FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 11 - 17 DECEMBER 1973
This week's many stories include the public inquiry into Leathers Chemicals, Silcock's offer to light up St Helens' Christmas trees, why St Helens hospitals were crowded with patients, the sinister disappearance of cats in Rainhill, a Christmas feature is in the Reporter, the cruel tail docking of dogs and there's a facelift for the Fleece and a revamp for the Raven.
We begin with a warning from shop managers in St Helens that they were tightening up their security after fifteen shoplifters had been arrested in the town during the weekend. They said more store detectives were being employed to mingle with shoppers and nab thieves.
It was nearly a month since ambulance staff in St Helens had joined the national pay dispute by working to rule. They said they would only deal with emergency and maternity cases and hospital transfers, as part of their demand for a £7 pay rise. Union leader Ray Pownall of Parliament Street in Thatto Heath had predicted that local hospitals would be "flooded", as discharged patients could not be taken home by ambulance.
This week his prediction appeared to come true as emergency beds had to be set up in the middle of wards at Providence Hospital. Sister Rose Gertrude, the matron at Providence, said: "We have had to set up beds in the middle of the floor. What else can we do?" St Helens Hospital was also reported as full to bursting with patients. However, it was denied that the work to rule was the cause.
The St Helens Reporter on the 14th described how the Fleece Hotel had recently been revamped at a cost of £500,000 – about £7m in today's money. The 2-year facelift had transformed the Church Street hotel into a "luxury base for businessmen". Its facade had been cleaned and renovated and a new 51-bedroom wing added, along with a car park for 60 vehicles.
Inside there was a new reception area with two bars and a coffee lounge. The hotel's Regency restaurant had been revamped and the Crystal Suite was now available as either a conference hall for 350 people or a banqueting room for 300. Manager John Smith said: "We are obviously aiming for the business trade. We are ideally situated for the businessman who wants to base himself in Mid-Lancashire."
In a separate article headlined "Raven Soaring After ‘Dive’", the Reporter described the improvements that had also been made to the Royal Raven Hotel. A much-needed refurbishment had turned the Raven into what the Reporter called an "intimate Bavarian-style grill bar and lounge". The landlord of the Church Street hostelry was Tony Cox who told the paper:
"It's one of the first times that the brewers, Greenall Whitley, have completely closed a place down during alterations. Now our darts and dominoes teams have one of the poshest public bars in Lancashire to drink and play in. But we haven't thrown the old piano out, that would have been a pity. Before these alterations I think many people would have thought of our place as a bit of a dive. We want to keep our regulars but attract plenty of businessmen. We're ready for the day when the development of Church Street is finished and casual customers come flocking in."
The lead story in the Reporter described the forthcoming public inquiry into Leathers Chemicals (pictured above). It was hoped that next Tuesday as many as 10,000 would march on St Helens Town Hall to express public anger over sulphur dioxide leaks by the firm. Leaflets were being distributed all round Sutton to encourage participation in the demonstration that would begin outside the factory gates in Lancots Lane.
St Helens Corporation was claiming a breach of planning regulations by Leathers and would be asking an inspector from the Department of the Environment – who was adjudicating at the inquiry – to issue an enforcement notice against the chemicals firm. The East Sutton Residents Association had been offered the services of two well-known scientists. One of them, Sam Smith, said: "We're offering ourselves as a public service to the people of Sutton. They need experts every bit as good as those the other side will field. We reckon we can match them and we're going in to kill."
The Red Lion in Vernon Street in Pocket Nook dated back to 1833 but until December 1973 it had never held a spirits licence. Other old beerhouses in St Helens had converted to a fully licensed house – but not the Red Lion. That was until landlord Tony Hart had taken over last January. He told the Reporter: "It's been a great little pub for me, but for quite a long time customers who asked me for spirits had to be turned down." And so Tony applied for a full licence from the St Helens Magistrates Court, which had now been granted.
An unnamed St Helens vet told the paper that he would be ignoring a call to stop docking dogs' tails, as otherwise more animals would suffer at the hands of backstreet amateurs. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons had issued the recommendation to all its members. But the St Helens vet disagreed with their advice, saying: "I think it's a barbaric ritual, but if I don't do it the dogs will be taken to an amateur who can't do the job properly and they will suffer." Tail docking is now illegal, although there are exemptions.
