FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (7th - 13th NOVEMBER 1972)
This week's stories include the plans to defeat vandals at the new Sherdley Park golf course, the Gamble’s record library converts to stereo, the lucrative idea by a UGB furnaceman, the Helena House Christmas grotto opens for business and there's a special feature on Green Shield Stamps at St Helens petrol stations.
We begin with an announcement by the Liverpool Regional Hospital Board of plans to rebuild Whiston Hospital. However, it would only be on a piecemeal basis, with one section at a time being demolished and then replaced. The first phase was already underway with the erection of a £1 million maternity unit which was expected to be ready for use next Spring.
On the 8th the members of St Helens Amenities Committee were told that Town Hall officials were considering the best means of beating the vandals at Sherdley Park Golf Club. The new municipal course had now closed for the winter and the clubhouse that was currently being constructed would be having all its windows covered with plywood. That protection would last until Easter when the course reopened for the season. A night watchman was also going to be employed – we, of course, would use the term security officer.
Measures under consideration for the clubhouse when the course reopened included installing wire mesh screens over the windows at a cost of about £500 and the fitting of alarms connected to the police station. Kenneth Perks, the deputy Borough Engineer, told the committee that a more permanent measure against vandals would be to build a small house for a steward or club professional. The committee agreed to leave it to the officers to carry out their temporary security measures until a decision could be made on something more permanent.
The Guardian stated on the 8th that ten of Greenall Whitley's tenanted pubs in the St Helens district were going be transferred to Boddingtons as part of an exchange deal. The two breweries stated that their intention was to give the public more freedom of choice of beers but the announcement came in the wake of Greenall's decision made earlier in the year to close its Hall Street brewery.
I wonder if workers at St Helens' firms today still receive financial rewards for their good ideas? During the ‘60s and ‘70s, the larger businesses in the town often made large payments to staff whose brainwaves saved them money. The Reporter announced on the 10th that Leslie Gilbert, a furnace foreman at UGB in St Helens (pictured above), had earned a £1,000 reward (about £15,000 in today’s money) for his idea.
When the 49-year-old from Clyde Street (which used to be near Peter Street) heard that repairs planned for furnace burner blocks would mean shutting down production and cost £1,000 to complete, Leslie devised a simpler solution. He came up with a method of repairing the blocks without removing them from the furnace, telling the Reporter: "The firm's way would have taken three days – mine took only hours, and they didn't have to stop production."
The Reporter also revealed that St Helens Town Council was considering an expensive scheme to lay mains cables underground at their Randles Bridge water pumping station near Liverpool. The move was being considered after the station that supplied St Helens with water had been knocked out by children flinging pieces of wire onto overhead power cables. Fraser Millar, the St Helens Chief Water Engineer, commented: "This insane vandalism must stop before somebody is killed."
"Shop Early For Christmas", was the name of an advertising feature in the Reporter on the 10th. Advertisers included Helena House Ladies Footwear Dept., Baldwin Street ("Step into the warm this winter in Clarks Igloos"); Pimbletts College Bakery ("Make Christmas complete with party foods"); Eric Bromilow, North Road & Park Road ("Choppers, Dragsters, Tomohawks, Chippers bikes – order now for Xmas free storage & delivery); Gallies, Market Street ("For all that's best in wines, spirits, beer & cider") and Harold Stott, Westfield Street ("Quality sound and quality service").
An article in the Reporter revealed that the Gamble Institute held a stock of 3,000 records, which 1,100 people borrowed each year. Music scores and books were now to be grouped with the records in a new dedicated music room in the library in what had previously been a space for periodicals. They were certainly keeping up with the times at the Gamble! Geoffrey Senior, Chief Librarian, told the Reporter: "We have now changed over completely to stereo. Now we have converted, we are going to build the collection up." Stereo records were widely available as far back as 1958, although it did take a while for the public to accept them.
In his 'Whalley's World' column in the Reporter, Alan Whalley described a letter from old-timer Tom Perry recalling the early years of the 20th century living and working as a shop assistant in Sutton: "Tom remembers Butcher Fletcher who used to pole-axe his beasts as they were held down by twenty school-boy volunteers. A cruel business in hard times.
