FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 18 - 24 NOVEMBER 1974
This week's many stories include the massive demand for petrol to beat the budget, anger after Suttons Transport deny anglers access to their fishing pond, Rediffusion's pioneering cable service, the St Helens disabled drivers group that wanted to ban the Invacar and the annual Christmas appeal for donations of toys and food parcels.
We begin on the 18th when Bold Parish Council decided to endorse Pilkington's plans for a float glass factory in Gorsey Lane. Last month the glass giant suspended its proposed £20 million scheme while they considered their options after a storm of protest from residents. The parish council said they had been considering the matter since late July and had decided that the plant would benefit the area. But Malcolm Hughes, the Chairman of the Clock Face and Sutton Leach Amenity Action Group, accused them of making a "very sad mistake".
On the 18th the Liverpool Echo reported that due to increases in postal charges it was setting up collection points at many newsagents for entries to its Place the Ball contest. Those in St Helens that had agreed to accept the football coupons were: Newsfare, 125 Higher Parr Street; Lockheart, 157 Greenfield Road; Wainwrights, 129 Boundary Road; Gilligan Bros., 28 Waterdale Crescent, Sutton; Buckleys, 36 Duke Street; Davies, 92 Eccleston Street; Maltby, 9 Gerrard Street, Ashton and the Billinge Newsagency, 196 Main Street.
The Liverpool Daily Post reported on the 20th that Ted Parr of Olga Road in Sutton was to be presented with the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society's Bronze Medal. That was for his valiant but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to save a six-year-old boy from drowning in Sutton's Monastery Dam.
Sutton and Sons of Elton Head Road were featured in the St Helens Reporter on the 22nd after the hauliers had banned anglers from a stretch of water at Lea Green. Managing Director Alf Sutton said although fishing attracted a "nice type of person", youths on motorbikes had been using a nearby tip as a dirt track.
This had so annoyed the firm that they had decided to revoke fishing permits from the stretch of water that they owned and fence off their land. Joe Powell, secretary of St Helens Angling Association, told the Reporter that he felt very strongly about the matter: "Waters keep on diminishing and it is of some concern. I hope to raise the matter with local councillors."
Do you remember the pale blue Invacar (short for invalid carriage) that thousands of disabled drivers drove, particularly during the 1960s and ‘70s? The little cars were loaned free of charge to those with disabilities but were eventually scrapped on safety concerns. This week the Reporter described how a group of disabled drivers was being established in St Helens to campaign for better invalid cars.
They wanted the abolition of the dangerous three-wheeler with, instead, ordinary vehicles being issued to claimants with adjustments made to suit different disabilities. The group was part of the nationwide Disabled Drivers Association and they planned to meet once a month at the welfare centre in Lord Street in St Helens. The campaign would prove to be successful as the introduction of the Motability scheme in the late 1970s offered disabled drivers a conventional car with modified options.
Janet Hesketh and Karen Liptrot were pictured in the Reporter. They were described as "two pretty misses with a royal date", as they were leaving St Helens for London where they were going to receive gold medals from the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace.
A new store in St Mary's Arcade called Idea For Living had a full-page advert in the Reporter. A £1 voucher could be cut out of the paper and used to pay for any purchases over £5 that were made at the "dazzling new store for homemakers". Idea For Living sold tiles, wall coverings, paints, light fittings, fabrics, blinds and lamp shades.
In 1995 Cable North West dug up the streets of St Helens to install cable TV and radio in subscribers' homes. However, Rediffusion had pioneered a similar service many years before. They attracted viewers in parts of the town that suffered from poor reception or where communal aerials in flats proved unsatisfactory. But Rediffusion only offered the existing TV channels and radio stations, unlike modern day cable and satellite services.
At this week's Housing Committee meeting it was stated that many council tenants connected to the Rediffusion system were still putting up aerials and in the process some were damaging tiles and chimneys. The claims were made when the committee was asked to approve the installation of Rediffusion on their new Pinfold estate in Eccleston. Councillor Jack Morris said some tenants in Clock Face and Sutton were not getting good reception with Rediffusion and they had resorted to buying their own aerials.
But the Borough Architect, Brian Lee, was concerned about damage caused by aerials mushrooming on the council's estates. And the Borough Treasurer Douglas Pennington was concerned about their "aesthetic encumbrance" – in other words having unsightly aerials stuck on buildings. It was decided that the committee's chairman and vice-chairman would investigate further and make their own decision over the Pinfold estate.
