IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 21 - 27 JULY 1925
This week's many stories include the crippled children's annual treat, the man who was punched through a George Street chip shop's window, the tale of a coat tail hanging from a motorbike sidecar, the woman motorist who crashed in Hardshaw Street and criticism over St Helens Council not joining the Safety First Association.
The so-called crippled children's annual treat was held every year at The Woodlands in Eccleston Park, the beautiful home of Alderman James Crooks. In 1900 the St Helens Reporter had written that Crooks was the largest dealer in round timber in the country, with his saw mill and timber yard then in Shaw Street. It was claimed that the sun always shone on the day of the treat and the event held on the 23rd was no exception. The St Helens Reporter wrote:
"Woodlands, Eccleston Park, the residence of Ald. Crooks, was bathed in glorious sunshine, all the afternoon, and the hundred and two crippled children who attended the function had a most enjoyable time. The picturesque lawn and rose garden attached to the house made a pretty spectacle." The entertainment provided for the children included a Punch and Judy Show and an exhibition of maypole dancing by the girls of Merton Bank Council School.
A Safety First Association had been founded in London in 1920 as a result of the increasing accident rate on the capital's roads. It went national in 1923 and eventually the association became the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. At a recently held St Helens Council meeting it had been decided not to follow the example of Rainford, which had joined the Safety First movement. One councillor had even quibbled at the cost of having to pay a £3 membership fee.
In this week's Reporter on the 24th a critical editorial was published which read: The Safety First movement, out of its vast experience of these difficult problems, has a wealth of sound advice ready to pass on to those willing to take advantage of it. The longer this advice is spurned, the greater will be the responsibility of St. Helens authorities for every accident that occurs in their streets, either from dangerously-driven vehicles, or sheer ignorance on the part of the public in knowing how to take care of themselves."
It was also reported that the St Helens branch of the NSPCC, based in Croppers Hill, had investigated 16 cases of child neglect in the town in June which had involved a total of 43 children.
Can you imagine walking out of a St Helens chip shop late at night – perhaps holding some split peas in your hand – when a powerful stranger suddenly punches you back clean through the shop's plate glass window? Well, that's what happened to an unnamed individual in George Street when a burly soldier on furlough called Thomas Howe lost his head.
This week the man whose home address was in Recreation Street appeared in court and was ordered to pay £11 for the damage and a 15-shilling fine. One would've thought that some compensation to his victim might have been in order as well, rather than just considering the chip shop owner's glazier bill. In his defence Howe said that he had been soldiering in India for several years and had been in hospital for 10 weeks and was not finally discharged. "I had a drop o’ drink and that made me forget myself," he told the Bench.
There was another mysterious drowning this week when the body of William Chisnall was discovered in what was known as the Boundary Brook in Moss Bank. Such deaths usually occurred in the deep canal or reservoirs in the town but Mr Chisnall was found drowned in just 18 inches of water. The 51-year-old ran a small general shop in Exeter Street and was also the caretaker of St Mary's Lowe House School. His wife Mary said her husband had been complaining about the hot weather and the last time she had seen him he had said, "I don't know how I shall stand another day of it."
The inquest verdict said: "Deceased had been found drowned in the Boundary Brook, having been missing since the 13th inst., but under what circumstances he got into the water, there was no evidence to show." But later Mrs Chisnall told the Reporter that she believed her husband had fainted in the heat while out for a walk and had fallen face-first into the water and drowned.
The Reporter rather unkindly described Ada and Frank Clayton as "human flotsam" when the couple appeared in the Police Court on Wednesday charged with lodging out. They had been found just after midnight in the yard of Forsters glass works in Pocket Nook. Mr Clayton said they had been "on tramp" and were tired and had simply gone for a rest until daybreak.
Many such people were moving around looking for work but the Claytons' reason for their wandering was not stated. Although regular offenders were sent to prison, a deal was often done with those lodger outers that were appearing before the magistrates for the first time. And so the Claytons were told that the charge against them would be dropped if they promised to leave town. They agreed to do so but the man remarked upon leaving, "This world is not worth living in".
Although road signs for motorists were beginning to appear within the St Helens district, they were few and far between. When Caroline Read from Southport was charged in St Helens Police Court this week with driving a motor car to the danger of the public and failing to give warning of her approach, her solicitor blamed the lack of a street sign for what had occurred.
