An old converted bus cemented onto a street corner became a much loved and vital part of a community for generations.
The rusted green, single decker bus was a permanent fixture opposite The Orient pub on Eastern Avenue in Speke for years. Originally placed near the bus terminus as early as the 1950s, it was originally a makeshift café for bus drivers and conductors before becoming a tiny shop that stayed open long after the other shops shut.
Many people who grew up in Speke will remember the bus well as a fantastic place to buy sweets as a kid. Typical favourites would be Black Jacks and Fruit salads which you could buy for a penny.
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When a photo of the bus was uploaded to nostalgia groups on Facebook this week, it sparked a flood of memories from those who grew up with in Speke. And while the bus had passed through the hands of several owners through the years, many remember calling it "Stan's van" and it being run by a married couple called Stan and May.
What made the bus a unique and an important part of the community is that it was open after the other shops had closed, including Sundays. Many recalled being sent to the shop by their mums to buy "loosies" (single cigarettes) and buying sweets with the change.
Commenting on the uploaded photo, one woman said: "Oh I remember it well, especially on Sundays when my mum would send me for something she forgot for Sunday dinner and [buying] sweets with the change."
Another posted: "We knew were to go when the shops were shut. Always save us great memories."
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Remembering the married couple who run the bus, another posted: "Stan and his wife May used to work all hours in this van. She was a petite blonde who always looked immaculate, not a hair out of place, considering she must have worked more hours than we had in a day!"
Another said: "Omg! I remember this! We lived on clough Road, the first block of maisonettes right near this, I was five and mum used to send me here for things she needed on a note and let me have money for sweets. Happy memories xxx".
More fond memories of childhood were posted with another person saying: "Loved walking here for sweets with my nan. [It] wasn’t an eyesore for a little girl - it was great and holds lovely memories."
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One man, who said he was a former bus employee, said: "I was a bus conductor 1967/68 and used to take my breaks there. It had a very distinctive smell which I can still sense when I think about being in there!"
Many others remembered the bus' distinct smell. This ranged from "potatoes" to "over brewed tea" and paraffin from the heaters that kept its occupants warm.
Do these awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
When work on the terminus in Speke was completed in the 1990s the old bus was removed and its decades of service came to an end. However, many happy memories of the unusual community shop still remain.
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