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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Rebecca Koncienzcy

All the celebrities spotted in Wirral over the years

Wirral has been the birthplace and home to many notable people over the years.

And who can blame them? With the stunning coastline, rich history and friendly people, Wirral is a very desirable place to be.

But what about some of those just passing through or stopping for a visit?

We have had a look through our archives to see all the times we have spotted celebs in Wirral and what they have been up to while they were here.

If you spotted a celeb or have a Wirral story, email rebecca.koncienzcy@reachplc.com

So let's have a look at all the famous faces who have visited our star-studded peninsula.

When David met Kate and Wills

David Attenborough met Kate and William in Birkenhead in 2019 at the naming ceremony for the RRS Sir David Attenborough Polar Ship.

Sir David had been to see the ship at the Cammell Laird shipyard previously, but here you can see him sharing a joke with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart at Poulton Vics in Wallasey in 1975 (Mirror Pix)

That's right, the rock and pop icon came to Wirral for a football match back in 1975 when his team The Gold Diggers played at the Poulton Vics in Wallasey.

The Goal Diggers was organised by television personality, Jimmy Hill, and features George Eastham, Jimmy Armfield, Gordon Banks and Rod Stewart.

The picture was taken at the match where The Goal Diggers played Radio Merseyside and the final score was 3-3.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

Long before the Sussexes relinquished their royal duties and swapped Frogmore House for LA, Meghan and Harry visited Birkenhead, Wirral.

In 2019, the couple, who were expecting their first child, Archie, greeted crowds and unveiled the Wildred Owen statue in Hamilton Square.

Paul McCartney

It is not a stretch to see a Beatle walking around in Wirral but Paul McCartney was spotted at the home of his father, Jim, in Gayton in Heswall in July 1968 just after marrying Lynda.

While the pictures were in black and white, ever the pop star, Paul is said to be wearing a pink polka-dot shirt, black slacks and white plimsoles.

The secret trip to Wirral was a combined family reunion and weekend honeymoon for the newlyweds as well as a chance for Linda and her daughter Heather to get to know Ruth, Paul's nine-year-old step-sister.

Peter Kay

Peter Kay, the beloved Northern comedian, was spotted in West Kirby when he was filming series two of BBC show Car Share.

The 47-year-old smiled and waved at the cameras as he took a break at the sunny Wirral spot.

There were only ever 12 episodes of Car Share across three series and two specials, despite its popularity.

John Barnes

Former Liverpool and England midfielder John Barnes has lived in Wirral in the past.

In 2009 he allowed photographers into his Heswall home after he had been declared bankrupt. It was a difficult time for John as he had just been sacked from his £4,000-a-week job as manager of Tranmere Rovers.

Michael Parkinson and Jimmy Tarbuck

Michael Parkinson and Jimmy Tarbuck took in a game of charity golf at The Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Wirral, during the celebrity tournament in aid of Alder Hey Children's Hospital in 1992.

The Queen

The Queen has been to Wirral a number of times, such as the 100th birthday celebrations of Port Sunlight in 1988.

She is often accompanied by Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, as she was in 1957 when she was welcomed by crowds of thousands outside Birkenhead Town Hall.

The late Ken Dodd

The late comedian Ken Dodd didn't live far from Wirral over in Knotty Ash in Liverpool, so of course, the icon and his mischievous smile were spotted on the peninsula from time to time.

This snap is from our archive and shows Doddy at Clatterbridge Hospital, Birkenhead in 1979.

Lily Collins and Nicholas Hoult

Actors Lily Collins and Nicholas Hoult had been spotted at various locations in Liverpool and Wirral in 2017 as they filmed the J.R.R Tolkien Biopic.

The Rolling Stones

Yes, that's right, international rock and roll legends The Rolling Stones once performed in Wirral.

The band played in the old Tower Ballroom in 1964.

Jean Luc Courcoult

The flamboyant artistic director of Nantes-based Royal de Luxe has been to Wirral a number of times.

He is the enigmatic genius behind The Giants and is pictured here on the Wirral coast in 2016.

Peaky Blinders cast

While we didn't get Cillian Murphy or Tom Hardy on camera, the cast has definitely filmed here in Wirral.

Back in 2015, the Seacombe Ferry Terminal was transformed for the filming of Peaky Blinders.

Winston Churchill

During World War II Prime Minister Winston Churchill took a tour at the shipyard Messrs Cammell Laird and Coy Birkenhead in April 1941.

Here he is pictured walking with Mr R S Johnson the chairman and managing director of the Coy, the chief constable (Capt A C Dawson) is also in the picture.

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