FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (4th - 10th JULY 1972)
This week's fourteen stories include an explosion at Bold Colliery, the introduction of a new one-way traffic system in St Helens, an accident while constructing the new Church Street multi-storey car park, plans to build a driving test centre at Gerards Bridge are scrapped and a profile of supermarket boss "Jolly" Jack Nevin.
We begin on the 4th when Saints forward Eric Prescott made the draw for the Green Dragon's annual raffle. And what was the name of the winner of the £100 first prize? It was only Kel Coslett, Eric's captain at Knowsley Road! The Sutton Manor pub used the proceeds of their draw to take 70 pensioners on an outing to Blackpool and give them a party at Christmas.
The annual meeting of Providence Hospital (pictured above) was held this week and revealed that last year’s fundraising led by the Mayor Charles Martin – which became known as the "fighting fund" – had helped to turn a £20,000 debt into a surplus of £4,623. "We are most grateful to all the people in St. Helens who consistently support us," said General Committee chairman George McOnie.
Freemen of St Helens are like buses – none come for ages then several all come at once! Between 1896 and 1968 only nine people had the honour bestowed on them. Then four persons were awarded the freemanship – including the first woman – and this week four more were appointed. The honoured included two aldermen, Thomas Hignett and Joe Waring, who had spent many years on St Helens Council; Rachel Houghton was rewarded for her public work and Alfred Coe was granted the freemanship for his services to industry and commerce. Mrs Houghton of Kiln Lane had spent 25 years as a magistrate and Mr Coe had worked for United Glass for 50 years.
On the 5th an accident took place on the building site for the new multi-storey car park in Church Street, which injured a worker. Matthew Rowley was struck down by liquid concrete, which trapped his legs – but two workmates, Peter Giles and Andrew Hunter, managed to haul the 46-year-old clear. The Fire Brigade were called out to lower the injured man 35 feet to the ground. Matthew from Bank Street in St Helens was then taken to Providence Hospital where he received 50 stitches.
Sixteen men at Bold Colliery were recovering this week after being injured when an oxyacetylene cylinder blew up. Six needed hospital treatment, mainly for burns. Welder Bert Stirzaker of Berry's Lane broke both his legs and received burns to his hands and face. Fellow pit worker Len Troilett of Wasdale Avenue in Clinkham Wood said Bert had been a hero:
"Workmates say that Bert saw smoke and gave the warning. All he had to do was drop over the side of the railway embankment a couple of yards away, and he would have been safe. But Bert wasn't that sort of man. He must have tried to do something and been caught in the explosion." Three of the men had since been discharged from Whiston Hospital but three others were still on the wards.
The Government announced this week that plans to build a driving test centre at Gerards Bridge in St Helens had been abandoned because of a nationwide reduction in applications for tests. Consequently driving schools in St Helens expressed their anger at the decision. Alfred Pickering, manager of the St Helens branch of the British School of Motoring, said:
"Towns like Widnes and Southport, with smaller populations, have got test centres. Not to give St. Helens one is ridiculous. Going for a test can take two or three hours, but if there was a centre in St. Helens it would only take 90 minutes." It would not be until September 1982 that a specially-built driving test centre would open in Atherton Street.
The St Helens Reporter was published on the 7th and described how a typist from Skelmersdale who worked at the Lathom Research Centre had won this year's Pilkington Gala Girl title. It was the first time in four years that a young woman from outside St Helens had won the beauty title. However, Linda Evans of Peterlee Close in Sutton came third.
Ghulam Nabi told a shocking story in the Reporter. The 40-year-old had left his native Pakistan for England eight years earlier, initially settling in Walsall. There he worked as a bus conductor with a dream of one day owning his own business. Then Ghulam moved to Campbell Street in St Helens and put in many hours of overtime as a glass worker at Pilkington's sheet works until finally he had sufficient funds to open a restaurant in Skelmersdale.
