FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 1 - 7 DECEMBER 1975
This week's many stories include the Sutton schoolgirl's tights that were peppered by chemical fallout, the bus that dragged a woman passenger 30 yards, Harold Wilson opens a new health centre in Whiston, Pilkington's reduced profits and the mystery of the barely used CAB office in Billinge.
We begin on December 1st when Malcolm Cook was killed down Bold Colliery (pictured above). The 22-year-old married man from Common Road in Newton had been struck down by a fall of rock and was dead before he could be taken to the surface. Such accidents had not long before been commonplace but were now rare.
Leslie Spriggs, the St Helens MP, took up the Junior Hospital Doctors dispute in the House of Commons this week. He told Social Services Secretary, Barbara Castle, that while in St Helens he had been told by a doctor that he'd had to work 156 hours in one week.
Mr Spriggs wanted to know if such hours were normal and whether that figure was actual working hours or simply being on call. Mrs Castle replied that a survey had shown that the junior doctors were on duty for an average of 85 hours a week with 43 hours on normal duty and 42 hours on standby or on call.
The driver of a bus that had dragged a woman passenger along a road was fined £5 in St Helens Magistrates Court this week for failing to ensure her safety. The court heard how the woman had alighted at the bus stop in Queens Drive in Newton-le-Willows and the vehicle subsequently pulled away.
But the woman's handbag became trapped in the exit doors and she was dragged 30 yards before freeing herself. She was not seriously injured and it was stated that the driver had been unaware of the mishap and none of the other passengers on the bus had alerted him to what was happening.
On the 2nd when schoolgirl Pauline Carter returned to her home in Joseph Street in Sutton she found her tights were peppered with minute holes. Her mother Irene said: "When she got home her legs were itching and she came in to me and said: ‘Look at my tights.’ From her knees to her shoes were covered in holes and her legs were red. We gave the tights to the Public Health Inspector who came to interview Pauline."
Councillor Jim Bond, secretary of the East Sutton Residents Association, believed that Leathers Chemicals had been responsible, saying: "The wind direction was right for a Leathers fall out. Nothing from British Sidac would cause anything to go into holes like this."
Councillor Bond also stated that a complaint had been lodged over another fallout in mid-November when fumes had affected workmen going to British Sidac. Leathers had again been suspected and a full investigation was taking place.
Pilkingtons released their financial results this week for the six months ending in September. Their profits had been slashed to £396,000, down from nearly £5 million in the same period in 1974.
The glass firm's chairman, Sir Alastair Pilkington, said the continuing worldwide recession, which was particularly severe in the motor and building industries, had kept their sales of flat and safety glass at depressed levels. And their trading losses and redundancy payments at their Ravenhead TV glassware plant that Pilks was in the process of closing down had been particularly heavy.
The St Helens Reporter on the 5th stated that landlords in pubs could be fined £400 after Sunday if they did not have a price list on display. The paper spoke to a number of publicans about the new law and all were in favour of the change.
Anthony Twist of The Lamb in Corporation Street said: "It should have been brought in years ago. It will be a help to both staff and customers. If people have any queries about their order, a quick glance at the list will tell them if they have been charged the correct amount."
An advert in the Reporter said: "Christmas Shoppers and Weary Husbands meet at the Fleece Lounge and enjoy one of the many treats from our buffet table – Served 12 noon to 2 pm." There was a full-page advert in the paper for the "Great new St. Helens Discount", which was a supermarket in Four Acre Lane that claimed to have "the cheapest discount food for miles".
The Reporter described how Prime Minister Harold Wilson had opened a new health centre in Whiston. The paper wrote: "Health Centres are a fairly recent development which provide facilities for a number of general practitioners to be housed under one roof with other health facilities."
The new Whiston Centre in Dragon Lane had accommodation for 4 GPs, district nurses, social workers, health visitors, hearing specialists, dentists, chiropodists, occupational therapists and admin staff.
