IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (25 SEPT - 1 OCT 1923)
This week's many stories include the problems with St Helens' proposed war memorial, the betting house in Highfield Street in Sutton, the beginning of home ownership in St Helens, a porter gets punched at Moss Bank station, the planned Health Week in St Helens and the motorbike and sidecar riding down Thatto Heath Road with different registration numbers.
Using your own house to take bets was fraught with risk. Not only was it seen as a more serious crime than betting on the street but also lots of people going to and from your home attracted attention. In court this week PC Holland said that during a 4½-hour period on one Saturday, he and PC Davies had counted 54 persons enter 15 Highfield Street in Sutton. That was the home of Thomas Beech and he was charged with using his house for betting and his wife Mary and son Thomas were charged with assisting him. Mrs Beech denied having anything to do with the affair and the charge against her was dismissed. But her husband and son were fined £15 and £5, respectively.
On the 25th John Smith of Parliament Street in Thatto Heath was sentenced to one month in prison with hard labour for being found on enclosed premises for an unlawful purpose. St Helens police could be very dismissive of defendants in court and they told the magistrates that Smith was the laziest man in town. On two occasions, they said, he had served three months in prison for neglecting his wife and children.
There was often trouble at St Helens' railway stations. On the evening of the 28th, just as a train was about to pull out from Moss Bank (pictured above), two men without tickets ran on to the platform after attending a bowls match. Railway porter Bernard Ward told them that they could not board the train and pay at their destination, as they wished to do. That led to James Briers of Eccleston Street in St Helens punching the porter in the jaw and his companion used abusive language to Mr Ward. In court facing a charge of assault, Briers claimed that all he did was try and push past the porter. The case was remanded for a few days for further enquiries.
St Helens was slowly becoming a healthier town – but there was still much ignorance of hygiene with poor practices creating many health issues. And so the Reporter on the 28th published this article announcing that "Health Week" was on its way:
"A big campaign will be launched in the week beginning October 7th in an endeavour to teach St. Helens people how to be healthy. The churches, the Sunday schools, the cinemas, gifted speakers, the Press – every agency of publicity, in fact, will be harnessed to the chariot of Hygiene. Young children in the schools, equally with their parents and grandparents, will be told of the simple road to real health which everyone who will can travel.
"People who have never realised it will be shown what a tremendous factor in securing good health is the tax-free sunlight and pure, fresh air. Those who have forgotten the virtue of soap and water will be reawakened to a sense of appreciation of the need of cleanliness in the search for health; and those hypochondriacs, who strive for good health through the medium of quack nostrums to the eschewing of all else, will be shown a much easier and far more reliable method of attaining their ambition."
Filmmakers were in St Helens this week producing a short film for Health Week. The location was the Eccleston Hall Sanatorium and the "actors" were the town’s Mayor, the Chairman of its Health Committee, their wives – and loads of babies! There was not much of a plot – although the highlight for me was when one of the babies did not like the idea of being publicly weighed and resisted! I wonder if he grew up to be a bit of a rebel. (The 4’ 40 seconds silent film is available to view on the British Film Archive’s website. Search "st helens health week 1923 film" to watch it.) During the actual Health Week the film was shown at the eight local cinemas that had contributed towards the cost of making it.
The housing crisis in St Helens showed no sign of abating with many examples where ridiculous numbers of persons were living in the same property. The government had made a subsidy of £75 available for each new home that was built in order to encourage house building. Some places were adding their own money to the £75. However, the Reporter described how at a meeting of the St Helens Health Committee this week, its Chairman Ald. Henry Bates had said St Helens could not afford to join them:
"I find it increasingly difficult to get people to go in for building houses. It is not a paying concern for the speculative builder. We can only give £75 subsidy. Surrounding districts – Bootle, Wigan, Haydock, Whiston, and a lot of other places – are offering £100 to £120 and £150. The matter has been considered but we did not think it wise at present in the financial affairs of the Borough to increase the amount."
But Ald. Bates had a novel idea to boost house building – persuade the occupiers of new houses to purchase them instead of rent. Very few people then owned their homes but Ald. Bates suggested encouraging people to buy them through being offered a £25 subsidy. Builders would then have greater incentive to construct houses if they could sell them to their residents. Alderman Bates explained how many of the working men of Haydock were choosing to take out a mortgage and buy their homes.
