IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (6th - 12th JUNE 1922)
This week's many stories include the Sutton councillor charged with perjury, a swimming tragedy in Carr Mill Dam, the grenades stashed inside a Langtree Street railway bridge, the Sutton miner who stole his daughter's cash, the pavement advertising using a shaving brush and the furiously-ridden horse that knocked down a 2-year-old.
We begin with the story of Peter Gilhenny, who would not be up for any father of the year prize. The St Helens and District Motor Company had handed the man a packet containing £14 18s to pass onto his daughter, a conductor on one of the firm's motor bus services to Sutton Manor. Just what the money had been for was not stated in the newspaper report but instead of ensuring his daughter received the cash, Gilhenny left for Liverpool. There the miner from Mill Lane in Sutton was arrested for being drunk and in court was fined 10 shillings.
Instead of immediately returning home, Gilhenny remained in Liverpool where he spent more of his daughter's cash on having a good time. By the time he came back to Sutton, nearly £10 of his daughter's money had been blown and on the 8th he appeared in St Helens Police Court to face the music. The magistrates were told that Gilhenny had 25 previous convictions and he was sent to prison for a month with hard labour.
The 32nd annual Prescot Agricultural Show was also held on the 8th under fine weather and with a record number of entries. The event was held at Knowsley Park with its owner Lord Derby coming first and second in the competition for best short-horned heifers.
On the 9th the St Helens Reporter described a swimming tragedy in Carr Mill Dam (pictured above) in which 16-year-old John Heaton of Albion Street had lost his life. Such events, of course, do happen today in St Helens - but a hundred years ago there was much more open water that was often deep. During periods of good weather, many would enjoy themselves in the ponds, clay holes, lakes and canals and every year some would die.
John's companion at Carr Mill had been Thomas Dennett of Virgil Street who told the inquest into his friend's death that they'd arrived at the lake at 11:30 am. Despite both boys being strong swimmers, John had got into difficulties and called for help. Thomas went to his aid but said his pal gripped him so tightly round his neck that he was forced to release his grasp or else they would both have drowned. The lad raised the alarm but it took thirty hours before John's body could be found and recovered.
There was a curious prosecution on the 9th when Alfred Ray, a theatrical manager of Tottenham Court Road in London, was summoned to St Helens Police Court charged with pavement advertising. During the previous week his company had been appearing in a revue called "The Fun Shop" at the Hippodrome Theatre in Corporation Street. At ten minutes to one on the morning of June 3rd, Sergeant Lomas had found Ray and one of his actors in Bridge Street. There they were carrying a bucket of whitewash and a couple of shaving brushes and were marking the pavement "S.O.S. The Fun Shop".
The pair had made more than a dozen other inscriptions on pavements in the town centre. Alfred Ray failed to appear in court but sent a long letter in which he said attendances had been "so terribly bad" during their week in St Helens that they had been trying everything in their power to drum up more business. He was fined 20 shillings.
Also in court was Francis White of Bold Street who pleaded guilty to a charge of riding a horse furiously in a public place. Inspector Curren told the Bench that while on duty in Ward Street (off North Road), he had heard women and children screaming and shouting. Upon reaching the place where the disturbance was taking place, he learnt that White had driven a horse at full speed into a crowd of people, injuring a 2-year-old child. Upon being questioned by the officer, White initially made no reply but then said: "I am sorry", before adding: "The child had no right to be there, anyhow." Later he claimed that his animal was going fast because some men had whipped it. The magistrates fined him £1.
Boscow Crescent in Sutton is named after Thomas Hill Boscow, who ran a tobacconist's shop in Junction Lane and served as Mayor of St Helens in 1928 and 1929. A controversial left-wing figure, Boscow had many battles with the Chief Constable of St Helens Police as a consequence of being arrested and charged with perjury. That prosecution came about as a result of the evidence the councillor gave in St Helens Police Court on the 9th of this week.
As well as running his tobacconist's shop, Boscow was also branch secretary of the moulders union and was accused of interfering with men who'd returned to work prior to the settlement of a strike. On oath Boscow vehemently denied the charges, particularly the allegation that he had harassed a shop steward called Thomas Beattie at his home. The magistrates fined him £5 and bound the councillor over for six months. That seemingly was the end of the matter but on the following day Boscow was arrested on the perjury charge.
