FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 10 - 16 MARCH 1975
This week's many stories include a tour of the red brick and concrete jungle of Beth Avenue, St Helens Council votes to close down Leathers Chemicals, the kind-hearted Triplex workers undertake their kidney machine installation, the pioneering child fostering scheme that used advertising, a robbery at Barclays Bank, the successes of the Rockware charity committee and the rumour that Oxley's was to be replaced by a nightclub.
Some weeks ago the Reporter had written: "A team of volunteer brickies, plumbers and joiners are standing by to build a home extension so a workmate's wife can be saved from death. They are pledged to work 24 hours a day for nothing to relieve the plight of Jack and Mary Philbin." Mrs Philbin was going to be discharged from hospital soon and needed a kidney machine to be installed in her home.
But the couple's terraced house in Gleave Street in St Helens was too small to accommodate one and so a larger property in Newlands Road was being bought that had sufficient space for an extension to be added. Jack worked at Triplex and as soon as the couple could move into their new house, his workmates would quickly build the extension and then the kidney dialysis machine would be dropped inside. Then its roof would be added.
Over 200 workers at Triplex’s Eccleston plant had voluntarily put in more than 2,000 hours to renovate the house and on the 10th the kidney machine was lowered into the garden of Mary's new home. A helicopter had originally been planned to do the heavy lifting but in the end a crane was used.
And instead of the team building the whole extension themselves, a prefabricated building had been shipped from Hull. But much hard work still needed to be done to make the house fit for purpose – with it described as being in a poor condition with dry rot in places – and a considerable amount of fundraising had taken place to pay for it all.
On the 12th St Helens Council took what could prove to be a momentous decision when they decided to close down Leathers Chemicals. The sulphuric acid manufacturer from Lancots Lane (pictured above) had regularly been accused of discharging fumes into the atmosphere and endangering local residents. And so the decision by a massive majority of councillors could prove important in terms of safety for the residents of Sutton – but also burdensome for the people of the town, as their rates bill was expected to rise.
That was because a compulsory closure of the plant would result in several million pounds of compensation having to be paid. And as the coming year's rates' bill was increasing by 22%, a further rise to pay for the compensation was the last thing St Helens ratepayers wanted. Only five councillors had been opposed to the shutdown decision, with Tory leader Jim Hand not only concerned with the financial cost but with the precedent that was being set.
He posed the question at the meeting as to whether British Sidac would be next on the list to be closed down and he was also concerned over the lost jobs at Leathers. The St Helens Reporter later in the week called the decision "revolutionary" and explained that the factory's fate would now lie with Anthony Crosland, the Secretary of State for the Environment, who would have to decide whether to approve the move.
In May 1974 Rita Scott from Carr Mill Road had marched into a branch of Barclays Bank in St Helens to pay in a £1 cheque. But her deposit was in the form of a hard-boiled egg and the staff had accepted it without a murmur. On the 13th of this week a less welcome customer had entered Barclays Bank in Church Street and left with £500 in his possession after brandishing what turned out to be a toy gun that the robber had bought from Woolworths. However, the man was caught within minutes and was reported to be "helping police with their inquiries".
In the Reporter on the 14th the Geraldo Club in Lord Street were advertising their "Sensational Soul–Soul Disco" which were held on Saturday nights. Presented by Tony Fyne, the admission price was 35p but girls were allowed free admission up to 9pm. The ad also said (which I don't understand): "Plus. Plus! Records and prizes for the best soul and bumpers."
At the beginning of February, Oxley's store in Barrow Street had closed down with the loss of 100 jobs. The advent of double-yellow lines and the new shopping precinct were blamed for a large drop in trade. This week a rumour was circulating around the town that a nightclub was looking to take over the premises. The Reporter contacted the building's owners, Combined English Stores, who said it was all speculation but they were actively looking for somebody to take it over.