There was a bit of good news on the power crisis front. The government's ban on display lighting had placed a question mark over whether St Helens Council's Christmas trees could be illuminated this year. But the St Helens' trees would still be lit as Edward Silcock had offered the Corporation his fairground generator and the bulbs that lit up his roundabouts.
"I wanted to help because St. Helens has been good to me," said 78-year-old Mr Silcock. "We've been having our fairs in the town since 1909 and always received a fair deal from the council. Now we can do them a good turn since we are not using our equipment at present."
Meanwhile Rainford Council decided this week to seek advice from the Department of Trade and Industry whether they could have an hour's worth of light a day on their Christmas tree – and remain within the law. The tree came from Lord Derby's estate and had been a gift to the people of the village that went back many years.
RSPCA Inspector Pat Colgan had this warning in the Reporter for pet owners: "Keep an eye on your pets at night, and keep them indoors." That was because the number of cats that had disappeared from St Helens had risen dramatically during the previous two weeks. And Inspector Colgan feared they had been snatched for purposes of vivisection with their fur used in cuddly toys.
David and Loriner Allan of Longview Road in Rainhill had recently lost two of their four cats and believed they had been taken for sinister purposes. Mr Allen said their pets were not in the habit of taking off on their own: "The cats didn't wander off, they came back to the house at regular times." And his wife added: "This is a despicable thing to do. We are offering a good reward for information."
It was Christmas party time and among the snaps of kids having fun in the Reporter were pictures of West Park Rugby Union Club's annual party. The children of Fibreglass workers were also shown enjoying a puppet show at Pilks' Prescot Road canteen and those whose parents worked in the Borough Engineer's Department were pictured at the NALGO Club in Bishop Road.
The Reporter had an advertising feature called "We're All Aglow With Christmas", which contained lots of ads, including:
• Cycle retailer Eric Bromilow & Son, North Road and Park Road ("Choppers, Budgies, Tomahawks, Chippers – Children's cycles from £12.95 – Order now for Xmas, free storage & delivery).
• Samuel Mercer & Son, Higher Parr Street & Owen Street, Toll Bar – "Enjoy Christmas with Mercers mince pies, party pies and sausage rolls, Yule logs, Christmas cakes and bridge rolls".
• Helena House, Baldwin Street – "Xmas Grotto – Open every day from 10.00 a.m. Santa Claus is in residence all day. Bring the children to ride on the magical traction engine in the basement. Then see the wonderful selection of toys in the toy fair first floor".
• Norman Ball & Sons Ltd, 31 Westfield Street, 57 Greenfield Road and St Helens Market – "The best grade “A” and all the very best quality meat including boneless pork and poultry for Christmas".
• Fosters, 52 Westfield Street – "Why not visit Fosters Plants and Gardens Ltd for a wide selection of Christmas gifts – top quality, roses, and shrubs are an ideal present".
• Bill Lewis Sports, 49/51 Baldwin Street – "No Petrol! All items we sell require manpower not horsepower – Big big stocks of Subbuteo games!"
• Hattons Parts Department and Unipart Centre, Boundary Road – "Christmas gifts for motorists – offering a parts coverage of over 12,000 stock lines with a service which is second to none".
• Haywards, 33 Westfield Street – "Long dresses, short dresses, shirts, trousers, coats for Christmas".
• Great Army & Navy Stores, 30 Bridge Street – "Christmas specials".
• St Helens Co-operative Society – "Order your Xmas turkey now! – quality birds, all at competitive prices – orders may be placed at any branch".
• St Helens Aquarium, 2 Hamer Street – "Tropical & coldwater fish and a good selection of aquarium plants, tanks".
• Gallies, Market Street – "For all that's best in wines, spirits, beer and cider".
On the 16th the David Essex film 'That'll Be The Day' – that also featured Rosemary Leach and Ringo Starr – began a week's screening at the Capitol. And at the ABC Savoy down Bridge Street, Faye Dunaway, John Mills and George C. Scott starred in 'Oklahoma Crude'.
At 7:30am on the 17th the first power cuts hit St Helens. They were limited in number to start with and were the result of the present energy crisis. That had been triggered partly by an oil embargo after the Yom Kippur War but mainly as a consequence of the coal miners' overtime ban.
