FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (10th - 16th OCTOBER 1972)
This week's stories include the new Giro orders for the St Helens unemployed, the Reporter calls for a clean up of the town, criticism of early and dangerous discharging of fireworks, a complaint that the new town market resembled the Black Hole of Calcutta and the 27-year-wait for the names of the St Helens WW2 heroes to be added to the war memorial in Victoria Square.
The word "giro" had entered the lexicon of social security claimants in St Helens in February 1970. That was when those on supplementary benefit began receiving their payments by Giro order, with the new system brought in to reduce overcrowding in Social Security offices. It had seemingly all gone well and so from this week the use of Girocheques was extended to those claiming unemployment benefit in St Helens. For 60 years claimants had been handed their "dole" by counter staff at the Employment Exchange, initially in Church Street but now in College Street. The new system meant that cheques would arrive in the post at the claimant's home for them to cash at a Post Office.
The week also began with more trouble in Jackson Street where St Helens Ambulance HQ was based (pictured above). Twenty-five ambulance men had been suspended after refusing to end their work to rule over pay. Although a meeting with Dr Julian Baines, the St Helens Medical Officer of Health, was due to take place to discuss the issue, another strike by ambulance workers appeared in the offing.
On the 11th the council's Building Committee gave final approval for the names of 447 local servicemen who had been killed in WW2 to be inscribed on the war memorial in Victoria Square. When asked why it had taken 27 years for the four granite tablets to be added, the committee's chairman, Ald. Joe Hughes, simply said: "The matter was not raised for a long time." Thomas Taylor, the St Helens Town Clerk, explained that it had been the Royal British Legion that had asked for the additional names to be inscribed, claiming there had been a "strong body of opinion" against incorporating the casualties from WW2.
Mr Taylor refused to say who the opponents had been, although, I would hazard a guess that they had been veterans of World War 1. That was because the Victoria Square memorial had been created to only honour those who gave their lives in that conflict – and not war casualties in general. So some might have felt that there should be a separate public memorial for victims of the second world war.
The Royal British Legion said their members had waited a very long time for something that they should not have needed to ask for in the first place – with St Helens being one of just a few towns without a memorial to those that gave their lives in WW2. However, the RBL did concede that they could have done more to press for the names to be added.
This week the St Helens Health Committee approved plans for the opening of five new health clinics, with building work expected to begin towards the end of 1973. The locations were: 1) The corner of Thatto Heath Road and Elephant Lane on part of the grassed recreation ground. 2) At Four Acre Lane where a new housing estate had been built. 3) Chorley Street (off Duke Street). 4) Park Road, Blackbrook. 5) King Street.
The St Helens market traders who were about to move into the new Church Street retailing complex complained this week that their new home resembled the "Black Hole of Calcutta". Fifteen stallholders from the old covered market and fifty on the Ring Road site were set to take up residence on October 30th. The traders claimed they would be surrounded by unfinished building work and complained of being squeezed into the new premises. Their specific complaints were:
1) Only having received three weeks' notice from the Corporation to leave the covered market. 2) The inadequate size of the new stalls. 3) A lack of consultation by the Corporation. 4) What were described as "fantastic" increases in stallholders' rents. 5) The muddied and dark condition of the new building. 6) Its position, hidden away in the middle of an incomplete site. 7) The fear that a massive crane overhanging the site might fall on shoppers.
The latter complaint was probably motivated by the recent collapsing of a large crane on the Liverpool Road building site that, fortuitously, had not resulted in any injuries. George Darwen, who kept a music stall on the covered market, said: "You need wellies to get around, it's that muddy. The unfinished building is like the “Black Hole of Calcutta”." A council spokesman explained the situation: "We have to complete demolition work on the Market Hall by the end of December, so the next phase of the redevelopment can start. They [the traders] will have the option to move out in two years' time to the bigger Tontine Market."
The St Helens Reporter on the 13th reprinted the views of William Amos from the current issue of Lancashire Life magazine. The article described the critical impressions of a recent visitor to St Helens:
"A conglomeration of undistinguished buildings. It seemed to be all back streets, side streets and mini ring-roads, and the spot he'll remember longest was an alley leading from what turned out to be the main street … an alley so choked with rubbish it would have been impossible to walk down it. It … takes a stranger … to open one's eyes to situations which familiarity all too often prompts one to take for granted."
