IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 18 - 24 DECEMBER 1923
This week's many stories include the Christmas Party for the poor children of St Helens, the Clock Face tug-of-war that led to a court case, the Rigby Street garage fire, the rules to prevent intimate dancing at Parr church socials, Saints' busy fixture list for the festive season, the thorny question of allotments is again considered and Zellini the human chimney performs at the Hippodrome with his smoking mechanical dog!
We begin on the 18th when an unusual case was heard in St Helens County Court when Thomas Littler brought a claim for £100 damages against a magistrate called Thomas Smith. The plaintiff from Derbyshire Hill Road had been the captain of St Helens Sacred Heart Club's tug-of-war team at the Clock Face Institute's Sports last August and Smith had been the referee. Littler had passed some remark to Smith concerning the opposing side, which the referee was said to have resented.
In response he had pushed Littler in his chest which had caused the man to fall to the ground and break his wrist. The miner with seven children was subsequently off work for thirteen weeks. However, Littler's admission of having had a couple of drinks before the event counted against him and he lost the case.
The acts performing at the Hippodrome during this week included:
“Zellini ("Juggler - The human chimney"); Tom E. Hughes ("Starring engagement - comedian - the rag bag of vanity"); The Harris Family ("Vocalists and instrumentalists"); Murphy and Mack ("Present their screamingly funny sketch, ‘The Major’s Reflection’"); Nina & Nora ("Singing and dancing girls") and The Doves ("Brother and sister, peerless British gymnasts").
Zellini being dubbed "The human chimney" intrigued me and so I found this review of his performance at the Exeter Hippodrome from 1924: "Zellini is responsible for a lot of laughter as a burlesque juggler. He extracts endless fun out of cigarette smoke which he emits from the back of his head, chest, back, and legs, and convulses the audience with a couple of grotesque “dogs.” One of these has its tail set alight through being utilised as a match striker.
"A miniature fire engine whizzes on the stage, and is picked up by Zellini. Water is poured on to the burning tail – and all over the stage – from one of the engine hose pipes. Later, the tail of the “dog” is cut off with a hatchet, but a little sprinkling of salt suffices to provide the animal with a new tail. These are but a few of the amusing things Zellini does." Further research confirms that Zellini's dogs were mechanical ones. They probably outlived their master with all that cigarette smoking twice a night!
Modern 1920s dancing had its critics, some of whom thought it very sinful. In the December edition of his parish magazine, the Vicar of St Peter's Church stated his rules for church social events. Rev. Lloyd wanted all dances to be traditional and a list of types that would take place given to him in advance of the event.
The Parr vicar also insisted that no dancing should take place in his church hall without a member of his staff supervising the conduct of the dancers, commenting: "When one dances with friends in a simple way and we have some of the old dances (some of the modern dances are not nice), no hurt will come to anyone, and no one can complain."
At St Helens Parks Committee meeting on the 19th the thorny question of allotments was again considered. In 1917 wartime food shortages had led to the setting up of allotments in St Helens' parks – and in other places, such as schools and recreation grounds – and within a year there were as many as 2,000. After the armistice the allotments in the parks were allowed to continue, although holders were warned that there would come a time when they'd be discontinued.
That time had now come with the argument being that the full use of the parks and other recreational places were needed to keep children off the streets and, anyway, many of the allotments were no longer being worked. But some holders were keen gardeners and did not want to lose their plots. And so the solution was seen as retaining some small sites and moving allotment holders from places like Victoria Park and Queen's Park onto them.
At this week's committee meeting the Borough Engineer reported that he had sent out notices to all allotment holders with plots in places that were due to close telling them their tenancy had expired. They were all offered alternative sites at a new rent of 7s 6d per week, an increase on what it had been in past years when the Corporation was prepared to subsidise them.
Over 200 letters had been despatched to gardeners offering them new plots in Derbyshire Hill, Marshalls Cross, Taylor Park, Windlehurst, Knowsley Road, Old Whint (Haydock) and Thatto Heath. Only half had accepted the offer with some areas more keen than others. Derbyshire Hill in Parr had 52 plots but only eight were currently occupied and just two of them wished to retain their allotments.