"He still hears the echo of Crone and Taylor's works buzzer, which was so deafening that it made the local teachers “look as though they were miming when it was sounded.” Tom recalls Bell's bakehouse to which Sutton mothers sent their young sons with great wedges of dough, mixed at home in a pillowslip. The loaves were baked for them at halfpenny each . . . and were later collected and carried home in a clothes basket. Tom's fascinating account concludes with:
"There was a place down the Junction where folks oft did stop;
It had a sign with three balls and was called Fletcher’s pawnshop.
There, ladies with quilts and costumes would parley;
To get all they could from Horace or Charlie.
Then back up the Junction and walking like swells;
They would call in the butcher's and next into Bell's.
They then purchased their bacon, their cheese and their spices;
For we sold all our goods at remarkable prices."
A special feature on Green Shield Stamps was in the Reporter. In 1967 a 3¾ million cubic ft warehouse had been opened in Newton-le-Willows to service Green Shield gift shops in the North. Jimmy Savile featured in a half-page ad promoting the stamps and these local petrol stations also had ads:
Cowley Service Station, Dentons Green Lane ("Self service petrol with quad Green Shield Stamps"); W. Hancock, Parkside Garage, Jubits Lane ("Quad Green Shield Stamps"); Higher Parr Street Service Station ("Quad Stamps on all gallons"); Chain Lane Service Station ("Treble stamps on all gallons – ½ price car wash only 10p with every 4 galls") and Broughtons, Knowsley Road ("Quad stamps on all cash sales of Shell petrol and oils").
When I first began writing these '50 Years Ago' articles several years ago, Santa Claus arrived at Helena House in style. A parade led by Redgate Boys' Silver Band brought Father Christmas from Shaw Street station to Baldwin Street ready to take up residence in his grotto. In 1968 the man in the red coat had been driven in a "Wells Fargo coach" and in 1969 Santa had ridden in a "Mermaid's Chariot".
But the procession had now been axed and at 10am on the 11th, the Helena House grotto simply opened. Their advert said: "Santa Claus will be waiting to greet you after your exciting ride in Cinderella's wonderful coach. He has lovely gifts for boys and girls of all ages. Grotto in basement. Toy fair first floor."
During the evening of the 11th, The Scaffold performed at the Theatre Royal in St Helens with the Hillsiders in concert on the 12th. And finally, on the 13th what was described as 'The Bernard Manning Show' was presented at Rainhill Ex-Services Club, with admission 60p. The controversial comic had risen to stardom through The Comedians TV Show that had begun in 1971.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the 280 million-year-old fossils unearthed in College Street, the miracle boy at Carr Mill School, Yehudi Menuhin performs in St Helens, the big animal show in Parr and the St Helens social club for widows.
We begin with an announcement by the Liverpool Regional Hospital Board of plans to rebuild Whiston Hospital. However, it would only be on a piecemeal basis, with one section at a time being demolished and then replaced. The first phase was already underway with the erection of a £1 million maternity unit which was expected to be ready for use next Spring.
On the 8th the members of St Helens Amenities Committee were told that Town Hall officials were considering the best means of beating the vandals at Sherdley Park Golf Club. The new municipal course had now closed for the winter and the clubhouse that was currently being constructed would be having all its windows covered with plywood. That protection would last until Easter when the course reopened for the season. A night watchman was also going to be employed – we, of course, would use the term security officer.
Measures under consideration for the clubhouse when the course reopened included installing wire mesh screens over the windows at a cost of about £500 and the fitting of alarms connected to the police station. Kenneth Perks, the deputy Borough Engineer, told the committee that a more permanent measure against vandals would be to build a small house for a steward or club professional. The committee agreed to leave it to the officers to carry out their temporary security measures until a decision could be made on something more permanent.
The Guardian stated on the 8th that ten of Greenall Whitley's tenanted pubs in the St Helens district were going be transferred to Boddingtons as part of an exchange deal. The two breweries stated that their intention was to give the public more freedom of choice of beers but the announcement came in the wake of Greenall's decision made earlier in the year to close its Hall Street brewery.
When the 49-year-old from Clyde Street (which used to be near Peter Street) heard that repairs planned for furnace burner blocks would mean shutting down production and cost £1,000 to complete, Leslie devised a simpler solution. He came up with a method of repairing the blocks without removing them from the furnace, telling the Reporter: "The firm's way would have taken three days – mine took only hours, and they didn't have to stop production."