Countless people must have lied in St Helens Police Court and it was rare for defendants and witnesses to be accused of perjuring themselves – hence Boscow's belief that the Chief Constable was victimising him. On the 12th the Sutton councillor appeared in court to face the charge. The police sought an 8-day remand while further inquiries were made, which the magistrates granted. Boscow was allowed bail with Councillors Dodd and Thackeray each agreeing to pay a surety of £25 and Boscow himself was ordered to find a further £50.
"Happy Day At Monastery Grounds", was the headline to a report on the St Anne's field day and sports that had taken place at Sutton Monastery (pictured above) on Whit Monday. The Reporter wrote: "The beautiful Monastery grounds were looking their best in the brilliant sunshine, and no pleasanter surroundings could have been wished for. From the commencement of the afternoon a steady stream of spectators made their way to the grounds, and soon there was quite a large gathering around the sports ring, which was, of course, the centre of interest. The side-shows, too, each attracted their share of patrons during the day, and there was certainly nothing lacking in any shape or form that would add to the enjoyment of the crowd. The Sutton Traffic Band discoursed a fine programme during the afternoon and evening."
Next time you find yourself at the top of Bridge Street in St Helens, look up at the imposing Church Street building that faces you that's now occupied by the Yorkshire Building Society. At its very top you'll see the name "The Manchester & County Bank Ltd" and above that "Erected MDCCCCXIV". That’s 1914, by the way, according to an online Roman numerals calculator! During the 1960s, the bank became part of what we now call NatWest but in 1922 it was still having to persuade prospective customers of the merits of opening a bank account.
Many working class people did not have accounts and sometimes that was through concerns over the security of their deposits. So in the Manchester & County Bank's advert in the St Helens Reporter this week they made a point of stating their capital assets, including the amount of their reserve fund. The bank – which had a branch in Ellamsbridge Road in Sutton that had opened in 1919 – was managed by Harold Cowper, who in the 1911 census was just a humble cashier living in King Edward Road.
During the evening of the 10th, a number of children playing in Langtree Street in St Helens made an extraordinary find. Inside a hole in the wall of a railway bridge, five hand grenades were discovered. The so-called Mills bombs were fully primed and ready for use but fortunately the youngsters did not pull out their pins. It was believed the grenades had all been stashed in the cavity to be removed when needed.
However, it was not yet known if they were connected to the explosives raids by suspected Irish extremists that had taken place in St Helens earlier in the month. The Guardian in their report wrote: "Langtree Street, where they were found, is in a desolate part of St. Helens, surrounded by waste heaps, and there are no houses near the bridge."
Next week's stories will include the measles epidemic's heavy death toll, miners are told they are treated worse than slaves, the illegal Sunday ice-cream sellers and why many married women teachers in St Helens were expecting to be sacked.
We begin with the story of Peter Gilhenny, who would not be up for any father of the year prize. The St Helens and District Motor Company had handed the man a packet containing £14 18s to pass onto his daughter, a conductor on one of the firm's motor bus services to Sutton Manor. Just what the money had been for was not stated in the newspaper report but instead of ensuring his daughter received the cash, Gilhenny left for Liverpool. There the miner from Mill Lane in Sutton was arrested for being drunk and in court was fined 10 shillings.
Instead of immediately returning home, Gilhenny remained in Liverpool where he spent more of his daughter's cash on having a good time. By the time he came back to Sutton, nearly £10 of his daughter's money had been blown and on the 8th he appeared in St Helens Police Court to face the music. The magistrates were told that Gilhenny had 25 previous convictions and he was sent to prison for a month with hard labour.
The 32nd annual Prescot Agricultural Show was also held on the 8th under fine weather and with a record number of entries. The event was held at Knowsley Park with its owner Lord Derby coming first and second in the competition for best short-horned heifers.
John's companion at Carr Mill had been Thomas Dennett of Virgil Street who told the inquest into his friend's death that they'd arrived at the lake at 11:30 am. Despite both boys being strong swimmers, John had got into difficulties and called for help. Thomas went to his aid but said his pal gripped him so tightly round his neck that he was forced to release his grasp or else they would both have drowned. The lad raised the alarm but it took thirty hours before John's body could be found and recovered.
There was a curious prosecution on the 9th when Alfred Ray, a theatrical manager of Tottenham Court Road in London, was summoned to St Helens Police Court charged with pavement advertising. During the previous week his company had been appearing in a revue called "The Fun Shop" at the Hippodrome Theatre in Corporation Street. At ten minutes to one on the morning of June 3rd, Sergeant Lomas had found Ray and one of his actors in Bridge Street. There they were carrying a bucket of whitewash and a couple of shaving brushes and were marking the pavement "S.O.S. The Fun Shop".