But things were going to get much worse. Earlier in the week the Government had ordered that commercial premises from January 1st could only use electricity on three specified consecutive days in each week. Coincidentally, the 17th was also the day chosen for the official opening of the new power workers clubhouse in Knowsley Road in St Helens. That had cost £42,000 and was known as the Gas and Electric Social Club.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include St Helens shops preparations for the three-day week, the man banned by Tesco for complaining about being overcharged and the clergy criticise Sunday strip shows in Derbyshire Hill.
We begin with a warning from shop managers in St Helens that they were tightening up their security after fifteen shoplifters had been arrested in the town during the weekend. They said more store detectives were being employed to mingle with shoppers and nab thieves.
It was nearly a month since ambulance staff in St Helens had joined the national pay dispute by working to rule. They said they would only deal with emergency and maternity cases and hospital transfers, as part of their demand for a £7 pay rise. Union leader Ray Pownall of Parliament Street in Thatto Heath had predicted that local hospitals would be "flooded", as discharged patients could not be taken home by ambulance.
This week his prediction appeared to come true as emergency beds had to be set up in the middle of wards at Providence Hospital. Sister Rose Gertrude, the matron at Providence, said: "We have had to set up beds in the middle of the floor. What else can we do?" St Helens Hospital was also reported as full to bursting with patients. However, it was denied that the work to rule was the cause.
Inside there was a new reception area with two bars and a coffee lounge. The hotel's Regency restaurant had been revamped and the Crystal Suite was now available as either a conference hall for 350 people or a banqueting room for 300. Manager John Smith said: "We are obviously aiming for the business trade. We are ideally situated for the businessman who wants to base himself in Mid-Lancashire."
In a separate article headlined "Raven Soaring After ‘Dive’", the Reporter described the improvements that had also been made to the Royal Raven Hotel. A much-needed refurbishment had turned the Raven into what the Reporter called an "intimate Bavarian-style grill bar and lounge". The landlord of the Church Street hostelry was Tony Cox who told the paper:
"It's one of the first times that the brewers, Greenall Whitley, have completely closed a place down during alterations. Now our darts and dominoes teams have one of the poshest public bars in Lancashire to drink and play in. But we haven't thrown the old piano out, that would have been a pity. Before these alterations I think many people would have thought of our place as a bit of a dive. We want to keep our regulars but attract plenty of businessmen. We're ready for the day when the development of Church Street is finished and casual customers come flocking in."
St Helens Corporation was claiming a breach of planning regulations by Leathers and would be asking an inspector from the Department of the Environment – who was adjudicating at the inquiry – to issue an enforcement notice against the chemicals firm. The East Sutton Residents Association had been offered the services of two well-known scientists. One of them, Sam Smith, said: "We're offering ourselves as a public service to the people of Sutton. They need experts every bit as good as those the other side will field. We reckon we can match them and we're going in to kill."
The Red Lion in Vernon Street in Pocket Nook dated back to 1833 but until December 1973 it had never held a spirits licence. Other old beerhouses in St Helens had converted to a fully licensed house – but not the Red Lion. That was until landlord Tony Hart had taken over last January. He told the Reporter: "It's been a great little pub for me, but for quite a long time customers who asked me for spirits had to be turned down." And so Tony applied for a full licence from the St Helens Magistrates Court, which had now been granted.
An unnamed St Helens vet told the paper that he would be ignoring a call to stop docking dogs' tails, as otherwise more animals would suffer at the hands of backstreet amateurs. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons had issued the recommendation to all its members. But the St Helens vet disagreed with their advice, saying: "I think it's a barbaric ritual, but if I don't do it the dogs will be taken to an amateur who can't do the job properly and they will suffer." Tail docking is now illegal, although there are exemptions.
There was a bit of good news on the power crisis front. The government's ban on display lighting had placed a question mark over whether St Helens Council's Christmas trees could be illuminated this year. But the St Helens' trees would still be lit as Edward Silcock had offered the Corporation his fairground generator and the bulbs that lit up his roundabouts.
"I wanted to help because St. Helens has been good to me," said 78-year-old Mr Silcock. "We've been having our fairs in the town since 1909 and always received a fair deal from the council. Now we can do them a good turn since we are not using our equipment at present."
Meanwhile Rainford Council decided this week to seek advice from the Department of Trade and Industry whether they could have an hour's worth of light a day on their Christmas tree – and remain within the law. The tree came from Lord Derby's estate and had been a gift to the people of the village that went back many years.