The paper also described how in just five weeks a new charity committee at Rockware Glass had raised £500. The charity had been established to commemorate the 75th anniversary of a glass container factory having been established on their site at Pocket Nook. The committee had set themselves a target of £2,500 to buy a kidney machine for a St Helens hospital and so they were well on their way to achieving it.
In March 1972 'Whalley's World' in the Reporter published the above piece. At a public meeting last week that discussed the problems of the new Sutton housing estate, a local curate had said: "People on estates like Beth Avenue are being turned into animals." This week journalist Jacqueline Salt paid a visit to the 700-house estate between New Street and Gerards Lane and wrote this piece in the Reporter:
"The Beth Avenue housing estate deep in the heart of Sutton is a most a-mazing place. A four-hour trudge through the red brick and concrete jungle that looks not unlike a Lego town brought me feelings of despair. Beth Avenue, a complex network of tiny paths diverging from one main roadway, is a place not to be argued with. For the many-angled houses, set in blocks of eight, create an overpowering optical illusion. They swallow people.
"There is little to distinguish one red row from the next, only the numbers on each front door and the plaques on the side wall of every end house to indicate the house numbers within that block. Visitors would need a keen sense of direction, a map, compass, and a strong pair of hiking boots. The postman is to be pitied."
The 3,000 residents were said to be quite happy with their individual homes but for the whole estate to be called Beth Avenue was causing confusion to them and to their visitors. Jacqueline Flynn said: "It has taken doctors ages to find our house. There are no signposts, only numbers. I dread an emergency. And there are no telephones on the estate either."
Jacqueline's husband David added that it had taken the couple over an hour to find their house before they moved in. But the biggest problem on the estate was the lack of facilities for children who instead resorted to vandalism. Resident Norman Thomas said: "We can't blame the kids for the state of the place. They smash windows and lamps because they have nowhere to go."
In January St Helens Council had begun a controversial scheme to advertise children for fostering. Three children had been chosen for what would be a pilot programme and this week it was revealed that there had been an excellent response. Out of 22 prospective parents, three had been chosen to foster the youngsters and George Hill of the council's Social Services Department said:
"The response has been marvellous considering that this was only a pioneer scheme. We have many more children who are in need of foster parents and we will hope to find suitable applicants for them in the near future. We will continue our advertising in local newspapers and hope the response will be as good as we have had up to now."
The promotion of fostering through the medium of advertising was first started by the TV documentary series World In Action and since then many local authorities had adopted advertising as a successful means of fostering out children in their care.
At first glance it looked like Rainhill Village Hall had pulled off quite a coup. In their ad in the Reporter they wrote: "Truce Presents…" followed by the name "JOHNNY CASH" in bold lettering. But it was the singer's latest film, 'The Gospel Road', that was being screened on the 15th with tickets priced at 30p.
Do you remember the Spear's Compendium of Games? J. W. Spear & Sons was a British company founded in 1908 that produced many board games. Mattel acquired the firm in 1978 and these days only Scrabble is made, with its British factory long having been shut down. The Snoopy Club had been launched in the Reporter in 1970 and was for youngsters aged from 4 to 11. In this week's column Snoopy ran a competition with Spear's Compendium offered as a prize – as well as polish:
"This week, I have a new competition for you. With a chance to win a SPEAR'S Compendium of Games, PLUS 12 cans of the New Mr. Sheen polish for Mum! The giant-sized box contains all your favourite games . . . Draughts (with a good quality playing board), Dominoes, Steeplechase, Tiddly Winks, Bingo, Wordmaking, Nine Men's Morris, Snakes and Ladders, and many more.
"But that isn't all, don't forget Mum's present – 12 cans of the New Mr. Sheen. So while you're playing with your games, Mum can whiz through the housework in quick time because New Mr. Sheen has a shine-faster formula and greater cleaning power for many different surfaces – glass, mirrors, wood, paintwork and tiles." Poor mum. Expected to polish rather than play a board game with her kids!