The editor of the Reporter then added his own thoughts to the critical comments: "They seem to bear out one of the main demands emerging from our readers' letters on the subject of improving St. Helens: CLEAN UP THE PLACE. Vast amounts of money are not needed for the regular cleaning of streets; the provision of more rubbish bins; the use of existing legislation to discourage litter louts. The Parks Department emerge with pride and praise from many correspondents. Why not turn them loose on one or two selected derelict areas to see what they come up with?"
Last week I reported how St Helens Fire Brigade had asked parents to keep an eye on their kids. That was after ten bonfires being prepared for November 5th had been prematurely lit during the previous weekend. This week there were two letters in the Reporter complaining about the misuse of fireworks. One person complained of a dangerous prank when a lit firework had been posted through his letterbox.
Fortunately only superficial damage was sustained to the door but he said it could have been much worse: "I shudder to think of the consequences which might be attendant on such an action with children, infirm or aged people in bed, and at risk from the fire which would arise from the ignition of carpets etc. on which the firework might have fallen."
Another correspondent wrote: "Fireworks have been in the shops for more than three weeks now. The other evening, I saw a small boy in the street letting off bangers. What is the use of warning children against the dangers of Bonfire Night when they can buy them now (if parents allow)? Is there not anything that can be done about this, especially the selling of bangers?"
Although Graham Smith is remembered as the "Egg and Sausage Artist" of Duke Street, he was actually a very talented painter. This week the Reporter published a photograph of the unveiling of Graham's portrait of Dick Cowell. He had been one of the founders of Lowe House Boxing Club, which was celebrating its 40th anniversary. Dick had died in January and in his time had trained many famous boxers, including Ray Shiel from Sutton and Johnny “Jim” Molloy.
A story in the Reporter in which a widow was said to be living in conditions unfit for a dog, also illustrated the council's difficulty in re-housing people living in condemned homes. Rose Povey's house in Chorley Street had a fault with a chimney and every time the 63-year-old stoked her living room fire, smoke bellowed out. Cllr. James Greenall had inspected the house and said the conditions that Mrs Povey was living in were "absolutely shocking".
However, the Corporation did not want to spend money fixing faults on properties that would soon be demolished. And Mrs Povey had been offered flats in Sutton Manor and Clock Face but had turned them both down, as she wanted to live in a rented house in Windlehurst. It was very common for tenants of so-called slum properties to be fussy over where they were rehoused. That was, perhaps, understandable but it greatly slowed down the process of re-settling communities living in condemned homes. In the end the council decided to repair Mrs Povey's chimney and said they would try again to find her accommodation in Windlehurst.
Commercial radio in the northwest was still two years away, with what became known as Piccadilly Radio in Manchester due to launch first, followed by Liverpool's Radio City. However, the Reporter revealed that the new Independent Broadcasting Authority had decided that St Helens would be allocated to the Manchester station's coverage.
Cllr. Patrick Gill called the decision "rather strange", adding that St Helens people looked upon themselves as more a part of Merseyside than Manchester. However, a spokesman for the IBA said no decision had yet been made about the proposed Liverpool station's coverage and St Helens might be included in that as well.
And finally, on the 14th what was advertised as a "spectacular variety" show at the Theatre Royal in St Helens took place with Vince Hill and Dana being the star acts.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the panic buying of bread, the Saints coach conveying players to a game bursts into flames, a Parr woman criticises the dirty, filthy air and the Vicar of Rainford gets cross over how his neon church cross is categorised.
The word "giro" had entered the lexicon of social security claimants in St Helens in February 1970. That was when those on supplementary benefit began receiving their payments by Giro order, with the new system brought in to reduce overcrowding in Social Security offices. It had seemingly all gone well and so from this week the use of Girocheques was extended to those claiming unemployment benefit in St Helens. For 60 years claimants had been handed their "dole" by counter staff at the Employment Exchange, initially in Church Street but now in College Street. The new system meant that cheques would arrive in the post at the claimant's home for them to cash at a Post Office.