Then his troubles began with many threats and eventually his restaurant was burned down in an arson attack. "The days in Walsall and St. Helens were very nice," said Mr Nabi. "Everything went well until I opened in Skelmersdale. Everything was marvellous from a business point of view. Within two years I would have paid off all the money I borrowed from the bank. If I was a white man the business would still be open and the threats would not have been made."
Carol Maguire from Windle Street described in the Reporter how she'd brushed aside warnings and dashed into her blazing home when she heard her poodle Boo Boo was trapped inside. The 15-year-old said: "A man stopped me from going in at first, but I opened the door and went into the hall. I stood there calling for her. I couldn't see a thing, and she jumped out of the smoke into my arms. She was coughing badly, and crying." Clutching Boo Boo, Carol then ran out into the street. The fire badly damaged the kitchen.
As part of an advertising feature in connection with Nevin's new store in Rainhill, the Reporter interviewed the supermarket chain's owner, "Jolly Jack Nevin", as they styled him. Valerie Belshaw described the boss of twenty supermarkets with 200 staff as sat behind a rich mahogany desk and puffing away on a Havana cigar behind mountains of paper while his telephone constantly rang. Initially engrossed in his work when the journalist entered his office, Nevin suddenly looked up and said:
"See love, the only way to get on in the world today is to take care of people. People matter a great deal. I care deeply about all my employees and I care about the women who shop in my supermarkets." Food retailing was very much in Jack's blood. His grandfather had once owned a grocer's shop and his own father – Michael Nevin – had begun the Nevins chain when he opened a shop in Park Road in St Helens. Leaving school at 15, Jack went to work for his father and took over as managing director in 1945 when they had 16 stores.
Still very much a family business, Jack's mother was the company chairman despite being in her 80s and his son and daughter, John and Vera, both had senior roles in the business. Jack dealt with all the buying and administration and said hard work was the secret to his success, adding: "There's no such thing as coming in to the office for half a day. I still start at 8 o’clock and finish about 6 o’clock." Explaining that his shops had converted into supermarkets a little over eight years earlier, Jack said he had insisted to his managers that they should retain a friendly, family atmosphere. Describing himself as a "sort of father figure" to his staff, Jack said he believed in keeping them happy.
Whether Jack Nevin appreciated a big news write-up for the rival Lennons supermarket group in the same edition of the Reporter when he was paying for full-page advertising space, I can't say. But Terence Lennon revealed that his own food chain was hoping to make a £1 million profit in the next financial year; build a £500,000 headquarters complex; increase their string of supermarkets by four to 32 and boost their off-licences by 7 to 56.
There was another advert in the Reporter from A. C. Collins of Brynn Street, behind the Town Hall. Known mainly for motorbikes, the firm also sold lawn mowers and made quite a boast: "I am able to sell you the lawn mower of your choice, cheaper than anyone in the United Kingdom. All I ask . . . Let me quote you."
The Reporter also described how a new one-way traffic system would be introduced in two phases over the next six weeks in St Helens. The above photo shows Dentons Green Lane c.1970 prior to the introduction of the new system. That was included in the first phase for A570 traffic travelling out of town towards the East Lancs and Greenfield Road was to be made one-way for traffic coming into town. Using Carr Street as a one-way road was intended to reduce traffic at the Hard Lane to Kiln Lane junction. Part of Rivington Road would also become one-way and Kirkland Street and Lingholme Road would be for out-of-town traffic only.
The scheme's second phase would come into operation on August 13th when Westfield Street would become one-way into town from the roundabout on the Inner Ring Road to Ormskirk Street, which would become one-way from Sefton Place to Bridge Street. The intention was then for Bridge Street to be one-way from Ormskirk Street to the roundabout on the Ring Road. A special lane in Ormskirk Street would allow buses to travel both ways.