When motorists travelling to Warrington drove through St Helens town centre they were often confused as to which way to go. Instead of turning off Duke Street into Ormskirk Street and Church Street, many like Mrs Read ended up in Victoria Square and then had to drive down Hardshaw Street to get back on the right road. A witness in court claimed Caroline Read had been driving at an excessive speed down Hardshaw Street (pictured above) and at its corner with Church Street she had narrowly missed two cars and then knocked a third on to the pavement and into the doorway of a bank.
Caroline Read’s solicitor asked PC Parkinson if he thought having a "large, conspicuous sign-post" at the YMCA corner would be a good idea, the officer replied, "It would be an excellent idea." According to Google Maps a present-day journey from Southport to Hardshaw Street takes 48 minutes. But with the lack of good roads and the Rainford Bypass yet to be built, the trip had taken Mrs Read 95 minutes. Although the defendant and her solicitor insisted that going down Hardshaw Street she had travelled very slowly and repeatedly sounded a loud "Klaxon" horn, she was still convicted and fined £5.
The sidecars attached to motorbikes in the 1920s were all open and that led to Henry Atkinson from Liverpool and Charles Copeland appearing in court. The point duty policeman outside the Sefton Arms had seen the pair driving towards Cotham Street with Copeland sitting in the sidecar. But the tail of his coat was hanging down and obscuring the rear identification plate of the vehicle. Both men were charged and in court pleaded ignorance of the regulation and the summonses were discharged upon their payment of court costs.
On the 25th a Rose Queen festival was held on the Sutton Commercial football field. In 1916 one of my favourite excuses was given in court by a man called Hanson who had been accused of taking bets on the Sutton Commercial ground. Some sports had been taking place and it was common for bookies to stand on a platform of bricks and wood, which raised them 7 or 8 inches above the ground. But Hanson told the Bench that he wasn't a bookie but suffered from rheumatism and had stood on the platform because he did not want to get his feet wet! Full marks for creativity but he still received a whopping £20 fine.
And also on the 25th the Liverpool Echo wrote: "There were remarkable scenes at Knowsley Park this afternoon, when a crowd estimated at about 50,000 gathered from all parts of Lancashire and Cheshire to hear an important speech by the Prime Minister." At least 3,000 people went from St Helens, many on the special trams that had been laid on, and the attendees heard Stanley Baldwin discuss the latest coal dispute.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the man prosecuted for being five minutes late in producing his driving licence, the ridiculous row in Greenbank and a brick from the old parish church is ceremoniously laid on the new one.
The so-called crippled children's annual treat was held every year at The Woodlands in Eccleston Park, the beautiful home of Alderman James Crooks. In 1900 the St Helens Reporter had written that Crooks was the largest dealer in round timber in the country, with his saw mill and timber yard then in Shaw Street. It was claimed that the sun always shone on the day of the treat and the event held on the 23rd was no exception. The St Helens Reporter wrote:
"Woodlands, Eccleston Park, the residence of Ald. Crooks, was bathed in glorious sunshine, all the afternoon, and the hundred and two crippled children who attended the function had a most enjoyable time. The picturesque lawn and rose garden attached to the house made a pretty spectacle." The entertainment provided for the children included a Punch and Judy Show and an exhibition of maypole dancing by the girls of Merton Bank Council School.
A Safety First Association had been founded in London in 1920 as a result of the increasing accident rate on the capital's roads. It went national in 1923 and eventually the association became the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. At a recently held St Helens Council meeting it had been decided not to follow the example of Rainford, which had joined the Safety First movement. One councillor had even quibbled at the cost of having to pay a £3 membership fee.
In this week's Reporter on the 24th a critical editorial was published which read: The Safety First movement, out of its vast experience of these difficult problems, has a wealth of sound advice ready to pass on to those willing to take advantage of it. The longer this advice is spurned, the greater will be the responsibility of St. Helens authorities for every accident that occurs in their streets, either from dangerously-driven vehicles, or sheer ignorance on the part of the public in knowing how to take care of themselves."
It was also reported that the St Helens branch of the NSPCC, based in Croppers Hill, had investigated 16 cases of child neglect in the town in June which had involved a total of 43 children.
Can you imagine walking out of a St Helens chip shop late at night – perhaps holding some split peas in your hand – when a powerful stranger suddenly punches you back clean through the shop's plate glass window? Well, that's what happened to an unnamed individual in George Street when a burly soldier on furlough called Thomas Howe lost his head.