On the 11th the council's Building Committee gave final approval for the names of 447 local servicemen who had been killed in WW2 to be inscribed on the war memorial in Victoria Square. When asked why it had taken 27 years for the four granite tablets to be added, the committee's chairman, Ald. Joe Hughes, simply said: "The matter was not raised for a long time." Thomas Taylor, the St Helens Town Clerk, explained that it had been the Royal British Legion that had asked for the additional names to be inscribed, claiming there had been a "strong body of opinion" against incorporating the casualties from WW2.
Mr Taylor refused to say who the opponents had been, although, I would hazard a guess that they had been veterans of World War 1. That was because the Victoria Square memorial had been created to only honour those who gave their lives in that conflict – and not war casualties in general. So some might have felt that there should be a separate public memorial for victims of the second world war.
The Royal British Legion said their members had waited a very long time for something that they should not have needed to ask for in the first place – with St Helens being one of just a few towns without a memorial to those that gave their lives in WW2. However, the RBL did concede that they could have done more to press for the names to be added.
This week the St Helens Health Committee approved plans for the opening of five new health clinics, with building work expected to begin towards the end of 1973. The locations were: 1) The corner of Thatto Heath Road and Elephant Lane on part of the grassed recreation ground. 2) At Four Acre Lane where a new housing estate had been built. 3) Chorley Street (off Duke Street). 4) Park Road, Blackbrook. 5) King Street.
The St Helens market traders who were about to move into the new Church Street retailing complex complained this week that their new home resembled the "Black Hole of Calcutta". Fifteen stallholders from the old covered market and fifty on the Ring Road site were set to take up residence on October 30th. The traders claimed they would be surrounded by unfinished building work and complained of being squeezed into the new premises. Their specific complaints were:
1) Only having received three weeks' notice from the Corporation to leave the covered market. 2) The inadequate size of the new stalls. 3) A lack of consultation by the Corporation. 4) What were described as "fantastic" increases in stallholders' rents. 5) The muddied and dark condition of the new building. 6) Its position, hidden away in the middle of an incomplete site. 7) The fear that a massive crane overhanging the site might fall on shoppers.
The latter complaint was probably motivated by the recent collapsing of a large crane on the Liverpool Road building site that, fortuitously, had not resulted in any injuries. George Darwen, who kept a music stall on the covered market, said: "You need wellies to get around, it's that muddy. The unfinished building is like the “Black Hole of Calcutta”." A council spokesman explained the situation: "We have to complete demolition work on the Market Hall by the end of December, so the next phase of the redevelopment can start. They [the traders] will have the option to move out in two years' time to the bigger Tontine Market."
"A conglomeration of undistinguished buildings. It seemed to be all back streets, side streets and mini ring-roads, and the spot he'll remember longest was an alley leading from what turned out to be the main street … an alley so choked with rubbish it would have been impossible to walk down it. It … takes a stranger … to open one's eyes to situations which familiarity all too often prompts one to take for granted."
The editor of the Reporter then added his own thoughts to the critical comments: "They seem to bear out one of the main demands emerging from our readers' letters on the subject of improving St. Helens: CLEAN UP THE PLACE. Vast amounts of money are not needed for the regular cleaning of streets; the provision of more rubbish bins; the use of existing legislation to discourage litter louts. The Parks Department emerge with pride and praise from many correspondents. Why not turn them loose on one or two selected derelict areas to see what they come up with?"
Last week I reported how St Helens Fire Brigade had asked parents to keep an eye on their kids. That was after ten bonfires being prepared for November 5th had been prematurely lit during the previous weekend. This week there were two letters in the Reporter complaining about the misuse of fireworks. One person complained of a dangerous prank when a lit firework had been posted through his letterbox.
Fortunately only superficial damage was sustained to the door but he said it could have been much worse: "I shudder to think of the consequences which might be attendant on such an action with children, infirm or aged people in bed, and at risk from the fire which would arise from the ignition of carpets etc. on which the firework might have fallen."
Another correspondent wrote: "Fireworks have been in the shops for more than three weeks now. The other evening, I saw a small boy in the street letting off bangers. What is the use of warning children against the dangers of Bonfire Night when they can buy them now (if parents allow)? Is there not anything that can be done about this, especially the selling of bangers?"
Although Graham Smith is remembered as the "Egg and Sausage Artist" of Duke Street, he was actually a very talented painter. This week the Reporter published a photograph of the unveiling of Graham's portrait of Dick Cowell. He had been one of the founders of Lowe House Boxing Club, which was celebrating its 40th anniversary. Dick had died in January and in his time had trained many famous boxers, including Ray Shiel from Sutton and Johnny “Jim” Molloy.