Ald. Waring told the meeting that the land in Derbyshire Hill should be converted into a playground, saying: "It would keep the children off the roads." Ald. Hamblett replied that a meeting was going to be held soon to discuss the provision of playgrounds for schoolchildren and it was confirmed that the allotments in Derbyshire Hill would have to close. And those holders with plots in Victoria Park were going to be asked to transfer to Knowsley Road.
Although re-locating the allotments would not be a simple task, it was nothing compared to sorting out the roads. They had not been built to take heavy traffic and needed a huge investment to make them fit for the 1920s. A meeting of the Council’s Highways Committee also took place on the 19th and its Chairman Cllr. Ellison stated that a big scheme was needed to get the roads into shape. Some streets, he said, had no proper bottom to them and were not capable of resisting present-day traffic.
Cllr. Woods mentioned certain roads in St Helens through which traffic had recently been diverted while repairs to the tramway system had been conducted. As a result, he said, they had been badly cut up. The committee wanted to carry out improvement works district by district but would need to get permission to borrow the money, which would likely come to a sizeable amount.
Thomas Edmondson of Rigby Street had in 1920 joined the long list of providers of open-top motor coaches in St Helens. They preferred to spell their charas "Chars-A-Banc" and their adverts had then informed "Club Secretaries and Pic-Nic Parties" that two new Leyland vehicles had arrived at their HQ. During the evening of the 19th what was described as an accident with some petrol led to a serious fire at Edmondson's premises in which two vehicles were almost destroyed and damage to the extent of £1,500 caused.
There was some good news for the Plews family of Keswick Road on the 20th. George Plews had been suffering from loss of memory and had disappeared from his home on November 26th. However, he had now been found and was at present in hospital at Torquay.
On the 21st foot and mouth disease was detected on Lord Derby's Home Farm at Knowsley. Although only three calves had been infected, the whole herd of 130 cattle had to be slaughtered.
The 21st was the day of the third annual Christmas Party for the children of those on the dole. It would be more accurate to say parties, as five were held at the same time at St Helens Town Hall, Windle Pilkington School, Robins Lane School, Thatto Heath School and Allanson Street School.
In total, 2,000 boys and girls were given tea followed by a concert and each received from Father Christmas a toy, a cracker and an apple and orange. The parties were organised by the Mayor of St Helens and were funded by public donations, with the balance from what was received paying for food parcels for the unemployed.
Griffins Cinema in Ormskirk Street would soon be renamed the Scala and on the 21st it suffered a break-in and over £100 was taken from a safe.
The St Helens Reporter was published on that day and contained an advert from the Broadway Café in Church Street promoting its Christmas cakes and puddings, Tom Smith's crackers and Christmas novelties. Last year the St Helens Esperanto Society had held its Christmas party at the Broadway, which was run by Martha Moulds from Cowley Hill Lane.
In 1920 she appeared in court charged with profiteering after a complaint was made about the price of a meal. The case was brought by the St Helens Profiteering Committee, which had been created in the wake of public concern over high prices in shops.
Such committees were set up to assuage public anger over price hikes during and after the war. People had so little experience of inflation that the mainly false assumption was made that shopkeepers were exploiting their customers. Martha Moulds was able to prove that her prices were reasonable and the case against her was dismissed.
J. Carrington Snr and Jnr became the third St Helens' residents in recent weeks to claim transatlantic wireless reception. The father and son were in the Reporter after writing in to say they had picked up a New York radio station at their home in Robins Lane.
This is what the paper had to say about Saints' fixture list over the festive season: "It is rather a farce to wish Rugby players a Merry Christmas in view of the glut of engagements they have to fulfil. They have neither time nor room for Christmas pudding, but they have the consolation of knowing that the “dough” is plentiful, particularly if they can win [the] matches."
That was, of course, a reference to the players' win bonus. Saints had four matches to play in eight days, although their first on the 22nd against Salford was called off after the Knowsley Road ground was deemed unfit through frost and rain.
And finally, we come to Christmas Eve. The Reporter in its review said the weather had not favoured the late shopper, as "the streets were wet and unpleasant and the atmosphere damp and heavy, but in the evening it became more dry and brighter, and the town was very busy, the scene being enlivened by the presence of bands of music playing appropriate selections. There were also many parties of carol singers."