And finally, Pilkingtons received a tall order this week. A very tall order, indeed! The glass giant announced they'd sold 48,000 sq. ft. of glass to India to be used for windows, doors and mirrors in a new 35-storey hotel that would be built in Bombay, which, when completed, would be India's highest building. The St Helens-based firm would also be supplying glass to a new hotel in Kingston, Jamaica.
Next week's stories will include the petrol bomb craze in Clinkham Wood, complaints over the taste of St Helens drinking water, two firemen are injured fighting a town centre blaze and profiles of supermarket boss Terence Lennon and bookie Matty Coan.
We begin on the 4th when Saints forward Eric Prescott made the draw for the Green Dragon's annual raffle. And what was the name of the winner of the £100 first prize? It was only Kel Coslett, Eric's captain at Knowsley Road! The Sutton Manor pub used the proceeds of their draw to take 70 pensioners on an outing to Blackpool and give them a party at Christmas.
Freemen of St Helens are like buses – none come for ages then several all come at once! Between 1896 and 1968 only nine people had the honour bestowed on them. Then four persons were awarded the freemanship – including the first woman – and this week four more were appointed. The honoured included two aldermen, Thomas Hignett and Joe Waring, who had spent many years on St Helens Council; Rachel Houghton was rewarded for her public work and Alfred Coe was granted the freemanship for his services to industry and commerce. Mrs Houghton of Kiln Lane had spent 25 years as a magistrate and Mr Coe had worked for United Glass for 50 years.
On the 5th an accident took place on the building site for the new multi-storey car park in Church Street, which injured a worker. Matthew Rowley was struck down by liquid concrete, which trapped his legs – but two workmates, Peter Giles and Andrew Hunter, managed to haul the 46-year-old clear. The Fire Brigade were called out to lower the injured man 35 feet to the ground. Matthew from Bank Street in St Helens was then taken to Providence Hospital where he received 50 stitches.
Sixteen men at Bold Colliery were recovering this week after being injured when an oxyacetylene cylinder blew up. Six needed hospital treatment, mainly for burns. Welder Bert Stirzaker of Berry's Lane broke both his legs and received burns to his hands and face. Fellow pit worker Len Troilett of Wasdale Avenue in Clinkham Wood said Bert had been a hero:
"Workmates say that Bert saw smoke and gave the warning. All he had to do was drop over the side of the railway embankment a couple of yards away, and he would have been safe. But Bert wasn't that sort of man. He must have tried to do something and been caught in the explosion." Three of the men had since been discharged from Whiston Hospital but three others were still on the wards.
The Government announced this week that plans to build a driving test centre at Gerards Bridge in St Helens had been abandoned because of a nationwide reduction in applications for tests. Consequently driving schools in St Helens expressed their anger at the decision. Alfred Pickering, manager of the St Helens branch of the British School of Motoring, said:
"Towns like Widnes and Southport, with smaller populations, have got test centres. Not to give St. Helens one is ridiculous. Going for a test can take two or three hours, but if there was a centre in St. Helens it would only take 90 minutes." It would not be until September 1982 that a specially-built driving test centre would open in Atherton Street.
The St Helens Reporter was published on the 7th and described how a typist from Skelmersdale who worked at the Lathom Research Centre had won this year's Pilkington Gala Girl title. It was the first time in four years that a young woman from outside St Helens had won the beauty title. However, Linda Evans of Peterlee Close in Sutton came third.
Ghulam Nabi told a shocking story in the Reporter. The 40-year-old had left his native Pakistan for England eight years earlier, initially settling in Walsall. There he worked as a bus conductor with a dream of one day owning his own business. Then Ghulam moved to Campbell Street in St Helens and put in many hours of overtime as a glass worker at Pilkington's sheet works until finally he had sufficient funds to open a restaurant in Skelmersdale.
Then his troubles began with many threats and eventually his restaurant was burned down in an arson attack. "The days in Walsall and St. Helens were very nice," said Mr Nabi. "Everything went well until I opened in Skelmersdale. Everything was marvellous from a business point of view. Within two years I would have paid off all the money I borrowed from the bank. If I was a white man the business would still be open and the threats would not have been made."