Haydock was then administered separately from St Helens and it was felt that by following their example, people could purchase their homes over twenty years with their repayments little more than what their rent would have been. A discussion took place on whether such persons would be allowed to resell their houses and it was stated that there would be a ban on such sales for five years to stop speculators from taking advantage of the scheme. This appears to be the beginning of home ownership on a big scale in St Helens.
The Reporter also described how Sutton Men's Bible Class had held a fancy dress ball, which had enjoyed a large attendance. Beautifully decorated bunting and the costumes of the competitors had, the paper explained, created a "picturesque scene."
For many of those in full-time employment, the 1920s was the era of the motorbike and sidecar, which were far more affordable on hire purchase than the motor car. In describing how Whit Monday in 1920 had been spent, the St Helens Reporter then wrote: "The road was first favourite in the great holiday exodus which is no doubt accounted for by the rapidly increasing number of small motor vehicles in the town. It would be interesting to have a census of motor-cycles and their ratio to the total population."
Lots of riders of motorbikes ended up in court and some strange wiring set ups were blamed for causing breaches of the law. In 1920 a chap called Claude Fillingham told the Bench in St Helens Police Court that the reason for his not having had a red rear light on his motorcycle and sidecar was that his lady passenger had sat on his gas connecting tube.
On the 28th of this week it was the turn of William Dodd. The 21-year-old from Prescot Road had been seen riding his motorbike and sidecar down Thatto Heath Road. A police constable noticed that the vehicle's registration numbers appeared different on its front and rear. It turned out that a piece of cord by which the rear brake was fastened onto the bike had been obscuring one of the numbers. Dodd blamed that on a screw coming loose. It also turned out that William's driving licence had expired in 1921 and he was fined a total of £3.
It had been in December 1919 when the first meeting had taken place to choose a public war memorial for St Helens. Nearly four years on and the committee had decided on an obelisk-type monument to be located in Victoria Square – but other progress had been painfully slow. Perhaps if the organising committee had been slimmed down a little, more progress would have been made. At the latest meeting on October 1st at the Town Hall, there were no less than twenty-nine members of the committee in attendance and they were informed of two main issues hampering their work.
First of all fundraising to pay for the memorial had left them well short of their target. And the committee was having difficulty sourcing all the names of those that had died in the war. They did not want to miss anyone off and cause offence to their relatives but getting a reliable, comprehensive list of the dead was proving a challenge.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Woodbine-smoking incorrigible 8-year-old who was told he deserved to be beaten several times a week, the betting house in Thatto Heath and the ex-soldier found in Cooper Street drunk on meths.
Using your own house to take bets was fraught with risk. Not only was it seen as a more serious crime than betting on the street but also lots of people going to and from your home attracted attention. In court this week PC Holland said that during a 4½-hour period on one Saturday, he and PC Davies had counted 54 persons enter 15 Highfield Street in Sutton. That was the home of Thomas Beech and he was charged with using his house for betting and his wife Mary and son Thomas were charged with assisting him. Mrs Beech denied having anything to do with the affair and the charge against her was dismissed. But her husband and son were fined £15 and £5, respectively.
On the 25th John Smith of Parliament Street in Thatto Heath was sentenced to one month in prison with hard labour for being found on enclosed premises for an unlawful purpose. St Helens police could be very dismissive of defendants in court and they told the magistrates that Smith was the laziest man in town. On two occasions, they said, he had served three months in prison for neglecting his wife and children.
St Helens was slowly becoming a healthier town – but there was still much ignorance of hygiene with poor practices creating many health issues. And so the Reporter on the 28th published this article announcing that "Health Week" was on its way:
"A big campaign will be launched in the week beginning October 7th in an endeavour to teach St. Helens people how to be healthy. The churches, the Sunday schools, the cinemas, gifted speakers, the Press – every agency of publicity, in fact, will be harnessed to the chariot of Hygiene. Young children in the schools, equally with their parents and grandparents, will be told of the simple road to real health which everyone who will can travel.
"People who have never realised it will be shown what a tremendous factor in securing good health is the tax-free sunlight and pure, fresh air. Those who have forgotten the virtue of soap and water will be reawakened to a sense of appreciation of the need of cleanliness in the search for health; and those hypochondriacs, who strive for good health through the medium of quack nostrums to the eschewing of all else, will be shown a much easier and far more reliable method of attaining their ambition."