RSPCA Inspector Pat Colgan had this warning in the Reporter for pet owners: "Keep an eye on your pets at night, and keep them indoors." That was because the number of cats that had disappeared from St Helens had risen dramatically during the previous two weeks. And Inspector Colgan feared they had been snatched for purposes of vivisection with their fur used in cuddly toys.
David and Loriner Allan of Longview Road in Rainhill had recently lost two of their four cats and believed they had been taken for sinister purposes. Mr Allen said their pets were not in the habit of taking off on their own: "The cats didn't wander off, they came back to the house at regular times." And his wife added: "This is a despicable thing to do. We are offering a good reward for information."
It was Christmas party time and among the snaps of kids having fun in the Reporter were pictures of West Park Rugby Union Club's annual party. The children of Fibreglass workers were also shown enjoying a puppet show at Pilks' Prescot Road canteen and those whose parents worked in the Borough Engineer's Department were pictured at the NALGO Club in Bishop Road.
The Reporter had an advertising feature called "We're All Aglow With Christmas", which contained lots of ads, including:
• Cycle retailer Eric Bromilow & Son, North Road and Park Road ("Choppers, Budgies, Tomahawks, Chippers – Children's cycles from £12.95 – Order now for Xmas, free storage & delivery).
• Samuel Mercer & Son, Higher Parr Street & Owen Street, Toll Bar – "Enjoy Christmas with Mercers mince pies, party pies and sausage rolls, Yule logs, Christmas cakes and bridge rolls".
• Helena House, Baldwin Street – "Xmas Grotto – Open every day from 10.00 a.m. Santa Claus is in residence all day. Bring the children to ride on the magical traction engine in the basement. Then see the wonderful selection of toys in the toy fair first floor".
• Norman Ball & Sons Ltd, 31 Westfield Street, 57 Greenfield Road and St Helens Market – "The best grade “A” and all the very best quality meat including boneless pork and poultry for Christmas".
• Fosters, 52 Westfield Street – "Why not visit Fosters Plants and Gardens Ltd for a wide selection of Christmas gifts – top quality, roses, and shrubs are an ideal present".
• Bill Lewis Sports, 49/51 Baldwin Street – "No Petrol! All items we sell require manpower not horsepower – Big big stocks of Subbuteo games!"
• Hattons Parts Department and Unipart Centre, Boundary Road – "Christmas gifts for motorists – offering a parts coverage of over 12,000 stock lines with a service which is second to none".
• Haywards, 33 Westfield Street – "Long dresses, short dresses, shirts, trousers, coats for Christmas".
• Great Army & Navy Stores, 30 Bridge Street – "Christmas specials".
• St Helens Co-operative Society – "Order your Xmas turkey now! – quality birds, all at competitive prices – orders may be placed at any branch".
• St Helens Aquarium, 2 Hamer Street – "Tropical & coldwater fish and a good selection of aquarium plants, tanks".
• Gallies, Market Street – "For all that's best in wines, spirits, beer and cider".
On the 16th the David Essex film 'That'll Be The Day' – that also featured Rosemary Leach and Ringo Starr – began a week's screening at the Capitol. And at the ABC Savoy down Bridge Street, Faye Dunaway, John Mills and George C. Scott starred in 'Oklahoma Crude'.
At 7:30am on the 17th the first power cuts hit St Helens. They were limited in number to start with and were the result of the present energy crisis. That had been triggered partly by an oil embargo after the Yom Kippur War but mainly as a consequence of the coal miners' overtime ban.
But things were going to get much worse. Earlier in the week the Government had ordered that commercial premises from January 1st could only use electricity on three specified consecutive days in each week. Coincidentally, the 17th was also the day chosen for the official opening of the new power workers clubhouse in Knowsley Road in St Helens. That had cost £42,000 and was known as the Gas and Electric Social Club.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include St Helens shops preparations for the three-day week, the man banned by Tesco for complaining about being overcharged and the clergy criticise Sunday strip shows in Derbyshire Hill.
This week's many stories include the public inquiry into Leathers Chemicals, Silcock's offer to light up St Helens' Christmas trees, why St Helens hospitals were crowded with patients, the sinister disappearance of cats in Rainhill, a Christmas feature is in the Reporter, the cruel tail docking of dogs and there's a facelift for the Fleece and a revamp for the Raven.