Carol Maguire from Windle Street described in the Reporter how she'd brushed aside warnings and dashed into her blazing home when she heard her poodle Boo Boo was trapped inside. The 15-year-old said: "A man stopped me from going in at first, but I opened the door and went into the hall. I stood there calling for her. I couldn't see a thing, and she jumped out of the smoke into my arms. She was coughing badly, and crying." Clutching Boo Boo, Carol then ran out into the street. The fire badly damaged the kitchen.
As part of an advertising feature in connection with Nevin's new store in Rainhill, the Reporter interviewed the supermarket chain's owner, "Jolly Jack Nevin", as they styled him. Valerie Belshaw described the boss of twenty supermarkets with 200 staff as sat behind a rich mahogany desk and puffing away on a Havana cigar behind mountains of paper while his telephone constantly rang. Initially engrossed in his work when the journalist entered his office, Nevin suddenly looked up and said:
"See love, the only way to get on in the world today is to take care of people. People matter a great deal. I care deeply about all my employees and I care about the women who shop in my supermarkets." Food retailing was very much in Jack's blood. His grandfather had once owned a grocer's shop and his own father – Michael Nevin – had begun the Nevins chain when he opened a shop in Park Road in St Helens. Leaving school at 15, Jack went to work for his father and took over as managing director in 1945 when they had 16 stores.
Still very much a family business, Jack's mother was the company chairman despite being in her 80s and his son and daughter, John and Vera, both had senior roles in the business. Jack dealt with all the buying and administration and said hard work was the secret to his success, adding: "There's no such thing as coming in to the office for half a day. I still start at 8 o’clock and finish about 6 o’clock." Explaining that his shops had converted into supermarkets a little over eight years earlier, Jack said he had insisted to his managers that they should retain a friendly, family atmosphere. Describing himself as a "sort of father figure" to his staff, Jack said he believed in keeping them happy.
Whether Jack Nevin appreciated a big news write-up for the rival Lennons supermarket group in the same edition of the Reporter when he was paying for full-page advertising space, I can't say. But Terence Lennon revealed that his own food chain was hoping to make a £1 million profit in the next financial year; build a £500,000 headquarters complex; increase their string of supermarkets by four to 32 and boost their off-licences by 7 to 56.
There was another advert in the Reporter from A. C. Collins of Brynn Street, behind the Town Hall. Known mainly for motorbikes, the firm also sold lawn mowers and made quite a boast: "I am able to sell you the lawn mower of your choice, cheaper than anyone in the United Kingdom. All I ask . . . Let me quote you."
The scheme's second phase would come into operation on August 13th when Westfield Street would become one-way into town from the roundabout on the Inner Ring Road to Ormskirk Street, which would become one-way from Sefton Place to Bridge Street. The intention was then for Bridge Street to be one-way from Ormskirk Street to the roundabout on the Ring Road. A special lane in Ormskirk Street would allow buses to travel both ways.
And finally, Pilkingtons received a tall order this week. A very tall order, indeed! The glass giant announced they'd sold 48,000 sq. ft. of glass to India to be used for windows, doors and mirrors in a new 35-storey hotel that would be built in Bombay, which, when completed, would be India's highest building. The St Helens-based firm would also be supplying glass to a new hotel in Kingston, Jamaica.
Next week's stories will include the petrol bomb craze in Clinkham Wood, complaints over the taste of St Helens drinking water, two firemen are injured fighting a town centre blaze and profiles of supermarket boss Terence Lennon and bookie Matty Coan.
This week's fourteen stories include an explosion at Bold Colliery, the introduction of a new one-way traffic system in St Helens, an accident while constructing the new Church Street multi-storey car park, plans to build a driving test centre at Gerards Bridge are scrapped and a profile of supermarket boss "Jolly" Jack Nevin.
