Halton Memories: A shelter on every corner

By Runcorn And Widnes Weekly News on Jun 11, 09 02:56 PM in 1800-1899

AS far as I know, there is only one air raid shelter still standing in Runcorn; whether or not there are any in Widnes I simply have no idea and will hopefully have to rely on helpful readers to let me know.

I'm old enough, of course, to remember the days of the shelters but the only ones familiar to me were those opposite our old family home in Blantyre Street. The shelters were situated directly opposite, on what we called Collier Bank.

My interest in the old shelters was rekindled when regular correspondent Percy Dunbavand supplied me with a list of Runcorn streets where the urban council's surveyor was given the go-ahead to construct additional shelters in 1940.

These shelters were to be built in South Bank Terrace, Hankey Street, Peel Street, Grove Street, Speakman Street, Mill Street, Devonshire Place, Cross Street, Princess Street, Back High Street, Granville Street, Bridge Street, Trinity Street, Ellesmere Street, Pigue Lane, New Street, Chaucer Street, Eaton Street, Fox Street, Hawthorn Avenue, Cawley Street, Grange Road and the private road close to the old Parochial Hall at the top of Greenway Road. However, I would doubt whether all those listed were actually built.

Others had already been approved but where were they? Here again, readers hopefully will be able to tell me. Thanks to Percy, I know there was one shelter close to the old St John's schoolroom in Weston Village.

And the one still standing? Percy tells me that's the building near the Park Lake, now used by the boat modelling club as a workshop.

Again, more in hope than expectation, readers in both Runcorn and Widnes will let me know where all the shelters in the twin-towns were situated.

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