Filmmakers were in St Helens this week producing a short film for Health Week. The location was the Eccleston Hall Sanatorium and the "actors" were the town’s Mayor, the Chairman of its Health Committee, their wives – and loads of babies! There was not much of a plot – although the highlight for me was when one of the babies did not like the idea of being publicly weighed and resisted! I wonder if he grew up to be a bit of a rebel. (The 4’ 40 seconds silent film is available to view on the British Film Archive’s website. Search "st helens health week 1923 film" to watch it.) During the actual Health Week the film was shown at the eight local cinemas that had contributed towards the cost of making it.
The housing crisis in St Helens showed no sign of abating with many examples where ridiculous numbers of persons were living in the same property. The government had made a subsidy of £75 available for each new home that was built in order to encourage house building. Some places were adding their own money to the £75. However, the Reporter described how at a meeting of the St Helens Health Committee this week, its Chairman Ald. Henry Bates had said St Helens could not afford to join them:
"I find it increasingly difficult to get people to go in for building houses. It is not a paying concern for the speculative builder. We can only give £75 subsidy. Surrounding districts – Bootle, Wigan, Haydock, Whiston, and a lot of other places – are offering £100 to £120 and £150. The matter has been considered but we did not think it wise at present in the financial affairs of the Borough to increase the amount."
But Ald. Bates had a novel idea to boost house building – persuade the occupiers of new houses to purchase them instead of rent. Very few people then owned their homes but Ald. Bates suggested encouraging people to buy them through being offered a £25 subsidy. Builders would then have greater incentive to construct houses if they could sell them to their residents. Alderman Bates explained how many of the working men of Haydock were choosing to take out a mortgage and buy their homes.
Haydock was then administered separately from St Helens and it was felt that by following their example, people could purchase their homes over twenty years with their repayments little more than what their rent would have been. A discussion took place on whether such persons would be allowed to resell their houses and it was stated that there would be a ban on such sales for five years to stop speculators from taking advantage of the scheme. This appears to be the beginning of home ownership on a big scale in St Helens.
The Reporter also described how Sutton Men's Bible Class had held a fancy dress ball, which had enjoyed a large attendance. Beautifully decorated bunting and the costumes of the competitors had, the paper explained, created a "picturesque scene."
Lots of riders of motorbikes ended up in court and some strange wiring set ups were blamed for causing breaches of the law. In 1920 a chap called Claude Fillingham told the Bench in St Helens Police Court that the reason for his not having had a red rear light on his motorcycle and sidecar was that his lady passenger had sat on his gas connecting tube.
On the 28th of this week it was the turn of William Dodd. The 21-year-old from Prescot Road had been seen riding his motorbike and sidecar down Thatto Heath Road. A police constable noticed that the vehicle's registration numbers appeared different on its front and rear. It turned out that a piece of cord by which the rear brake was fastened onto the bike had been obscuring one of the numbers. Dodd blamed that on a screw coming loose. It also turned out that William's driving licence had expired in 1921 and he was fined a total of £3.
It had been in December 1919 when the first meeting had taken place to choose a public war memorial for St Helens. Nearly four years on and the committee had decided on an obelisk-type monument to be located in Victoria Square – but other progress had been painfully slow. Perhaps if the organising committee had been slimmed down a little, more progress would have been made. At the latest meeting on October 1st at the Town Hall, there were no less than twenty-nine members of the committee in attendance and they were informed of two main issues hampering their work.
First of all fundraising to pay for the memorial had left them well short of their target. And the committee was having difficulty sourcing all the names of those that had died in the war. They did not want to miss anyone off and cause offence to their relatives but getting a reliable, comprehensive list of the dead was proving a challenge.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Woodbine-smoking incorrigible 8-year-old who was told he deserved to be beaten several times a week, the betting house in Thatto Heath and the ex-soldier found in Cooper Street drunk on meths.
This week's many stories include the problems with St Helens' proposed war memorial, the betting house in Highfield Street in Sutton, the beginning of home ownership in St Helens, a porter gets punched at Moss Bank station, the planned Health Week in St Helens and the motorbike and sidecar riding down Thatto Heath Road with different registration numbers.
Using your own house to take bets was fraught with risk. Not only was it seen as a more serious crime than betting on the street but also lots of people going to and from your home attracted attention.
