The sitcom Bread has been loved by millions since it first aired on BBC in 1986, showing the lives of the close knit families from Dingle. The show gave the steep Victorian terraced streets, which it’s filmed on, their infamous name “Bread Streets,” now arguably some of the most well known streets in Liverpool.
Since starring in Carla Lane’s 1980s comedy they have been known, for better or worse, as the Bread Streets and are almost iconic symbols of Liverpool’s urban Victorian terraces – with Elswick Street being the most well-known of them. And, residents living on the street have told the ECHO how the sitcom life isn’t too far from the truth.
Richard Scott, 60, who has lived in the heart of Elswick Street for 30 years, recalled how families would live just doors away from each other, everybody would know everybody and there has always been a sense of community. He said: “I’ve lived here for 30 years, the street has changed a little, sadly a lot of the older people have died. There were lots of street matriarchs here, there were quite a few but not so many now of the same families in the street, so in terms of the actual Bread thing it was actually very real.
“When I moved in, in number 22 was Mr Read and his mum also lived in the street – she was in 97 – she has sadly died now. There was a lot of that, father, son. There was another lady whose daughter lived in the street. There was a lot of that but as time went by it has faded. It’s interesting because it was always a difficult place to buy a house because houses would always be passed onto families.”
When Richard first viewed his house he caught the end of the filming for the series Bread. He said: “When I came to look at the house and the area they were actually filming the final scenes, they were filming grandad’s funeral. When they filmed on the streets and things they were very respectful. From what Mrs Clare [one of his neighbours] told me they took everybody in the street to the theatre production in London.”
He added: “It’s always been the kind of community where if you were going on holiday you would just draw your curtains, always so friendly. It always had the same kind of friendliness that I found from rural Lincolnshire, which is where I’m originally from.
Life on Bread Street in Dingle
(Image: Megan Banner)
“We had Mr and Mrs Clare who used to live next door, sadly they have both gone now, but he used to work on the clipper ships and all the old fashioned sailing ships. He was nearly 90 and he had seen so many changes. Ann who lives down the bottom, she is one of the longest running members of the street, she’s been here much longer than me. Mr Clare used to sit on the step and sing, that is another connection to Bread, it’s like another world.
“It’s a place with a lot of history and people closely knitted together, it’s a hot spot for the community. I’ve always loved living around here. “I remember once I was sick in bed with flu and my curtains had been drawn all day and Ann came knocking on my door to check I was OK.”
Richard recalled the changes he has seen over the past 30 years on Elswick Street. He said: “You used to be able to see the whole river, there weren’t any of those new buildings down there. We used to be able to see the moon reflect on the river. When I first came the tall ships came and you could perfectly see it from here.
The BBC in Elswick Street, Dingle filming the hit comedy “Bread” 11th July 1987
(Image: Mirrorpix)
It’s still really nice to see but we did lose a lot of that view. It’s interesting to see places change. A lot of new people have come in but I think they sense the friendliness. I know prices have gone up since I bought this place, which is sad.”
But one of the most interesting things about Bread Street, Richard says, is the fact people have been known to knock on doors and ask if residents are selling up. He told the ECHO how it has happened to him in the past.
Another resident, Ann Johnson, 80, who has lived in the area all her life, told the ECHO how much the Bread Streets have changed over the years. She said: “I was born on the street. I would go back to those days in a heartbeat if I could, it was so much better back then.
“Park Road was full of shops, Mill Street had shops, you didn’t need to go anywhere at all because we had everything we needed right here. We had clothes, chemists, children’s clothes, everything. But now everything is all out of reach. It was tremendous living here back then.
Richard with a picture he painted of Ann’s house on Elswick Street featuring Ann and her mum on the doorstep
(Image: Megan Banner)
“My mum lived at number 20 and I live at 38, it was always like, families living close together. It’s not like that now. The streets were always looking out for each other but now it’s not the same. You get the odd one who will say you ‘alright Ann, do you want something?’ when they pass, but it’s not the same as it was.”
Ann recalled what it was like growing up in the iconic Bread Streets, she said: “There has been loads and loads of change. When we had the docks at the bottom we had the boats coming in and my dad used to work on the dock.
“It was lovely growing up there, there was no bother with anyone, the people were nice and the children had manners. I’d go back to those times tomorrow. And, we had more fun. We used to have snow, I remember going down the street on my sledge, I’ve got loads of memories here.
“Sometimes I sit here on my own and remind myself of all the things we used to have. We didn’t have much to play with, but we were happy. The terraced houses at the top where the green is now, that is where I was born, all my family lived around here and then we moved to Elswick Street.”
Over recent years however, the area has seen lots of new people moving in, including Ryan Paton, 30, and his partner. Ryan told the ECHO how he moved to the famous Bread Streets, despite not knowing too much about the area, after ”immediately” falling in love with its impressive views.
He said: ”Before I moved to the South end of the city, I must admit I didn’t know too much about Liverpool’s famous Bread Streets. However, the moment my partner and I attended the first viewing of the place where we now live, we immediately fell in love with the location. The Bread Streets provide one of the best views in the city and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of being able to take in the panorama overlooking the River Mersey whenever I’m on my way home.”