Author: Ian

Tommy Bache

Tommy Bache Tommy Bache is a true hero of The Florrie, as well as one of the best boxers the club has ever seen. There are many heroes who played key roles in the building’s salvation, but without Tommy, who stepped in when the Institute closed in 1988 to tin the ground floor up, at […]

Larry Paul

Larry Paul Larry Paul will be forever in the record books as the first British Light-middleweight Champion. He began his boxing career aged 14 at The Florrie. He had a total of 110 amateur contests, of which he lost only 10. During his amateur career, he won the National Association of Boys’ Clubs title as […]

Alan Rudkin

Alan Rudkin No history of boxing at The Florrie – or indeed, Merseyside or England – would be complete without the name of Alan Rudkin appearing very high up the list. In many people’s opinions, Alan Rudkin should now be recognised as a former British World Champion. In all, Alan had three world title challenges […]

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.

Joseph Cunningham

Joseph Cunningham 1st Superintendent of the Florence institute Trust 1889-1894 Joseph Cunningham was a Liverpool born flour dealer and baker. In 1889 he became the first superintendent of the Florence Institute for Boys after working at another boys institute in North Liverpool, The Gordon Working Lads Institute. Cunningham and his wife Elizabeth later went on […]

1945

1945 There is no Annual Report for this year. The Florence Institute News January 1945 The newsletter was now called the ‘Florrie News Sheet’ , and began by describing Florrie house matches at which rivalry was most intense in the sport of basketball. It also recorded that inter-club football matches were to take place against […]

1937

1937 There is no Annual Report for this year. The Florencian 1937 By 1937, the ‘Florencian’ was born, and had new ideas about breathing life into the old newsletter format. Rather than being penned by instructors or committee members, The Florencian appealed to the members themselves, ‘The ‘Florencian’ will only become a big thing so […]

1984

1984 After three years of steady progress the Institute reported a difficult year, in the main due to the delay in appointing a new Youth Leader. The Institute had also been disappointed that they had not been able to make progress in developing a special initiative with the Education Authority to bring together the education […]