The Snoopy Club in the Reporter had a drawing of the Lone Ranger alongside these words: "HELLO CHILDREN: Get your paints and crayons ready – it's competition time again! There are six bagatelle table-top games to be won this week in my Lone Ranger colouring competition.
"All you have to do is colour this picture of the Lone Ranger on Silver and then suggest a name for the horse belonging to Red Sleeves – the Lone Ranger's latest enemy. Red Sleeves, a villainous outcast Apache Indian, is the latest addition to a Lone Ranger adventure series by Marx Toys, who are giving the prizes for this competition."
The Reporter also described how the Citizens Advice Bureau in Billinge faced closure if business did not pick up. The CAB office in Recreation Drive had only been opened in January at the request of local people. However, so far it had only dealt with a total of 50 cases, when 30 to 40 a month had been expected.
Reg Kershaw, the District CAB organiser, could not understand why there had been such lack of interest, saying: "We've got a puzzle here." A new bureau had also been opened in Newton-le-Willows and they were dealing with 200 enquiries a month. Even bearing in mind Newton's larger population, Billinge's 5 or 6 per month was tiny in comparison. "The only thing we can think of is that it is a community that does not like to discuss its problems on its doorstep," explained Mr Kershaw.
Some evidence for that belief was through some residents taking their problems to Ashton's bureau. However, Billinge's office situated away from shops and busy areas allowed people privacy but also meant that many people might not be aware of its existence. The office was now on trial for the next three months with Mr Kershaw adding: "If they want the bureau they must use it, or we will have to shut it down."
On the 6th Larry Grayson appeared at the Theatre Royal. "A full company – spectacular variety" said the advert in the Reporter with Larry's catchphrase "Shut That Door" next to his name.
Formed earlier in the year, the St Helens and District Society For Aid for Battered Wives held a Christmas Fair on the 6th. The fundraising event took place in the Conservative Rooms in George Street.
From the 7th, Clint Eastwood's 'Magnum Force' and 'Dirty Harry' began a double bill at the ABC Savoy for 7 days. And at the Capitol, a martial arts film called 'Godfather of Hong Kong' was shown. And finally, the Christmas "do's" were now starting in earnest and on the 7th a children's party was held at West Park Rugby Union Club.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the true story of the couple living in a tent in Newton, the St Helens connection with Jaws, the enormous potential cost of closing down Leathers Chemicals and the Mayor's New Toy Appeal for Christmas.
Leslie Spriggs, the St Helens MP, took up the Junior Hospital Doctors dispute in the House of Commons this week. He told Social Services Secretary, Barbara Castle, that while in St Helens he had been told by a doctor that he'd had to work 156 hours in one week.
Mr Spriggs wanted to know if such hours were normal and whether that figure was actual working hours or simply being on call. Mrs Castle replied that a survey had shown that the junior doctors were on duty for an average of 85 hours a week with 43 hours on normal duty and 42 hours on standby or on call.
The driver of a bus that had dragged a woman passenger along a road was fined £5 in St Helens Magistrates Court this week for failing to ensure her safety. The court heard how the woman had alighted at the bus stop in Queens Drive in Newton-le-Willows and the vehicle subsequently pulled away.
But the woman's handbag became trapped in the exit doors and she was dragged 30 yards before freeing herself. She was not seriously injured and it was stated that the driver had been unaware of the mishap and none of the other passengers on the bus had alerted him to what was happening.
On the 2nd when schoolgirl Pauline Carter returned to her home in Joseph Street in Sutton she found her tights were peppered with minute holes. Her mother Irene said: "When she got home her legs were itching and she came in to me and said: ‘Look at my tights.’ From her knees to her shoes were covered in holes and her legs were red. We gave the tights to the Public Health Inspector who came to interview Pauline."
Councillor Jim Bond, secretary of the East Sutton Residents Association, believed that Leathers Chemicals had been responsible, saying: "The wind direction was right for a Leathers fall out. Nothing from British Sidac would cause anything to go into holes like this."