The pair had made more than a dozen other inscriptions on pavements in the town centre. Alfred Ray failed to appear in court but sent a long letter in which he said attendances had been "so terribly bad" during their week in St Helens that they had been trying everything in their power to drum up more business. He was fined 20 shillings.
Also in court was Francis White of Bold Street who pleaded guilty to a charge of riding a horse furiously in a public place. Inspector Curren told the Bench that while on duty in Ward Street (off North Road), he had heard women and children screaming and shouting. Upon reaching the place where the disturbance was taking place, he learnt that White had driven a horse at full speed into a crowd of people, injuring a 2-year-old child. Upon being questioned by the officer, White initially made no reply but then said: "I am sorry", before adding: "The child had no right to be there, anyhow." Later he claimed that his animal was going fast because some men had whipped it. The magistrates fined him £1.
Boscow Crescent in Sutton is named after Thomas Hill Boscow, who ran a tobacconist's shop in Junction Lane and served as Mayor of St Helens in 1928 and 1929. A controversial left-wing figure, Boscow had many battles with the Chief Constable of St Helens Police as a consequence of being arrested and charged with perjury. That prosecution came about as a result of the evidence the councillor gave in St Helens Police Court on the 9th of this week.
As well as running his tobacconist's shop, Boscow was also branch secretary of the moulders union and was accused of interfering with men who'd returned to work prior to the settlement of a strike. On oath Boscow vehemently denied the charges, particularly the allegation that he had harassed a shop steward called Thomas Beattie at his home. The magistrates fined him £5 and bound the councillor over for six months. That seemingly was the end of the matter but on the following day Boscow was arrested on the perjury charge.
Countless people must have lied in St Helens Police Court and it was rare for defendants and witnesses to be accused of perjuring themselves – hence Boscow's belief that the Chief Constable was victimising him. On the 12th the Sutton councillor appeared in court to face the charge. The police sought an 8-day remand while further inquiries were made, which the magistrates granted. Boscow was allowed bail with Councillors Dodd and Thackeray each agreeing to pay a surety of £25 and Boscow himself was ordered to find a further £50.
Next time you find yourself at the top of Bridge Street in St Helens, look up at the imposing Church Street building that faces you that's now occupied by the Yorkshire Building Society. At its very top you'll see the name "The Manchester & County Bank Ltd" and above that "Erected MDCCCCXIV". That’s 1914, by the way, according to an online Roman numerals calculator! During the 1960s, the bank became part of what we now call NatWest but in 1922 it was still having to persuade prospective customers of the merits of opening a bank account.
Many working class people did not have accounts and sometimes that was through concerns over the security of their deposits. So in the Manchester & County Bank's advert in the St Helens Reporter this week they made a point of stating their capital assets, including the amount of their reserve fund. The bank – which had a branch in Ellamsbridge Road in Sutton that had opened in 1919 – was managed by Harold Cowper, who in the 1911 census was just a humble cashier living in King Edward Road.
During the evening of the 10th, a number of children playing in Langtree Street in St Helens made an extraordinary find. Inside a hole in the wall of a railway bridge, five hand grenades were discovered. The so-called Mills bombs were fully primed and ready for use but fortunately the youngsters did not pull out their pins. It was believed the grenades had all been stashed in the cavity to be removed when needed.
However, it was not yet known if they were connected to the explosives raids by suspected Irish extremists that had taken place in St Helens earlier in the month. The Guardian in their report wrote: "Langtree Street, where they were found, is in a desolate part of St. Helens, surrounded by waste heaps, and there are no houses near the bridge."
Next week's stories will include the measles epidemic's heavy death toll, miners are told they are treated worse than slaves, the illegal Sunday ice-cream sellers and why many married women teachers in St Helens were expecting to be sacked.
This week's many stories include the Sutton councillor charged with perjury, a swimming tragedy in Carr Mill Dam, the grenades stashed inside a Langtree Street railway bridge, the Sutton miner who stole his daughter's cash, the pavement advertising using a shaving brush and the furiously-ridden horse that knocked down a 2-year-old.
We begin with the story of Peter Gilhenny, who would not be up for any father of the year prize.
