IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 4 - 10 MAY 1926
This week's many stories include the start of the General Strike, the call for volunteers to maintain vital services in St Helens, the washout start to the cricket season, the violent bookie in Parr Stocks Road, the polite policemen that were operating speed traps and a defence of the young women of St Helens.
The General Strike began on the 4th in support of the miners' campaign against wage reductions and who had been locked out of their pits a couple of days before. At the time no-one knew how long what the St Helens Reporter called "this momentous crisis" would last and contingencies for a lengthy stoppage were being made as best they could. Volunteers were recruited, with the offices of the Ministry of Pensions in Corporation Street used to enrol persons who wished to keep essential services operating. At the start of the week this notice was posted in St Helens:
"Men, women and children must be fed. Essential services must be maintained. Vital industries must be kept going. For this purpose volunteers are needed. Are you prepared to serve? If so, give in your name to-day. You will be called upon in your turn. Every kind of volunteer will be wanted. Arrangements for pay will be made according to the duties performed. Register your name to-day. Recruiting at Corporation Buildings, Corporation-street, St. Helens."
The strike began the day after a Bank Holiday and the St Helens Reporter's mid-week edition that was published on the 4th, reflected on both the holiday and strike. The article, that was published under the headlines: "The Crisis – How St. Helens Will Carry On – Lighting, Power, And Coal Rationed – Volunteers Being Enrolled", began:
"St. Helens bore a Bank Holiday aspect yesterday amid the sunshine, and everybody seemed to be dressed in their Sunday clothes, as though it were a festival day. It was, however, the eve of the most catastrophic industrial tragedy that has ever threatened the country. Every vital trade, and public service is affected."
The Reporter described how an emergency joint meeting of council committees had taken place on the Bank Holiday to discuss preparations to mitigate the strike's disruption. Transport was badly hit, with tramways and buses in St Helens having stopped work at midnight on the 3rd. A state of emergency was in place and coal, gas and electricity were being rationed.
During the evening of the 5th a meeting of the Town Council took place. It was revealed that the feeding of the St Helens schoolchildren that were in need would begin on the following Monday. But there was anger from Labour Party councillors when it was disclosed that arms and ammunition had been placed in the Town Hall. Alderman Waring said from some people's points of view, the only purpose of having such a stash would be to slaughter the miners.
Cllr Boscow said he was astounded and protested very vigorously against the decision, saying the people of St Helens would think it was for some underhand purpose. But Cllr Norman Pilkington – who was commander of the local battalion of the Territorials – said the arms had been transferred from the Volunteer Hall to the Town Hall for safe custody. He said doing so was standard practice in the town whenever there was a crisis.
On the 7th, which was Day 4 of the strike, the St Helens Newspaper summarised the present industrial situation. They wrote that Pilkingtons had reported that a number of men had not turned up to their jobs, although the firm had so far managed to keep going. Electrical engineers at both the Nuttalls and Cannington Shaw works of the UGB bottlemakers in St Helens had been ordered by their union to cease operations.
As a result, the works were expected to stop at any time, which would affect nearly 2,000 workers. At both of the Prescot Wireworks, 3,000 men were still in work but 800 were out. All St Helens coal miners were on strike or locked out, except a few men who were conducting safety operations.
The rugby league cup final between Warrington and Wigan was held at Knowsley Road on the 8th in front of what was described as a vast crowd. Without rail or bus travel available, many persons unable to book a charabanc seat walked to St Helens to watch Wigan win. Some of the spectators were reported to have controversially sung "The Red Flag" during the game.
A special meeting of St Helens Corporation was called for the 8th to discuss the situation with regard to the General Strike and a threat by a trade union to shut down the town's electricity and gas works. Both of those essential utilities were owned and run by the Corporation and the Electrical Trades Union had said they would close them down if their own members were not exclusively employed.
Consequently the Civil Commissioner from the North Western Area decided to exercise his powers within the Emergency Regulations and placed both St Helens' electricity and gas works under government control. This was believed to be the only such case in the country.