Councillor Bond also stated that a complaint had been lodged over another fallout in mid-November when fumes had affected workmen going to British Sidac. Leathers had again been suspected and a full investigation was taking place.
Pilkingtons released their financial results this week for the six months ending in September. Their profits had been slashed to £396,000, down from nearly £5 million in the same period in 1974.
The glass firm's chairman, Sir Alastair Pilkington, said the continuing worldwide recession, which was particularly severe in the motor and building industries, had kept their sales of flat and safety glass at depressed levels. And their trading losses and redundancy payments at their Ravenhead TV glassware plant that Pilks was in the process of closing down had been particularly heavy.
The St Helens Reporter on the 5th stated that landlords in pubs could be fined £400 after Sunday if they did not have a price list on display. The paper spoke to a number of publicans about the new law and all were in favour of the change.
Anthony Twist of The Lamb in Corporation Street said: "It should have been brought in years ago. It will be a help to both staff and customers. If people have any queries about their order, a quick glance at the list will tell them if they have been charged the correct amount."
An advert in the Reporter said: "Christmas Shoppers and Weary Husbands meet at the Fleece Lounge and enjoy one of the many treats from our buffet table – Served 12 noon to 2 pm." There was a full-page advert in the paper for the "Great new St. Helens Discount", which was a supermarket in Four Acre Lane that claimed to have "the cheapest discount food for miles".
The Reporter described how Prime Minister Harold Wilson had opened a new health centre in Whiston. The paper wrote: "Health Centres are a fairly recent development which provide facilities for a number of general practitioners to be housed under one roof with other health facilities."
The new Whiston Centre in Dragon Lane had accommodation for 4 GPs, district nurses, social workers, health visitors, hearing specialists, dentists, chiropodists, occupational therapists and admin staff.
"All you have to do is colour this picture of the Lone Ranger on Silver and then suggest a name for the horse belonging to Red Sleeves – the Lone Ranger's latest enemy. Red Sleeves, a villainous outcast Apache Indian, is the latest addition to a Lone Ranger adventure series by Marx Toys, who are giving the prizes for this competition."
The Reporter also described how the Citizens Advice Bureau in Billinge faced closure if business did not pick up. The CAB office in Recreation Drive had only been opened in January at the request of local people. However, so far it had only dealt with a total of 50 cases, when 30 to 40 a month had been expected.
Reg Kershaw, the District CAB organiser, could not understand why there had been such lack of interest, saying: "We've got a puzzle here." A new bureau had also been opened in Newton-le-Willows and they were dealing with 200 enquiries a month. Even bearing in mind Newton's larger population, Billinge's 5 or 6 per month was tiny in comparison. "The only thing we can think of is that it is a community that does not like to discuss its problems on its doorstep," explained Mr Kershaw.
Some evidence for that belief was through some residents taking their problems to Ashton's bureau. However, Billinge's office situated away from shops and busy areas allowed people privacy but also meant that many people might not be aware of its existence. The office was now on trial for the next three months with Mr Kershaw adding: "If they want the bureau they must use it, or we will have to shut it down."
On the 6th Larry Grayson appeared at the Theatre Royal. "A full company – spectacular variety" said the advert in the Reporter with Larry's catchphrase "Shut That Door" next to his name.
Formed earlier in the year, the St Helens and District Society For Aid for Battered Wives held a Christmas Fair on the 6th. The fundraising event took place in the Conservative Rooms in George Street.
From the 7th, Clint Eastwood's 'Magnum Force' and 'Dirty Harry' began a double bill at the ABC Savoy for 7 days. And at the Capitol, a martial arts film called 'Godfather of Hong Kong' was shown. And finally, the Christmas "do's" were now starting in earnest and on the 7th a children's party was held at West Park Rugby Union Club.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the true story of the couple living in a tent in Newton, the St Helens connection with Jaws, the enormous potential cost of closing down Leathers Chemicals and the Mayor's New Toy Appeal for Christmas.