The St Helens and District Motor Company had handed the man a packet containing £14 18s to pass onto his daughter, a conductor on one of the firm's motor bus services to Sutton Manor.
Just what the money had been for was not stated in the newspaper report but instead of ensuring his daughter received the cash, Gilhenny left for Liverpool.
There the miner from Mill Lane in Sutton was arrested for being drunk and in court was fined 10 shillings.
Instead of immediately returning home, Gilhenny remained in Liverpool where he spent more of his daughter's cash on having a good time.
By the time he came back to Sutton, nearly £10 of his daughter's money had been blown and on the 8th he appeared in St Helens Police Court to face the music.
The magistrates were told that Gilhenny had 25 previous convictions and he was sent to prison for a month with hard labour.
The 32nd annual Prescot Agricultural Show was also held on the 8th under fine weather and with a record number of entries.
The event was held at Knowsley Park with its owner Lord Derby coming first and second in the competition for best short-horned heifers.
On the 9th the St Helens Reporter described a swimming tragedy in Carr Mill Dam (pictured above) in which 16-year-old John Heaton of Albion Street had lost his life.
Such events, of course, do happen today in St Helens - but a hundred years ago there was much more open water that was often deep.
During periods of good weather, many would enjoy themselves in the ponds, clay holes, lakes and canals and every year some would die.
John's companion at Carr Mill had been Thomas Dennett of Virgil Street who told the inquest into his friend's death that they'd arrived at the lake at 11:30 am.
Despite both boys being strong swimmers, John had got into difficulties and called for help.
Thomas went to his aid but said his pal gripped him so tightly round his neck that he was forced to release his grasp or else they would both have drowned.
The lad raised the alarm but it took thirty hours before John's body could be found and recovered.
There was a curious prosecution on the 9th when Alfred Ray, a theatrical manager of Tottenham Court Road in London, was summoned to St Helens Police Court charged with pavement advertising.
During the previous week his company had been appearing in a revue called "The Fun Shop" at the Hippodrome Theatre in Corporation Street.
At ten minutes to one on the morning of June 3rd, Sergeant Lomas had found Ray and one of his actors in Bridge Street.
There they were carrying a bucket of whitewash and a couple of shaving brushes and were marking the pavement "S.O.S. The Fun Shop".
The pair had made more than a dozen other inscriptions on pavements in the town centre.
Alfred Ray failed to appear in court but sent a long letter in which he said attendances had been "so terribly bad" during their week in St Helens that they had been trying everything in their power to drum up more business. He was fined 20 shillings.
Also in court was Francis White of Bold Street who pleaded guilty to a charge of riding a horse furiously in a public place.
Inspector Curren told the Bench that while on duty in Ward Street (off North Road), he had heard women and children screaming and shouting.
Upon reaching the place where the disturbance was taking place, he learnt that White had driven a horse at full speed into a crowd of people, injuring a 2-year-old child.
Upon being questioned by the officer, White initially made no reply but then said: "I am sorry", before adding: "The child had no right to be there, anyhow."
Later he claimed that his animal was going fast because some men had whipped it. The magistrates fined him £1.
Boscow Crescent in Sutton is named after Thomas Hill Boscow, who ran a tobacconist's shop in Junction Lane and served as Mayor of St Helens in 1928 and 1929.
A controversial left-wing figure, Boscow had many battles with the Chief Constable of St Helens Police as a consequence of being arrested and charged with perjury.
That prosecution came about as a result of the evidence the councillor gave in St Helens Police Court on the 9th of this week.
As well as running his tobacconist's shop, Boscow was also branch secretary of the moulders union and was accused of interfering with men who'd returned to work prior to the settlement of a strike.
On oath Boscow vehemently denied the charges, particularly the allegation that he had harassed a shop steward called Thomas Beattie at his home.
The magistrates fined him £5 and bound the councillor over for six months. That seemingly was the end of the matter but on the following day Boscow was arrested on the perjury charge.
Countless people must have lied in St Helens Police Court and it was rare for defendants and witnesses to be accused of perjuring themselves – hence Boscow's belief that the Chief Constable was victimising him.
On the 12th the Sutton councillor appeared in court to face the charge. The police sought an 8-day remand while further inquiries were made, which the magistrates granted.
Boscow was allowed bail with Councillors Dodd and Thackeray each agreeing to pay a surety of £25 and Boscow himself was ordered to find a further £50.