On the 9th the Bishop of Liverpool gave a talk to the miners on the waste land off Bridge Street. The Right Rev. Albert David was acting as intermediary, after previously talking to their employers. The St Helens Reporter subsequently wrote:
"Few gatherings, incident to the great industrial upheaval will, we venture to think, be so memorable as that which took place on the vacant land at Bridge-street, on Sunday night. The Bishop of Liverpool had that day made a tour of mining areas in his diocese, and had already addressed eleven meetings in the different colliery centres when he reached St. Helens at a quarter to nine to speak at the last gathering of the day's tour. There was a great throng awaiting to hear his message."
On the 10th a crowd of miners tied a rope across the canal bridge leading to Haydock. As a result, two private cars and a motorcycle sidecar combination were held up. The traffic had been stopped in order that the men could search the vehicles to ensure they were not breaking the strike but the police intervened and removed the rope.
And now for some non-strike news. The mid-week Reporter described how the cricket season was supposed to have begun last Saturday. But it had been a day for "umbrellas, macintoshes, and mufflers" as the rain poured down. The St Helens Cricket Club's first team had been due to host Leigh at their Windleshaw Road ground – with their second team playing away at Leigh.
But when the latter side gathered at St Helens Railway Station to make the journey to Leigh, they met Leigh's first team who had just arrived. However, without going any further, they took a look up at the heavens and decided to take the next train back home.
Usually, when persons were arrested for taking bets in the street or within their homes, they chose to go quietly. They knew full well that the bookmaker that employed them would pay any fines and so they saw their detention as little more than an inconvenience. But James Wellens of Ramford Street was an exception that proved the rule.
A policeman on Parr Stocks Road had seen the man receive a slip of paper and some money from someone. Wellens then entered a house and upon leaving he saw the constable watching him and threw something back into the house. While being arrested he struggled to get free but eventually Wellens was apprehended and taken to the Town Hall police station.
Upon being searched he had 21 betting slips in his possession, as well as football coupons but denied having taken any bets. In court Wellens claimed that the policeman had put him on his back but, no doubt, realising the hopelessness of his position, he now decided to plead guilty and was fined the hefty sum of £15.
The Reporter described how the Congregational churches of Lancashire, Cumberland and Westmorland had designated the previous Sunday as a day for young people. In his sermon at the Ormskirk Street Congregational church in St Helens, the Rev Luke Beaumont had made some comments about young women, who it was sometimes claimed copied men by smoking and drinking and were flirtatious. The Reporter quoted the reverend as saying that he did not fully accept that premise:
"I decline to say sweepingly that the girls of the period are forward and flippant, copying men and imitating with puffs and paints peoples of pagan lands. There are tendencies, even strong drifts, towards the unwanted and unlovely; but these changes in fashion are not a change in morals."
The St Helens Newspaper described how in a single court sitting in the town, police speed traps had elicited fines totalling £30. Speed then was calculated by two police officers standing a known distance apart who timed passing vehicles using two stop watches. The bobbies had to be in line of sight of each other and so long and busy roads like Greenfield Road (pictured above) and Marshalls Cross Road were ideal.
One chap called Booth who was trapped in Greenfield Road did not turn up to court. Instead he had written a letter pleading guilty to exceeding the 20 mph limit but had praised the politeness of the two plain-clothed and one uniformed officer that had stopped him. Mr Booth said he had never before encountered such well-behaved policemen!
St Helens Reporter and Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the end of the General Strike, the elderly woman who fell out of her bedroom window in Sutton, the tram accident at the foot of Croppers Hill and the drunken Sutton Manor miners badly beaten by the police.
The General Strike began on the 4th in support of the miners' campaign against wage reductions and who had been locked out of their pits a couple of days before. At the time no-one knew how long what the St Helens Reporter called "this momentous crisis" would last and contingencies for a lengthy stoppage were being made as best they could. Volunteers were recruited, with the offices of the Ministry of Pensions in Corporation Street used to enrol persons who wished to keep essential services operating. At the start of the week this notice was posted in St Helens:
"Men, women and children must be fed. Essential services must be maintained. Vital industries must be kept going. For this purpose volunteers are needed. Are you prepared to serve? If so, give in your name to-day. You will be called upon in your turn. Every kind of volunteer will be wanted. Arrangements for pay will be made according to the duties performed. Register your name to-day. Recruiting at Corporation Buildings, Corporation-street, St. Helens."