We begin with a warning from shop managers in St Helens that they were tightening up their security after fifteen shoplifters had been arrested in the town during the weekend.
They said more store detectives were being employed to mingle with shoppers and nab thieves.
It was nearly a month since ambulance staff in St Helens had joined the national pay dispute by working to rule.
They said they would only deal with emergency and maternity cases and hospital transfers, as part of their demand for a £7 pay rise.
Union leader Ray Pownall of Parliament Street in Thatto Heath had predicted that local hospitals would be "flooded", as discharged patients could not be taken home by ambulance.
This week his prediction appeared to come true as emergency beds had to be set up in the middle of wards at Providence Hospital.
Sister Rose Gertrude, the matron at Providence, said: "We have had to set up beds in the middle of the floor. What else can we do?"
St Helens Hospital was also reported as full to bursting with patients. However, it was denied that the work to rule was the cause.
The St Helens Reporter on the 14th described how the Fleece Hotel had recently been revamped at a cost of £500,000 – about £7m in today's money.
The 2-year facelift had transformed the Church Street hotel into a "luxury base for businessmen".
Its facade had been cleaned and renovated and a new 51-bedroom wing added, along with a car park for 60 vehicles.
Inside there was a new reception area with two bars and a coffee lounge. The hotel's Regency restaurant had been revamped and the Crystal Suite was now available as either a conference hall for 350 people or a banqueting room for 300.
Manager John Smith said: "We are obviously aiming for the business trade. We are ideally situated for the businessman who wants to base himself in Mid-Lancashire."
In a separate article headlined "Raven Soaring After ‘Dive’", the Reporter described the improvements that had also been made to the Royal Raven Hotel.
A much-needed refurbishment had turned the Raven into what the Reporter called an "intimate Bavarian-style grill bar and lounge". The landlord of the Church Street hostelry was Tony Cox who told the paper:
"It's one of the first times that the brewers, Greenall Whitley, have completely closed a place down during alterations.
"Now our darts and dominoes teams have one of the poshest public bars in Lancashire to drink and play in. But we haven't thrown the old piano out, that would have been a pity.
"Before these alterations I think many people would have thought of our place as a bit of a dive. We want to keep our regulars but attract plenty of businessmen.
"We're ready for the day when the development of Church Street is finished and casual customers come flocking in."
The lead story in the Reporter described the forthcoming public inquiry into Leathers Chemicals (pictured above).
It was hoped that next Tuesday as many as 10,000 would march on St Helens Town Hall to express public anger over sulphur dioxide leaks by the firm.
Leaflets were being distributed all round Sutton to encourage participation in the demonstration that would begin outside the factory gates in Lancots Lane.
St Helens Corporation was claiming a breach of planning regulations by Leathers and would be asking an inspector from the Department of the Environment – who was adjudicating at the inquiry – to issue an enforcement notice against the chemicals firm.
The East Sutton Residents Association had been offered the services of two well-known scientists. One of them, Sam Smith, said:
"We're offering ourselves as a public service to the people of Sutton. They need experts every bit as good as those the other side will field. We reckon we can match them and we're going in to kill."
The Red Lion in Vernon Street in Pocket Nook dated back to 1833 but until December 1973 it had never held a spirits licence.
Other old beerhouses in St Helens had converted to a fully licensed house – but not the Red Lion.
That was until landlord Tony Hart had taken over last January. He told the Reporter:
"It's been a great little pub for me, but for quite a long time customers who asked me for spirits had to be turned down."
And so Tony applied for a full licence from the St Helens Magistrates Court, which had now been granted.
An unnamed St Helens vet told the paper that he would be ignoring a call to stop docking dogs' tails, as otherwise more animals would suffer at the hands of backstreet amateurs.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons had issued the recommendation to all its members. But the St Helens vet disagreed with their advice, saying:
"I think it's a barbaric ritual, but if I don't do it the dogs will be taken to an amateur who can't do the job properly and they will suffer." Tail docking is now illegal, although there are exemptions.
There was a bit of good news on the power crisis front. The government's ban on display lighting had placed a question mark over whether St Helens Council's Christmas trees could be illuminated this year.
But the St Helens' trees would still be lit as Edward Silcock had offered the Corporation his fairground generator and the bulbs that lit up his roundabouts.
