St Helens History This Week

Bringing History to Life from 50, 100 and 150 Years Ago!

Bringing History to Life from 50, 100 and 150 Years Ago!

ST HELENS 50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
This page is a series of weekly articles that describe llfe in the Lancashire town in the 1970s and which are updated every Sunday morning.
50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
This page is a series of weekly articles that describe llfe in St Helens in Lancashire in the 1970s and which are updated every Sunday morning.
Greenalls summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (17th - 23rd JANUARY 1972)

This week's 15 stories include the shock closure announcement of Greenall Whitley's Hall Street brewery, a Bold Colliery pitman describes his weekly pittance, concern over a dangerous stretch of Crank Road, a double-decker bus crashes in Prescot Road, proposals are made for a linear park in Rainford, Saints successfully trial a 6-tackle rule and St Helens Council approves 7 major road improvement schemes.
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Dollies summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (10th - 16th JANUARY 1972)

This week's many stories include the dollies in a dust up in Prescot Road, Harold Wilson visits Prescot Employment Exchange, the coal strike forces some St Helens' schools to consider closing, the house-building and slum demolition situation in St Helens, a 13-year-old boy's brotherly heroism in Sutton Manor, there's a Reporter feature on Westfield Street and the town's last trolleybus is saved from the scrapyard.
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Billy Bottle summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (3rd - 9th JANUARY 1972)

This week's stories include the green light for the long-delayed Parr baths, the council considers whether stinky brook is still stinky, Saints threaten a boycott of the BBC2 Trophy, the return of Billy Bottle as householders are urged to give back their empty milk bottles, Rainford Council announces plans to sell off its stock of council homes and why the town's doctors could now remain snug in their beds at night.
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Leslie Spriggs Scruffy summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (27th DEC. 1971 - 2nd JAN. 1972)

This week's many stories include the New Year celebrations in Victoria Square that led to Queen Victoria's orb and sceptre being stolen, the St Helens' MP calls for a clean up of sex and violence on television, the St Helens New Year's Day babies, Scruffy the lost Thatto Heath dog is reunited with his owner, the Rivoli bingo grocery collection and a family feud continues at a funeral in St Helens Parish Church.
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Nevins New Year babies summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (20th - 26th DECEMBER 1971)

This week's article is a Christmas special with many stories describing how the festive season was spent – including the New Year baby contest, the Christmas parties, Christmas Day dinner for Thatto Heath old folk, the St Helens Hospital crib theft, the New Year scheme to reduce the council house waiting list and the Dean of St Helens upsets ex-soldiers by delivering a fiery Christmas sermon on Northern Ireland.
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St Helens Crematorium Summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (13th - 19th DECEMBER 1971)

This week's 16 stories include the shocking problem at St Helens Crematorium, disappointment for Rainhill's mad mile safety campaigners, a new nightclub opens in Carr Mill, St Helens Council is told to speed up its slum clearance, it's announced that dozens of homes in the Napier Street area of St Helens are to be knocked down and hopes are raised that the Haydock hole-in-the-heart boy could be home for Christmas.
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Tom O'Connor Summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (6th - 12th DECEMBER 1971)

This week's stories include plans for a giant night life complex at Carr Mill, a UFO stops play at Ruskin Drive, an arson attack on a Sherdley Road haulage contractor, a Haydock boy has a successful hole-in-the-heart operation, the tree vandals of Derbyshire Hill, St Helens Police's Christmas crime prevention plan, a victory for miners at Bold Colliery and long-term plans to shut down Rainhill Hospital are announced.
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Helena House Summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (29th NOV. - 5th DEC. 1971)

This week's stories include the complexity of concessionary bus travel within the St Helens and Merseyside district, Saints fans are attacked by Leeds supporters at an away match, there is a newspaper feature on the Sherdley Road gipsy site, the Christmas shopping bargains available at Helena House, a big Sankey Canal clean up scheme is announced and a call is made for the eyesore of Carr Mill Dam to be improved.
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Barrow Street Summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (22nd - 28th NOVEMBER 1971)

This week's stories include the couple who credited the St Helens air with becoming pregnant, the derelict houses in Boundary Road that were a danger to children, Pat Phoenix opens a health food shop in Barrow Street, Rainford's novel way of getting a new youth club built, attempts to save the seemingly doomed Prescot Town FC, Rainhill Amateur Operatic Society's latest show and Beecham's other pills and powders.
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Theatre Royal Summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (15th - 21st NOVEMBER 1971)

This week's 18 stories include the soaring VD toll in St Helens, a police raid on the Wizard's Cave in North Road, the lengthy telephone waiting list, a fundraising game in aid of Jack Pimblett's family, why the East Lancs between Moss Bank and Carr Mill needed a face-lift, the 16-year-old Parr girl who lost most of a hand in a machine and more on the 11-year-old girl from Clock Face who was banned from playing football.
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Lancots Lane Summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (8th - 14th NOVEMBER 1971)

This week's 17 stories include the Pilkington loo strike at Cowley Hill, plans for a giant one-way road system in St Helens, the young lion tamer from Rainhill, a coroner calls for dipped headlights on cars after a tragedy in Pocket Nook, the bus driver who lodged his vehicle under a Sutton bridge after being over the limit and the 11-year-old girl footballer from Clock Face who caused a row after she'd played for a boys' team.
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