FOUR BRIDGES have taken their toll on Wallasey's smallest, oldest business, the tiny Central Park Kiosk. Faced with the prospect of the bridges being off for a total of two years, newsagent Barbara Nevin has sold her last Post and Echo, packet of cigarettes and Mars Bar.

The once busy, main road kiosk has suffered a continual decline in passing trade, since A Bridge went up for repairs two Summers ago.

Now the shutters have gone down a final time, ending the kiosk's 80-year-old tradition of serving the community.

Central Park Kiosk was established just after WWI for disabled veterans to make a living. The Nevins have run it for generations as a newsagents and tobacconists. Barbara's mother-in-law worked in the kiosk when she was well into her 80s, until her death a couple of years ago. She was a much loved, local character

Barbara's husband, Morris, and daughter Julie, also ran the kiosk. It was open all hours from early morning to early evening. The Nevins always had time for a chat, joke, or cheery 'good morning' for customers.

However, when the bridge went up, motorists en route stopped driving down Liscard Road and calling in at the kiosk. Now, the once busy little business cannot even support one mouth. The bridge is not likely to be repaired until next May.

"Due to a dramatic fall off in passing trade, factory closures and high unemployment locally, I have sadly decided to call it a day," says Barbara.

"I will miss our friends, customers and neighbours, all rolled into one. It is no longer viable for us to remain open. On Saturday night, we sent the paper boys out for the last time. Central Park Kiosk has closed. It is now up for sale."

It certainly is the end of an era. The colourful little kiosk will be missed. The ultimate irony is that the landlord is Wirral Council, which is responsible for the repairs to the Four Bridges.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.