"I wanted to help because St. Helens has been good to me," said 78-year-old Mr Silcock.
"We've been having our fairs in the town since 1909 and always received a fair deal from the council. Now we can do them a good turn since we are not using our equipment at present."
Meanwhile Rainford Council decided this week to seek advice from the Department of Trade and Industry whether they could have an hour's worth of light a day on their Christmas tree – and remain within the law.
The tree came from Lord Derby's estate and had been a gift to the people of the village that went back many years.
RSPCA Inspector Pat Colgan had this warning in the Reporter for pet owners: "Keep an eye on your pets at night, and keep them indoors."
That was because the number of cats that had disappeared from St Helens had risen dramatically during the previous two weeks.
And Inspector Colgan feared they had been snatched for purposes of vivisection with their fur used in cuddly toys.
David and Loriner Allan of Longview Road in Rainhill had recently lost two of their four cats and believed they had been taken for sinister purposes.
Mr Allen said their pets were not in the habit of taking off on their own: "The cats didn't wander off, they came back to the house at regular times."
And his wife added: "This is a despicable thing to do. We are offering a good reward for information."
It was Christmas party time and among the snaps of kids having fun in the Reporter were pictures of West Park Rugby Union Club's annual party.
The children of Fibreglass workers were also shown enjoying a puppet show at Pilks' Prescot Road canteen and those whose parents worked in the Borough Engineer's Department were pictured at the NALGO Club in Bishop Road.
The Reporter had an advertising feature called "We're All Aglow With Christmas", which contained lots of ads, including:
• Cycle retailer Eric Bromilow & Son, North Road and Park Road ("Choppers, Budgies, Tomahawks, Chippers – Children's cycles from £12.95 – Order now for Xmas, free storage & delivery).
• Samuel Mercer & Son, Higher Parr Street & Owen Street, Toll Bar – "Enjoy Christmas with Mercers mince pies, party pies and sausage rolls, Yule logs, Christmas cakes and bridge rolls".
• Helena House, Baldwin Street – "Xmas Grotto – Open every day from 10.00 a.m. Santa Claus is in residence all day. Bring the children to ride on the magical traction engine in the basement. Then see the wonderful selection of toys in the toy fair first floor".
• Norman Ball & Sons Ltd, 31 Westfield Street, 57 Greenfield Road and St Helens Market – "The best grade “A” and all the very best quality meat including boneless pork and poultry for Christmas".
• Fosters, 52 Westfield Street – "Why not visit Fosters Plants and Gardens Ltd for a wide selection of Christmas gifts – top quality, roses, and shrubs are an ideal present".
• Bill Lewis Sports, 49/51 Baldwin Street – "No Petrol! All items we sell require manpower not horsepower – Big big stocks of Subbuteo games!"
• Hattons Parts Department and Unipart Centre, Boundary Road – "Christmas gifts for motorists – offering a parts coverage of over 12,000 stock lines with a service which is second to none".
• Haywards, 33 Westfield Street – "Long dresses, short dresses, shirts, trousers, coats for Christmas".
• Great Army & Navy Stores, 30 Bridge Street – "Christmas specials".
• St Helens Co-operative Society – "Order your Xmas turkey now! – quality birds, all at competitive prices – orders may be placed at any branch".
• St Helens Aquarium, 2 Hamer Street – "Tropical & coldwater fish and a good selection of aquarium plants, tanks".
• Gallies, Market Street – "For all that's best in wines, spirits, beer and cider".
On the 16th the David Essex film 'That'll Be The Day' – that also featured Rosemary Leach and Ringo Starr – began a week's screening at the Capitol.
And at the ABC Savoy down Bridge Street, Faye Dunaway, John Mills and George C. Scott starred in 'Oklahoma Crude'.
At 7:30am on the 17th the first power cuts hit St Helens. They were limited in number to start with and were the result of the present energy crisis.
That had been triggered partly by an oil embargo after the Yom Kippur War but mainly as a consequence of the coal miners' overtime ban.
But things were going to get much worse. Earlier in the week the Government had ordered that commercial premises from January 1st could only use electricity on three specified consecutive days in each week.
Coincidentally, the 17th was also the day chosen for the official opening of the new power workers clubhouse in Knowsley Road in St Helens. That had cost £42,000 and was known as the Gas and Electric Social Club.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include St Helens shops preparations for the three-day week, the man banned by Tesco for complaining about being overcharged and the clergy criticise Sunday strip shows in Derbyshire Hill.