The Reporter also revealed that St Helens Town Council was considering an expensive scheme to lay mains cables underground at their Randles Bridge water pumping station near Liverpool. The move was being considered after the station that supplied St Helens with water had been knocked out by children flinging pieces of wire onto overhead power cables. Fraser Millar, the St Helens Chief Water Engineer, commented: "This insane vandalism must stop before somebody is killed."
"Shop Early For Christmas", was the name of an advertising feature in the Reporter on the 10th. Advertisers included Helena House Ladies Footwear Dept., Baldwin Street ("Step into the warm this winter in Clarks Igloos"); Pimbletts College Bakery ("Make Christmas complete with party foods"); Eric Bromilow, North Road & Park Road ("Choppers, Dragsters, Tomohawks, Chippers bikes – order now for Xmas free storage & delivery); Gallies, Market Street ("For all that's best in wines, spirits, beer & cider") and Harold Stott, Westfield Street ("Quality sound and quality service").
An article in the Reporter revealed that the Gamble Institute held a stock of 3,000 records, which 1,100 people borrowed each year. Music scores and books were now to be grouped with the records in a new dedicated music room in the library in what had previously been a space for periodicals. They were certainly keeping up with the times at the Gamble! Geoffrey Senior, Chief Librarian, told the Reporter: "We have now changed over completely to stereo. Now we have converted, we are going to build the collection up." Stereo records were widely available as far back as 1958, although it did take a while for the public to accept them.
In his 'Whalley's World' column in the Reporter, Alan Whalley described a letter from old-timer Tom Perry recalling the early years of the 20th century living and working as a shop assistant in Sutton: "Tom remembers Butcher Fletcher who used to pole-axe his beasts as they were held down by twenty school-boy volunteers. A cruel business in hard times.
"He still hears the echo of Crone and Taylor's works buzzer, which was so deafening that it made the local teachers “look as though they were miming when it was sounded.” Tom recalls Bell's bakehouse to which Sutton mothers sent their young sons with great wedges of dough, mixed at home in a pillowslip. The loaves were baked for them at halfpenny each . . . and were later collected and carried home in a clothes basket. Tom's fascinating account concludes with:
"There was a place down the Junction where folks oft did stop;
It had a sign with three balls and was called Fletcher’s pawnshop.
There, ladies with quilts and costumes would parley;
To get all they could from Horace or Charlie.
Then back up the Junction and walking like swells;
They would call in the butcher's and next into Bell's.
They then purchased their bacon, their cheese and their spices;
For we sold all our goods at remarkable prices."
Cowley Service Station, Dentons Green Lane ("Self service petrol with quad Green Shield Stamps"); W. Hancock, Parkside Garage, Jubits Lane ("Quad Green Shield Stamps"); Higher Parr Street Service Station ("Quad Stamps on all gallons"); Chain Lane Service Station ("Treble stamps on all gallons – ½ price car wash only 10p with every 4 galls") and Broughtons, Knowsley Road ("Quad stamps on all cash sales of Shell petrol and oils").
When I first began writing these '50 Years Ago' articles several years ago, Santa Claus arrived at Helena House in style. A parade led by Redgate Boys' Silver Band brought Father Christmas from Shaw Street station to Baldwin Street ready to take up residence in his grotto. In 1968 the man in the red coat had been driven in a "Wells Fargo coach" and in 1969 Santa had ridden in a "Mermaid's Chariot".
But the procession had now been axed and at 10am on the 11th, the Helena House grotto simply opened. Their advert said: "Santa Claus will be waiting to greet you after your exciting ride in Cinderella's wonderful coach. He has lovely gifts for boys and girls of all ages. Grotto in basement. Toy fair first floor."
During the evening of the 11th, The Scaffold performed at the Theatre Royal in St Helens with the Hillsiders in concert on the 12th. And finally, on the 13th what was described as 'The Bernard Manning Show' was presented at Rainhill Ex-Services Club, with admission 60p. The controversial comic had risen to stardom through The Comedians TV Show that had begun in 1971.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the 280 million-year-old fossils unearthed in College Street, the miracle boy at Carr Mill School, Yehudi Menuhin performs in St Helens, the big animal show in Parr and the St Helens social club for widows.
This week's stories include the plans to defeat vandals at the new Sherdley Park golf course, the Gamble’s record library converts to stereo, the lucrative idea by a UGB furnaceman, the Helena House Christmas grotto opens for business and there's a special feature on Green Shield Stamps at St Helens petrol stations.