A story in the Reporter in which a widow was said to be living in conditions unfit for a dog, also illustrated the council's difficulty in re-housing people living in condemned homes. Rose Povey's house in Chorley Street had a fault with a chimney and every time the 63-year-old stoked her living room fire, smoke bellowed out. Cllr. James Greenall had inspected the house and said the conditions that Mrs Povey was living in were "absolutely shocking".
However, the Corporation did not want to spend money fixing faults on properties that would soon be demolished. And Mrs Povey had been offered flats in Sutton Manor and Clock Face but had turned them both down, as she wanted to live in a rented house in Windlehurst. It was very common for tenants of so-called slum properties to be fussy over where they were rehoused. That was, perhaps, understandable but it greatly slowed down the process of re-settling communities living in condemned homes. In the end the council decided to repair Mrs Povey's chimney and said they would try again to find her accommodation in Windlehurst.
Commercial radio in the northwest was still two years away, with what became known as Piccadilly Radio in Manchester due to launch first, followed by Liverpool's Radio City. However, the Reporter revealed that the new Independent Broadcasting Authority had decided that St Helens would be allocated to the Manchester station's coverage.
Cllr. Patrick Gill called the decision "rather strange", adding that St Helens people looked upon themselves as more a part of Merseyside than Manchester. However, a spokesman for the IBA said no decision had yet been made about the proposed Liverpool station's coverage and St Helens might be included in that as well.
And finally, on the 14th what was advertised as a "spectacular variety" show at the Theatre Royal in St Helens took place with Vince Hill and Dana being the star acts.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the panic buying of bread, the Saints coach conveying players to a game bursts into flames, a Parr woman criticises the dirty, filthy air and the Vicar of Rainford gets cross over how his neon church cross is categorised.
This week's stories include the new Giro orders for the St Helens unemployed, the Reporter calls for a clean up of the town, criticism of early and dangerous discharging of fireworks, a complaint that the new town market resembled the Black Hole of Calcutta and the 27-year-wait for the names of the St Helens WW2 heroes to be added to the war memorial in Victoria Square.
The word "giro" had entered the lexicon of social security claimants in St Helens in February 1970.
That was when those on supplementary benefit began receiving their payments by Giro order, with the new system brought in to reduce overcrowding in Social Security offices.
It had seemingly all gone well and so from this week the use of Girocheques was extended to those claiming unemployment benefit in St Helens.
For sixty years claimants had been handed their "dole" by counter staff at the Employment Exchange, initially in Church Street but now in College Street.
The new system meant that the cheques would arrive in the post at the claimant's home for them to cash at a Post Office.
The week also began with more trouble in Jackson Street where St Helens Ambulance HQ was based (pictured above).
Twenty-five ambulance men had been suspended after refusing to end their work to rule over pay.
Although a meeting with Dr Julian Baines, the St Helens Medical Officer of Health, was due to take place to discuss the issue, another strike by ambulance workers appeared in the offing.
On the 11th the council's Building Committee gave final approval for the names of 447 local servicemen who had been killed in WW2 to be inscribed on the war memorial in Victoria Square.
When asked why it had taken 27 years for the four granite tablets to be added, the committee's chairman, Ald. Joe Hughes, simply said: "The matter was not raised for a long time."
Thomas Taylor, the St Helens Town Clerk, explained that it had been the Royal British Legion that had asked for the additional names to be inscribed, claiming there had been a "strong body of opinion" against incorporating the casualties from WW2.
Mr Taylor refused to say who the opponents had been, although, I would hazard a guess that they had been veterans of World War 1.
That was because the Victoria Square memorial had been created to only honour those who gave their lives in that conflict – and not war casualties in general.
So some might have felt that there should be a separate public memorial for victims of the second world war.
The Royal British Legion said their members had waited a very long time for something that they should not have needed to ask for in the first place – with St Helens being one of just a few towns without a memorial to those that gave their lives in WW2.
However, the RBL did concede that they could have done more to press for the names to be added.