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's article will be a Christmas special and include the mayoral hospital visits on Christmas Day, the Sherdley Dole, the Christmas Circus at the Hippodrome, Father Christmas comes to Rainford in a fairy-like sleigh and the Christmas accident at the Junction.
We begin on the 18th when an unusual case was heard in St Helens County Court when Thomas Littler brought a claim for £100 damages against a magistrate called Thomas Smith. The plaintiff from Derbyshire Hill Road had been the captain of St Helens Sacred Heart Club's tug-of-war team at the Clock Face Institute's Sports last August and Smith had been the referee. Littler had passed some remark to Smith concerning the opposing side, which the referee was said to have resented.
In response he had pushed Littler in his chest which had caused the man to fall to the ground and break his wrist. The miner with seven children was subsequently off work for thirteen weeks. However, Littler's admission of having had a couple of drinks before the event counted against him and he lost the case.
The acts performing at the Hippodrome during this week included:
“Zellini ("Juggler - The human chimney"); Tom E. Hughes ("Starring engagement - comedian - the rag bag of vanity"); The Harris Family ("Vocalists and instrumentalists"); Murphy and Mack ("Present their screamingly funny sketch, ‘The Major’s Reflection’"); Nina & Nora ("Singing and dancing girls") and The Doves ("Brother and sister, peerless British gymnasts").
Zellini being dubbed "The human chimney" intrigued me and so I found this review of his performance at the Exeter Hippodrome from 1924: "Zellini is responsible for a lot of laughter as a burlesque juggler. He extracts endless fun out of cigarette smoke which he emits from the back of his head, chest, back, and legs, and convulses the audience with a couple of grotesque “dogs.” One of these has its tail set alight through being utilised as a match striker.
"A miniature fire engine whizzes on the stage, and is picked up by Zellini. Water is poured on to the burning tail – and all over the stage – from one of the engine hose pipes. Later, the tail of the “dog” is cut off with a hatchet, but a little sprinkling of salt suffices to provide the animal with a new tail. These are but a few of the amusing things Zellini does." Further research confirms that Zellini's dogs were mechanical ones. They probably outlived their master with all that cigarette smoking twice a night!
Modern 1920s dancing had its critics, some of whom thought it very sinful. In the December edition of his parish magazine, the Vicar of St Peter's Church stated his rules for church social events. Rev. Lloyd wanted all dances to be traditional and a list of types that would take place given to him in advance of the event.
The Parr vicar also insisted that no dancing should take place in his church hall without a member of his staff supervising the conduct of the dancers, commenting: "When one dances with friends in a simple way and we have some of the old dances (some of the modern dances are not nice), no hurt will come to anyone, and no one can complain."
That time had now come with the argument being that the full use of the parks and other recreational places were needed to keep children off the streets and, anyway, many of the allotments were no longer being worked. But some holders were keen gardeners and did not want to lose their plots. And so the solution was seen as retaining some small sites and moving allotment holders from places like Victoria Park and Queen's Park onto them.
At this week's committee meeting the Borough Engineer reported that he had sent out notices to all allotment holders with plots in places that were due to close telling them their tenancy had expired. They were all offered alternative sites at a new rent of 7s 6d per week, an increase on what it had been in past years when the Corporation was prepared to subsidise them.
Over 200 letters had been despatched to gardeners offering them new plots in Derbyshire Hill, Marshalls Cross, Taylor Park, Windlehurst, Knowsley Road, Old Whint (Haydock) and Thatto Heath. Only half had accepted the offer with some areas more keen than others. Derbyshire Hill in Parr had 52 plots but only eight were currently occupied and just two of them wished to retain their allotments.
Ald. Waring told the meeting that the land in Derbyshire Hill should be converted into a playground, saying: "It would keep the children off the roads." Ald. Hamblett replied that a meeting was going to be held soon to discuss the provision of playgrounds for schoolchildren and it was confirmed that the allotments in Derbyshire Hill would have to close. And those holders with plots in Victoria Park were going to be asked to transfer to Knowsley Road.