This week's many stories include the Sutton schoolgirl's tights that were peppered by chemical fallout, the bus that dragged a woman passenger 30 yards, Harold Wilson opens a new health centre in Whiston, Pilkington's reduced profits and the mystery of the barely used CAB office in Billinge
We begin on December 1st when Malcolm Cook was killed down Bold Colliery (pictured above). The 22-year-old married man from Common Road in Newton had been struck down by a fall of rock and was dead before he could be taken to the surface.
Such accidents had not long before been commonplace but were now rare.
Leslie Spriggs, the St Helens MP (pictured above), took up the Junior Hospital Doctors dispute in the House of Commons this week.
He told Social Services Secretary, Barbara Castle, that while in St Helens he had been told by a doctor that he'd had to work 156 hours in one week.
Mr Spriggs wanted to know if such hours were normal and whether that figure was actual working hours or simply being on call.
Mrs Castle replied that a survey had shown that the junior doctors were on duty for an average of 85 hours a week with 43 hours on normal duty and 42 hours on standby or on call.
The driver of a bus that had dragged a woman passenger along a road was fined £5 in St Helens Magistrates Court this week for failing to ensure her safety.
The court heard how the woman had alighted at the bus stop in Queens Drive in Newton-le-Willows and the vehicle subsequently pulled away.
But the woman's handbag became trapped in the exit doors and she was dragged 30 yards before freeing herself.
She was not seriously injured and it was stated that the driver had been unaware of the mishap and none of the other passengers on the bus had alerted him to what was happening.
On the 2nd when schoolgirl Pauline Carter returned to her home in Joseph Street in Sutton she found her tights were peppered with minute holes.
Her mother Irene said: "When she got home her legs were itching and she came in to me and said: ‘Look at my tights.’ From her knees to her shoes were covered in holes and her legs were red. We gave the tights to the Public Health Inspector who came to interview Pauline."
Councillor Jim Bond, secretary of the East Sutton Residents Association, believed that Leathers Chemicals had been responsible, saying:
"The wind direction was right for a Leathers fall out. Nothing from British Sidac would cause anything to go into holes like this."
Councillor Bond also stated that a complaint had been lodged over another fallout in mid-November when fumes had affected workmen going to British Sidac.
Leathers had again been suspected and a full investigation was taking place.
Pilkingtons released their financial results this week for the six months ending in September.
Their profits had been slashed to £396,000, down from nearly £5 million in the same period in 1974.
The glass firm's chairman, Sir Alastair Pilkington, said the continuing worldwide recession, which was particularly severe in the motor and building industries, had kept their sales of flat and safety glass at depressed levels.
And their trading losses and redundancy payments at their Ravenhead TV glassware plant that Pilks was in the process of closing down had been particularly heavy.
The St Helens Reporter on the 5th stated that landlords in pubs could be fined £400 after Sunday if they did not have a price list on display.
The paper spoke to a number of publicans about the new law and all were in favour of the change. Anthony Twist of The Lamb in Corporation Street said:
"It should have been brought in years ago. It will be a help to both staff and customers. If people have any queries about their order, a quick glance at the list will tell them if they have been charged the correct amount."
An advert in the Reporter said: "Christmas Shoppers and Weary Husbands meet at the Fleece Lounge and enjoy one of the many treats from our buffet table – Served 12 noon to 2 pm."
There was a full-page advert in the paper for the "Great new St. Helens Discount", which was a supermarket in Four Acre Lane that claimed to have "the cheapest discount food for miles".
The Reporter described how Prime Minister Harold Wilson had opened a new health centre in Whiston.
The paper wrote: "Health Centres are a fairly recent development which provide facilities for a number of general practitioners to be housed under one roof with other health facilities."
The new Whiston Centre in Dragon Lane had accommodation for 4 GPs, district nurses, social workers, health visitors, hearing specialists, dentists, chiropodists, occupational therapists and admin staff.
The Snoopy Club in the Reporter had a drawing of the Lone Ranger alongside these words:
"HELLO CHILDREN: Get your paints and crayons ready – it's competition time again! There are six bagatelle table-top games to be won this week in my Lone Ranger colouring competition.