And finally, on the 16th at the ABC Savoy, 'The Amorous Milkman' starring Diana Dors replaced 'Airport 1975'. And the Capitol replaced sex film 'Eskimo Nell', with 'Slade In ‘Flame’'. In the latter movie, Noddy Holder and company play a fictitious 1960s group called Flame.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the peacock slaughter in Sutton, the treasure that was discovered lying in a Rainhill gutter, the closure of a St Helens tea factory and the second stage of the Victoria Square one-way system kicks in.
Some weeks ago the Reporter had written: "A team of volunteer brickies, plumbers and joiners are standing by to build a home extension so a workmate's wife can be saved from death. They are pledged to work 24 hours a day for nothing to relieve the plight of Jack and Mary Philbin." Mrs Philbin was going to be discharged from hospital soon and needed a kidney machine to be installed in her home.
But the couple's terraced house in Gleave Street in St Helens was too small to accommodate one and so a larger property in Newlands Road was being bought that had sufficient space for an extension to be added. Jack worked at Triplex and as soon as the couple could move into their new house, his workmates would quickly build the extension and then the kidney dialysis machine would be dropped inside. Then its roof would be added.
Over 200 workers at Triplex’s Eccleston plant had voluntarily put in more than 2,000 hours to renovate the house and on the 10th the kidney machine was lowered into the garden of Mary's new home. A helicopter had originally been planned to do the heavy lifting but in the end a crane was used.
And instead of the team building the whole extension themselves, a prefabricated building had been shipped from Hull. But much hard work still needed to be done to make the house fit for purpose – with it described as being in a poor condition with dry rot in places – and a considerable amount of fundraising had taken place to pay for it all.
That was because a compulsory closure of the plant would result in several million pounds of compensation having to be paid. And as the coming year's rates' bill was increasing by 22%, a further rise to pay for the compensation was the last thing St Helens ratepayers wanted. Only five councillors had been opposed to the shutdown decision, with Tory leader Jim Hand not only concerned with the financial cost but with the precedent that was being set.
He posed the question at the meeting as to whether British Sidac would be next on the list to be closed down and he was also concerned over the lost jobs at Leathers. The St Helens Reporter later in the week called the decision "revolutionary" and explained that the factory's fate would now lie with Anthony Crosland, the Secretary of State for the Environment, who would have to decide whether to approve the move.
In May 1974 Rita Scott from Carr Mill Road had marched into a branch of Barclays Bank in St Helens to pay in a £1 cheque. But her deposit was in the form of a hard-boiled egg and the staff had accepted it without a murmur. On the 13th of this week a less welcome customer had entered Barclays Bank in Church Street and left with £500 in his possession after brandishing what turned out to be a toy gun that the robber had bought from Woolworths. However, the man was caught within minutes and was reported to be "helping police with their inquiries".
In the Reporter on the 14th the Geraldo Club in Lord Street were advertising their "Sensational Soul–Soul Disco" which were held on Saturday nights. Presented by Tony Fyne, the admission price was 35p but girls were allowed free admission up to 9pm. The ad also said (which I don't understand): "Plus. Plus! Records and prizes for the best soul and bumpers."
At the beginning of February, Oxley's store in Barrow Street had closed down with the loss of 100 jobs. The advent of double-yellow lines and the new shopping precinct were blamed for a large drop in trade. This week a rumour was circulating around the town that a nightclub was looking to take over the premises. The Reporter contacted the building's owners, Combined English Stores, who said it was all speculation but they were actively looking for somebody to take it over.
The paper also described how in just five weeks a new charity committee at Rockware Glass had raised £500. The charity had been established to commemorate the 75th anniversary of a glass container factory having been established on their site at Pocket Nook. The committee had set themselves a target of £2,500 to buy a kidney machine for a St Helens hospital and so they were well on their way to achieving it.