Although re-locating the allotments would not be a simple task, it was nothing compared to sorting out the roads. They had not been built to take heavy traffic and needed a huge investment to make them fit for the 1920s. A meeting of the Council’s Highways Committee also took place on the 19th and its Chairman Cllr. Ellison stated that a big scheme was needed to get the roads into shape. Some streets, he said, had no proper bottom to them and were not capable of resisting present-day traffic.
Cllr. Woods mentioned certain roads in St Helens through which traffic had recently been diverted while repairs to the tramway system had been conducted. As a result, he said, they had been badly cut up. The committee wanted to carry out improvement works district by district but would need to get permission to borrow the money, which would likely come to a sizeable amount.
Thomas Edmondson of Rigby Street had in 1920 joined the long list of providers of open-top motor coaches in St Helens. They preferred to spell their charas "Chars-A-Banc" and their adverts had then informed "Club Secretaries and Pic-Nic Parties" that two new Leyland vehicles had arrived at their HQ. During the evening of the 19th what was described as an accident with some petrol led to a serious fire at Edmondson's premises in which two vehicles were almost destroyed and damage to the extent of £1,500 caused.
There was some good news for the Plews family of Keswick Road on the 20th. George Plews had been suffering from loss of memory and had disappeared from his home on November 26th. However, he had now been found and was at present in hospital at Torquay.
On the 21st foot and mouth disease was detected on Lord Derby's Home Farm at Knowsley. Although only three calves had been infected, the whole herd of 130 cattle had to be slaughtered.
The 21st was the day of the third annual Christmas Party for the children of those on the dole. It would be more accurate to say parties, as five were held at the same time at St Helens Town Hall, Windle Pilkington School, Robins Lane School, Thatto Heath School and Allanson Street School.
In total, 2,000 boys and girls were given tea followed by a concert and each received from Father Christmas a toy, a cracker and an apple and orange. The parties were organised by the Mayor of St Helens and were funded by public donations, with the balance from what was received paying for food parcels for the unemployed.
The St Helens Reporter was published on that day and contained an advert from the Broadway Café in Church Street promoting its Christmas cakes and puddings, Tom Smith's crackers and Christmas novelties. Last year the St Helens Esperanto Society had held its Christmas party at the Broadway, which was run by Martha Moulds from Cowley Hill Lane.
In 1920 she appeared in court charged with profiteering after a complaint was made about the price of a meal. The case was brought by the St Helens Profiteering Committee, which had been created in the wake of public concern over high prices in shops.
Such committees were set up to assuage public anger over price hikes during and after the war. People had so little experience of inflation that the mainly false assumption was made that shopkeepers were exploiting their customers. Martha Moulds was able to prove that her prices were reasonable and the case against her was dismissed.
J. Carrington Snr and Jnr became the third St Helens' residents in recent weeks to claim transatlantic wireless reception. The father and son were in the Reporter after writing in to say they had picked up a New York radio station at their home in Robins Lane.
This is what the paper had to say about Saints' fixture list over the festive season: "It is rather a farce to wish Rugby players a Merry Christmas in view of the glut of engagements they have to fulfil. They have neither time nor room for Christmas pudding, but they have the consolation of knowing that the “dough” is plentiful, particularly if they can win [the] matches."
That was, of course, a reference to the players' win bonus. Saints had four matches to play in eight days, although their first on the 22nd against Salford was called off after the Knowsley Road ground was deemed unfit through frost and rain.
And finally, we come to Christmas Eve. The Reporter in its review said the weather had not favoured the late shopper, as "the streets were wet and unpleasant and the atmosphere damp and heavy, but in the evening it became more dry and brighter, and the town was very busy, the scene being enlivened by the presence of bands of music playing appropriate selections. There were also many parties of carol singers."
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's article will be a Christmas special and include the mayoral hospital visits on Christmas Day, the Sherdley Dole, the Christmas Circus at the Hippodrome, Father Christmas comes to Rainford in a fairy-like sleigh and the Christmas accident at the Junction.
This week's many stories include the Christmas Party for the poor children of St Helens, the Clock Face tug-of-war that led to a court case, the Rigby Street garage fire, the rules to prevent intimate dancing at Parr church socials, Saints' busy fixture list for the festive season, the thorny question of allotments is again considered and Zellini the human chimney performs at the Hippodrome with his smoking mechanical dog!
