NOW WE'RE OFF THE RAILS

We're still exploring the delights of Southport. This is Hesketh Park in 1966.

A bit of old Southport in this postcard of Pleasureland.

Here's the "Prom" in the 1950s. Another postcard view.

Nearby is a claimant to be the smallest pub in England. What do you think?

Here's an evening view of the tiny pub. Thanks to Micropub Adventures for permission to use this photo.

 Within the covered market, there is a tiny pub, the Tap & Bottles.

The Willow Grove is one of the town's mandatory Wetherspoons.

The Berkeley Arms Hotel was famous for real ales, pizzas and being the local of the fella' that devised the Keg Buster cartoons. Sadly, now closed.

The Cheshire Lines, named after the railway, served a decent pint......and still does, I believe.

The Guest House is one that shouldn't be missed.

A micropub, The Inn Beer Shop, at the north end of Lord Street, has now closed.

The Masons Arms is a decent Robinson's house.

The Mount Pleasant, seen in in Mathew Brown's colour scheme.

Peaky Blinders is now called Sinclairs.

The Phoenix is still in situ, but is now more of an Indian restaurant.

Another 'Spoons! The Sir Henry Segrave.

The Volunteer is a Thwaite's pub, just off Lord Street.

Between Lord Street and the sea is the Windmill.

Time for a look at the town's road transport. I photographed this old milk float in action on Lord Street in 2009.

Five years earlier, Memory Lane was operating this old Albion on the town tour.

Back in the mid 1970s, Merseyside PTE had taken over Southport Corporation's buses and were using an open-top Leyland Tiger on tourist duties.

More modern vehicles were used to get the residents of Southport around the town.

By 1994, Merseybus was operating this DAF/Ikarus saloon in the town.

Arriva is now one of the main operators.

The "new" North Western Road Car had services into Southport. 

The short-lived GTL also came in. 

Stagecoach provide several routes today.

Not many independents serve Southport, but Comfybus has some tendered work.

Ooh look! There's a bus rally down by the Promenade.

Before we leave Southport, there's time to visit the Merseyside PTE depot, seen here in the early 1980s.

To finish off this post, let's have a pint in the Zetland, in a residential area of Southport.

Next time, a look at the hinterland.

SOUTHPORT ON THE RAILS

So, we've arrived at Southport. A lot of people do that and many come by train, pulling into Chapel Street station (the only one these days). 45110 is seen here, on a special, in July 1968.

 A regular interval service to Liverpool was maintained by these EMUs, until replaced by 507 units.

Here's the station and its signal box in 1982.

Looking away from the station, showing the carriage sidings in 1994.

507 023, still in blue & grey, at Southport station in 1994.

The occasional special arrives at Southport. Preserved LMS 5407 seen here in 1989.

Today, Southport is served by Northern and Merseyrail.

The former loco shed at Southport became Steamport Museum. 

Some preserved road transport was kept here too.

Here's a Peckett 9-4-0ST in steam in the yard.

Also in the yard, two power cars from the Southport Pier Railway.

Sadly, Steamport Museum later closed and no trace remains. The pier railway, however, continued. Here's the train in 1982.

A new train had been put into service by 2009.

This contraption also supplemented the train service.

The narrow gauge pier railway crosses over another railway, a miniature one. 

Back to the standard gauge. St Lukes station in Southport, on the Wigan line, closed in 1968.

The Cheshire Lines Extension Railway built a line into Southport, terminating at Lord Street station. A Great Central Railway 4-4-0 is seen close to the terminus, The line closed in 1952.

Lord Street station later became a bus facility, used by Ribble Motor Services.

Southport's horse-drawn trams ran along Lord Street.

Lord Street, the town's "main drag", later saw electric trams.

This one's ready for a tour of the town.

Here's Lord Street after the trams had gone.

A more modern view. A postcard in my collection.

The Town Hall is on Lord Street.

The Scarisbrick Hotel can provide accommodation and the attached Baron's bar can supply some real ale.

So, it's time so say, "Good night", from Lord Street.

In the next post, we'll take a look at Southport's other amenities and transport.