"The Beth Avenue housing estate deep in the heart of Sutton is a most a-mazing place. A four-hour trudge through the red brick and concrete jungle that looks not unlike a Lego town brought me feelings of despair. Beth Avenue, a complex network of tiny paths diverging from one main roadway, is a place not to be argued with. For the many-angled houses, set in blocks of eight, create an overpowering optical illusion. They swallow people.
"There is little to distinguish one red row from the next, only the numbers on each front door and the plaques on the side wall of every end house to indicate the house numbers within that block. Visitors would need a keen sense of direction, a map, compass, and a strong pair of hiking boots. The postman is to be pitied."
The 3,000 residents were said to be quite happy with their individual homes but for the whole estate to be called Beth Avenue was causing confusion to them and to their visitors. Jacqueline Flynn said: "It has taken doctors ages to find our house. There are no signposts, only numbers. I dread an emergency. And there are no telephones on the estate either."
Jacqueline's husband David added that it had taken the couple over an hour to find their house before they moved in. But the biggest problem on the estate was the lack of facilities for children who instead resorted to vandalism. Resident Norman Thomas said: "We can't blame the kids for the state of the place. They smash windows and lamps because they have nowhere to go."
In January St Helens Council had begun a controversial scheme to advertise children for fostering. Three children had been chosen for what would be a pilot programme and this week it was revealed that there had been an excellent response. Out of 22 prospective parents, three had been chosen to foster the youngsters and George Hill of the council's Social Services Department said:
"The response has been marvellous considering that this was only a pioneer scheme. We have many more children who are in need of foster parents and we will hope to find suitable applicants for them in the near future. We will continue our advertising in local newspapers and hope the response will be as good as we have had up to now."
The promotion of fostering through the medium of advertising was first started by the TV documentary series World In Action and since then many local authorities had adopted advertising as a successful means of fostering out children in their care.
At first glance it looked like Rainhill Village Hall had pulled off quite a coup. In their ad in the Reporter they wrote: "Truce Presents…" followed by the name "JOHNNY CASH" in bold lettering. But it was the singer's latest film, 'The Gospel Road', that was being screened on the 15th with tickets priced at 30p.
Do you remember the Spear's Compendium of Games? J. W. Spear & Sons was a British company founded in 1908 that produced many board games. Mattel acquired the firm in 1978 and these days only Scrabble is made, with its British factory long having been shut down. The Snoopy Club had been launched in the Reporter in 1970 and was for youngsters aged from 4 to 11. In this week's column Snoopy ran a competition with Spear's Compendium offered as a prize – as well as polish:
"This week, I have a new competition for you. With a chance to win a SPEAR'S Compendium of Games, PLUS 12 cans of the New Mr. Sheen polish for Mum! The giant-sized box contains all your favourite games . . . Draughts (with a good quality playing board), Dominoes, Steeplechase, Tiddly Winks, Bingo, Wordmaking, Nine Men's Morris, Snakes and Ladders, and many more.
"But that isn't all, don't forget Mum's present – 12 cans of the New Mr. Sheen. So while you're playing with your games, Mum can whiz through the housework in quick time because New Mr. Sheen has a shine-faster formula and greater cleaning power for many different surfaces – glass, mirrors, wood, paintwork and tiles." Poor mum. Expected to polish rather than play a board game with her kids!
And finally, on the 16th at the ABC Savoy, 'The Amorous Milkman' starring Diana Dors replaced 'Airport 1975'. And the Capitol replaced sex film 'Eskimo Nell', with 'Slade In ‘Flame’'. In the latter movie, Noddy Holder and company play a fictitious 1960s group called Flame.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the peacock slaughter in Sutton, the treasure that was discovered lying in a Rainhill gutter, the closure of a St Helens tea factory and the second stage of the Victoria Square one-way system kicks in.
This week's many stories include a tour of the red brick and concrete jungle of Beth Avenue, St Helens Council votes to close down Leathers Chemicals, the kind-hearted Triplex workers undertake their kidney machine installation, a robbery at Barclays Bank, the pioneering child fostering scheme that used advertising, the successes of the Rockware charity committee and the rumour that Oxley's was to be replaced by a nightclub.