We begin on the 4th when Saints forward Eric Prescott made the draw for the Green Dragon's annual raffle.
And what was the name of the winner of the £100 first prize? It was only Kel Coslett, Eric's captain at Knowsley Road!
The Sutton Manor pub used the proceeds of their draw to take 70 pensioners on an outing to Blackpool and give them a party at Christmas.
The annual meeting of Providence Hospital (pictured above) was held this week and revealed that last year’s fundraising led by the Mayor Charles Martin – which became known as the "fighting fund" – had helped to turn a £20,000 debt into a surplus of £4,623.
"We are most grateful to all the people in St. Helens who consistently support us," said General Committee chairman George McOnie.
Freemen of St Helens are like buses – none come for ages then several all come at once!
Between 1896 and 1968 only nine people had the honour bestowed on them.
Then four persons were awarded the freemanship – including the first woman – and this week four more were appointed.
The honoured included two aldermen, Thomas Hignett and Joe Waring, who had spent many years on St Helens Council; Rachel Houghton was rewarded for her public work and Alfred Coe was granted the freemanship for his services to industry and commerce.
Mrs Houghton of Kiln Lane had spent 25 years as a magistrate and Mr Coe had worked for United Glass for 50 years.
On the 5th an accident took place on the building site for the new multi-storey car park in Church Street, which injured a worker.
Matthew Rowley was struck down by liquid concrete, which trapped his legs – but two workmates, Peter Giles and Andrew Hunter, managed to haul the 46-year-old clear.
The Fire Brigade were called out to lower the injured man 35 feet to the ground. Matthew from Bank Street in St Helens was then taken to Providence Hospital where he received 50 stitches.
Sixteen men at Bold Colliery were recovering this week after being injured when an oxyacetylene cylinder blew up. Six needed hospital treatment, mainly for burns.
Welder Bert Stirzaker of Berry's Lane broke both his legs and received burns to his hands and face.
Fellow pit worker Len Troilett of Wasdale Avenue in Clinkham Wood said Bert had been a hero:
"Workmates say that Bert saw smoke and gave the warning. All he had to do was drop over the side of the railway embankment a couple of yards away, and he would have been safe.
"But Bert wasn't that sort of man. He must have tried to do something and been caught in the explosion."
Three of the men had since been discharged from Whiston Hospital but three others were still on the wards.
The Government announced this week that plans to build a driving test centre at Gerards Bridge in St Helens had been abandoned because of a nationwide reduction in applications for tests.
Consequently driving schools in St Helens expressed their anger at the decision.
Alfred Pickering, manager of the St Helens branch of the British School of Motoring, said:
"Towns like Widnes and Southport, with smaller populations, have got test centres. Not to give St. Helens one is ridiculous. Going for a test can take two or three hours, but if there was a centre in St. Helens it would only take 90 minutes."
It would not be until September 1982 that a specially-built driving test centre would open in Atherton Street.
The St Helens Reporter was published on the 7th and described how a typist from Skelmersdale who worked at the Lathom Research Centre had won this year's Pilkington Gala Girl title.
It was the first time in four years that a young woman from outside St Helens had won the beauty title. However, Linda Evans of Peterlee Close in Sutton came third.
Ghulam Nabi told a shocking story in the Reporter. The 40-year-old had left his native Pakistan for England eight years earlier, initially settling in Walsall.
There he worked as a bus conductor with a dream of one day owning his own business.
Then Ghulam moved to Campbell Street in St Helens and put in many hours of overtime as a glass worker at Pilkington's sheet works until finally he had sufficient funds to open a restaurant in Skelmersdale.
Then his troubles began with many threats and eventually his restaurant was burned down in an arson attack.
"The days in Walsall and St. Helens were very nice," said Mr Nabi. "Everything went well until I opened in Skelmersdale. Everything was marvellous from a business point of view. Within two years I would have paid off all the money I borrowed from the bank. If I was a white man the business would still be open and the threats would not have been made."