"Happy Day At Monastery Grounds", was the headline to a report on the St Anne's field day and sports that had taken place at Sutton Monastery (pictured above) on Whit Monday. The Reporter wrote:
"The beautiful Monastery grounds were looking their best in the brilliant sunshine, and no pleasanter surroundings could have been wished for. From the commencement of the afternoon a steady stream of spectators made their way to the grounds, and soon there was quite a large gathering around the sports ring, which was, of course, the centre of interest.
"The side-shows, too, each attracted their share of patrons during the day, and there was certainly nothing lacking in any shape or form that would add to the enjoyment of the crowd. The Sutton Traffic Band discoursed a fine programme during the afternoon and evening."
Next time you find yourself at the top of Bridge Street in St Helens, look up at the imposing Church Street building that faces you that's now occupied by the Yorkshire Building Society.
At its very top you'll see the name "The Manchester & County Bank Ltd" and above that "Erected MDCCCCXIV". That’s 1914, by the way, according to an online Roman numerals calculator!
During the 1960s, the bank became part of what we now call NatWest but in 1922 it was still having to persuade prospective customers of the merits of opening a bank account.
Many working class people did not have accounts and sometimes that was through concerns over the security of their deposits.
So in the Manchester & County Bank's advert in the St Helens Reporter this week they made a point of stating their capital assets, including the amount of their reserve fund.
The bank – which had a branch in Ellamsbridge Road in Sutton that had opened in 1919 – was managed by Harold Cowper, who in the 1911 census was just a humble cashier living in King Edward Road.
During the evening of the 10th, a number of children playing in Langtree Street in St Helens made an extraordinary find.
Inside a hole in the wall of a railway bridge, five hand grenades were discovered. The so-called Mills bombs were fully primed and ready for use but fortunately the youngsters did not pull out their pins.
It was believed the grenades had all been stashed in the cavity to be removed when needed.
However, it was not yet known if they were connected to the explosives raids by suspected Irish extremists that had taken place in St Helens earlier in the month.
The Guardian in their report wrote: "Langtree Street, where they were found, is in a desolate part of St. Helens, surrounded by waste heaps, and there are no houses near the bridge."
Next week's stories will include the measles epidemic's heavy death toll, miners are told they are treated worse than slaves, the illegal Sunday ice-cream sellers and why many married women teachers in St Helens were expecting to be sacked.
We begin with the story of Peter Gilhenny, who would not be up for any father of the year prize.
The St Helens and District Motor Company had handed the man a packet containing £14 18s to pass onto his daughter, a conductor on one of the firm's motor bus services to Sutton Manor.
Just what the money had been for was not stated in the newspaper report but instead of ensuring his daughter received the cash, Gilhenny left for Liverpool.
There the miner from Mill Lane in Sutton was arrested for being drunk and in court was fined 10 shillings.
Instead of immediately returning home, Gilhenny remained in Liverpool where he spent more of his daughter's cash on having a good time.
By the time he came back to Sutton, nearly £10 of his daughter's money had been blown and on the 8th he appeared in St Helens Police Court to face the music.
The magistrates were told that Gilhenny had 25 previous convictions and he was sent to prison for a month with hard labour.
The 32nd annual Prescot Agricultural Show was also held on the 8th under fine weather and with a record number of entries.
The event was held at Knowsley Park with its owner Lord Derby coming first and second in the competition for best short-horned heifers.
Such events, of course, do happen today in St Helens - but a hundred years ago there was much more open water that was often deep.
During periods of good weather, many would enjoy themselves in the ponds, clay holes, lakes and canals and every year some would die.
John's companion at Carr Mill had been Thomas Dennett of Virgil Street who told the inquest into his friend's death that they'd arrived at the lake at 11:30 am.
Despite both boys being strong swimmers, John had got into difficulties and called for help.
Thomas went to his aid but said his pal gripped him so tightly round his neck that he was forced to release his grasp or else they would both have drowned.
The lad raised the alarm but it took thirty hours before John's body could be found and recovered.
There was a curious prosecution on the 9th when Alfred Ray, a theatrical manager of Tottenham Court Road in London, was summoned to St Helens Police Court charged with pavement advertising.
During the previous week his company had been appearing in a revue called "The Fun Shop" at the Hippodrome Theatre in Corporation Street.
At ten minutes to one on the morning of June 3rd, Sergeant Lomas had found Ray and one of his actors in Bridge Street.