We begin on the 18th when an unusual case was heard in St Helens County Court when Thomas Littler brought a claim for £100 damages against a magistrate called Thomas Smith.
The plaintiff from Derbyshire Hill Road had been the captain of St Helens Sacred Heart Club's tug-of-war team at the Clock Face Institute's Sports last August and Smith had been the referee.
Littler had passed some remark to Smith concerning the opposing side, which the referee was said to have resented.
In response he had pushed Littler in his chest which had caused the man to fall to the ground and break his wrist.
The miner with seven children was subsequently off work for thirteen weeks. However, Littler's admission of having had a couple of drinks before the event counted against him and he lost the case.
The acts performing at the Hippodrome during this week included:
“Zellini ("Juggler - The human chimney"); Tom E. Hughes ("Starring engagement - comedian - the rag bag of vanity"); The Harris Family ("Vocalists and instrumentalists"); Murphy and Mack ("Present their screamingly funny sketch, ‘The Major’s Reflection’"); Nina & Nora ("Singing and dancing girls") and The Doves ("Brother and sister, peerless British gymnasts").
Zellini being dubbed "The human chimney" intrigued me and so I found this review of his performance at the Exeter Hippodrome from 1924:
"Zellini is responsible for a lot of laughter as a burlesque juggler. He extracts endless fun out of cigarette smoke which he emits from the back of his head, chest, back, and legs, and convulses the audience with a couple of grotesque “dogs.” One of these has its tail set alight through being utilised as a match striker.
"A miniature fire engine whizzes on the stage, and is picked up by Zellini. Water is poured on to the burning tail – and all over the stage – from one of the engine hose pipes.
“Later, the tail of the “dog” is cut off with a hatchet, but a little sprinkling of salt suffices to provide the animal with a new tail. These are but a few of the amusing things Zellini does."
Further research confirms that Zellini's dogs were mechanical ones. They probably outlived their master with all that cigarette smoking twice a night!
Modern 1920s dancing had its critics, some of whom thought it very sinful. In the December edition of his parish magazine, the Vicar of St Peter's Church stated his rules for church social events.
Rev. Lloyd wanted all dances to be traditional and a list of types that would take place given to him in advance of the event.
The Parr vicar also insisted that no dancing should take place in his church hall without a member of his staff supervising the conduct of the dancers, commenting:
"When one dances with friends in a simple way and we have some of the old dances (some of the modern dances are not nice), no hurt will come to anyone, and no one can complain."
At St Helens Parks Committee meeting on the 19th the thorny question of allotments was again considered.
In 1917 wartime food shortages had led to the setting up of allotments in St Helens' parks – and in other places, such as schools and recreation grounds – and within a year there were as many as 2,000.
After the armistice the allotments in the parks were allowed to continue, although holders were warned that there would come a time when they'd be discontinued.
That time had now come with the argument being that the full use of the parks and other recreational places were needed to keep children off the streets and, anyway, many of the allotments were no longer being worked.
But some holders were keen gardeners and did not want to lose their plots. And so the solution was seen as retaining some small sites and moving allotment holders from places like Victoria Park and Queen's Park onto them.
At this week's committee meeting the Borough Engineer reported that he had sent out notices to all allotment holders with plots in places that were due to close telling them their tenancy had expired.
They were all offered alternative sites at a new rent of 7s 6d per week, an increase on what it had been in past years when the Corporation was prepared to subsidise them.
Over 200 letters had been despatched to gardeners offering them new plots in Derbyshire Hill, Marshalls Cross, Taylor Park, Windlehurst, Knowsley Road, Old Whint (Haydock) and Thatto Heath.
Only half had accepted the offer with some areas more keen than others. Derbyshire Hill in Parr had 52 plots but only eight were currently occupied and just two of them wished to retain their allotments.
Ald. Waring told the meeting that the land in Derbyshire Hill should be converted into a playground, saying: "It would keep the children off the roads."
Ald. Hamblett replied that a meeting was going to be held soon to discuss the provision of playgrounds for schoolchildren and it was confirmed that the allotments in Derbyshire Hill would have to close.