"All you have to do is colour this picture of the Lone Ranger on Silver and then suggest a name for the horse belonging to Red Sleeves – the Lone Ranger's latest enemy.
"Red Sleeves, a villainous outcast Apache Indian, is the latest addition to a Lone Ranger adventure series by Marx Toys, who are giving the prizes for this competition."
The Reporter also described how the Citizens Advice Bureau in Billinge faced closure if business did not pick up.
The CAB office in Recreation Drive had only been opened in January at the request of local people.
However, so far it had only dealt with a total of 50 cases, when 30 to 40 a month had been expected.
Reg Kershaw, the District CAB organiser, could not understand why there had been such lack of interest, saying: "We've got a puzzle here."
A new bureau had also been opened in Newton-le-Willows and they were dealing with 200 enquiries a month. Even bearing in mind Newton's larger population, Billinge's 5 or 6 per month was tiny in comparison.
"The only thing we can think of is that it is a community that does not like to discuss its problems on its doorstep," explained Mr Kershaw.
Some evidence for that belief was through some residents taking their problems to Ashton's bureau.
However, Billinge's office situated away from shops and busy areas allowed people privacy but also meant that many people might not be aware of its existence.
The office was now on trial for the next three months with Mr Kershaw adding: "If they want the bureau they must use it, or we will have to shut it down."
On the 6th Larry Grayson appeared at the Theatre Royal. "A full company – spectacular variety" said the advert in the Reporter with Larry's catchphrase "Shut That Door" next to his name.
Formed earlier in the year, the St Helens and District Society For Aid for Battered Wives held a Christmas Fair on the 6th.
The fundraising event took place in the Conservative Rooms in George Street.
From the 7th, Clint Eastwood's 'Magnum Force' and 'Dirty Harry' began a double bill at the ABC Savoy for 7 days.
And at the Capitol, a martial arts film called 'Godfather of Hong Kong' was shown.
And finally, the Christmas "do's" were now starting in earnest and on the 7th a children's party was held at West Park Rugby Union Club.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the true story of the couple living in a tent in Newton, the St Helens connection with Jaws, the enormous potential cost of closing down Leathers Chemicals and the Mayor's New Toy Appeal for Christmas.
Such accidents had not long before been commonplace but were now rare.
He told Social Services Secretary, Barbara Castle, that while in St Helens he had been told by a doctor that he'd had to work 156 hours in one week.
Mr Spriggs wanted to know if such hours were normal and whether that figure was actual working hours or simply being on call.
Mrs Castle replied that a survey had shown that the junior doctors were on duty for an average of 85 hours a week with 43 hours on normal duty and 42 hours on standby or on call.
The driver of a bus that had dragged a woman passenger along a road was fined £5 in St Helens Magistrates Court this week for failing to ensure her safety.
The court heard how the woman had alighted at the bus stop in Queens Drive in Newton-le-Willows and the vehicle subsequently pulled away.
But the woman's handbag became trapped in the exit doors and she was dragged 30 yards before freeing herself.
She was not seriously injured and it was stated that the driver had been unaware of the mishap and none of the other passengers on the bus had alerted him to what was happening.
On the 2nd when schoolgirl Pauline Carter returned to her home in Joseph Street in Sutton she found her tights were peppered with minute holes.
Her mother Irene said: "When she got home her legs were itching and she came in to me and said: ‘Look at my tights.’ From her knees to her shoes were covered in holes and her legs were red. We gave the tights to the Public Health Inspector who came to interview Pauline."
Councillor Jim Bond, secretary of the East Sutton Residents Association, believed that Leathers Chemicals had been responsible, saying:
"The wind direction was right for a Leathers fall out. Nothing from British Sidac would cause anything to go into holes like this."
Councillor Bond also stated that a complaint had been lodged over another fallout in mid-November when fumes had affected workmen going to British Sidac.
Leathers had again been suspected and a full investigation was taking place.