The strike began the day after a Bank Holiday and the St Helens Reporter's mid-week edition that was published on the 4th, reflected on both the holiday and strike. The article, that was published under the headlines: "The Crisis – How St. Helens Will Carry On – Lighting, Power, And Coal Rationed – Volunteers Being Enrolled", began:
"St. Helens bore a Bank Holiday aspect yesterday amid the sunshine, and everybody seemed to be dressed in their Sunday clothes, as though it were a festival day. It was, however, the eve of the most catastrophic industrial tragedy that has ever threatened the country. Every vital trade, and public service is affected."
The Reporter described how an emergency joint meeting of council committees had taken place on the Bank Holiday to discuss preparations to mitigate the strike's disruption. Transport was badly hit, with tramways and buses in St Helens having stopped work at midnight on the 3rd. A state of emergency was in place and coal, gas and electricity were being rationed.
During the evening of the 5th a meeting of the Town Council took place. It was revealed that the feeding of the St Helens schoolchildren that were in need would begin on the following Monday. But there was anger from Labour Party councillors when it was disclosed that arms and ammunition had been placed in the Town Hall. Alderman Waring said from some people's points of view, the only purpose of having such a stash would be to slaughter the miners.
Cllr Boscow said he was astounded and protested very vigorously against the decision, saying the people of St Helens would think it was for some underhand purpose. But Cllr Norman Pilkington – who was commander of the local battalion of the Territorials – said the arms had been transferred from the Volunteer Hall to the Town Hall for safe custody. He said doing so was standard practice in the town whenever there was a crisis.
On the 7th, which was Day 4 of the strike, the St Helens Newspaper summarised the present industrial situation. They wrote that Pilkingtons had reported that a number of men had not turned up to their jobs, although the firm had so far managed to keep going. Electrical engineers at both the Nuttalls and Cannington Shaw works of the UGB bottlemakers in St Helens had been ordered by their union to cease operations.
As a result, the works were expected to stop at any time, which would affect nearly 2,000 workers. At both of the Prescot Wireworks, 3,000 men were still in work but 800 were out. All St Helens coal miners were on strike or locked out, except a few men who were conducting safety operations.
The rugby league cup final between Warrington and Wigan was held at Knowsley Road on the 8th in front of what was described as a vast crowd. Without rail or bus travel available, many persons unable to book a charabanc seat walked to St Helens to watch Wigan win. Some of the spectators were reported to have controversially sung "The Red Flag" during the game.
A special meeting of St Helens Corporation was called for the 8th to discuss the situation with regard to the General Strike and a threat by a trade union to shut down the town's electricity and gas works. Both of those essential utilities were owned and run by the Corporation and the Electrical Trades Union had said they would close them down if their own members were not exclusively employed.
Consequently the Civil Commissioner from the North Western Area decided to exercise his powers within the Emergency Regulations and placed both St Helens' electricity and gas works under government control. This was believed to be the only such case in the country.
On the 9th the Bishop of Liverpool gave a talk to the miners on the waste land off Bridge Street. The Right Rev. Albert David was acting as intermediary, after previously talking to their employers. The St Helens Reporter subsequently wrote:
"Few gatherings, incident to the great industrial upheaval will, we venture to think, be so memorable as that which took place on the vacant land at Bridge-street, on Sunday night. The Bishop of Liverpool had that day made a tour of mining areas in his diocese, and had already addressed eleven meetings in the different colliery centres when he reached St. Helens at a quarter to nine to speak at the last gathering of the day's tour. There was a great throng awaiting to hear his message."
On the 10th a crowd of miners tied a rope across the canal bridge leading to Haydock. As a result, two private cars and a motorcycle sidecar combination were held up. The traffic had been stopped in order that the men could search the vehicles to ensure they were not breaking the strike but the police intervened and removed the rope.
And now for some non-strike news. The mid-week Reporter described how the cricket season was supposed to have begun last Saturday. But it had been a day for "umbrellas, macintoshes, and mufflers" as the rain poured down. The St Helens Cricket Club's first team had been due to host Leigh at their Windleshaw Road ground – with their second team playing away at Leigh.
But when the latter side gathered at St Helens Railway Station to make the journey to Leigh, they met Leigh's first team who had just arrived. However, without going any further, they took a look up at the heavens and decided to take the next train back home.
