Brian Rea. It was not uncommon to have a derelict property next to a series of lively businesses, in this instance the Reece's Confectionary shop, a winestore, and the Star Drapery Store which many will remember.

St Martin's Market in 1968

The famous Sayers cake shop on 'Greaty' where I was sent every Saturday for the same order: 1 blackcurrant tart, 1 cream bun, 1 Eccles cake, I trifle, 1 custard slice, 1 custard tart, - all placed neatly in a box and tied with ribbon or string. These were never touched until Sunday tea!

Great Homer Street by Potter Street.

One of the countries first Woolworth shops was on 'Greaty' - a Woolies I remember well and a place to add to your collection of 'ollies'.

Great Homer Street at Dryden Street

Great Homer Street shops and the Crown Pub

Many people will remember these two 'Greaty' shops. My mother May Rogers always used Gittens the butchers which stood next to Allen's fish and poultry shop.

The well known fish shop that fronted out onto Great Homer Street in the 1950s/1960s.