We begin with an announcement by the Liverpool Regional Hospital Board of plans to rebuild Whiston Hospital.
However, it would only be on a piecemeal basis, with one section at a time being demolished and then replaced.
The first phase was already underway with the erection of a £1 million maternity unit which was expected to be ready for use next Spring.
On the 8th the members of St Helens Amenities Committee were told that Town Hall officials were considering the best means of beating the vandals at Sherdley Park Golf Club.
The new municipal course had now closed for the winter and the clubhouse that was currently being constructed would be having all its windows covered with plywood.
That protection would last until Easter when the course reopened for the season.
A night watchman was also going to be employed – we, of course, would use the term security officer.
Measures under consideration for the clubhouse when the course reopened included installing wire mesh screens over the windows at a cost of about £500 and the fitting of alarms connected to the police station.
Kenneth Perks, the deputy Borough Engineer, told the committee that a more permanent measure against vandals would be to build a small house for a steward or club professional.
The committee agreed to leave it to the officers to carry out their temporary security measures until a decision could be made on something more permanent.
The Guardian stated on the 8th that ten of Greenall Whitley's tenanted pubs in the St Helens district were going be transferred to Boddingtons as part of an exchange deal.
The two breweries stated that their intention was to give the public more freedom of choice of beers but the announcement came in the wake of Greenall's decision made earlier in the year to close its Hall Street brewery.
I wonder if workers at St Helens' firms today still receive financial rewards for their good ideas?
During the ‘60s and ‘70s, the larger businesses in the town often made large payments to staff whose brainwaves saved them money.
The Reporter announced on the 10th that Leslie Gilbert, a furnace foreman at UGB in St Helens (pictured above), had earned a £1,000 reward (about £15,000 in today’s money) for his idea.
When the 49-year-old from Clyde Street (which used to be near Peter Street) heard that repairs planned for furnace burner blocks would mean shutting down production and cost £1,000 to complete, Leslie devised a simpler solution.
He came up with a method of repairing the blocks without removing them from the furnace, telling the Reporter:
"The firm's way would have taken three days – mine took only hours, and they didn't have to stop production."
The Reporter also revealed that St Helens Town Council was considering an expensive scheme to lay mains cables underground at their Randles Bridge water pumping station near Liverpool.
The move was being considered after the station that supplied St Helens with water had been knocked out by children flinging pieces of wire onto overhead power cables.
Fraser Millar, the St Helens Chief Water Engineer, commented: "This insane vandalism must stop before somebody is killed."
"Shop Early For Christmas", was the name of an advertising feature in the Reporter on the 10th.
Advertisers included Helena House Ladies Footwear Dept., Baldwin Street ("Step into the warm this winter in Clarks Igloos"); Pimbletts College Bakery ("Make Christmas complete with party foods"); Eric Bromilow, North Road & Park Road ("Choppers, Dragsters, Tomohawks, Chippers bikes – order now for Xmas free storage & delivery); Gallies, Market Street ("For all that's best in wines, spirits, beer & cider") and Harold Stott, Westfield Street ("Quality sound and quality service").
An article in the Reporter revealed that the Gamble Institute held a stock of 3,000 records, which 1,100 people borrowed each year.
Music scores and books were now to be grouped with the records in a new dedicated music room in the library in what had previously been a space for periodicals.
They were certainly keeping up with the times at the Gamble! Geoffrey Senior, Chief Librarian, told the Reporter: "We have now changed over completely to stereo. Now we have converted, we are going to build the collection up."
Stereo records were widely available as far back as 1958, although it did take a while for the public to accept them.
In his 'Whalley's World' column in the Reporter, Alan Whalley described a letter from old-timer Tom Perry recalling the early years of the 20th century living and working as a shop assistant in Sutton:
"Tom remembers Butcher Fletcher who used to pole-axe his beasts as they were held down by twenty school-boy volunteers. A cruel business in hard times.
"He still hears the echo of Crone and Taylor's works buzzer, which was so deafening that it made the local teachers “look as though they were miming when it was sounded.”
"Tom recalls Bell's bakehouse to which Sutton mothers sent their young sons with great wedges of dough, mixed at home in a pillowslip. The loaves were baked for them at halfpenny each . . . and were later collected and carried home in a clothes basket.