In court this week PC Holland said that during a 4½-hour period on one Saturday, he and PC Davies had counted 54 persons enter 15 Highfield Street in Sutton.
That was the home of Thomas Beech and he was charged with using his house for betting and his wife Mary and son Thomas were charged with assisting him.
Mrs Beech denied having anything to do with the affair and the charge against her was dismissed. But her husband and son were fined £15 and £5, respectively.
On the 25th John Smith of Parliament Street in Thatto Heath was sentenced to one month in prison with hard labour for being found on enclosed premises for an unlawful purpose.
St Helens police could be very dismissive of defendants in court and they told the magistrates that Smith was the laziest man in town.
On two occasions, they said, he had served three months in prison for neglecting his wife and children.
There was often trouble at St Helens' railway stations. On the evening of the 28th, just as a train was about to pull out from Moss Bank (pictured above), two men without tickets ran on to the platform after attending a bowls match.
Railway porter Bernard Ward told them that they could not board the train and pay at their destination, as they wished to do.
That led to James Briers of Eccleston Street in St Helens punching the porter in the jaw and his companion used abusive language to Mr Ward.
In court facing a charge of assault, Briers claimed that all he did was try and push past the porter. The case was remanded for a few days for further enquiries.
St Helens was slowly becoming a healthier town – but there was still much ignorance of hygiene with poor practices creating many health issues.
And so the Reporter on the 28th published this article announcing that "Health Week" was on its way:
"A big campaign will be launched in the week beginning October 7th in an endeavour to teach St. Helens people how to be healthy.
"The churches, the Sunday schools, the cinemas, gifted speakers, the Press – every agency of publicity, in fact, will be harnessed to the chariot of Hygiene.
"Young children in the schools, equally with their parents and grandparents, will be told of the simple road to real health which everyone who will can travel.
"People who have never realised it will be shown what a tremendous factor in securing good health is the tax-free sunlight and pure, fresh air.
"Those who have forgotten the virtue of soap and water will be reawakened to a sense of appreciation of the need of cleanliness in the search for health; and those hypochondriacs, who strive for good health through the medium of quack nostrums to the eschewing of all else, will be shown a much easier and far more reliable method of attaining their ambition."
Filmmakers were in St Helens this week producing a short film for Health Week.
The location was the Eccleston Hall Sanatorium and the "actors" were the town’s Mayor, the Chairman of its Health Committee, their wives – and loads of babies!
There was not much of a plot – although the highlight for me was when one of the babies did not like the idea of being publicly weighed and resisted! I wonder if he grew up to be a bit of a rebel.
(The 4’ 40 seconds silent film is available to view on the British Film Archive’s website. Search "st helens health week 1923 film" to watch it.)
During the actual Health Week the film was shown at the eight local cinemas that had contributed towards the cost of making it.
The housing crisis in St Helens showed no sign of abating with many examples where ridiculous numbers of persons were living in the same property.
The government had made a subsidy of £75 available for each new home that was built in order to encourage house building.
Some places were adding their own money to the £75. However, the Reporter described how at a meeting of the St Helens Health Committee this week, its Chairman Ald. Henry Bates had said St Helens could not afford to join them:
"I find it increasingly difficult to get people to go in for building houses. It is not a paying concern for the speculative builder. We can only give £75 subsidy.
"Surrounding districts – Bootle, Wigan, Haydock, Whiston, and a lot of other places – are offering £100 to £120 and £150. The matter has been considered but we did not think it wise at present in the financial affairs of the Borough to increase the amount."
But Ald. Bates had a novel idea to boost house building – persuade the occupiers of new houses to purchase them instead of rent.
Very few people then owned their homes but Ald. Bates suggested encouraging people to buy them through being offered a £25 subsidy.
Builders would then have greater incentive to construct houses if they could sell them to their residents.
Alderman Bates explained how many of the working men of Haydock were choosing to take out a mortgage and buy their homes.
Haydock was then administered separately from St Helens and it was felt that by following their example, people could purchase their homes over twenty years with their repayments little more than what their rent would have been.
A discussion took place on whether such persons would be allowed to resell their houses and it was stated that there would be a ban on such sales for five years to stop speculators from taking advantage of the scheme.
This appears to be the beginning of home ownership on a big scale in St Helens.
