Today it is just one of many takeaways in the Walton area, but Didi’s in Rice Lane is situated in a building with plenty of history, being the last remaining trace of a zoo which was there in Victorian times.
The first zoological gardens in Liverpool were situated off West Derby Road and opened in 1833, closing 32 years later. That zoo had contained caged lions and tigers with antelope running free, but there were problems in obtaining other animals, with the proprietor’s son being killed on the River Nile whilst trying to catch a hippopotamus.
In 1883 the Liverpool Zoological Company was founded and proposed to spend £200,000 developing a twenty acre site off Rice Lane. However a Samuel Huggins from Chester wrote a letter to the Liverpool Mercury, which was published on 16th June that year, warning that this would be too small and that the money proposed wouldn’t go far with elephants costing £1,000 each and lions £500.
The zoological gardens opened in the summer of 1884 to little fanfare and as with the previous gardens some species were allowed to roam free, which could pose problems. In October two cockatoos disappeared and a reward was offered for their safe return.
Financial difficulties soon took a hold and the management of the gardens realised by 1885 that extra incentives had to be given to persuade people to attend, especially taking into account it was outside the city boundary at the time with Walton being a town in its own right. For the August Bank Holiday weekend, new boats were provided on the lake, the hall was made available for dancing and artists performed in the pavilion. Amongst those appearing were vocalist James Kennedy, ventriloquist FRank Vaughan and Fred Coyne, shockingly described by the Mercury as a ‘n*gg*r comedian.’ The day would be rounded off with a fireworks display, which must have been quite stressful for the animals.
By the end of the year the zoological gardens were in dire financial straits and went into liquidation. In March 1886 the liquidators held a two-day auction of the collection, which saw a pair of leopards fetch £62. There were plenty of more interesting non animal exhibits for sale too, including a 6,000 year old Inca mummy and carved Maori temple. The land itself was sold to a Mr G. Bradbury, who paid just £20,000 for it. The following July it was put to use when ninety Greek gypsies, who had refused to leave Central Station after arriving from London, were allowed to set up camp there for two months as they sought a way of making an onward passage to America.
Although animals were kept there on a much smaller scale than previously, the zoo was never a success. It eventually closed with barely a whimper in 1897 and all that remains is the old ticket booths, pictured below.
Hi
I finished work at Dunlop footwear 1991 ? the Elephant house
was still there in the form of the Mill K 6. + the monkey house
which ran down the back of Stalmine Rd , this building was
mainly stores.
Tippo.
Hi
I was a telephone engineer visiting Dunlops many times in the early seventies
Our main equipment was in a large, tall building, if I remember Was on the LHS as you entered the main gate.
This room was always locked and we had to get the key from security.
I was only a 17/18 year old apprentice and was sent to the security lodge to ask for the keys to “The Giraffe House”
I remember asking our engineer why it is called the giraffe house. He casually pointed to the apex on the gable wall, where I seen a circlular hole perfectly lined with a round of bricks, “that’s where they feed the giraffes”, ” #~<#% ", I said.
Bearing in mind this is a factory making Green Flash tennis shoes and nothing to do with animals l never thought any more of if.
It has been a standard joke all my life until today when my wife read an artical on Facebook and she timidly passed me her I pad showing me the ticket office to the Liverpool Zoo. She and the kids have apologised for the years of disbelief .
Just thought you could have a laugh
By the way after finishing our work at Dunlops we crossed the road and got the best fish and chips from a coal fired chip range
Regards
Stan
"
Brilliant memories Stan thanks.
The chippy you mentioned was Openshaws and I went there many times.
Incidentally the coal fired range is in the Liverpool Museum of social history,.
Hi. Can you tell me if the oxo park between Stalmine Road and Firdale Road was part of the zoo? I’ve revently been told that it was and that the owner of the land bequeathed it to the public under a covenant. I can’t find anything relating to it.
Thanks
Pat
Hi Pat, the rear boundary wall of the zoo (which is still there today) ran right through the middle of where the Oxo park was built.
I was brought up in Evered Avenue and have a vague memory of older kids talking about going to the monkey huts. Does anyone remember these and where were they? Guessing could be something to do with zoo?
The Monkey hut was the rain shelter outside Walton Hospital main gate, used in days of yore for visitors who had to wait until the porter opened the gate for the official visiting time. The Monkey House in the Dunlop factory was alongside a building known as the Shinio the polish firm which shared the site with the the Liverpool Rubber Company after the zoo closed. The Liverpool Rubber Company was later acquired by Dunlop
Hi Sue, yes I definitely think they were to do with the zoo. I can’t remember the exact location either though sorry but I knew a few people who went there.