St Phillips Street Birzebbuga.

A street that I know very well. It has changed a great deal since 1955. During the 1940s and 1950s it was only 2 blocks long. St Francis Xavier Str divided the 2 blocks. During WW2 two bombs fell in St Francis Xavier Str. One of them right on the corner to St Phillips Str. About 5 houses were destroyed and another 5 badly damaged. Another bomb fell at the top end of St Francis Xavier Str opposite where the Spiteri family lived.


I just about knew every family that lived in St Phillips Street.
I remember these families: Vella, Micallef, Muscat, White, Zahra, Semini, Debrincat, Sacchett, Sultana, Bonnici, Gauci, Schembri, Gelarda the midwife, Baldacchino - ta-gogo family, Gatt family, Bugeja family, Camilleri family and others.

During the war there was a Goverment Air Raid shelter right at the top end of St Phillips Str opposite where the Vella 'ta L-Isla' family lived. All these families used to go down this shelter during the air raids and sleep together in the shelter.

The Street looks very bright and clean today and new families have settled there, along the extended street which now has about eight blocks.

Need help from Birzebbuga

I am hoping Dina or Leatitia can help me. I am creating a page in another Site but shall also be shown here. The subject is:


"The old Bars of Birzebbuga "
This is about the Bars that existed from 1930 to approx 1960. I think I know most of them, like the name of the Bar and the person / family who operated the place. I already have a list. I can recall the location of two or three Bars but I have forgotten the names.
So I need someone from Birzebbuga to do some research for me. I would be very obliged for your help. I shall give more detail.

BIRZEBBUGA pre 1920 -

Location ~ What used to be back in olden times.

1 and 2. This spot is on the corner of New Street. As you can notice it is only a ground floor building. During the 1930s and 1940 it was a 2 level building. On the corner was Joe's Bar and next door was the barber shop of Toni Brincat. Upstairs was the billiards club that had 2 balconies and it was the home of St Peters Football Club. It still is St Peters F.C. Club today 2007.
3. The large frontage place used to be called "il - Villa / the Villa". Belonged to some well to do people uptown. Was only occupied during the summer months. When WW2 started in early 1940 the place was taken over by the English Army and was used as an Army H.Q. for the West Kent Regiment and the Devonshire Regiment. Was handed back to its owners c1945.
4. This spot has always been the Birzebbuga Police Station. However during the war years the Police moved up to Zurrieq Road in part of a large building that was used as a winery. The nickname of the family that owned this winery was ' ta - Tira '. The Police moved back to the main road c1945.
5. This house / villa at this location was also used as a summer residence. During the 1990s it became a branch of the Mid-Med Bank.
6. This large house / villa was also a summer residence. we used to call it " id - dar tas Sur Wig ".
7. I can see a person, a human being by the tree. Seems he / she has the whole place to himself / herself as no other person is in sight.



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The floods of 1952

This is Birzebbuga main road of Pretty Bay in 1952. I was in Australia and these pics were sent to me. The Birzebbuga bus is No 1771 and behind the bus is the bus terminus and St Phillips Street. In the 2nd house door from the right lived the Genovese family. They were our friends. That block of houses are now gone.


In the lower picture, the car belonged to the Vella family, nickname "tat-Titu" who lived in Zebra Str. The flood water always very bad in Zebra Str must have pushed the car right to the low wall of the street. Maybe Dina and Laetitia parents do remember this event.

Old times fun days at Birzebbuga beach.

This location is near the old Claridge Hotel, presently (2008) a new building is being built. The small concrete jetty was a favourite spot for young and old and for those who could not swim it was the right spot to dangle your feet in the seawater.