Usually, when persons were arrested for taking bets in the street or within their homes, they chose to go quietly. They knew full well that the bookmaker that employed them would pay any fines and so they saw their detention as little more than an inconvenience. But James Wellens of Ramford Street was an exception that proved the rule.
A policeman on Parr Stocks Road had seen the man receive a slip of paper and some money from someone. Wellens then entered a house and upon leaving he saw the constable watching him and threw something back into the house. While being arrested he struggled to get free but eventually Wellens was apprehended and taken to the Town Hall police station.
Upon being searched he had 21 betting slips in his possession, as well as football coupons but denied having taken any bets. In court Wellens claimed that the policeman had put him on his back but, no doubt, realising the hopelessness of his position, he now decided to plead guilty and was fined the hefty sum of £15.
The Reporter described how the Congregational churches of Lancashire, Cumberland and Westmorland had designated the previous Sunday as a day for young people. In his sermon at the Ormskirk Street Congregational church in St Helens, the Rev Luke Beaumont had made some comments about young women, who it was sometimes claimed copied men by smoking and drinking and were flirtatious. The Reporter quoted the reverend as saying that he did not fully accept that premise:
"I decline to say sweepingly that the girls of the period are forward and flippant, copying men and imitating with puffs and paints peoples of pagan lands. There are tendencies, even strong drifts, towards the unwanted and unlovely; but these changes in fashion are not a change in morals."
One chap called Booth who was trapped in Greenfield Road did not turn up to court. Instead he had written a letter pleading guilty to exceeding the 20 mph limit but had praised the politeness of the two plain-clothed and one uniformed officer that had stopped him. Mr Booth said he had never before encountered such well-behaved policemen!
St Helens Reporter and Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the end of the General Strike, the elderly woman who fell out of her bedroom window in Sutton, the tram accident at the foot of Croppers Hill and the drunken Sutton Manor miners badly beaten by the police.
This week's many stories include the start of the General Strike, the call for volunteers to maintain vital services in St Helens, the washout start to the cricket season, the violent bookie in Parr Stocks Road, the polite policemen that were operating speed traps and a defence of the young women of St Helens.
The General Strike began on the 4th in support of the miners' campaign against wage reductions and who had been locked out of their pits a couple of days before.
At the time no-one knew how long what the St Helens Reporter called "this momentous crisis" would last and contingencies for a lengthy stoppage were being made as best they could.
Volunteers were recruited, with the offices of the Ministry of Pensions in Corporation Street used to enrol persons who wished to keep essential services operating.
At the start of the week this notice was posted in St Helens:
"Men, women and children must be fed. Essential services must be maintained. Vital industries must be kept going. For this purpose volunteers are needed.
"Are you prepared to serve? If so, give in your name to-day. You will be called upon in your turn. Every kind of volunteer will be wanted.
"Arrangements for pay will be made according to the duties performed. Register your name to-day. Recruiting at Corporation Buildings, Corporation-street, St. Helens."
The strike began the day after a Bank Holiday and the St Helens Reporter's mid-week edition that was published on the 4th, reflected on both the holiday and strike.
The article, that was published under the headlines: "The Crisis – How St. Helens Will Carry On – Lighting, Power, And Coal Rationed – Volunteers Being Enrolled", began:
"St. Helens bore a Bank Holiday aspect yesterday amid the sunshine, and everybody seemed to be dressed in their Sunday clothes, as though it were a festival day. It was, however, the eve of the most catastrophic industrial tragedy that has ever threatened the country. Every vital trade, and public service is affected."
The Reporter described how an emergency joint meeting of council committees had taken place on the Bank Holiday to discuss preparations to mitigate the strike's disruption.
Transport was badly hit, with tramways and buses in St Helens having stopped work at midnight on the 3rd. A state of emergency was in place and coal, gas and electricity were being rationed.
During the evening of the 5th a meeting of the Town Council took place.
It was revealed that the feeding of the St Helens schoolchildren that were in need would begin on the following Monday.
But there was anger from Labour Party councillors when it was disclosed that arms and ammunition had been placed in the Town Hall.
Alderman Waring said from some people's points of view, the only purpose of having such a stash would be to slaughter the miners.
