A 'lost' trade that was once a "welcome sight" in many local pubs is still "missed" decades on.
As part of our How It Used To Be series, the Liverpool ECHO recently took a look back Merseyside's lost Cockle Men, who were known for calling in their branded jackets carrying a basket of seafood for punters to buy and enjoy with their pints. It may feel like a completely unheard of concept for younger generations, but before sit down meals and more of a variety of food and drink on offer, customers would buy shrimps, whelks, kippers and more from them in the pub.
Sometimes doused in vinegar, some would bring home the cockles and more in grease proof bags for the family to try. Today, the job isn't as common and very much considered a thing of the past , but for years, Cockle Men were a massive part of pub and nightlife culture in our city.
Read More:
- 31 brilliant photos of one lost Liverpool club in the 70s and 80s
- Lost stamps Liverpool children 'couldn’t wait' to fill a book with
We recently spoke to Mike Penn, 77, who worked as a Cockle Man from 1968 to 1972 to save up for a deposit on a house with his wife Vivienne. W orking for a company called Seacove Shell Fisheries, based in Park Road, Toxteth, Mike's patch tended to be Dingle, Garston, Allerton and Mossley Hill and sometimes he would go to other pubs when their regular Cockle Man was off.
Mike recently told the ECHO: "The way pubs are run are so different now. They're more family orientated, it was rare for women to go to the pub on their own and the clubs were just starting in Liverpool, the likes of the Cavern Club would finish at midnight to get the last bus home.
"You didn't get taxis anywhere, you didn't have the money to get a taxi, you stayed local in your area. People would come home with their pay package on a Friday and then go out.
"The context of the job is different to the social life you have in pubs - it was totally different 50 years ago to what they are now. I don’t think it would be the same doing it now.
"I don't think the pubs would let you as they all sell food or there’s kids running around. I couldn't imagine me going to Wetherspoons and selling cockles and mussels now."
Seacove Shell Fisheries wasn't the only business around at the time, as many will also remember Kershaws which was founded in Lancashire. According to their website, "as they introduced the Nation to the first 'Cockle Man', the Kershaw name soon became synonymous with exceptional seafood."
ECHO readers have since been sharing their memories of the local Cockle Men they remember on social media. And here are a few of your comments.
Do you remember your local Cockle Man? Let us know in the comments section below.
On our Facebook page, Val Pearson said: "Great treat, mum and dad used to bring cockles and shrimps." Moira Mahon said: "I am from Huyton & moved to Wigan years ago , a little Catholic club we frequented had a guy ( the Cockle man ) who'd come in Friday Saturday n Sunday nights ! Always bought something from him ,,, pity they don't have (The Cockle man nowadays."
David Povey wrote: "Used to come into The Bridge on Picton Rd." Tina Anderton Brown posted: "My dad done it as a 2nd job back in the 60s, he would take us kids with him sometimes and we would wait in the car. We also would go with him to the suppliers that was in the dingle in pickwick St. and watch the cockles being washed in big baths."
Barry Jones posted: "Yes we had the cockle man in the Highwayman on Belle Vale." Gordon Humphreys commented: "I used to sell cockles in Speke and Widnes."
Margaret Willcox said: "One used to come into St Elizabeth's club in Litherland of a Sunday night. Loved the shrimps!." Joseph Wright commented: "I did a seafood round in 1978 covering crosby, and Southport. Can't remember the name, but was based in bootle peel road off Marsh Lane. I was asked lots of times did I have crabs lol."
John Ackerley posted: "Kershaw's Super Cockle, that was the name emblazoned in blue on the white jacket, always got a laugh as it usually read something else with the way it folded!! Pity there weren't mobile phones in them days - actually, quite good that there wasn't with the stuff we used to get up to and no photographic record, thankfully." Jayne Bibby New wrote: "My dad used to sell them round the pubs in kirby."
Cliff Simber said: "My wife mary used to pack them in skem for Porters seafood in a shop unit she hated it when it was whelks day." Kenneth Hoare said: "Yes I remember Saturday nights in the Magazine Hotel in the early 1950’s."
David Subbo Summers said: "He used to come in the eagle and child!! And derby arms in Halewood." Les Netherwood commented: "Enjoyed their goods in the White House Litherland on many occasions, always went down well with a pint pf bitter."
Pat Brussels wrote: "I would stay awake on a Saturday night , waiting for my dad to bring me cockles homes from the Belmont Pub on West Derby Road / Belmont Road couldn’t wait , i was Pat Dunkley then from Lombard Street." Jean Alexander wrote: "They used to call in my Dad’s pub The Yew Tree."
Jan Gavin said: "Loved it when the cockle man came into the pub, lots if vinegar on them. Always one who'd shout have you got crabs." Lauren Jones said: "Kinda wish this was still a thing love cockles."
Tommy Landon posted: "We miss all of you you were a welcome sight in any pub thankyou for the memories." Louise Speakman said: "My dad used be a cockle man for Kershaws."
Denise Andphil Davies commented: "I loved it when the Cockle man used to come in the pub."Michael Austin commented: "Have you got any mussels,yea hed say.Then why aren’t you carrying two baskets."
Join our Liverpool memories and history Facebook group here.
For more nostalgia stories, sign up to our Liverpool Echo newsletter here.
Dorothy Jenkins commented: "Fantastic I loved those men with there Baskets of shrimps x." Joan James commented: "They were the days And Ritz crackers soft cheese and apickle onion from the pub."
Roy Goulding posted: "Came in my pub every weekend." Sandra Nuttall posted: "Yes when I was a kid my Dad would bring me shrimps in a little bag from the pub x."
Sarah Campbell posted: "Use to get prawn cocktail and cockles off the cockles man in when i used go the grapes in Woolton." Christine Hughes wrote: "I remember them, wonderful time."
Brian Flynn said: "Always looked forward to the cockle man, legend of our time."Bob Mckinney commented: "Loved cockles and shrimps with my pint I wish we could still get them mmmm."
Pauline Pruden Cureton wrote: "Used to come into local social clubs. Loved the red and white checked packet that the cockles came in. Loved the kippers off the cockle man too. Those were the days!." And Colin Bradshaw said: "We would say to our cockle man Les “have you any muscles?” When he replied “yes” we would reply “why don’t you carry two baskets then?” Great days, great memories.."
Through the generations, it wasn't uncommon to spot local cocklers working the beach. One image shows men busy collecting cockles on an early morning in 1973, whereas another shows West Kirby Cockling in 1992.
For many, it's been years since they last saw their local cockle man. But it's not a completely lost trade.
Nottingham Live previously reported how no night out in Nottingham was complete without a pot of prawns or cockles from Dave Bartram, aka the Cockle Man. Dave and a basket of seafood have been doing the rounds for nearly 60 years and last year, he also became popular on TikTok.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
Read Next:
- Liverpool's Cockle Men who brought baskets of seafood to the pub
- Lost images show Speke Airport before it was renamed Liverpool John Lennon
- Old brown seats and black rubber tiles remind us of Merseyrail past
- Lost Liverpool nightclub where clubbers were like an 'extended Addams family'
- Liverpool's record breaking Christmas grotto beloved by generations
