Chinese laundry shop, G.Leong, 117 penny Lane, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK, L18 - apparently haunted

The distinctive traditional shopfront of G Leong Laundry at 117 Penny Lane in the Mossley Hill area of Liverpool, Merseyside. The small commercial premises occupy the ground floor of a red-brick terraced building and retain a striking crimson-painted timber frontage. Large cream and gold lettering across the fascia identifies “G. LEONG” and “LAUNDRY”, preserving the visual character of an earlier era of neighbourhood shops and family-run service businesses. Two broad display windows flank a narrow recessed central entrance fitted with a geometric metal grille. Their lower sections have been screened with pale opaque material, while the dark upper panes provide only a limited view into the premises. Weathered wooden pilasters, aged paintwork, a tiled threshold and lace curtains in the rooms above contribute to the building’s modest, timeworn appearance. The straight-on composition records the frontage as an architectural and social-history document, including details that could easily disappear through redevelopment or modern replacement. Chinese-owned laundries once formed a familiar part of British urban life, providing essential washing and ironing services while also representing an important route into self-employment for migrant families. A Liverpool local-history account published in 2002 stated that the city had around 100 Chinese laundries after the Second World War, but identified G Leong on Penny Lane as the only surviving example at that time. The property also appears in local supernatural folklore. Accounts concerning supposed hauntings around Penny Lane describe unexplained incidents dating back to the late nineteenth century. One retelling claims that in 1955 something was heard moving heavily across nearby slate roofs before stopping above George Leong’s laundry at number 117 and disappearing with a loud bang. The story is part of neighbourhood legend rather than established evidence of paranormal activity.