Some weeks ago the Reporter had written: "A team of volunteer brickies, plumbers and joiners are standing by to build a home extension so a workmate's wife can be saved from death. They are pledged to work 24 hours a day for nothing to relieve the plight of Jack and Mary Philbin."
Mrs Philbin was going to be discharged from hospital soon and needed a kidney machine to be installed in her home.
But the couple's terraced house in Gleave Street in St Helens was too small to accommodate one and so a larger property in Newlands Road was being bought that had sufficient space for an extension to be added.
Jack worked at Triplex and as soon as the couple could move into their new house, his workmates would quickly build the extension and then the kidney dialysis machine would be dropped inside. Then its roof would be added.
Over 200 workers at Triplex’s Eccleston plant had voluntarily put in more than 2,000 hours to renovate the house and on the 10th the kidney machine was lowered into the garden of Mary's new home.
A helicopter had originally been planned to do the heavy lifting but in the end a crane was used.
And instead of the team building the whole extension themselves, a prefabricated building had been shipped from Hull.
But much hard work still needed to be done to make the house fit for purpose – with it described as being in a poor condition with dry rot in places – and a considerable amount of fundraising had taken place to pay for it all.
On the 12th St Helens Council took what could prove to be a momentous decision when they decided to close down Leathers Chemicals (pictured above).
The sulphuric acid manufacturer from Lancots Lane had regularly been accused of discharging fumes into the atmosphere and endangering local residents.
And so the decision by a massive majority of councillors could prove important in terms of safety for the residents of Sutton – but also burdensome for the people of the town, as their rates bill was expected to rise.
That was because a compulsory closure of the plant would result in several million pounds of compensation having to be paid.
And as the coming year's rates' bill was increasing by 22%, a further rise to pay for the compensation was the last thing St Helens ratepayers wanted.
Only five councillors had been opposed to the shutdown decision, with Tory leader Jim Hand not only concerned with the financial cost but with the precedent that was being set.
He posed the question at the meeting as to whether British Sidac would be next on the list to be closed down and he was also concerned over the lost jobs at Leathers.
The St Helens Reporter later in the week called the decision "revolutionary" and explained that the factory's fate would now lie with Anthony Crosland, the Secretary of State for the Environment, who would have to decide whether to approve the move.
In May 1974 Rita Scott from Carr Mill Road had marched into a branch of Barclays Bank in St Helens to pay in a £1 cheque. But her deposit was in the form of a hard-boiled egg and the staff had accepted it without a murmur.
On the 13th of this week a less welcome customer had entered Barclays Bank in Church Street and left with £500 in his possession after brandishing what turned out to be a toy gun that the robber had bought from Woolworths.
However, the man was caught within minutes and was reported to be "helping police with their inquiries".
In the Reporter on the 14th the Geraldo Club in Lord Street were advertising their "Sensational Soul–Soul Disco" which were held on Saturday nights.
Presented by Tony Fyne, the admission price was 35p but girls were allowed free admission up to 9pm.
The ad also said (which I don't understand): "Plus. Plus! Records and prizes for the best soul and bumpers."
At the beginning of February, Oxley's store in Barrow Street had closed down with the loss of 100 jobs.
The advent of double-yellow lines and the new shopping precinct were blamed for a large drop in trade.
This week a rumour was circulating around the town that a nightclub was looking to take over the premises.
The Reporter contacted the building's owners, Combined English Stores, who said it was all speculation but they were actively looking for somebody to take it over.
The paper also described how in just five weeks a new charity committee at Rockware Glass had raised £500.
The charity had been established to commemorate the 75th anniversary of a glass container factory having been established on their site at Pocket Nook.
The committee had set themselves a target of £2,500 to buy a kidney machine for a St Helens hospital and so they were well on their way to achieving it.