We begin with a warning from shop managers in St Helens that they were tightening up their security after fifteen shoplifters had been arrested in the town during the weekend.
They said more store detectives were being employed to mingle with shoppers and nab thieves.
It was nearly a month since ambulance staff in St Helens had joined the national pay dispute by working to rule.
They said they would only deal with emergency and maternity cases and hospital transfers, as part of their demand for a £7 pay rise.
Union leader Ray Pownall of Parliament Street in Thatto Heath had predicted that local hospitals would be "flooded", as discharged patients could not be taken home by ambulance.
This week his prediction appeared to come true as emergency beds had to be set up in the middle of wards at Providence Hospital.
Sister Rose Gertrude, the matron at Providence, said: "We have had to set up beds in the middle of the floor. What else can we do?"
St Helens Hospital was also reported as full to bursting with patients. However, it was denied that the work to rule was the cause.
The 2-year facelift had transformed the Church Street hotel into a "luxury base for businessmen".
Its facade had been cleaned and renovated and a new 51-bedroom wing added, along with a car park for 60 vehicles.
Inside there was a new reception area with two bars and a coffee lounge. The hotel's Regency restaurant had been revamped and the Crystal Suite was now available as either a conference hall for 350 people or a banqueting room for 300.
Manager John Smith said: "We are obviously aiming for the business trade. We are ideally situated for the businessman who wants to base himself in Mid-Lancashire."
In a separate article headlined "Raven Soaring After ‘Dive’", the Reporter described the improvements that had also been made to the Royal Raven Hotel.
A much-needed refurbishment had turned the Raven into what the Reporter called an "intimate Bavarian-style grill bar and lounge". The landlord of the Church Street hostelry was Tony Cox who told the paper:
"It's one of the first times that the brewers, Greenall Whitley, have completely closed a place down during alterations.
"Now our darts and dominoes teams have one of the poshest public bars in Lancashire to drink and play in. But we haven't thrown the old piano out, that would have been a pity.
"Before these alterations I think many people would have thought of our place as a bit of a dive. We want to keep our regulars but attract plenty of businessmen.
"We're ready for the day when the development of Church Street is finished and casual customers come flocking in."
It was hoped that next Tuesday as many as 10,000 would march on St Helens Town Hall to express public anger over sulphur dioxide leaks by the firm.
Leaflets were being distributed all round Sutton to encourage participation in the demonstration that would begin outside the factory gates in Lancots Lane.
St Helens Corporation was claiming a breach of planning regulations by Leathers and would be asking an inspector from the Department of the Environment – who was adjudicating at the inquiry – to issue an enforcement notice against the chemicals firm.
The East Sutton Residents Association had been offered the services of two well-known scientists. One of them, Sam Smith, said:
"We're offering ourselves as a public service to the people of Sutton. They need experts every bit as good as those the other side will field. We reckon we can match them and we're going in to kill."
The Red Lion in Vernon Street in Pocket Nook dated back to 1833 but until December 1973 it had never held a spirits licence.
Other old beerhouses in St Helens had converted to a fully licensed house – but not the Red Lion.
That was until landlord Tony Hart had taken over last January. He told the Reporter:
"It's been a great little pub for me, but for quite a long time customers who asked me for spirits had to be turned down."
And so Tony applied for a full licence from the St Helens Magistrates Court, which had now been granted.
An unnamed St Helens vet told the paper that he would be ignoring a call to stop docking dogs' tails, as otherwise more animals would suffer at the hands of backstreet amateurs.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons had issued the recommendation to all its members. But the St Helens vet disagreed with their advice, saying:
"I think it's a barbaric ritual, but if I don't do it the dogs will be taken to an amateur who can't do the job properly and they will suffer." Tail docking is now illegal, although there are exemptions.
There was a bit of good news on the power crisis front. The government's ban on display lighting had placed a question mark over whether St Helens Council's Christmas trees could be illuminated this year.
But the St Helens' trees would still be lit as Edward Silcock had offered the Corporation his fairground generator and the bulbs that lit up his roundabouts.
"I wanted to help because St. Helens has been good to me," said 78-year-old Mr Silcock.