Cllr Boscow said he was astounded and protested very vigorously against the decision, saying the people of St Helens would think it was for some underhand purpose.
But Cllr Norman Pilkington – who was commander of the local battalion of the Territorials – said the arms had been transferred from the Volunteer Hall to the Town Hall for safe custody.
He said doing so was standard practice in the town whenever there was a crisis.
On the 7th, which was Day 4 of the strike, the St Helens Newspaper summarised the present industrial situation.
They wrote that Pilkingtons had reported that a number of men had not turned up to their jobs, although the firm had so far managed to keep going.
Electrical engineers at both the Nuttalls and Cannington Shaw works of the UGB bottlemakers in St Helens had been ordered by their union to cease operations.
As a result, the works were expected to stop at any time, which would affect nearly 2,000 workers.
At both of the Prescot Wireworks, 3,000 men were still in work but 800 were out.
All St Helens coal miners were on strike or locked out, except a few men who were conducting safety operations.
The rugby league cup final between Warrington and Wigan was held at Knowsley Road on the 8th in front of what was described as a vast crowd.
Without rail or bus travel available, many persons unable to book a charabanc seat walked to St Helens to watch Wigan win.
Some of the spectators were reported to have controversially sung "The Red Flag" during the game.
A special meeting of St Helens Corporation was called for the 8th to discuss the situation with regard to the General Strike and a threat by a trade union to shut down the town's electricity and gas works.
Both of those essential utilities were owned and run by the Corporation and the Electrical Trades Union had said they would close them down if their own members were not exclusively employed.
Consequently the Civil Commissioner from the North Western Area decided to exercise his powers within the Emergency Regulations and placed both St Helens' electricity and gas works under government control.
This was believed to be the only such case in the country.
On the 9th the Bishop of Liverpool gave a talk to the miners on the waste land off Bridge Street.
The Right Rev. Albert David was acting as intermediary, after previously talking to their employers. The St Helens Reporter subsequently wrote:
"Few gatherings, incident to the great industrial upheaval will, we venture to think, be so memorable as that which took place on the vacant land at Bridge-street, on Sunday night.
"The Bishop of Liverpool had that day made a tour of mining areas in his diocese, and had already addressed eleven meetings in the different colliery centres when he reached St. Helens at a quarter to nine to speak at the last gathering of the day's tour. There was a great throng awaiting to hear his message."
On the 10th a crowd of miners tied a rope across the canal bridge leading to Haydock. As a result, two private cars and a motorcycle sidecar combination were held up.
The traffic had been stopped in order that the men could search the vehicles to ensure they were not breaking the strike but the police intervened and removed the rope.
And now for some non-strike news. The mid-week Reporter described how the cricket season was supposed to have begun last Saturday.
But it had been a day for "umbrellas, macintoshes, and mufflers" as the rain poured down.
The St Helens Cricket Club's first team had been due to host Leigh at their Windleshaw Road ground – with their second team playing away at Leigh.
But when the latter side gathered at St Helens Railway Station to make the journey to Leigh, they met Leigh's first team who had just arrived.
However, without going any further, they took a look up at the heavens and decided to take the next train back home.
Usually, when persons were arrested for taking bets in the street or within their homes, they chose to go quietly.
They knew full well that the bookmaker that employed them would pay any fines and so they saw their detention as little more than an inconvenience.
But James Wellens of Ramford Street was an exception that proved the rule.
A policeman on Parr Stocks Road had seen the man receive a slip of paper and some money from someone.
Wellens then entered a house and upon leaving he saw the constable watching him and threw something back into the house.
While being arrested he struggled to get free but eventually Wellens was apprehended and taken to the Town Hall police station.
Upon being searched he had 21 betting slips in his possession, as well as football coupons but denied having taken any bets.
In court Wellens claimed that the policeman had put him on his back but, no doubt, realising the hopelessness of his position, he now decided to plead guilty and was fined the hefty sum of £15.
The Reporter described how the Congregational churches of Lancashire, Cumberland and Westmorland had designated the previous Sunday as a day for young people.
In his sermon at the Ormskirk Street Congregational church in St Helens, the Rev Luke Beaumont had made some comments about young women, who it was sometimes claimed copied men by smoking and drinking and were flirtatious.
