Charlie Wright, the Wirral man who refused to let his family home be demolished, has died. Mr Wright, who stayed in his house despite the rest of the surrounding homes being pulled down, died in February this year.
A lone stand against demolition
Born in one of the over 600 homes in the River Streets estate in north Birkenhead, Mr Wright refused to see his home succumb to the same fate as the rest of the estate. While the other homes were demolished to make way for future development, number 8 Ilchester Road stood tall, as a mark of Mr Wright's resolve.
When asked why he chose to stay, he told the ECHO: "I was born in this house. All our family lived here, there were nine of us. Once they got married, they moved and I was the last one - me and me mam."
Fire and new neighbours
After fighting for his home, the building was almost tragically lost. In 2014, after the neighbouring homes had been cleared, three fire engines were sent to Mr Wright's beloved house to tackle a chip pan fire. The house filled with smoke after he forgot about a pan of chips cooking in the kitchen. After the blaze, Mr Wright was taken to Arrowe Park hospital for a precautionary check-up after suffering suspected smoke inhalation.
After over a decade as the only home in the area, in 2019, plans emerged for 178 new homes to replace the former River Streets estate. The homes were built and Mr Wright had neighbours once again. Now surrounded by new-build homes, Mr Wright's home can still be easily spotted with it being the only house in the area to have a chimney and garden gate.
Tributes to a man of principle
After the ECHO reported that Mr Wright had passed away, countless tributes have been made online to the man who "fought for what was right." Tracey Stocks wrote: "A man of principles who couldn't be bought. There is more to life than money. You can't buy memories and he loved that house." Sue Welsh added: "Good on him for standing his ground, never letting the authorities take over. Your fight is over now Charlie, rest easy."