This week the man whose home address was in Recreation Street appeared in court and was ordered to pay £11 for the damage and a 15-shilling fine. One would've thought that some compensation to his victim might have been in order as well, rather than just considering the chip shop owner's glazier bill. In his defence Howe said that he had been soldiering in India for several years and had been in hospital for 10 weeks and was not finally discharged. "I had a drop o’ drink and that made me forget myself," he told the Bench.
There was another mysterious drowning this week when the body of William Chisnall was discovered in what was known as the Boundary Brook in Moss Bank. Such deaths usually occurred in the deep canal or reservoirs in the town but Mr Chisnall was found drowned in just 18 inches of water. The 51-year-old ran a small general shop in Exeter Street and was also the caretaker of St Mary's Lowe House School. His wife Mary said her husband had been complaining about the hot weather and the last time she had seen him he had said, "I don't know how I shall stand another day of it."
The inquest verdict said: "Deceased had been found drowned in the Boundary Brook, having been missing since the 13th inst., but under what circumstances he got into the water, there was no evidence to show." But later Mrs Chisnall told the Reporter that she believed her husband had fainted in the heat while out for a walk and had fallen face-first into the water and drowned.
The Reporter rather unkindly described Ada and Frank Clayton as "human flotsam" when the couple appeared in the Police Court on Wednesday charged with lodging out. They had been found just after midnight in the yard of Forsters glass works in Pocket Nook. Mr Clayton said they had been "on tramp" and were tired and had simply gone for a rest until daybreak.
Many such people were moving around looking for work but the Claytons' reason for their wandering was not stated. Although regular offenders were sent to prison, a deal was often done with those lodger outers that were appearing before the magistrates for the first time. And so the Claytons were told that the charge against them would be dropped if they promised to leave town. They agreed to do so but the man remarked upon leaving, "This world is not worth living in".
Although road signs for motorists were beginning to appear within the St Helens district, they were few and far between. When Caroline Read from Southport was charged in St Helens Police Court this week with driving a motor car to the danger of the public and failing to give warning of her approach, her solicitor blamed the lack of a street sign for what had occurred.
Caroline Read’s solicitor asked PC Parkinson if he thought having a "large, conspicuous sign-post" at the YMCA corner would be a good idea, the officer replied, "It would be an excellent idea." According to Google Maps a present-day journey from Southport to Hardshaw Street takes 48 minutes. But with the lack of good roads and the Rainford Bypass yet to be built, the trip had taken Mrs Read 95 minutes. Although the defendant and her solicitor insisted that going down Hardshaw Street she had travelled very slowly and repeatedly sounded a loud "Klaxon" horn, she was still convicted and fined £5.
The sidecars attached to motorbikes in the 1920s were all open and that led to Henry Atkinson from Liverpool and Charles Copeland appearing in court. The point duty policeman outside the Sefton Arms had seen the pair driving towards Cotham Street with Copeland sitting in the sidecar. But the tail of his coat was hanging down and obscuring the rear identification plate of the vehicle. Both men were charged and in court pleaded ignorance of the regulation and the summonses were discharged upon their payment of court costs.
On the 25th a Rose Queen festival was held on the Sutton Commercial football field. In 1916 one of my favourite excuses was given in court by a man called Hanson who had been accused of taking bets on the Sutton Commercial ground. Some sports had been taking place and it was common for bookies to stand on a platform of bricks and wood, which raised them 7 or 8 inches above the ground. But Hanson told the Bench that he wasn't a bookie but suffered from rheumatism and had stood on the platform because he did not want to get his feet wet! Full marks for creativity but he still received a whopping £20 fine.
And also on the 25th the Liverpool Echo wrote: "There were remarkable scenes at Knowsley Park this afternoon, when a crowd estimated at about 50,000 gathered from all parts of Lancashire and Cheshire to hear an important speech by the Prime Minister." At least 3,000 people went from St Helens, many on the special trams that had been laid on, and the attendees heard Stanley Baldwin discuss the latest coal dispute.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the man prosecuted for being five minutes late in producing his driving licence, the ridiculous row in Greenbank and a brick from the old parish church is ceremoniously laid on the new one.
This week's many stories include the crippled children's annual treat, the man who was punched through a George Street chip shop's window, the tale of a coat tail hanging from a motorbike sidecar, the woman motorist who crashed in Hardshaw Street and criticism over St Helens Council not joining the Safety First Association.