The Reporter also described how Sutton Men's Bible Class had held a fancy dress ball, which had enjoyed a large attendance.
Beautifully decorated bunting and the costumes of the competitors had, the paper explained, created a "picturesque scene."
For many of those in full-time employment, the 1920s was the era of the motorbike and sidecar, which were far more affordable on hire purchase than the motor car.
In describing how Whit Monday in 1920 had been spent, the St Helens Reporter then wrote:
"The road was first favourite in the great holiday exodus which is no doubt accounted for by the rapidly increasing number of small motor vehicles in the town. It would be interesting to have a census of motor-cycles and their ratio to the total population."
Lots of riders of motorbikes ended up in court and some strange wiring set ups were blamed for causing breaches of the law.
In 1920 a chap called Claude Fillingham told the Bench in St Helens Police Court that the reason for his not having had a red rear light on his motorcycle and sidecar was that his lady passenger had sat on his gas connecting tube.
On the 28th of this week it was the turn of William Dodd. The 21-year-old from Prescot Road had been seen riding his motorbike and sidecar down Thatto Heath Road.
A police constable noticed that the vehicle's registration numbers appeared different on its front and rear.
It turned out that a piece of cord by which the rear brake was fastened onto the bike had been obscuring one of the numbers. Dodd blamed that on a screw coming loose.
It also turned out that William's driving licence had expired in 1921 and he was fined a total of £3.
It had been in December 1919 when the first meeting had taken place to choose a public war memorial for St Helens.
Nearly four years on and the committee had decided on an obelisk-type monument to be located in Victoria Square – but other progress had been painfully slow.
Perhaps if the organising committee had been slimmed down a little, more progress would have been made.
At the latest meeting on October 1st at the Town Hall, there were no less than twenty-nine members of the committee in attendance and they were informed of two main issues hampering their work.
First of all fundraising to pay for the memorial had left them well short of their target.
And the committee was having difficulty sourcing all the names of those that had died in the war.
They did not want to miss anyone off and cause offence to their relatives but getting a reliable, comprehensive list of the dead was proving a challenge.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Woodbine-smoking incorrigible 8-year-old who was told he deserved to be beaten several times a week, the betting house in Thatto Heath and the ex-soldier found in Cooper Street drunk on meths.
Using your own house to take bets was fraught with risk. Not only was it seen as a more serious crime than betting on the street but also lots of people going to and from your home attracted attention.
In court this week PC Holland said that during a 4½-hour period on one Saturday, he and PC Davies had counted 54 persons enter 15 Highfield Street in Sutton.
That was the home of Thomas Beech and he was charged with using his house for betting and his wife Mary and son Thomas were charged with assisting him.
Mrs Beech denied having anything to do with the affair and the charge against her was dismissed. But her husband and son were fined £15 and £5, respectively.
On the 25th John Smith of Parliament Street in Thatto Heath was sentenced to one month in prison with hard labour for being found on enclosed premises for an unlawful purpose.
St Helens police could be very dismissive of defendants in court and they told the magistrates that Smith was the laziest man in town.
On two occasions, they said, he had served three months in prison for neglecting his wife and children.
Railway porter Bernard Ward told them that they could not board the train and pay at their destination, as they wished to do.
That led to James Briers of Eccleston Street in St Helens punching the porter in the jaw and his companion used abusive language to Mr Ward.
In court facing a charge of assault, Briers claimed that all he did was try and push past the porter. The case was remanded for a few days for further enquiries.
St Helens was slowly becoming a healthier town – but there was still much ignorance of hygiene with poor practices creating many health issues.
And so the Reporter on the 28th published this article announcing that "Health Week" was on its way:
"A big campaign will be launched in the week beginning October 7th in an endeavour to teach St. Helens people how to be healthy.
"The churches, the Sunday schools, the cinemas, gifted speakers, the Press – every agency of publicity, in fact, will be harnessed to the chariot of Hygiene.
"Young children in the schools, equally with their parents and grandparents, will be told of the simple road to real health which everyone who will can travel.
"People who have never realised it will be shown what a tremendous factor in securing good health is the tax-free sunlight and pure, fresh air.
"Those who have forgotten the virtue of soap and water will be reawakened to a sense of appreciation of the need of cleanliness in the search for health; and those hypochondriacs, who strive for good health through the medium of quack nostrums to the eschewing of all else, will be shown a much easier and far more reliable method of attaining their ambition."