In March 1972 'Whalley's World' in the Reporter published the above piece. At a public meeting last week that discussed the problems of the new Sutton housing estate, a local curate had said: "People on estates like Beth Avenue are being turned into animals."
This week journalist Jacqueline Salt paid a visit to the 700-house estate between New Street and Gerards Lane and wrote this piece in the Reporter:
"The Beth Avenue housing estate deep in the heart of Sutton is a most a-mazing place. A four-hour trudge through the red brick and concrete jungle that looks not unlike a Lego town brought me feelings of despair.
"Beth Avenue, a complex network of tiny paths diverging from one main roadway, is a place not to be argued with.
"For the many-angled houses, set in blocks of eight, create an overpowering optical illusion. They swallow people.
"There is little to distinguish one red row from the next, only the numbers on each front door and the plaques on the side wall of every end house to indicate the house numbers within that block.
"Visitors would need a keen sense of direction, a map, compass, and a strong pair of hiking boots. The postman is to be pitied."
The 3,000 residents were said to be quite happy with their individual homes but for the whole estate to be called Beth Avenue was causing confusion to them and to their visitors.
Jacqueline Flynn said: "It has taken doctors ages to find our house. There are no signposts, only numbers. I dread an emergency. And there are no telephones on the estate either."
Jacqueline's husband David added that it had taken the couple over an hour to find their house before they moved in.
But the biggest problem on the estate was the lack of facilities for children who instead resorted to vandalism.
Resident Norman Thomas said: "We can't blame the kids for the state of the place. They smash windows and lamps because they have nowhere to go."
In January St Helens Council had begun a controversial scheme to advertise children for fostering.
Three children had been chosen for what would be a pilot programme and this week it was revealed that there had been an excellent response.
Out of 22 prospective parents, three had been chosen to foster the youngsters and George Hill of the council's Social Services Department said:
"The response has been marvellous considering that this was only a pioneer scheme. We have many more children who are in need of foster parents and we will hope to find suitable applicants for them in the near future.
"We will continue our advertising in local newspapers and hope the response will be as good as we have had up to now."
The promotion of fostering through the medium of advertising was first started by the TV documentary series World In Action and since then many local authorities had adopted advertising as a successful means of fostering out children in their care.
At first glance it looked like Rainhill Village Hall had pulled off quite a coup. In their ad in the Reporter they wrote: "Truce Presents…" followed by the name "JOHNNY CASH" in bold lettering.
But it was the singer's latest film, 'The Gospel Road', that was being screened on the 15th with tickets priced at 30p.
Do you remember the Spear's Compendium of Games? J. W. Spear & Sons was a British company founded in 1908 that produced many board games.
Mattel acquired the firm in 1978 and these days only Scrabble is made, with its British factory long having been shut down.
The Snoopy Club had been launched in the Reporter in 1970 and was for youngsters aged from 4 to 11. In this week's column Snoopy ran a competition with Spear's Compendium offered as a prize – as well as polish:
"This week, I have a new competition for you. With a chance to win a SPEAR'S Compendium of Games, PLUS 12 cans of the New Mr. Sheen polish for Mum! The giant-sized box contains all your favourite games . . . Draughts (with a good quality playing board), Dominoes, Steeplechase, Tiddly Winks, Bingo, Wordmaking, Nine Men's Morris, Snakes and Ladders, and many more.
"But that isn't all, don't forget Mum's present – 12 cans of the New Mr. Sheen. So while you're playing with your games, Mum can whiz through the housework in quick time because New Mr. Sheen has a shine-faster formula and greater cleaning power for many different surfaces – glass, mirrors, wood, paintwork and tiles."
Poor mum. Expected to polish rather than play a board game with her kids!
And finally, on the 16th at the ABC Savoy, 'The Amorous Milkman' starring Diana Dors replaced 'Airport 1975'. And the Capitol replaced sex film 'Eskimo Nell', with 'Slade In ‘Flame’'.