The so-called crippled children's annual treat was held every year at The Woodlands in Eccleston Park, the beautiful home of Alderman James Crooks.
In 1900 the St Helens Reporter had written that Crooks was the largest dealer in round timber in the country, with his saw mill and timber yard then in Shaw Street.
It was claimed that the sun always shone on the day of the treat and the event held on the 23rd was no exception. The St Helens Reporter wrote:
"Woodlands, Eccleston Park, the residence of Ald. Crooks, was bathed in glorious sunshine, all the afternoon, and the hundred and two crippled children who attended the function had a most enjoyable time.
"The picturesque lawn and rose garden attached to the house made a pretty spectacle."
The entertainment provided for the children included a Punch and Judy Show and an exhibition of maypole dancing by the girls of Merton Bank Council School.
A Safety First Association had been founded in London in 1920 as a result of the increasing accident rate on the capital's roads.
It went national in 1923 and eventually the association became the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
At a recently held St Helens Council meeting it had been decided not to follow the example of Rainford, which had joined the Safety First movement.
One councillor had even quibbled at the cost of having to pay a £3 membership fee.
In this week's Reporter on the 24th a critical editorial was published which read:
"The Safety First movement, out of its vast experience of these difficult problems, has a wealth of sound advice ready to pass on to those willing to take advantage of it.
"The longer this advice is spurned, the greater will be the responsibility of St. Helens authorities for every accident that occurs in their streets, either from dangerously-driven vehicles, or sheer ignorance on the part of the public in knowing how to take care of themselves."
It was also reported that the St Helens branch of the NSPCC, based in Croppers Hill, had investigated 16 cases of child neglect in the town in June which had involved a total of 43 children.
Can you imagine walking out of a St Helens chip shop late at night – perhaps holding some split peas in your hand – when a powerful stranger suddenly punches you back clean through the shop's plate glass window?
Well, that's what happened to an unnamed individual in George Street when a burly soldier on furlough called Thomas Howe lost his head.
This week the man whose home address was in Recreation Street appeared in court and was ordered to pay £11 for the damage and a 15-shilling fine.
One would've thought that some compensation to his victim might have been in order as well, rather than just considering the chip shop owner's glazier bill.
In his defence Howe said that he had been soldiering in India for several years and had been in hospital for 10 weeks and was not finally discharged.
"I had a drop o’ drink and that made me forget myself," he told the Bench.
There was another mysterious drowning this week when the body of William Chisnall was discovered in what was known as the Boundary Brook in Moss Bank.
Such deaths usually occurred in the deep canal or reservoirs in the town but Mr Chisnall was found drowned in just 18 inches of water.
The 51-year-old ran a small general shop in Exeter Street and was also the caretaker of St Mary's Lowe House School.
His wife Mary said her husband had been complaining about the hot weather and the last time she had seen him he had said, "I don't know how I shall stand another day of it."
The inquest verdict said: "Deceased had been found drowned in the Boundary Brook, having been missing since the 13th inst., but under what circumstances he got into the water, there was no evidence to show."
But later Mrs Chisnall told the Reporter that she believed her husband had fainted in the heat while out for a walk and had fallen face-first into the water and drowned.
The Reporter rather unkindly described Ada and Frank Clayton as "human flotsam" when the couple appeared in the Police Court on Wednesday charged with lodging out.
They had been found just after midnight in the yard of Forsters glass works in Pocket Nook.
Mr Clayton said they had been "on tramp" and were tired and had simply gone for a rest until daybreak.
Many such people were moving around looking for work but the Claytons' reason for their wandering was not stated.
Although regular offenders were sent to prison, a deal was often done with those lodger outers that were appearing before the magistrates for the first time.
And so the Claytons were told that the charge against them would be dropped if they promised to leave town.
They agreed to do so but the man remarked upon leaving, "This world is not worth living in".
Although road signs for motorists were beginning to appear within the St Helens district, they were few and far between.
When Caroline Read from Southport was charged in St Helens Police Court this week with driving a motor car to the danger of the public and failing to give warning of her approach, her solicitor blamed the lack of a street sign for what had occurred.
When motorists travelling to Warrington drove through St Helens town centre they were often confused as to which way to go.
Instead of turning off Duke Street into Ormskirk Street and Church Street, many like Mrs Read ended up in Victoria Square and then had to drive down Hardshaw Street (pictured above) to get back on the right road.