Carol Maguire from Windle Street described in the Reporter how she'd brushed aside warnings and dashed into her blazing home when she heard her poodle Boo Boo was trapped inside.
The 15-year-old said: "A man stopped me from going in at first, but I opened the door and went into the hall. I stood there calling for her. I couldn't see a thing, and she jumped out of the smoke into my arms. She was coughing badly, and crying."
Clutching Boo Boo, Carol then ran out into the street. The fire badly damaged the kitchen.
As part of an advertising feature in connection with Nevin's new store in Rainhill, the Reporter interviewed the supermarket chain's owner, "Jolly Jack Nevin", as they styled him.
Valerie Belshaw described the boss of twenty supermarkets with 200 staff as sat behind a rich mahogany desk and puffing away on a Havana cigar behind mountains of paper while his telephone constantly rang.
Initially engrossed in his work when the journalist entered his office, Nevin suddenly looked up and said:
"See love, the only way to get on in the world today is to take care of people. People matter a great deal. I care deeply about all my employees and I care about the women who shop in my supermarkets."
Food retailing was very much in Jack's blood. His grandfather had once owned a grocer's shop and his own father – Michael Nevin – had begun the Nevins chain when he opened a shop in Park Road in St Helens.
Leaving school at 15, Jack went to work for his father and took over as managing director in 1945 when they had 16 stores.
Still very much a family business, Jack's mother was the company chairman despite being in her 80s and his son and daughter, John and Vera, both had senior roles in the business.
Jack dealt with all the buying and administration and said hard work was the secret to his success, adding: "There's no such thing as coming in to the office for half a day. I still start at 8 o’clock and finish about 6 o’clock."
Explaining that his shops had converted into supermarkets a little over eight years earlier, Jack said he had insisted to his managers that they should retain a friendly, family atmosphere.
Describing himself as a "sort of father figure" to his staff, Jack said he believed in keeping them happy.
Whether Jack Nevin appreciated a big news write-up for the rival Lennons supermarket group in the same edition of the Reporter when he was paying for full-page advertising space, I can't say.
But Terence Lennon revealed that his own food chain was hoping to make a £1 million profit in the next financial year; build a £500,000 headquarters complex; increase their string of supermarkets by four to 32 and boost their off-licences by 7 to 56.
There was another advert in the Reporter from A. C. Collins of Brynn Street, behind the Town Hall. Known mainly for motorbikes, the firm also sold lawn mowers and made quite a boast:
"I am able to sell you the lawn mower of your choice, cheaper than anyone in the United Kingdom. All I ask . . . Let me quote you."
The Reporter also described how a new one-way traffic system would be introduced in two phases over the next six weeks in St Helens.
The above photo shows Dentons Green Lane c.1970 prior to the introduction of the new system.
That was included in the first phase for A570 traffic travelling out of town towards the East Lancs and Greenfield Road was to be made one-way for traffic coming into town.
Using Carr Street as a one-way road was intended to reduce traffic at the Hard Lane to Kiln Lane junction.
Part of Rivington Road would also become one-way and Kirkland Street and Lingholme Road would be for out-of-town traffic only.
The scheme's second phase would come into operation on August 13th when Westfield Street would become one-way into town from the roundabout on the Inner Ring Road to Ormskirk Street, which would become one-way from Sefton Place to Bridge Street.
The intention was then for Bridge Street to be one-way from Ormskirk Street to the roundabout on the Ring Road. A special lane in Ormskirk Street would allow buses to travel both ways.
And finally, Pilkingtons received a tall order this week. A very tall order, indeed!
The glass giant announced they'd sold 48,000 sq. ft. of glass to India to be used for windows, doors and mirrors in a new 35-storey hotel that would be built in Bombay, which, when completed, would be India's highest building.
The St Helens-based firm would also be supplying glass to a new hotel in Kingston, Jamaica.
