General Chat

I need to try to find something, but I don't know what it's called !!
Is there a publication that would have details of businesses from years ago?
My Uncle Donny and Auntie Hilda used to own a chip shop on Penny Lane Liverpool. I can remember going to see them and getting some chips and being fascinated by the machine that peeled the spuds. I imagine it would be around 1960.

They were also comedy entertainers on the club circuit. Any idea how to find any details of their bookings?

I also had a cousin who used to play the organ at Blackpool Tower Ballroom., Ronnie Curtis. Does anyone have any suggestions how I could find more details please.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

My first stop is always Google!!

It's amazing what pops up, especially if someone has been an entertainer.

There are trade directories for most places in Britain, try googling Liverpool Trade Directory.

OH used to be in digs near Penny Lane around that time!!

Hi Sylvia. I've tried googling but nothing true comes up. I'll try googling Liverpool Trade Directory and see what they come up with.
Wow, just think, your OH might have been in my Uncle Donnys chippie at the same time I was getting my bag of chips!!!!!!!

:-D :-D :-D

For your cousin, try googling

Ronald Curtis, organ player, blackpool

scroll down to Electric Organs page.

Is that him?

Have you contacted the Liverpool History Society they may well have copies of the trade directories. Our local one has all of those sort of things including photos,I know because I help out in the Archive there :-D

Have you tried looking for old photos. I sometimes find something useful. The Getty images have a photo of Penny Lane Fish & Chip shop.

I looked on google map.
There is still a fish and chip shop
at 53 Penny Lane L18 1DE
Ann

Thank you to everyone for the suggestions.
I THINK I've tracked down Ronnie Curtis's birth to March 1932 so I can judge his age in photos as I've never seen a photo of him. The problem being that photos of him are undated!! Not a great deal of help. I'm not very good on the BMD sites. All I know of Ronnie is that he somehow connects with the name Muriel and the surname Patrick. I guess Muriel must have been his Mother, as he never married. He was (secretly) gay which was illegal in his day.

Thanks also for the suggestion re the Penny Lane chip shop. Namelessone and McAlp-I did see the photo of the current chippie but I don't remember it being on a corner. However my 60 year old memory might not be accurate, so thank you very much for that.
LaGooner, I'll try to contact the Liverpool History Society. Thanks for the suggestion.Sylvia, I googled what you said and pressed to see a Ronnie Curtis play-the video was removed, so couldn't see it. If I got a DATED photo or video it might give me a better clue if it was "my" Ronnie because I could estimate his age in regard to his DOB. I've got no idea when he died-couldn't find that detail.
I'll see what I can find out, but I just want you to know I'm grateful for your help.

This looks like a possible birth then

Ronald Curtis
Registration Date: Jan 1932
[Feb 1932]
[Mar 1932]
Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration District: Liverpool
Inferred County: Merseyside
Mother's Maiden Name: Patrick
Volume Number: 8b
Page Number: 350


Note mmn !


Edit
And a sister

Births Dec 1934
Curtis Muriel Patrick Liverpool S. 8b 67

So maybe

Marriages Sep 1931
Curtis Leslie E Patrick Liverpool 8b 132
Patrick Rachel Curtis Liverpool 8b

Death

Name: Age at Death (in years):
CURTIS, LESLIE ERNEST 28
GRO Reference: 1937 J Quarter in LIVERPOOL SOUTH Volume 08B Page 89

43 Otway St Garston Liverpool, Garston, Lancashire, England

Thomas Patrick Head Married Male 45 1866 Blacksmith's striker Lincolnshire Spalding
Hannah Patrick Wife Married Female 34 1877 - Lancs Widnes
William Henry Patrick Son - Male 12 1899 School Lancs Widnes
Lucy Patrick Daughter - Female 10 1901 School Lanc Widnes
Eva Patrick Daughter - Female 7 1904 School Lanc Widnes
Thomas Arthur Patrick Son - Male 5 1906 School Lanc Farnworth
Rachel Patrick Daughter - Female 2 1909 - Lanc Garston
Thomas Wolfendall Visitor Married Male 38 1873 Labourer engineers Lancs Wigan

Remarried

Rachel Curtis
Registration Date: Oct 1941
[Nov 1941]
[Dec 1941]
Registration Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec
Registration District: Liverpool
Inferred County: Lancashire
Spouse: Albert C Jones
Volume Number: 8b
Page Number: 214

Rachel Jones
Death Age: 69
Birth Date: 14 Jun 1908
Registration Date: Apr 1978
[May 1978]
[Jun 1978]
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Registration District: Knowsley
Inferred County: Merseyside
Volume: 36
Page: 0037



Not coming up on the 1939 register though

Muriel Curtis
Registration Date: Jan 1960
[Feb 1960]
[Mar 1960]
Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration District: Liverpool
Inferred County: Lancashire
Spouse: Reginald F Illingworth
Volume Number: 10d
Page Number: 827


Mrs Muriel Illingworth
Gender: Female
Age: 83
Birth Date: 11 Oct 1934
Last Residence: Runcorn, Cheshire, England
Postal Code District: Wa7
Death Date: 8 May 2018

Not with her mum in 1939

12 Morris Drive, Weaverham, Northwich R.D., Cheshire, England

Frances Roughley ? Jun 1899 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 317 1
Mabel Dukes (Roughley) 27 Mar 1923 Female Paid Domestic Service Single 317 2
The record for this person is officially closed.
The record for this person is officially closed.
Muriel Illingworth (Curtis) 11 Oct 1934 Female At School Single 317 5
Joseph Roughley 02 Oct 1895 Male Basket Maker Married 317 6

SHIRLEY---You cracked it!!!!!! Muriel was his sister!!!! Thank you so much. Reading all the names , they all clicked in my head! Lucy was my maternal Grandmother. Again, many thanks for your help. You're bloody brilliant. Just don't know how you know where to look. XX