The First World War at The Florrie
The outbreak of the war 1914 The outbreak of the First World War did not appear to have a significant effect on the younger membership of the Institute, although the Committee reflected ‘In one way we have been hard hit, and that is in the loss, for a time at any rate, of a very large […]
The History of our Community Rooms
The rooms at the front on The Florrie have been at the heart of our work in the community for over 130 years. In this picture you can see the space in 1889 when the building first opened, at the time this was the hub for our Education Programme. Classes included writing, drawing, reading, arithmetic, […]
The History of The Florrie Gym
The Florrie Gym has been at the centre of our sporting success throughout the buildings history. It became a hub for nurturing Liverpool’s sporting heritage with many championship teams including gymnastics, baseball, basketball and of course, football with Florence Albion FC. Many boxing greats also trained at The Florrie including Billy Williams, Dick Tiger, Larry […]
The Ghost of Florence Hall
The Ghost of Florence Hall This short story from 1976 recalls the ghostly appearance of our buildings namesake Florence Hall during a 24hr table tennis marathon. In the early 1890s a young lady from Liverpool was studying at a university in Paris, she became ill, and as the weeks passed by she became worse, and […]
The Florrie: Exploring The Archive
Today, The Florrie is a charity at the heart of Liverpool 8; our stunning, grade 2 listed Victorian building is a vibrant and vital social and educational hub for people of South Liverpool. But what’s the story behind The Florrie? Much of our early history remained obscure until a chance discovery of long-forgotten archives invited […]
Florrie Old Boy Interview: Joey Bower
An interview with Florrie Old Boy Joey Bower who attended The Florrie in the 1950’s.
1957: The Fiesta Club Launches
In 1957 The Florrie launched a social room/night called The Fiesta Club and for the first time girls were allowed to attend.
1894: SmallPox Outbreak at The Florrie
An outbreak of smallpox in the building led to the closure of the Institute for two months whilst it was thoroughly disinfected, cleaned and re-painted.
1936: The Florrie & The Berlin Olympiad
The story of how one young boy from The Florrie attended the 1936 Berlin Olympics which was hosted by Hitler & his Nazi Party.
The Florrie Digital Archive Goes Live!
We are excited to announce the launch of The Florrie Digital Archive. We have a rich collection of written histories, photographs, film and audio for you to explore.