Next week's stories will include the petrol bomb craze in Clinkham Wood, complaints over the taste of St Helens drinking water, two firemen are injured fighting a town centre blaze and profiles of supermarket boss Terence Lennon and bookie Matty Coan.
We begin on the 4th when Saints forward Eric Prescott made the draw for the Green Dragon's annual raffle.
And what was the name of the winner of the £100 first prize? It was only Kel Coslett, Eric's captain at Knowsley Road!
The Sutton Manor pub used the proceeds of their draw to take 70 pensioners on an outing to Blackpool and give them a party at Christmas.
"We are most grateful to all the people in St. Helens who consistently support us," said General Committee chairman George McOnie.
Freemen of St Helens are like buses – none come for ages then several all come at once!
Between 1896 and 1968 only nine people had the honour bestowed on them.
Then four persons were awarded the freemanship – including the first woman – and this week four more were appointed.
The honoured included two aldermen, Thomas Hignett and Joe Waring, who had spent many years on St Helens Council; Rachel Houghton was rewarded for her public work and Alfred Coe was granted the freemanship for his services to industry and commerce.
Mrs Houghton of Kiln Lane had spent 25 years as a magistrate and Mr Coe had worked for United Glass for 50 years.
On the 5th an accident took place on the building site for the new multi-storey car park in Church Street, which injured a worker.
Matthew Rowley was struck down by liquid concrete, which trapped his legs – but two workmates, Peter Giles and Andrew Hunter, managed to haul the 46-year-old clear.
The Fire Brigade were called out to lower the injured man 35 feet to the ground. Matthew from Bank Street in St Helens was then taken to Providence Hospital where he received 50 stitches.
Sixteen men at Bold Colliery were recovering this week after being injured when an oxyacetylene cylinder blew up. Six needed hospital treatment, mainly for burns.
Welder Bert Stirzaker of Berry's Lane broke both his legs and received burns to his hands and face.
Fellow pit worker Len Troilett of Wasdale Avenue in Clinkham Wood said Bert had been a hero:
"Workmates say that Bert saw smoke and gave the warning. All he had to do was drop over the side of the railway embankment a couple of yards away, and he would have been safe.
"But Bert wasn't that sort of man. He must have tried to do something and been caught in the explosion."
Three of the men had since been discharged from Whiston Hospital but three others were still on the wards.
The Government announced this week that plans to build a driving test centre at Gerards Bridge in St Helens had been abandoned because of a nationwide reduction in applications for tests.
Consequently driving schools in St Helens expressed their anger at the decision.
Alfred Pickering, manager of the St Helens branch of the British School of Motoring, said:
"Towns like Widnes and Southport, with smaller populations, have got test centres. Not to give St. Helens one is ridiculous. Going for a test can take two or three hours, but if there was a centre in St. Helens it would only take 90 minutes."
It would not be until September 1982 that a specially-built driving test centre would open in Atherton Street.
The St Helens Reporter was published on the 7th and described how a typist from Skelmersdale who worked at the Lathom Research Centre had won this year's Pilkington Gala Girl title.
It was the first time in four years that a young woman from outside St Helens had won the beauty title. However, Linda Evans of Peterlee Close in Sutton came third.
Ghulam Nabi told a shocking story in the Reporter. The 40-year-old had left his native Pakistan for England eight years earlier, initially settling in Walsall.
There he worked as a bus conductor with a dream of one day owning his own business.
Then Ghulam moved to Campbell Street in St Helens and put in many hours of overtime as a glass worker at Pilkington's sheet works until finally he had sufficient funds to open a restaurant in Skelmersdale.
Then his troubles began with many threats and eventually his restaurant was burned down in an arson attack.
"The days in Walsall and St. Helens were very nice," said Mr Nabi. "Everything went well until I opened in Skelmersdale. Everything was marvellous from a business point of view. Within two years I would have paid off all the money I borrowed from the bank. If I was a white man the business would still be open and the threats would not have been made."