This week the St Helens Health Committee approved plans for the opening of five new health clinics, with building work expected to begin towards the end of 1973. The locations were:
1) The corner of Thatto Heath Road and Elephant Lane on part of the grassed recreation ground.
2) At Four Acre Lane where a new housing estate had been built.
3) Chorley Street (off Duke Street); 4) Park Road, Blackbrook; 5) King Street.
The St Helens market traders who were about to move into the new Church Street retailing complex complained this week that their new home resembled the "Black Hole of Calcutta".
Fifteen stallholders from the old covered market and fifty on the Ring Road site were set to take up residence on October 30th.
The traders claimed they would be surrounded by unfinished building work and complained of being squeezed into the new premises. Their specific complaints were:
1) Only having received three weeks' notice from the Corporation to leave the covered market.
2) The inadequate size of the new stalls.
3) A lack of consultation by the Corporation.
4) What were described as "fantastic" increases in stallholders' rents.
5) The muddied and dark condition of the new building.
6) Its position, hidden away in the middle of an incomplete site.
7) The fear that a massive crane overhanging the site might fall on shoppers.
The latter complaint was probably motivated by the recent collapsing of a large crane on the Liverpool Road building site that, fortuitously, had not resulted in any injuries.
George Darwen, who kept a music stall on the covered market, said: "You need wellies to get around, it's that muddy. The unfinished building is like the “Black Hole of Calcutta”." A council spokesman explained the situation:
"We have to complete demolition work on the Market Hall by the end of December, so the next phase of the redevelopment can start. They [the traders] will have the option to move out in two years' time to the bigger Tontine Market."
The St Helens Reporter on the 13th reprinted the views of William Amos from the current issue of Lancashire Life magazine. The article described the critical impressions of a recent visitor to St Helens:
"A conglomeration of undistinguished buildings. It seemed to be all back streets, side streets and mini ring-roads, and the spot he'll remember longest was an alley leading from what turned out to be the main street … an alley so choked with rubbish it would have been impossible to walk down it. It … takes a stranger … to open one's eyes to situations which familiarity all too often prompts one to take for granted."
The editor of the Reporter then added his own thoughts to the critical comments:
"They seem to bear out one of the main demands emerging from our readers' letters on the subject of improving St. Helens: CLEAN UP THE PLACE.
"Vast amounts of money are not needed for the regular cleaning of streets; the provision of more rubbish bins; the use of existing legislation to discourage litter louts.
"The Parks Department emerge with pride and praise from many correspondents. Why not turn them loose on one or two selected derelict areas to see what they come up with?"
Last week I reported how St Helens Fire Brigade had asked parents to keep an eye on their kids.
That was after ten bonfires being prepared for November 5th had been prematurely lit during the previous weekend.
This week there were two letters in the Reporter complaining about the misuse of fireworks.
One person complained of a dangerous prank when a lit firework had been posted through his letterbox.
Fortunately only superficial damage was sustained to the door but he said it could have been much worse:
"I shudder to think of the consequences which might be attendant on such an action with children, infirm or aged people in bed, and at risk from the fire which would arise from the ignition of carpets etc. on which the firework might have fallen."
Another correspondent wrote:
"Fireworks have been in the shops for more than three weeks now. The other evening, I saw a small boy in the street letting off bangers. What is the use of warning children against the dangers of Bonfire Night when they can buy them now (if parents allow)? Is there not anything that can be done about this, especially the selling of bangers?"
Although Graham Smith is remembered as the "Egg and Sausage Artist" of Duke Street, he was actually a very talented painter.
This week the Reporter published a photograph of the unveiling of Graham's portrait of Dick Cowell.
He had been one of the founders of Lowe House Boxing Club, which was celebrating its 40th anniversary.
Dick had died in January and in his time had trained many famous boxers, including Ray Shiel from Sutton and Johnny “Jim” Molloy.
A story in the Reporter in which a widow was said to be living in conditions unfit for a dog, also illustrated the council's difficulty in re-housing people living in condemned homes.
Rose Povey's house in Chorley Street had a fault with a chimney and every time the 63-year-old stoked her living room fire, smoke bellowed out.
Cllr. James Greenall had inspected the house and said the conditions that Mrs Povey was living in were "absolutely shocking".
However, the Corporation did not want to spend money fixing faults on properties that would soon be demolished.