A witness in court claimed Caroline Read had been driving at an excessive speed down Hardshaw Street and at its corner with Church Street she had narrowly missed two cars and then knocked a third on to the pavement and into the doorway of a bank.
Caroline Read’s solicitor asked PC Parkinson if he thought having a "large, conspicuous sign-post" at the YMCA corner would be a good idea, the officer replied, "It would be an excellent idea."
According to Google Maps a present-day journey from Southport to Hardshaw Street takes 48 minutes.
But with the lack of good roads and the Rainford Bypass yet to be built, the trip had taken Mrs Read 95 minutes.
Although the defendant and her solicitor insisted that going down Hardshaw Street she had travelled very slowly and repeatedly sounded a loud "Klaxon" horn, she was still convicted and fined £5.
The sidecars attached to motorbikes in the 1920s were all open and that led to Henry Atkinson from Liverpool and Charles Copeland appearing in court.
The point duty policeman outside the Sefton Arms had seen the pair driving towards Cotham Street with Copeland sitting in the sidecar.
But the tail of his coat was hanging down and obscuring the rear identification plate of the vehicle.
Both men were charged and in court pleaded ignorance of the regulation and the summonses were discharged upon their payment of court costs.
On the 25th a Rose Queen festival was held on the Sutton Commercial football field, which was situated at St Helens Junction.
In 1916 one of my favourite excuses was given in court by a man called Hanson who had been accused of taking bets on the Sutton Commercial ground.
Some sports had been taking place and it was common for bookies to stand on a platform of bricks and wood, which raised them 7 or 8 inches above the ground.
But Hanson told the Bench that he wasn't a bookie but suffered from rheumatism and had stood on the platform because he did not want to get his feet wet! Full marks for creativity but he still received a whopping £20 fine.
And also on the 25th the Liverpool Echo wrote: "There were remarkable scenes at Knowsley Park this afternoon, when a crowd estimated at about 50,000 gathered from all parts of Lancashire and Cheshire to hear an important speech by the Prime Minister."
At least 3,000 people went from St Helens, many on the special trams that had been laid on, and the attendees heard Stanley Baldwin discuss the latest coal dispute.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the man prosecuted for being five minutes late in producing his driving licence, the ridiculous row in Greenbank and a brick from the old parish church is ceremoniously laid on the new one.
The so-called crippled children's annual treat was held every year at The Woodlands in Eccleston Park, the beautiful home of Alderman James Crooks.
In 1900 the St Helens Reporter had written that Crooks was the largest dealer in round timber in the country, with his saw mill and timber yard then in Shaw Street.
It was claimed that the sun always shone on the day of the treat and the event held on the 23rd was no exception. The St Helens Reporter wrote:
"Woodlands, Eccleston Park, the residence of Ald. Crooks, was bathed in glorious sunshine, all the afternoon, and the hundred and two crippled children who attended the function had a most enjoyable time.
"The picturesque lawn and rose garden attached to the house made a pretty spectacle."
The entertainment provided for the children included a Punch and Judy Show and an exhibition of maypole dancing by the girls of Merton Bank Council School.
A Safety First Association had been founded in London in 1920 as a result of the increasing accident rate on the capital's roads.
It went national in 1923 and eventually the association became the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
At a recently held St Helens Council meeting it had been decided not to follow the example of Rainford, which had joined the Safety First movement.
One councillor had even quibbled at the cost of having to pay a £3 membership fee.
In this week's Reporter on the 24th a critical editorial was published which read:
"The Safety First movement, out of its vast experience of these difficult problems, has a wealth of sound advice ready to pass on to those willing to take advantage of it.
"The longer this advice is spurned, the greater will be the responsibility of St. Helens authorities for every accident that occurs in their streets, either from dangerously-driven vehicles, or sheer ignorance on the part of the public in knowing how to take care of themselves."
It was also reported that the St Helens branch of the NSPCC, based in Croppers Hill, had investigated 16 cases of child neglect in the town in June which had involved a total of 43 children.
Can you imagine walking out of a St Helens chip shop late at night – perhaps holding some split peas in your hand – when a powerful stranger suddenly punches you back clean through the shop's plate glass window?
Well, that's what happened to an unnamed individual in George Street when a burly soldier on furlough called Thomas Howe lost his head.
This week the man whose home address was in Recreation Street appeared in court and was ordered to pay £11 for the damage and a 15-shilling fine.