There they were carrying a bucket of whitewash and a couple of shaving brushes and were marking the pavement "S.O.S. The Fun Shop".
The pair had made more than a dozen other inscriptions on pavements in the town centre.
Alfred Ray failed to appear in court but sent a long letter in which he said attendances had been "so terribly bad" during their week in St Helens that they had been trying everything in their power to drum up more business. He was fined 20 shillings.
Also in court was Francis White of Bold Street who pleaded guilty to a charge of riding a horse furiously in a public place.
Inspector Curren told the Bench that while on duty in Ward Street (off North Road), he had heard women and children screaming and shouting.
Upon reaching the place where the disturbance was taking place, he learnt that White had driven a horse at full speed into a crowd of people, injuring a 2-year-old child.
Upon being questioned by the officer, White initially made no reply but then said: "I am sorry", before adding: "The child had no right to be there, anyhow."
Later he claimed that his animal was going fast because some men had whipped it. The magistrates fined him £1.
Boscow Crescent in Sutton is named after Thomas Hill Boscow, who ran a tobacconist's shop in Junction Lane and served as Mayor of St Helens in 1928 and 1929.
A controversial left-wing figure, Boscow had many battles with the Chief Constable of St Helens Police as a consequence of being arrested and charged with perjury.
That prosecution came about as a result of the evidence the councillor gave in St Helens Police Court on the 9th of this week.
As well as running his tobacconist's shop, Boscow was also branch secretary of the moulders union and was accused of interfering with men who'd returned to work prior to the settlement of a strike.
On oath Boscow vehemently denied the charges, particularly the allegation that he had harassed a shop steward called Thomas Beattie at his home.
The magistrates fined him £5 and bound the councillor over for six months. That seemingly was the end of the matter but on the following day Boscow was arrested on the perjury charge.
Countless people must have lied in St Helens Police Court and it was rare for defendants and witnesses to be accused of perjuring themselves – hence Boscow's belief that the Chief Constable was victimising him.
On the 12th the Sutton councillor appeared in court to face the charge. The police sought an 8-day remand while further inquiries were made, which the magistrates granted.
Boscow was allowed bail with Councillors Dodd and Thackeray each agreeing to pay a surety of £25 and Boscow himself was ordered to find a further £50.
"The beautiful Monastery grounds were looking their best in the brilliant sunshine, and no pleasanter surroundings could have been wished for. From the commencement of the afternoon a steady stream of spectators made their way to the grounds, and soon there was quite a large gathering around the sports ring, which was, of course, the centre of interest.
"The side-shows, too, each attracted their share of patrons during the day, and there was certainly nothing lacking in any shape or form that would add to the enjoyment of the crowd. The Sutton Traffic Band discoursed a fine programme during the afternoon and evening."
Next time you find yourself at the top of Bridge Street in St Helens, look up at the imposing Church Street building that faces you that's now occupied by the Yorkshire Building Society.
At its very top you'll see the name "The Manchester & County Bank Ltd" and above that "Erected MDCCCCXIV". That’s 1914, by the way, according to an online Roman numerals calculator!
During the 1960s, the bank became part of what we now call NatWest but in 1922 it was still having to persuade prospective customers of the merits of opening a bank account.
Many working class people did not have accounts and sometimes that was through concerns over the security of their deposits.
So in the Manchester & County Bank's advert in the St Helens Reporter this week they made a point of stating their capital assets, including the amount of their reserve fund.
The bank – which had a branch in Ellamsbridge Road in Sutton that had opened in 1919 – was managed by Harold Cowper, who in the 1911 census was just a humble cashier living in King Edward Road.
During the evening of the 10th, a number of children playing in Langtree Street in St Helens made an extraordinary find.
Inside a hole in the wall of a railway bridge, five hand grenades were discovered. The so-called Mills bombs were fully primed and ready for use but fortunately the youngsters did not pull out their pins.
It was believed the grenades had all been stashed in the cavity to be removed when needed.
However, it was not yet known if they were connected to the explosives raids by suspected Irish extremists that had taken place in St Helens earlier in the month.
The Guardian in their report wrote: "Langtree Street, where they were found, is in a desolate part of St. Helens, surrounded by waste heaps, and there are no houses near the bridge."
Next week's stories will include the measles epidemic's heavy death toll, miners are told they are treated worse than slaves, the illegal Sunday ice-cream sellers and why many married women teachers in St Helens were expecting to be sacked.