And Mrs Povey had been offered flats in Sutton Manor and Clock Face but had turned them both down, as she wanted to live in a rented house in Windlehurst.
It was very common for tenants of so-called slum properties to be fussy over where they were rehoused.
That was, perhaps, understandable but it greatly slowed down the process of re-settling communities living in condemned homes.
In the end the council decided to repair Mrs Povey's chimney and said they would try again to find her accommodation in Windlehurst.
Commercial radio in the northwest was still two years away, with what became known as Piccadilly Radio in Manchester due to launch first, followed by Liverpool's Radio City.
However, the Reporter revealed that the new Independent Broadcasting Authority had decided that St Helens would be allocated to the Manchester station's coverage.
Cllr. Patrick Gill called the decision "rather strange", adding that St Helens people looked upon themselves as more a part of Merseyside than Manchester.
However, a spokesman for the IBA said no decision had yet been made about the proposed Liverpool station's coverage and St Helens might be included in that as well.
And finally, on the 14th what was advertised as a "spectacular variety" show at the Theatre Royal in St Helens took place with Vince Hill and Dana being the star acts.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the panic buying of bread, the Saints coach conveying players to a game bursts into flames, a Parr woman criticises the dirty, filthy air and the Vicar of Rainford gets cross over how his neon church cross is categorised.
The word "giro" had entered the lexicon of social security claimants in St Helens in February 1970.
That was when those on supplementary benefit began receiving their payments by Giro order, with the new system brought in to reduce overcrowding in Social Security offices.
It had seemingly all gone well and so from this week the use of Girocheques was extended to those claiming unemployment benefit in St Helens.
For sixty years claimants had been handed their "dole" by counter staff at the Employment Exchange, initially in Church Street but now in College Street.
The new system meant that the cheques would arrive in the post at the claimant's home for them to cash at a Post Office.
Twenty-five ambulance men had been suspended after refusing to end their work to rule over pay.
Although a meeting with Dr Julian Baines, the St Helens Medical Officer of Health, was due to take place to discuss the issue, another strike by ambulance workers appeared in the offing.
On the 11th the council's Building Committee gave final approval for the names of 447 local servicemen who had been killed in WW2 to be inscribed on the war memorial in Victoria Square.
When asked why it had taken 27 years for the four granite tablets to be added, the committee's chairman, Ald. Joe Hughes, simply said: "The matter was not raised for a long time."
Thomas Taylor, the St Helens Town Clerk, explained that it had been the Royal British Legion that had asked for the additional names to be inscribed, claiming there had been a "strong body of opinion" against incorporating the casualties from WW2.
Mr Taylor refused to say who the opponents had been, although, I would hazard a guess that they had been veterans of World War 1.
That was because the Victoria Square memorial had been created to only honour those who gave their lives in that conflict – and not war casualties in general.
So some might have felt that there should be a separate public memorial for victims of the second world war.
The Royal British Legion said their members had waited a very long time for something that they should not have needed to ask for in the first place – with St Helens being one of just a few towns without a memorial to those that gave their lives in WW2.
However, the RBL did concede that they could have done more to press for the names to be added.
This week the St Helens Health Committee approved plans for the opening of five new health clinics, with building work expected to begin towards the end of 1973. The locations were:
1) The corner of Thatto Heath Road and Elephant Lane on part of the grassed recreation ground.
2) At Four Acre Lane where a new housing estate had been built.
3) Chorley Street (off Duke Street); 4) Park Road, Blackbrook; 5) King Street.
The St Helens market traders who were about to move into the new Church Street retailing complex complained this week that their new home resembled the "Black Hole of Calcutta".
Fifteen stallholders from the old covered market and fifty on the Ring Road site were set to take up residence on October 30th.
The traders claimed they would be surrounded by unfinished building work and complained of being squeezed into the new premises. Their specific complaints were:
1) Only having received three weeks' notice from the Corporation to leave the covered market.
2) The inadequate size of the new stalls.
3) A lack of consultation by the Corporation.
4) What were described as "fantastic" increases in stallholders' rents.
5) The muddied and dark condition of the new building.
6) Its position, hidden away in the middle of an incomplete site.
7) The fear that a massive crane overhanging the site might fall on shoppers.
The latter complaint was probably motivated by the recent collapsing of a large crane on the Liverpool Road building site that, fortuitously, had not resulted in any injuries.