Pilkingtons released their financial results this week for the six months ending in September.
Their profits had been slashed to £396,000, down from nearly £5 million in the same period in 1974.
The glass firm's chairman, Sir Alastair Pilkington, said the continuing worldwide recession, which was particularly severe in the motor and building industries, had kept their sales of flat and safety glass at depressed levels.
And their trading losses and redundancy payments at their Ravenhead TV glassware plant that Pilks was in the process of closing down had been particularly heavy.
The St Helens Reporter on the 5th stated that landlords in pubs could be fined £400 after Sunday if they did not have a price list on display.
The paper spoke to a number of publicans about the new law and all were in favour of the change. Anthony Twist of The Lamb in Corporation Street said:
"It should have been brought in years ago. It will be a help to both staff and customers. If people have any queries about their order, a quick glance at the list will tell them if they have been charged the correct amount."
An advert in the Reporter said: "Christmas Shoppers and Weary Husbands meet at the Fleece Lounge and enjoy one of the many treats from our buffet table – Served 12 noon to 2 pm."
There was a full-page advert in the paper for the "Great new St. Helens Discount", which was a supermarket in Four Acre Lane that claimed to have "the cheapest discount food for miles".
The Reporter described how Prime Minister Harold Wilson had opened a new health centre in Whiston.
The paper wrote: "Health Centres are a fairly recent development which provide facilities for a number of general practitioners to be housed under one roof with other health facilities."
The new Whiston Centre in Dragon Lane had accommodation for 4 GPs, district nurses, social workers, health visitors, hearing specialists, dentists, chiropodists, occupational therapists and admin staff.
"HELLO CHILDREN: Get your paints and crayons ready – it's competition time again! There are six bagatelle table-top games to be won this week in my Lone Ranger colouring competition.
"All you have to do is colour this picture of the Lone Ranger on Silver and then suggest a name for the horse belonging to Red Sleeves – the Lone Ranger's latest enemy.
"Red Sleeves, a villainous outcast Apache Indian, is the latest addition to a Lone Ranger adventure series by Marx Toys, who are giving the prizes for this competition."
The Reporter also described how the Citizens Advice Bureau in Billinge faced closure if business did not pick up.
The CAB office in Recreation Drive had only been opened in January at the request of local people.
However, so far it had only dealt with a total of 50 cases, when 30 to 40 a month had been expected.
Reg Kershaw, the District CAB organiser, could not understand why there had been such lack of interest, saying: "We've got a puzzle here."
A new bureau had also been opened in Newton-le-Willows and they were dealing with 200 enquiries a month. Even bearing in mind Newton's larger population, Billinge's 5 or 6 per month was tiny in comparison.
"The only thing we can think of is that it is a community that does not like to discuss its problems on its doorstep," explained Mr Kershaw.
Some evidence for that belief was through some residents taking their problems to Ashton's bureau.
However, Billinge's office situated away from shops and busy areas allowed people privacy but also meant that many people might not be aware of its existence.
The office was now on trial for the next three months with Mr Kershaw adding: "If they want the bureau they must use it, or we will have to shut it down."
On the 6th Larry Grayson appeared at the Theatre Royal. "A full company – spectacular variety" said the advert in the Reporter with Larry's catchphrase "Shut That Door" next to his name.
Formed earlier in the year, the St Helens and District Society For Aid for Battered Wives held a Christmas Fair on the 6th.
The fundraising event took place in the Conservative Rooms in George Street.
From the 7th, Clint Eastwood's 'Magnum Force' and 'Dirty Harry' began a double bill at the ABC Savoy for 7 days.
And at the Capitol, a martial arts film called 'Godfather of Hong Kong' was shown.
And finally, the Christmas "do's" were now starting in earnest and on the 7th a children's party was held at West Park Rugby Union Club.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the true story of the couple living in a tent in Newton, the St Helens connection with Jaws, the enormous potential cost of closing down Leathers Chemicals and the Mayor's New Toy Appeal for Christmas.