In the latter movie, Noddy Holder and company play a fictitious 1960s group called Flame.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the peacock slaughter in Sutton, the treasure that was discovered lying in a Rainhill gutter, the closure of a St Helens tea factory and the second stage of the Victoria Square one-way system kicks in.
Some weeks ago the Reporter had written: "A team of volunteer brickies, plumbers and joiners are standing by to build a home extension so a workmate's wife can be saved from death. They are pledged to work 24 hours a day for nothing to relieve the plight of Jack and Mary Philbin."
Mrs Philbin was going to be discharged from hospital soon and needed a kidney machine to be installed in her home.
But the couple's terraced house in Gleave Street in St Helens was too small to accommodate one and so a larger property in Newlands Road was being bought that had sufficient space for an extension to be added.
Jack worked at Triplex and as soon as the couple could move into their new house, his workmates would quickly build the extension and then the kidney dialysis machine would be dropped inside. Then its roof would be added.
Over 200 workers at Triplex’s Eccleston plant had voluntarily put in more than 2,000 hours to renovate the house and on the 10th the kidney machine was lowered into the garden of Mary's new home.
A helicopter had originally been planned to do the heavy lifting but in the end a crane was used.
And instead of the team building the whole extension themselves, a prefabricated building had been shipped from Hull.
But much hard work still needed to be done to make the house fit for purpose – with it described as being in a poor condition with dry rot in places – and a considerable amount of fundraising had taken place to pay for it all.
The sulphuric acid manufacturer from Lancots Lane had regularly been accused of discharging fumes into the atmosphere and endangering local residents.
And so the decision by a massive majority of councillors could prove important in terms of safety for the residents of Sutton – but also burdensome for the people of the town, as their rates bill was expected to rise.
That was because a compulsory closure of the plant would result in several million pounds of compensation having to be paid.
And as the coming year's rates' bill was increasing by 22%, a further rise to pay for the compensation was the last thing St Helens ratepayers wanted.
Only five councillors had been opposed to the shutdown decision, with Tory leader Jim Hand not only concerned with the financial cost but with the precedent that was being set.
He posed the question at the meeting as to whether British Sidac would be next on the list to be closed down and he was also concerned over the lost jobs at Leathers.
The St Helens Reporter later in the week called the decision "revolutionary" and explained that the factory's fate would now lie with Anthony Crosland, the Secretary of State for the Environment, who would have to decide whether to approve the move.
In May 1974 Rita Scott from Carr Mill Road had marched into a branch of Barclays Bank in St Helens to pay in a £1 cheque. But her deposit was in the form of a hard-boiled egg and the staff had accepted it without a murmur.
On the 13th of this week a less welcome customer had entered Barclays Bank in Church Street and left with £500 in his possession after brandishing what turned out to be a toy gun that the robber had bought from Woolworths.
However, the man was caught within minutes and was reported to be "helping police with their inquiries".
In the Reporter on the 14th the Geraldo Club in Lord Street were advertising their "Sensational Soul–Soul Disco" which were held on Saturday nights.
Presented by Tony Fyne, the admission price was 35p but girls were allowed free admission up to 9pm.
The ad also said (which I don't understand): "Plus. Plus! Records and prizes for the best soul and bumpers."
At the beginning of February, Oxley's store in Barrow Street had closed down with the loss of 100 jobs.
The advent of double-yellow lines and the new shopping precinct were blamed for a large drop in trade.
This week a rumour was circulating around the town that a nightclub was looking to take over the premises.
The Reporter contacted the building's owners, Combined English Stores, who said it was all speculation but they were actively looking for somebody to take it over.
The paper also described how in just five weeks a new charity committee at Rockware Glass had raised £500.
The charity had been established to commemorate the 75th anniversary of a glass container factory having been established on their site at Pocket Nook.
The committee had set themselves a target of £2,500 to buy a kidney machine for a St Helens hospital and so they were well on their way to achieving it.