The Reporter quoted the reverend as saying that he did not fully accept that premise:
"I decline to say sweepingly that the girls of the period are forward and flippant, copying men and imitating with puffs and paints peoples of pagan lands.
"There are tendencies, even strong drifts, towards the unwanted and unlovely; but these changes in fashion are not a change in morals."
The St Helens Newspaper described how in a single court sitting in the town, police speed traps had elicited fines totalling £30.
Speed then was calculated by two police officers standing a known distance apart who timed passing vehicles using two stop watches.
The bobbies had to be in line of sight of each other and so long and busy roads like Greenfield Road (pictured above) and Marshalls Cross Road were ideal.
One chap called Booth who was trapped in Greenfield Road did not turn up to court.
Instead he had written a letter pleading guilty to exceeding the 20 mph limit but had praised the politeness of the two plain-clothed and one uniformed officer that had stopped him.
Mr Booth said he had never before encountered such well-behaved policemen!
St Helens Reporter and Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the end of the General Strike, the elderly woman who fell out of her bedroom window in Sutton, the tram accident at the foot of Croppers Hill and the drunken Sutton Manor miners badly beaten by the police.
The General Strike began on the 4th in support of the miners' campaign against wage reductions and who had been locked out of their pits a couple of days before.
At the time no-one knew how long what the St Helens Reporter called "this momentous crisis" would last and contingencies for a lengthy stoppage were being made as best they could.
Volunteers were recruited, with the offices of the Ministry of Pensions in Corporation Street used to enrol persons who wished to keep essential services operating.
At the start of the week this notice was posted in St Helens:
"Men, women and children must be fed. Essential services must be maintained. Vital industries must be kept going. For this purpose volunteers are needed.
"Are you prepared to serve? If so, give in your name to-day. You will be called upon in your turn. Every kind of volunteer will be wanted.
"Arrangements for pay will be made according to the duties performed. Register your name to-day. Recruiting at Corporation Buildings, Corporation-street, St. Helens."
The strike began the day after a Bank Holiday and the St Helens Reporter's mid-week edition that was published on the 4th, reflected on both the holiday and strike.
The article, that was published under the headlines: "The Crisis – How St. Helens Will Carry On – Lighting, Power, And Coal Rationed – Volunteers Being Enrolled", began:
"St. Helens bore a Bank Holiday aspect yesterday amid the sunshine, and everybody seemed to be dressed in their Sunday clothes, as though it were a festival day. It was, however, the eve of the most catastrophic industrial tragedy that has ever threatened the country. Every vital trade, and public service is affected."
The Reporter described how an emergency joint meeting of council committees had taken place on the Bank Holiday to discuss preparations to mitigate the strike's disruption.
Transport was badly hit, with tramways and buses in St Helens having stopped work at midnight on the 3rd. A state of emergency was in place and coal, gas and electricity were being rationed.
During the evening of the 5th a meeting of the Town Council took place.
It was revealed that the feeding of the St Helens schoolchildren that were in need would begin on the following Monday.
But there was anger from Labour Party councillors when it was disclosed that arms and ammunition had been placed in the Town Hall.
Alderman Waring said from some people's points of view, the only purpose of having such a stash would be to slaughter the miners.
Cllr Boscow said he was astounded and protested very vigorously against the decision, saying the people of St Helens would think it was for some underhand purpose.
But Cllr Norman Pilkington – who was commander of the local battalion of the Territorials – said the arms had been transferred from the Volunteer Hall to the Town Hall for safe custody.
He said doing so was standard practice in the town whenever there was a crisis.
On the 7th, which was Day 4 of the strike, the St Helens Newspaper summarised the present industrial situation.
They wrote that Pilkingtons had reported that a number of men had not turned up to their jobs, although the firm had so far managed to keep going.
Electrical engineers at both the Nuttalls and Cannington Shaw works of the UGB bottlemakers in St Helens had been ordered by their union to cease operations.
As a result, the works were expected to stop at any time, which would affect nearly 2,000 workers.
At both of the Prescot Wireworks, 3,000 men were still in work but 800 were out.
All St Helens coal miners were on strike or locked out, except a few men who were conducting safety operations.
The rugby league cup final between Warrington and Wigan was held at Knowsley Road on the 8th in front of what was described as a vast crowd.