And those holders with plots in Victoria Park were going to be asked to transfer to Knowsley Road.
Although re-locating the allotments would not be a simple task, it was nothing compared to sorting out the roads.
They had not been built to take heavy traffic and needed a huge investment to make them fit for the 1920s.
A meeting of the Council’s Highways Committee also took place on the 19th and its Chairman Cllr. Ellison stated that a big scheme was needed to get the roads into shape.
Some streets, he said, had no proper bottom to them and were not capable of resisting present-day traffic.
Cllr. Woods mentioned certain roads in St Helens through which traffic had recently been diverted while repairs to the tramway system had been conducted. As a result, he said, they had been badly cut up.
The committee wanted to carry out improvement works district by district but would need to get permission to borrow the money, which would likely come to a sizeable amount.
Thomas Edmondson of Rigby Street had in 1920 joined the long list of providers of open-top motor coaches in St Helens.
They preferred to spell their charas "Chars-A-Banc" and their adverts had then informed "Club Secretaries and Pic-Nic Parties" that two new Leyland vehicles had arrived at their HQ.
During the evening of the 19th what was described as an accident with some petrol led to a serious fire at Edmondson's premises in which two vehicles were almost destroyed and damage to the extent of £1,500 caused.
There was some good news for the Plews family of Keswick Road on the 20th.
George Plews had been suffering from loss of memory and had disappeared from his home on November 26th. However, he had now been found and was at present in hospital at Torquay.
On the 21st foot and mouth disease was detected on Lord Derby's Home Farm at Knowsley.
Although only three calves had been infected, the whole herd of 130 cattle had to be slaughtered.
The 21st was the day of the third annual Christmas Party for the children of those on the dole.
It would be more accurate to say parties, as five were held at the same time at St Helens Town Hall, Windle Pilkington School, Robins Lane School, Thatto Heath School and Allanson Street School.
In total, 2,000 boys and girls were given tea followed by a concert and each received from Father Christmas a toy, a cracker and an apple and orange.
The parties were organised by the Mayor of St Helens and were funded by public donations, with the balance from what was received paying for food parcels for the unemployed.
Griffins Cinema in Ormskirk Street would soon be renamed the Scala and on the 21st it suffered a break-in and over £100 was taken from a safe.
The St Helens Reporter was published on that day and contained an advert from the Broadway Café in Church Street promoting its Christmas cakes and puddings, Tom Smith's crackers and Christmas novelties.
Last year the St Helens Esperanto Society had held its Christmas party at the Broadway, which was run by Martha Moulds from Cowley Hill Lane.
In 1920 she appeared in court charged with profiteering after a complaint was made about the price of a meal.
The case was brought by the St Helens Profiteering Committee, which had been created in the wake of public concern over high prices in shops.
Such committees were set up to assuage public anger over price hikes during and after the war.
People had so little experience of inflation that the mainly false assumption was made that shopkeepers were exploiting their customers.
Martha Moulds was able to prove that her prices were reasonable and the case against her was dismissed.
J. Carrington Snr and Jnr became the third St Helens' residents in recent weeks to claim transatlantic wireless reception.
The father and son were in the Reporter after writing in to say they had picked up a New York radio station at their home in Robins Lane.
This is what the paper had to say about Saints' fixture list over the festive season:
"It is rather a farce to wish Rugby players a Merry Christmas in view of the glut of engagements they have to fulfil.
"They have neither time nor room for Christmas pudding, but they have the consolation of knowing that the “dough” is plentiful, particularly if they can win [the] matches."
That was, of course, a reference to the players' win bonus. Saints had four matches to play in eight days, although their first on the 22nd against Salford was called off after the Knowsley Road ground was deemed unfit through frost and rain.
And finally, we come to Christmas Eve. The Reporter in its review said the weather had not favoured the late shopper, as "the streets were wet and unpleasant and the atmosphere damp and heavy, but in the evening it became more dry and brighter, and the town was very busy, the scene being enlivened by the presence of bands of music playing appropriate selections. There were also many parties of carol singers."