This week journalist Jacqueline Salt paid a visit to the 700-house estate between New Street and Gerards Lane and wrote this piece in the Reporter:
"The Beth Avenue housing estate deep in the heart of Sutton is a most a-mazing place. A four-hour trudge through the red brick and concrete jungle that looks not unlike a Lego town brought me feelings of despair.
"Beth Avenue, a complex network of tiny paths diverging from one main roadway, is a place not to be argued with.
"For the many-angled houses, set in blocks of eight, create an overpowering optical illusion. They swallow people.
"There is little to distinguish one red row from the next, only the numbers on each front door and the plaques on the side wall of every end house to indicate the house numbers within that block.
"Visitors would need a keen sense of direction, a map, compass, and a strong pair of hiking boots. The postman is to be pitied."
The 3,000 residents were said to be quite happy with their individual homes but for the whole estate to be called Beth Avenue was causing confusion to them and to their visitors.
Jacqueline Flynn said: "It has taken doctors ages to find our house. There are no signposts, only numbers. I dread an emergency. And there are no telephones on the estate either."
Jacqueline's husband David added that it had taken the couple over an hour to find their house before they moved in.
But the biggest problem on the estate was the lack of facilities for children who instead resorted to vandalism.
Resident Norman Thomas said: "We can't blame the kids for the state of the place. They smash windows and lamps because they have nowhere to go."
In January St Helens Council had begun a controversial scheme to advertise children for fostering.
Three children had been chosen for what would be a pilot programme and this week it was revealed that there had been an excellent response.
Out of 22 prospective parents, three had been chosen to foster the youngsters and George Hill of the council's Social Services Department said:
"The response has been marvellous considering that this was only a pioneer scheme. We have many more children who are in need of foster parents and we will hope to find suitable applicants for them in the near future.
"We will continue our advertising in local newspapers and hope the response will be as good as we have had up to now."
The promotion of fostering through the medium of advertising was first started by the TV documentary series World In Action and since then many local authorities had adopted advertising as a successful means of fostering out children in their care.
At first glance it looked like Rainhill Village Hall had pulled off quite a coup. In their ad in the Reporter they wrote: "Truce Presents…" followed by the name "JOHNNY CASH" in bold lettering.
But it was the singer's latest film, 'The Gospel Road', that was being screened on the 15th with tickets priced at 30p.
Do you remember the Spear's Compendium of Games? J. W. Spear & Sons was a British company founded in 1908 that produced many board games.
Mattel acquired the firm in 1978 and these days only Scrabble is made, with its British factory long having been shut down.
The Snoopy Club had been launched in the Reporter in 1970 and was for youngsters aged from 4 to 11. In this week's column Snoopy ran a competition with Spear's Compendium offered as a prize – as well as polish:
"This week, I have a new competition for you. With a chance to win a SPEAR'S Compendium of Games, PLUS 12 cans of the New Mr. Sheen polish for Mum! The giant-sized box contains all your favourite games . . . Draughts (with a good quality playing board), Dominoes, Steeplechase, Tiddly Winks, Bingo, Wordmaking, Nine Men's Morris, Snakes and Ladders, and many more.
"But that isn't all, don't forget Mum's present – 12 cans of the New Mr. Sheen. So while you're playing with your games, Mum can whiz through the housework in quick time because New Mr. Sheen has a shine-faster formula and greater cleaning power for many different surfaces – glass, mirrors, wood, paintwork and tiles."
Poor mum. Expected to polish rather than play a board game with her kids!
And finally, on the 16th at the ABC Savoy, 'The Amorous Milkman' starring Diana Dors replaced 'Airport 1975'. And the Capitol replaced sex film 'Eskimo Nell', with 'Slade In ‘Flame’'.
In the latter movie, Noddy Holder and company play a fictitious 1960s group called Flame.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the peacock slaughter in Sutton, the treasure that was discovered lying in a Rainhill gutter, the closure of a St Helens tea factory and the second stage of the Victoria Square one-way system kicks in.