"We've been having our fairs in the town since 1909 and always received a fair deal from the council. Now we can do them a good turn since we are not using our equipment at present."
Meanwhile Rainford Council decided this week to seek advice from the Department of Trade and Industry whether they could have an hour's worth of light a day on their Christmas tree – and remain within the law.
The tree came from Lord Derby's estate and had been a gift to the people of the village that went back many years.
RSPCA Inspector Pat Colgan had this warning in the Reporter for pet owners: "Keep an eye on your pets at night, and keep them indoors."
That was because the number of cats that had disappeared from St Helens had risen dramatically during the previous two weeks.
And Inspector Colgan feared they had been snatched for purposes of vivisection with their fur used in cuddly toys.
David and Loriner Allan of Longview Road in Rainhill had recently lost two of their four cats and believed they had been taken for sinister purposes.
Mr Allen said their pets were not in the habit of taking off on their own: "The cats didn't wander off, they came back to the house at regular times."
And his wife added: "This is a despicable thing to do. We are offering a good reward for information."
It was Christmas party time and among the snaps of kids having fun in the Reporter were pictures of West Park Rugby Union Club's annual party.
The children of Fibreglass workers were also shown enjoying a puppet show at Pilks' Prescot Road canteen and those whose parents worked in the Borough Engineer's Department were pictured at the NALGO Club in Bishop Road.
The Reporter had an advertising feature called "We're All Aglow With Christmas", which contained lots of ads, including:
• Cycle retailer Eric Bromilow & Son, North Road and Park Road ("Choppers, Budgies, Tomahawks, Chippers – Children's cycles from £12.95 – Order now for Xmas, free storage & delivery).
• Samuel Mercer & Son, Higher Parr Street & Owen Street, Toll Bar – "Enjoy Christmas with Mercers mince pies, party pies and sausage rolls, Yule logs, Christmas cakes and bridge rolls".
• Helena House, Baldwin Street – "Xmas Grotto – Open every day from 10.00 a.m. Santa Claus is in residence all day. Bring the children to ride on the magical traction engine in the basement. Then see the wonderful selection of toys in the toy fair first floor".
• Norman Ball & Sons Ltd, 31 Westfield Street, 57 Greenfield Road and St Helens Market – "The best grade “A” and all the very best quality meat including boneless pork and poultry for Christmas".
• Fosters, 52 Westfield Street – "Why not visit Fosters Plants and Gardens Ltd for a wide selection of Christmas gifts – top quality, roses, and shrubs are an ideal present".
• Bill Lewis Sports, 49/51 Baldwin Street – "No Petrol! All items we sell require manpower not horsepower – Big big stocks of Subbuteo games!"
• Hattons Parts Department and Unipart Centre, Boundary Road – "Christmas gifts for motorists – offering a parts coverage of over 12,000 stock lines with a service which is second to none".
• Haywards, 33 Westfield Street – "Long dresses, short dresses, shirts, trousers, coats for Christmas".
• Great Army & Navy Stores, 30 Bridge Street – "Christmas specials".
• St Helens Co-operative Society – "Order your Xmas turkey now! – quality birds, all at competitive prices – orders may be placed at any branch".
• St Helens Aquarium, 2 Hamer Street – "Tropical & coldwater fish and a good selection of aquarium plants, tanks".
• Gallies, Market Street – "For all that's best in wines, spirits, beer and cider".
On the 16th the David Essex film 'That'll Be The Day' – that also featured Rosemary Leach and Ringo Starr – began a week's screening at the Capitol.
And at the ABC Savoy down Bridge Street, Faye Dunaway, John Mills and George C. Scott starred in 'Oklahoma Crude'.
At 7:30am on the 17th the first power cuts hit St Helens. They were limited in number to start with and were the result of the present energy crisis.
That had been triggered partly by an oil embargo after the Yom Kippur War but mainly as a consequence of the coal miners' overtime ban.
But things were going to get much worse. Earlier in the week the Government had ordered that commercial premises from January 1st could only use electricity on three specified consecutive days in each week.
Coincidentally, the 17th was also the day chosen for the official opening of the new power workers clubhouse in Knowsley Road in St Helens. That had cost £42,000 and was known as the Gas and Electric Social Club.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include St Helens shops preparations for the three-day week, the man banned by Tesco for complaining about being overcharged and the clergy criticise Sunday strip shows in Derbyshire Hill.