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's article will be a Christmas special and include the mayoral hospital visits on Christmas Day, the Sherdley Dole, the Christmas Circus at the Hippodrome, Father Christmas comes to Rainford in a fairy-like sleigh and the Christmas accident at the Junction.
We begin on the 18th when an unusual case was heard in St Helens County Court when Thomas Littler brought a claim for £100 damages against a magistrate called Thomas Smith.
The plaintiff from Derbyshire Hill Road had been the captain of St Helens Sacred Heart Club's tug-of-war team at the Clock Face Institute's Sports last August and Smith had been the referee.
Littler had passed some remark to Smith concerning the opposing side, which the referee was said to have resented.
In response he had pushed Littler in his chest which had caused the man to fall to the ground and break his wrist.
The miner with seven children was subsequently off work for thirteen weeks. However, Littler's admission of having had a couple of drinks before the event counted against him and he lost the case.
The acts performing at the Hippodrome during this week included:
“Zellini ("Juggler - The human chimney"); Tom E. Hughes ("Starring engagement - comedian - the rag bag of vanity"); The Harris Family ("Vocalists and instrumentalists"); Murphy and Mack ("Present their screamingly funny sketch, ‘The Major’s Reflection’"); Nina & Nora ("Singing and dancing girls") and The Doves ("Brother and sister, peerless British gymnasts").
Zellini being dubbed "The human chimney" intrigued me and so I found this review of his performance at the Exeter Hippodrome from 1924:
"Zellini is responsible for a lot of laughter as a burlesque juggler. He extracts endless fun out of cigarette smoke which he emits from the back of his head, chest, back, and legs, and convulses the audience with a couple of grotesque “dogs.” One of these has its tail set alight through being utilised as a match striker.
"A miniature fire engine whizzes on the stage, and is picked up by Zellini. Water is poured on to the burning tail – and all over the stage – from one of the engine hose pipes.
“Later, the tail of the “dog” is cut off with a hatchet, but a little sprinkling of salt suffices to provide the animal with a new tail. These are but a few of the amusing things Zellini does."
Further research confirms that Zellini's dogs were mechanical ones. They probably outlived their master with all that cigarette smoking twice a night!
Modern 1920s dancing had its critics, some of whom thought it very sinful. In the December edition of his parish magazine, the Vicar of St Peter's Church stated his rules for church social events.
Rev. Lloyd wanted all dances to be traditional and a list of types that would take place given to him in advance of the event.
The Parr vicar also insisted that no dancing should take place in his church hall without a member of his staff supervising the conduct of the dancers, commenting:
"When one dances with friends in a simple way and we have some of the old dances (some of the modern dances are not nice), no hurt will come to anyone, and no one can complain."
In 1917 wartime food shortages had led to the setting up of allotments in St Helens' parks – and in other places, such as schools and recreation grounds – and within a year there were as many as 2,000.
After the armistice the allotments in the parks were allowed to continue, although holders were warned that there would come a time when they'd be discontinued.
That time had now come with the argument being that the full use of the parks and other recreational places were needed to keep children off the streets and, anyway, many of the allotments were no longer being worked.
But some holders were keen gardeners and did not want to lose their plots. And so the solution was seen as retaining some small sites and moving allotment holders from places like Victoria Park and Queen's Park onto them.
At this week's committee meeting the Borough Engineer reported that he had sent out notices to all allotment holders with plots in places that were due to close telling them their tenancy had expired.
They were all offered alternative sites at a new rent of 7s 6d per week, an increase on what it had been in past years when the Corporation was prepared to subsidise them.
Over 200 letters had been despatched to gardeners offering them new plots in Derbyshire Hill, Marshalls Cross, Taylor Park, Windlehurst, Knowsley Road, Old Whint (Haydock) and Thatto Heath.
Only half had accepted the offer with some areas more keen than others. Derbyshire Hill in Parr had 52 plots but only eight were currently occupied and just two of them wished to retain their allotments.
Ald. Waring told the meeting that the land in Derbyshire Hill should be converted into a playground, saying: "It would keep the children off the roads."
Ald. Hamblett replied that a meeting was going to be held soon to discuss the provision of playgrounds for schoolchildren and it was confirmed that the allotments in Derbyshire Hill would have to close.