"Tom's fascinating account concludes with:
"There was a place down the Junction where folks oft did stop;
It had a sign with three balls and was called Fletcher’s pawnshop.
There, ladies with quilts and costumes would parley;
To get all they could from Horace or Charlie.
Then back up the Junction and walking like swells;
They would call in the butcher's and next into Bell's.
They then purchased their bacon, their cheese and their spices;
For we sold all our goods at remarkable prices."
A special feature on Green Shield Stamps was in the Reporter. In 1967 a 3¾ million cubic ft warehouse had been opened in Newton-le-Willows to service Green Shield gift shops in the North.
Jimmy Savile featured in a half-page ad promoting the stamps and these local petrol stations also had ads:
Cowley Service Station, Dentons Green Lane ("Self service petrol with quad Green Shield Stamps"); W. Hancock, Parkside Garage, Jubits Lane ("Quad Green Shield Stamps"); Higher Parr Street Service Station ("Quad Stamps on all gallons"); Chain Lane Service Station ("Treble stamps on all gallons – ½ price car wash only 10p with every 4 galls") and Broughtons, Knowsley Road ("Quad stamps on all cash sales of Shell petrol and oils").
When I first began writing these '50 Years Ago' articles several years ago, Santa Claus arrived at Helena House in style.
A parade led by Redgate Boys' Silver Band brought Father Christmas from Shaw Street station to Baldwin Street ready to take up residence in his grotto.
In 1968 the man in the red coat had been driven in a "Wells Fargo coach" and in 1969 Santa had ridden in a "Mermaid's Chariot".
But the procession had now been axed and at 10am on the 11th, the Helena House grotto simply opened. Their advert said:
"Santa Claus will be waiting to greet you after your exciting ride in Cinderella's wonderful coach. He has lovely gifts for boys and girls of all ages. Grotto in basement. Toy fair first floor."
During the evening of the 11th, The Scaffold performed at the Theatre Royal in St Helens with the Hillsiders in concert on the 12th.
And finally, on the 13th what was described as 'The Bernard Manning Show' was presented at Rainhill Ex-Services Club, with admission 60p.
The controversial comic had risen to stardom through The Comedians TV Show that had begun in 1971.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the 280 million-year-old fossils unearthed in College Street, the miracle boy at Carr Mill School, Yehudi Menuhin performs in St Helens, the big animal show in Parr and the St Helens social club for widows.
We begin with an announcement by the Liverpool Regional Hospital Board of plans to rebuild Whiston Hospital.
However, it would only be on a piecemeal basis, with one section at a time being demolished and then replaced.
The first phase was already underway with the erection of a £1 million maternity unit which was expected to be ready for use next Spring.
On the 8th the members of St Helens Amenities Committee were told that Town Hall officials were considering the best means of beating the vandals at Sherdley Park Golf Club.
The new municipal course had now closed for the winter and the clubhouse that was currently being constructed would be having all its windows covered with plywood.
That protection would last until Easter when the course reopened for the season.
A night watchman was also going to be employed – we, of course, would use the term security officer.
Measures under consideration for the clubhouse when the course reopened included installing wire mesh screens over the windows at a cost of about £500 and the fitting of alarms connected to the police station.
Kenneth Perks, the deputy Borough Engineer, told the committee that a more permanent measure against vandals would be to build a small house for a steward or club professional.
The committee agreed to leave it to the officers to carry out their temporary security measures until a decision could be made on something more permanent.
The Guardian stated on the 8th that ten of Greenall Whitley's tenanted pubs in the St Helens district were going be transferred to Boddingtons as part of an exchange deal.
The two breweries stated that their intention was to give the public more freedom of choice of beers but the announcement came in the wake of Greenall's decision made earlier in the year to close its Hall Street brewery.
I wonder if workers at St Helens' firms today still receive financial rewards for their good ideas?
During the ‘60s and ‘70s, the larger businesses in the town often made large payments to staff whose brainwaves saved them money.
When the 49-year-old from Clyde Street (which used to be near Peter Street) heard that repairs planned for furnace burner blocks would mean shutting down production and cost £1,000 to complete, Leslie devised a simpler solution.
He came up with a method of repairing the blocks without removing them from the furnace, telling the Reporter:
"The firm's way would have taken three days – mine took only hours, and they didn't have to stop production."