George Darwen, who kept a music stall on the covered market, said: "You need wellies to get around, it's that muddy. The unfinished building is like the “Black Hole of Calcutta”." A council spokesman explained the situation:
"We have to complete demolition work on the Market Hall by the end of December, so the next phase of the redevelopment can start. They [the traders] will have the option to move out in two years' time to the bigger Tontine Market."
"A conglomeration of undistinguished buildings. It seemed to be all back streets, side streets and mini ring-roads, and the spot he'll remember longest was an alley leading from what turned out to be the main street … an alley so choked with rubbish it would have been impossible to walk down it. It … takes a stranger … to open one's eyes to situations which familiarity all too often prompts one to take for granted."
The editor of the Reporter then added his own thoughts to the critical comments:
"They seem to bear out one of the main demands emerging from our readers' letters on the subject of improving St. Helens: CLEAN UP THE PLACE.
"Vast amounts of money are not needed for the regular cleaning of streets; the provision of more rubbish bins; the use of existing legislation to discourage litter louts.
"The Parks Department emerge with pride and praise from many correspondents. Why not turn them loose on one or two selected derelict areas to see what they come up with?"
Last week I reported how St Helens Fire Brigade had asked parents to keep an eye on their kids.
That was after ten bonfires being prepared for November 5th had been prematurely lit during the previous weekend.
This week there were two letters in the Reporter complaining about the misuse of fireworks.
One person complained of a dangerous prank when a lit firework had been posted through his letterbox.
Fortunately only superficial damage was sustained to the door but he said it could have been much worse:
"I shudder to think of the consequences which might be attendant on such an action with children, infirm or aged people in bed, and at risk from the fire which would arise from the ignition of carpets etc. on which the firework might have fallen."
Another correspondent wrote:
"Fireworks have been in the shops for more than three weeks now. The other evening, I saw a small boy in the street letting off bangers. What is the use of warning children against the dangers of Bonfire Night when they can buy them now (if parents allow)? Is there not anything that can be done about this, especially the selling of bangers?"
Although Graham Smith is remembered as the "Egg and Sausage Artist" of Duke Street, he was actually a very talented painter.
This week the Reporter published a photograph of the unveiling of Graham's portrait of Dick Cowell.
He had been one of the founders of Lowe House Boxing Club, which was celebrating its 40th anniversary.
Dick had died in January and in his time had trained many famous boxers, including Ray Shiel from Sutton and Johnny “Jim” Molloy.
A story in the Reporter in which a widow was said to be living in conditions unfit for a dog, also illustrated the council's difficulty in re-housing people living in condemned homes.
Rose Povey's house in Chorley Street had a fault with a chimney and every time the 63-year-old stoked her living room fire, smoke bellowed out.
Cllr. James Greenall had inspected the house and said the conditions that Mrs Povey was living in were "absolutely shocking".
However, the Corporation did not want to spend money fixing faults on properties that would soon be demolished.
And Mrs Povey had been offered flats in Sutton Manor and Clock Face but had turned them both down, as she wanted to live in a rented house in Windlehurst.
It was very common for tenants of so-called slum properties to be fussy over where they were rehoused.
That was, perhaps, understandable but it greatly slowed down the process of re-settling communities living in condemned homes.
In the end the council decided to repair Mrs Povey's chimney and said they would try again to find her accommodation in Windlehurst.
Commercial radio in the northwest was still two years away, with what became known as Piccadilly Radio in Manchester due to launch first, followed by Liverpool's Radio City.
However, the Reporter revealed that the new Independent Broadcasting Authority had decided that St Helens would be allocated to the Manchester station's coverage.
Cllr. Patrick Gill called the decision "rather strange", adding that St Helens people looked upon themselves as more a part of Merseyside than Manchester.
However, a spokesman for the IBA said no decision had yet been made about the proposed Liverpool station's coverage and St Helens might be included in that as well.
And finally, on the 14th what was advertised as a "spectacular variety" show at the Theatre Royal in St Helens took place with Vince Hill and Dana being the star acts.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the panic buying of bread, the Saints coach conveying players to a game bursts into flames, a Parr woman criticises the dirty, filthy air and the Vicar of Rainford gets cross over how his neon church cross is categorised.