One would've thought that some compensation to his victim might have been in order as well, rather than just considering the chip shop owner's glazier bill.
In his defence Howe said that he had been soldiering in India for several years and had been in hospital for 10 weeks and was not finally discharged.
"I had a drop o’ drink and that made me forget myself," he told the Bench.
There was another mysterious drowning this week when the body of William Chisnall was discovered in what was known as the Boundary Brook in Moss Bank.
Such deaths usually occurred in the deep canal or reservoirs in the town but Mr Chisnall was found drowned in just 18 inches of water.
The 51-year-old ran a small general shop in Exeter Street and was also the caretaker of St Mary's Lowe House School.
His wife Mary said her husband had been complaining about the hot weather and the last time she had seen him he had said, "I don't know how I shall stand another day of it."
The inquest verdict said: "Deceased had been found drowned in the Boundary Brook, having been missing since the 13th inst., but under what circumstances he got into the water, there was no evidence to show."
But later Mrs Chisnall told the Reporter that she believed her husband had fainted in the heat while out for a walk and had fallen face-first into the water and drowned.
The Reporter rather unkindly described Ada and Frank Clayton as "human flotsam" when the couple appeared in the Police Court on Wednesday charged with lodging out.
They had been found just after midnight in the yard of Forsters glass works in Pocket Nook.
Mr Clayton said they had been "on tramp" and were tired and had simply gone for a rest until daybreak.
Many such people were moving around looking for work but the Claytons' reason for their wandering was not stated.
Although regular offenders were sent to prison, a deal was often done with those lodger outers that were appearing before the magistrates for the first time.
And so the Claytons were told that the charge against them would be dropped if they promised to leave town.
They agreed to do so but the man remarked upon leaving, "This world is not worth living in".
Although road signs for motorists were beginning to appear within the St Helens district, they were few and far between.
When Caroline Read from Southport was charged in St Helens Police Court this week with driving a motor car to the danger of the public and failing to give warning of her approach, her solicitor blamed the lack of a street sign for what had occurred.
When motorists travelling to Warrington drove through St Helens town centre they were often confused as to which way to go.
A witness in court claimed Caroline Read had been driving at an excessive speed down Hardshaw Street and at its corner with Church Street she had narrowly missed two cars and then knocked a third on to the pavement and into the doorway of a bank.
Caroline Read’s solicitor asked PC Parkinson if he thought having a "large, conspicuous sign-post" at the YMCA corner would be a good idea, the officer replied, "It would be an excellent idea."
According to Google Maps a present-day journey from Southport to Hardshaw Street takes 48 minutes.
But with the lack of good roads and the Rainford Bypass yet to be built, the trip had taken Mrs Read 95 minutes.
Although the defendant and her solicitor insisted that going down Hardshaw Street she had travelled very slowly and repeatedly sounded a loud "Klaxon" horn, she was still convicted and fined £5.
The sidecars attached to motorbikes in the 1920s were all open and that led to Henry Atkinson from Liverpool and Charles Copeland appearing in court.
The point duty policeman outside the Sefton Arms had seen the pair driving towards Cotham Street with Copeland sitting in the sidecar.
But the tail of his coat was hanging down and obscuring the rear identification plate of the vehicle.
Both men were charged and in court pleaded ignorance of the regulation and the summonses were discharged upon their payment of court costs.
On the 25th a Rose Queen festival was held on the Sutton Commercial football field, which was situated at St Helens Junction.
In 1916 one of my favourite excuses was given in court by a man called Hanson who had been accused of taking bets on the Sutton Commercial ground.
Some sports had been taking place and it was common for bookies to stand on a platform of bricks and wood, which raised them 7 or 8 inches above the ground.
But Hanson told the Bench that he wasn't a bookie but suffered from rheumatism and had stood on the platform because he did not want to get his feet wet! Full marks for creativity but he still received a whopping £20 fine.
And also on the 25th the Liverpool Echo wrote: "There were remarkable scenes at Knowsley Park this afternoon, when a crowd estimated at about 50,000 gathered from all parts of Lancashire and Cheshire to hear an important speech by the Prime Minister."
At least 3,000 people went from St Helens, many on the special trams that had been laid on, and the attendees heard Stanley Baldwin discuss the latest coal dispute.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the man prosecuted for being five minutes late in producing his driving licence, the ridiculous row in Greenbank and a brick from the old parish church is ceremoniously laid on the new one.