Woolton Boys' Club

Mission Cottages
No.9 and No.11 Courts, Rose Street, near to the junction of Vale Road, were purchased in 1896 by the Church Council of St. Peter’s Church and, after alterations and decorations, were formally opened as the Mission Cottages in 1897 by Bishop Ryle. They had been converted for the use of local residents for religious education as many residents in the Vale Road and Quarry Street area were so poor they felt that their clothes weren’t good enough for attending church...

Despite its success the need for the cottages waned and by 1935 Deaconess Schofield reported that only 20 families in the parish had clothing that could be deemed as unsuitable for church. In 1943 the cottages were let at a nominal rent and in July 1945 the premises were sold for £200.

Woolton Boys’ Club
The Mission Cottages, damaged during World War 2, were acquired by the Liverpool Boys’ Association in 1945 and were refurbished from funds raised by local auctions and donations. Their honorary president, Lord Woolton (Frederick James Marquis, (1883-1964)), who had been awarded Honorary Freedom of Liverpool in 1946, formally opened the Woolton Boys’ Club in 1947. On the committee were Mr Clingun, city surveyor (chairman); G D Jones, headmaster of Woolton Boys’ School (secretary); W Gamble, G L Pilkington, H Hughes, F C Dwyer, Dr A G C Ffolliott and Rev. M Pryce-Jones, Rector of Woolton. Other officials connected with the club later were: Councillor Vivian F Crosthwaite (Much Woolton Ward), chairman; G H Clingham, vice-chairman; P McKenzie, secretary; committee members, J Parry, J Gibbons; ladies committee, Miss ‘Bee’ McKenzie, Mrs Rimmer, Mrs Robinson and Miss Grace Blundell. The club leader was Jack W Parry.

Shortly after he was demobbed, Bob Paisley (later to become Liverpool FC manager) gave a talk to the Woolton Boys’ Club.

In January 1957 they celebrated their 10th anniversary in style having won, the previous year, both the LBA swimming championship and the senior league championship, which resulted in the club being selected to represent Liverpool at the Lancashire Boys’ Clubs Gala held at Bolton...

They regularly played football on a playing field that was located at the rear of 216 Vale Road, which is now Cheddar Close, where Dealcroft and Dovercroft high-rise have been built.

The Woolton Boys’ Club closed in March 1960 and the building has since been used by Edgar Brothers, firearms merchants (1970s), then a tyre sales warehouse after which the building was empty for some time. Village Glass (double-glazing specialists who still occupy the premises today) took over what was the clubs Billiard Room c.1984, and in 1988 the remainder of the building became the Rose Nursery & Kindergarten, whose ownership and name changed to Friends Day Nursery in 2003.