Without rail or bus travel available, many persons unable to book a charabanc seat walked to St Helens to watch Wigan win.
Some of the spectators were reported to have controversially sung "The Red Flag" during the game.
A special meeting of St Helens Corporation was called for the 8th to discuss the situation with regard to the General Strike and a threat by a trade union to shut down the town's electricity and gas works.
Both of those essential utilities were owned and run by the Corporation and the Electrical Trades Union had said they would close them down if their own members were not exclusively employed.
Consequently the Civil Commissioner from the North Western Area decided to exercise his powers within the Emergency Regulations and placed both St Helens' electricity and gas works under government control.
This was believed to be the only such case in the country.
On the 9th the Bishop of Liverpool gave a talk to the miners on the waste land off Bridge Street.
The Right Rev. Albert David was acting as intermediary, after previously talking to their employers. The St Helens Reporter subsequently wrote:
"Few gatherings, incident to the great industrial upheaval will, we venture to think, be so memorable as that which took place on the vacant land at Bridge-street, on Sunday night.
"The Bishop of Liverpool had that day made a tour of mining areas in his diocese, and had already addressed eleven meetings in the different colliery centres when he reached St. Helens at a quarter to nine to speak at the last gathering of the day's tour. There was a great throng awaiting to hear his message."
On the 10th a crowd of miners tied a rope across the canal bridge leading to Haydock. As a result, two private cars and a motorcycle sidecar combination were held up.
The traffic had been stopped in order that the men could search the vehicles to ensure they were not breaking the strike but the police intervened and removed the rope.
And now for some non-strike news. The mid-week Reporter described how the cricket season was supposed to have begun last Saturday.
But it had been a day for "umbrellas, macintoshes, and mufflers" as the rain poured down.
The St Helens Cricket Club's first team had been due to host Leigh at their Windleshaw Road ground – with their second team playing away at Leigh.
But when the latter side gathered at St Helens Railway Station to make the journey to Leigh, they met Leigh's first team who had just arrived.
However, without going any further, they took a look up at the heavens and decided to take the next train back home.
Usually, when persons were arrested for taking bets in the street or within their homes, they chose to go quietly.
They knew full well that the bookmaker that employed them would pay any fines and so they saw their detention as little more than an inconvenience.
But James Wellens of Ramford Street was an exception that proved the rule.
A policeman on Parr Stocks Road had seen the man receive a slip of paper and some money from someone.
Wellens then entered a house and upon leaving he saw the constable watching him and threw something back into the house.
While being arrested he struggled to get free but eventually Wellens was apprehended and taken to the Town Hall police station.
Upon being searched he had 21 betting slips in his possession, as well as football coupons but denied having taken any bets.
In court Wellens claimed that the policeman had put him on his back but, no doubt, realising the hopelessness of his position, he now decided to plead guilty and was fined the hefty sum of £15.
The Reporter described how the Congregational churches of Lancashire, Cumberland and Westmorland had designated the previous Sunday as a day for young people.
In his sermon at the Ormskirk Street Congregational church in St Helens, the Rev Luke Beaumont had made some comments about young women, who it was sometimes claimed copied men by smoking and drinking and were flirtatious.
The Reporter quoted the reverend as saying that he did not fully accept that premise:
"I decline to say sweepingly that the girls of the period are forward and flippant, copying men and imitating with puffs and paints peoples of pagan lands.
"There are tendencies, even strong drifts, towards the unwanted and unlovely; but these changes in fashion are not a change in morals."
The St Helens Newspaper described how in a single court sitting in the town, police speed traps had elicited fines totalling £30.
Speed then was calculated by two police officers standing a known distance apart who timed passing vehicles using two stop watches.
One chap called Booth who was trapped in Greenfield Road did not turn up to court.
Instead he had written a letter pleading guilty to exceeding the 20 mph limit but had praised the politeness of the two plain-clothed and one uniformed officer that had stopped him.
Mr Booth said he had never before encountered such well-behaved policemen!
St Helens Reporter and Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the end of the General Strike, the elderly woman who fell out of her bedroom window in Sutton, the tram accident at the foot of Croppers Hill and the drunken Sutton Manor miners badly beaten by the police.