Meet the man helping nostalgia fans step into Liverpool’s retail past 

He is Liverpool’s very own history man who has turned a passion for the past into a successful writing career.

Now Dan Longman is marking a fresh milestone in the shape of a brand new book – his 16th in a series of which delves deep into the Merseyside of yesterday.

Called Liverpool Shopfronts Through Time, it’s a treasure trove of then and now images offering a fascinating glimpse into shops from the past and the modern day counterparts which stand on those sites.

For local historian Dan, who lives in Birkenhead and who works as a heritage officer for Wirral Council, it’s been a labour of love.

“Walk down any high street and you are really just walking down an open air museum,” he explains.

“There are stories everywhere and while there are shops featured which are in the city centre there are also those which are equally as interesting in the suburbs.”

One of his favourites is 102 High Street in Wavertree, a Georgian shop front which has changed little over the centuries. 

“I love the set of well-worn stone steps leading to that bowed shopfront complete with Doric pilasters.. The original photo was taken in 1905.

“It’s amazing it still survives and is likely to be the oldest shopfront in Liverpool.”

Dan, who has a Masters Degree in town planning, became interested in history as a child when he began researching his family tree – the fact one of his ancestors was brought before a court for having a dungheap outside his house back in the 1700s still makes him laugh.

“From there I became fascinated with the streets and houses of Merseyside, the people who walked down them and lived in them and the story of Liverpool and Merseyside through time,” he explains.

He published his first book, Criminal Wirral, in 2007 with a foreword by author and creator of Horrible Histories, Terry Deary when he was just 17.

Since then his books have covered everything from Beatles’ landmarks to the region in the war years and famous murder cases.

And he reveals there are two or three other titles bubbling away in the background including A Dark History of Wirral, due out next year, which looks at the macabre and unusual tales associated with the peninsular.

“I love writing these books – it doesn’t feel like work at all.”

You can purchase the book here.

Find out more about Liverpool’s history on our website.

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