The Reporter also revealed that St Helens Town Council was considering an expensive scheme to lay mains cables underground at their Randles Bridge water pumping station near Liverpool.
The move was being considered after the station that supplied St Helens with water had been knocked out by children flinging pieces of wire onto overhead power cables.
Fraser Millar, the St Helens Chief Water Engineer, commented: "This insane vandalism must stop before somebody is killed."
"Shop Early For Christmas", was the name of an advertising feature in the Reporter on the 10th.
Advertisers included Helena House Ladies Footwear Dept., Baldwin Street ("Step into the warm this winter in Clarks Igloos"); Pimbletts College Bakery ("Make Christmas complete with party foods"); Eric Bromilow, North Road & Park Road ("Choppers, Dragsters, Tomohawks, Chippers bikes – order now for Xmas free storage & delivery); Gallies, Market Street ("For all that's best in wines, spirits, beer & cider") and Harold Stott, Westfield Street ("Quality sound and quality service").
An article in the Reporter revealed that the Gamble Institute held a stock of 3,000 records, which 1,100 people borrowed each year.
Music scores and books were now to be grouped with the records in a new dedicated music room in the library in what had previously been a space for periodicals.
They were certainly keeping up with the times at the Gamble! Geoffrey Senior, Chief Librarian, told the Reporter: "We have now changed over completely to stereo. Now we have converted, we are going to build the collection up."
Stereo records were widely available as far back as 1958, although it did take a while for the public to accept them.
In his 'Whalley's World' column in the Reporter, Alan Whalley described a letter from old-timer Tom Perry recalling the early years of the 20th century living and working as a shop assistant in Sutton:
"Tom remembers Butcher Fletcher who used to pole-axe his beasts as they were held down by twenty school-boy volunteers. A cruel business in hard times.
"He still hears the echo of Crone and Taylor's works buzzer, which was so deafening that it made the local teachers “look as though they were miming when it was sounded.”
"Tom recalls Bell's bakehouse to which Sutton mothers sent their young sons with great wedges of dough, mixed at home in a pillowslip. The loaves were baked for them at halfpenny each . . . and were later collected and carried home in a clothes basket.
"Tom's fascinating account concludes with:
"There was a place down the Junction where folks oft did stop;
It had a sign with three balls and was called Fletcher’s pawnshop.
There, ladies with quilts and costumes would parley;
To get all they could from Horace or Charlie.
Then back up the Junction and walking like swells;
They would call in the butcher's and next into Bell's.
They then purchased their bacon, their cheese and their spices;
For we sold all our goods at remarkable prices."
Jimmy Savile featured in a half-page ad promoting the stamps and these local petrol stations also had ads:
Cowley Service Station, Dentons Green Lane ("Self service petrol with quad Green Shield Stamps"); W. Hancock, Parkside Garage, Jubits Lane ("Quad Green Shield Stamps"); Higher Parr Street Service Station ("Quad Stamps on all gallons"); Chain Lane Service Station ("Treble stamps on all gallons – ½ price car wash only 10p with every 4 galls") and Broughtons, Knowsley Road ("Quad stamps on all cash sales of Shell petrol and oils").
When I first began writing these '50 Years Ago' articles several years ago, Santa Claus arrived at Helena House in style.
A parade led by Redgate Boys' Silver Band brought Father Christmas from Shaw Street station to Baldwin Street ready to take up residence in his grotto.
In 1968 the man in the red coat had been driven in a "Wells Fargo coach" and in 1969 Santa had ridden in a "Mermaid's Chariot".
But the procession had now been axed and at 10am on the 11th, the Helena House grotto simply opened. Their advert said:
"Santa Claus will be waiting to greet you after your exciting ride in Cinderella's wonderful coach. He has lovely gifts for boys and girls of all ages. Grotto in basement. Toy fair first floor."
During the evening of the 11th, The Scaffold performed at the Theatre Royal in St Helens with the Hillsiders in concert on the 12th.
And finally, on the 13th what was described as 'The Bernard Manning Show' was presented at Rainhill Ex-Services Club, with admission 60p.
The controversial comic had risen to stardom through The Comedians TV Show that had begun in 1971.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the 280 million-year-old fossils unearthed in College Street, the miracle boy at Carr Mill School, Yehudi Menuhin performs in St Helens, the big animal show in Parr and the St Helens social club for widows.