Filmmakers were in St Helens this week producing a short film for Health Week.
The location was the Eccleston Hall Sanatorium and the "actors" were the town’s Mayor, the Chairman of its Health Committee, their wives – and loads of babies!
There was not much of a plot – although the highlight for me was when one of the babies did not like the idea of being publicly weighed and resisted! I wonder if he grew up to be a bit of a rebel.
(The 4’ 40 seconds silent film is available to view on the British Film Archive’s website. Search "st helens health week 1923 film" to watch it.)
During the actual Health Week the film was shown at the eight local cinemas that had contributed towards the cost of making it.
The housing crisis in St Helens showed no sign of abating with many examples where ridiculous numbers of persons were living in the same property.
The government had made a subsidy of £75 available for each new home that was built in order to encourage house building.
Some places were adding their own money to the £75. However, the Reporter described how at a meeting of the St Helens Health Committee this week, its Chairman Ald. Henry Bates had said St Helens could not afford to join them:
"I find it increasingly difficult to get people to go in for building houses. It is not a paying concern for the speculative builder. We can only give £75 subsidy.
"Surrounding districts – Bootle, Wigan, Haydock, Whiston, and a lot of other places – are offering £100 to £120 and £150. The matter has been considered but we did not think it wise at present in the financial affairs of the Borough to increase the amount."
But Ald. Bates had a novel idea to boost house building – persuade the occupiers of new houses to purchase them instead of rent.
Very few people then owned their homes but Ald. Bates suggested encouraging people to buy them through being offered a £25 subsidy.
Builders would then have greater incentive to construct houses if they could sell them to their residents.
Alderman Bates explained how many of the working men of Haydock were choosing to take out a mortgage and buy their homes.
Haydock was then administered separately from St Helens and it was felt that by following their example, people could purchase their homes over twenty years with their repayments little more than what their rent would have been.
A discussion took place on whether such persons would be allowed to resell their houses and it was stated that there would be a ban on such sales for five years to stop speculators from taking advantage of the scheme.
This appears to be the beginning of home ownership on a big scale in St Helens.
The Reporter also described how Sutton Men's Bible Class had held a fancy dress ball, which had enjoyed a large attendance.
Beautifully decorated bunting and the costumes of the competitors had, the paper explained, created a "picturesque scene."
In describing how Whit Monday in 1920 had been spent, the St Helens Reporter then wrote:
"The road was first favourite in the great holiday exodus which is no doubt accounted for by the rapidly increasing number of small motor vehicles in the town. It would be interesting to have a census of motor-cycles and their ratio to the total population."
Lots of riders of motorbikes ended up in court and some strange wiring set ups were blamed for causing breaches of the law.
In 1920 a chap called Claude Fillingham told the Bench in St Helens Police Court that the reason for his not having had a red rear light on his motorcycle and sidecar was that his lady passenger had sat on his gas connecting tube.
On the 28th of this week it was the turn of William Dodd. The 21-year-old from Prescot Road had been seen riding his motorbike and sidecar down Thatto Heath Road.
A police constable noticed that the vehicle's registration numbers appeared different on its front and rear.
It turned out that a piece of cord by which the rear brake was fastened onto the bike had been obscuring one of the numbers. Dodd blamed that on a screw coming loose.
It also turned out that William's driving licence had expired in 1921 and he was fined a total of £3.
It had been in December 1919 when the first meeting had taken place to choose a public war memorial for St Helens.
Nearly four years on and the committee had decided on an obelisk-type monument to be located in Victoria Square – but other progress had been painfully slow.
Perhaps if the organising committee had been slimmed down a little, more progress would have been made.
At the latest meeting on October 1st at the Town Hall, there were no less than twenty-nine members of the committee in attendance and they were informed of two main issues hampering their work.
First of all fundraising to pay for the memorial had left them well short of their target.
And the committee was having difficulty sourcing all the names of those that had died in the war.
They did not want to miss anyone off and cause offence to their relatives but getting a reliable, comprehensive list of the dead was proving a challenge.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Woodbine-smoking incorrigible 8-year-old who was told he deserved to be beaten several times a week, the betting house in Thatto Heath and the ex-soldier found in Cooper Street drunk on meths.