And those holders with plots in Victoria Park were going to be asked to transfer to Knowsley Road.
Although re-locating the allotments would not be a simple task, it was nothing compared to sorting out the roads.
They had not been built to take heavy traffic and needed a huge investment to make them fit for the 1920s.
A meeting of the Council’s Highways Committee also took place on the 19th and its Chairman Cllr. Ellison stated that a big scheme was needed to get the roads into shape.
Some streets, he said, had no proper bottom to them and were not capable of resisting present-day traffic.
Cllr. Woods mentioned certain roads in St Helens through which traffic had recently been diverted while repairs to the tramway system had been conducted. As a result, he said, they had been badly cut up.
The committee wanted to carry out improvement works district by district but would need to get permission to borrow the money, which would likely come to a sizeable amount.
Thomas Edmondson of Rigby Street had in 1920 joined the long list of providers of open-top motor coaches in St Helens.
They preferred to spell their charas "Chars-A-Banc" and their adverts had then informed "Club Secretaries and Pic-Nic Parties" that two new Leyland vehicles had arrived at their HQ.
During the evening of the 19th what was described as an accident with some petrol led to a serious fire at Edmondson's premises in which two vehicles were almost destroyed and damage to the extent of £1,500 caused.
There was some good news for the Plews family of Keswick Road on the 20th.
George Plews had been suffering from loss of memory and had disappeared from his home on November 26th. However, he had now been found and was at present in hospital at Torquay.
On the 21st foot and mouth disease was detected on Lord Derby's Home Farm at Knowsley.
Although only three calves had been infected, the whole herd of 130 cattle had to be slaughtered.
The 21st was the day of the third annual Christmas Party for the children of those on the dole.
It would be more accurate to say parties, as five were held at the same time at St Helens Town Hall, Windle Pilkington School, Robins Lane School, Thatto Heath School and Allanson Street School.
In total, 2,000 boys and girls were given tea followed by a concert and each received from Father Christmas a toy, a cracker and an apple and orange.
The parties were organised by the Mayor of St Helens and were funded by public donations, with the balance from what was received paying for food parcels for the unemployed.
The St Helens Reporter was published on that day and contained an advert from the Broadway Café in Church Street promoting its Christmas cakes and puddings, Tom Smith's crackers and Christmas novelties.
Last year the St Helens Esperanto Society had held its Christmas party at the Broadway, which was run by Martha Moulds from Cowley Hill Lane.
In 1920 she appeared in court charged with profiteering after a complaint was made about the price of a meal.
The case was brought by the St Helens Profiteering Committee, which had been created in the wake of public concern over high prices in shops.
Such committees were set up to assuage public anger over price hikes during and after the war.
People had so little experience of inflation that the mainly false assumption was made that shopkeepers were exploiting their customers.
Martha Moulds was able to prove that her prices were reasonable and the case against her was dismissed.
J. Carrington Snr and Jnr became the third St Helens' residents in recent weeks to claim transatlantic wireless reception.
The father and son were in the Reporter after writing in to say they had picked up a New York radio station at their home in Robins Lane.
This is what the paper had to say about Saints' fixture list over the festive season:
"It is rather a farce to wish Rugby players a Merry Christmas in view of the glut of engagements they have to fulfil.
"They have neither time nor room for Christmas pudding, but they have the consolation of knowing that the “dough” is plentiful, particularly if they can win [the] matches."
That was, of course, a reference to the players' win bonus. Saints had four matches to play in eight days, although their first on the 22nd against Salford was called off after the Knowsley Road ground was deemed unfit through frost and rain.
And finally, we come to Christmas Eve. The Reporter in its review said the weather had not favoured the late shopper, as "the streets were wet and unpleasant and the atmosphere damp and heavy, but in the evening it became more dry and brighter, and the town was very busy, the scene being enlivened by the presence of bands of music playing appropriate selections. There were also many parties of carol singers."
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's article will be a Christmas special and include the mayoral hospital visits on Christmas Day, the Sherdley Dole, the Christmas Circus at the Hippodrome, Father Christmas comes to Rainford in a fairy-like sleigh and the Christmas accident at the Junction.