Carol Maguire from Windle Street described in the Reporter how she'd brushed aside warnings and dashed into her blazing home when she heard her poodle Boo Boo was trapped inside.
The 15-year-old said: "A man stopped me from going in at first, but I opened the door and went into the hall. I stood there calling for her. I couldn't see a thing, and she jumped out of the smoke into my arms. She was coughing badly, and crying."
Clutching Boo Boo, Carol then ran out into the street. The fire badly damaged the kitchen.
As part of an advertising feature in connection with Nevin's new store in Rainhill, the Reporter interviewed the supermarket chain's owner, "Jolly Jack Nevin", as they styled him.
Valerie Belshaw described the boss of twenty supermarkets with 200 staff as sat behind a rich mahogany desk and puffing away on a Havana cigar behind mountains of paper while his telephone constantly rang.
Initially engrossed in his work when the journalist entered his office, Nevin suddenly looked up and said:
"See love, the only way to get on in the world today is to take care of people. People matter a great deal. I care deeply about all my employees and I care about the women who shop in my supermarkets."
Food retailing was very much in Jack's blood. His grandfather had once owned a grocer's shop and his own father – Michael Nevin – had begun the Nevins chain when he opened a shop in Park Road in St Helens.
Leaving school at 15, Jack went to work for his father and took over as managing director in 1945 when they had 16 stores.
Still very much a family business, Jack's mother was the company chairman despite being in her 80s and his son and daughter, John and Vera, both had senior roles in the business.
Jack dealt with all the buying and administration and said hard work was the secret to his success, adding: "There's no such thing as coming in to the office for half a day. I still start at 8 o’clock and finish about 6 o’clock."
Explaining that his shops had converted into supermarkets a little over eight years earlier, Jack said he had insisted to his managers that they should retain a friendly, family atmosphere.
Describing himself as a "sort of father figure" to his staff, Jack said he believed in keeping them happy.
Whether Jack Nevin appreciated a big news write-up for the rival Lennons supermarket group in the same edition of the Reporter when he was paying for full-page advertising space, I can't say.
But Terence Lennon revealed that his own food chain was hoping to make a £1 million profit in the next financial year; build a £500,000 headquarters complex; increase their string of supermarkets by four to 32 and boost their off-licences by 7 to 56.
There was another advert in the Reporter from A. C. Collins of Brynn Street, behind the Town Hall. Known mainly for motorbikes, the firm also sold lawn mowers and made quite a boast:
"I am able to sell you the lawn mower of your choice, cheaper than anyone in the United Kingdom. All I ask . . . Let me quote you."
The above photo shows Dentons Green Lane c.1970 prior to the introduction of the new system.
That was included in the first phase for A570 traffic travelling out of town towards the East Lancs and Greenfield Road was to be made one-way for traffic coming into town.
Using Carr Street as a one-way road was intended to reduce traffic at the Hard Lane to Kiln Lane junction.
Part of Rivington Road would also become one-way and Kirkland Street and Lingholme Road would be for out-of-town traffic only.
The scheme's second phase would come into operation on August 13th when Westfield Street would become one-way into town from the roundabout on the Inner Ring Road to Ormskirk Street, which would become one-way from Sefton Place to Bridge Street.
The intention was then for Bridge Street to be one-way from Ormskirk Street to the roundabout on the Ring Road. A special lane in Ormskirk Street would allow buses to travel both ways.
And finally, Pilkingtons received a tall order this week. A very tall order, indeed!
The glass giant announced they'd sold 48,000 sq. ft. of glass to India to be used for windows, doors and mirrors in a new 35-storey hotel that would be built in Bombay, which, when completed, would be India's highest building.
The St Helens-based firm would also be supplying glass to a new hotel in Kingston, Jamaica.
Next week's stories will include the petrol bomb craze in Clinkham Wood, complaints over the taste of St Helens drinking water, two firemen are injured fighting a town centre blaze and profiles of supermarket boss Terence Lennon and bookie Matty Coan.