August has arrived, and a new collection of archive photographs from Mirrorpix shows what life looked like in Liverpool during the month in decades past. The images date back as far as the 1970s and capture summer celebrations, everyday city life and a solar eclipse.
One of the earliest photos shows Liverpool footballer Kevin Keegan showing off his Best Youngster of the Year Award before a league Division One match at Anfield in August 1972. Another dates from August 1975, when Hoylake's annual beach mission, a mix of evangelism and games for children, was led by Hugh Williamson of St John's College Cambridge.
Festivals fill Sefton Park
Sefton Park plays a central role in the gallery. In August 1992, 1,500 children took part in a fun day organised by Merseyside Play Action Council and Liverpool City Council, with photos capturing children playing swing ball and enjoying the sunshine. Two years later, on 26 August 1994, DJ Nicky Campbell hosted Radio One's Summer Roadshow in the park. The event was declared a success despite a lower turnout than usual, with numbers peaking at 3,000 against a typical roadshow crowd of 10,000.
The much-missed Mathew Street Festival also features, with photos taken on 29 August 1994 showing girls dancing in the street and crowds in the area.
City landmarks and everyday life
Elsewhere, the collection captures daily scenes such as the Masonic Pub on Lark Lane, pictured with landlady Ruth Heague and husband Freddie on 13 August 1985, and a man using a copy of the Liverpool Echo as shade from the sun in 1997. People relaxing in the sunshine were photographed on 19 August 1997, the same day aerial views of the city were taken, some showing the Metropolitan Cathedral in the background.
Other notable images include the Royal Iris Mersey Ferry on 5 August 1980, St John's Beacon in August 1997, Stanley Park Lake on 25 August 1996, and a Sea Cadet marching band at Albert Dock on the same day, marking the dock's 150th anniversary.
From 1975 and 1977, photos shared by retired civil engineer Barrie Old document the construction of the Liverpool Landing Stage, including the shore base for Boom 6 being prepared for concreting and a section of the wooden stage being towed away.
Eclipse crowds
On 11 August 1999, people gathered in Liverpool city centre to watch a solar eclipse. The archive shows crowds looking skyward, with some using X-ray sheets to view the eclipse safely.
Together, the 34 images offer a glimpse of August in Liverpool across the decades, from festivals and building work to quiet moments in the sun.