This week the Mayor of St Helens launched the annual Christmas appeal for donations of toys and food parcels for what were described as underprivileged people. Ernie Robinson organised the appeal on behalf of the Mayor and told the Reporter:
"If we know of any family or person who are in need we try to ensure that they are sent a food parcel at Christmas. If we hear of any family who, through no fault of their own can't afford to buy their children Christmas presents, then we also try to ensure that they receive toys to give to the children."
The Reporter also described how last weekend St Helens motorists had been making the most of the old petrol prices. In Denis Healey's recent budget the Chancellor of the Exchequer had increased VAT by what was described as a "massive" 8½p. But the increase had only kicked in at the start of this week and so many motorists had in the days before been filling up their tanks.
The new Heron service station on Prescot Road said that demand over the weekend had been "colossal" and Peter Glover, the General Manager of McLean and Appleton, also reported a big increase. Mr Glover added that it was too early to tell what the demand for petrol would be in the coming weeks, but thought it would likely be reduced: "I think people are going to think twice about taking the car down to the shop on the corner – it's so expensive now." The Reporter provided detailed information on how readers could make more efficient use of the petrol in their tank – mainly by lowering their speed and keeping their vehicle steady in top gear if possible.
Haydock Male Voice Choir had an LP record set for release in a fortnight and the Reporter wrote that orders for 'Haydock Sings' were already pouring in. Also in the paper the Sefton Arms in Baldwin Street was advertising their traditional Christmas dinner – for £1.50! Their festive fare was now available at lunchtime and would continue throughout December.
And the Prescot Karate School was advertising their beginners' course to learn "the fighting art of Japan" with enrolment taking place at St John's Hall in Prescot's High Street. On the 23rd the fourth annual festival of Highland dancing was held. The venue was Rainford Village Hall and the British Association of Teachers of Dancing sponsored the event.
And finally, it was all change at the town's two cinemas on the 24th. At the ABC Savoy, there was a double-header featuring a drama film called 'Sunshine' and George Hamilton in 'Evel Knievel', which replaced 'The Con Man And The Kung Fu Kid'. And the Capitol Cinema replaced Roger Moore in the adventure thriller 'Gold' with 'Dillinger', starring Warren Oates.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the disturbing dossier on living conditions in St Helens, Pilks' plans to build a factory at Greengate in Ravenhead, the St Helens Show's Western theme and the start of nursery provision at St Helens schools.
We begin on the 18th when Bold Parish Council decided to endorse Pilkington's plans for a float glass factory in Gorsey Lane. Last month the glass giant suspended its proposed £20 million scheme while they considered their options after a storm of protest from residents. The parish council said they had been considering the matter since late July and had decided that the plant would benefit the area. But Malcolm Hughes, the Chairman of the Clock Face and Sutton Leach Amenity Action Group, accused them of making a "very sad mistake".
On the 18th the Liverpool Echo reported that due to increases in postal charges it was setting up collection points at many newsagents for entries to its Place the Ball contest. Those in St Helens that had agreed to accept the football coupons were: Newsfare, 125 Higher Parr Street; Lockheart, 157 Greenfield Road; Wainwrights, 129 Boundary Road; Gilligan Bros., 28 Waterdale Crescent, Sutton; Buckleys, 36 Duke Street; Davies, 92 Eccleston Street; Maltby, 9 Gerrard Street, Ashton and the Billinge Newsagency, 196 Main Street.
The Liverpool Daily Post reported on the 20th that Ted Parr of Olga Road in Sutton was to be presented with the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society's Bronze Medal. That was for his valiant but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to save a six-year-old boy from drowning in Sutton's Monastery Dam.
Sutton and Sons of Elton Head Road were featured in the St Helens Reporter on the 22nd after the hauliers had banned anglers from a stretch of water at Lea Green. Managing Director Alf Sutton said although fishing attracted a "nice type of person", youths on motorbikes had been using a nearby tip as a dirt track.
This had so annoyed the firm that they had decided to revoke fishing permits from the stretch of water that they owned and fence off their land. Joe Powell, secretary of St Helens Angling Association, told the Reporter that he felt very strongly about the matter: "Waters keep on diminishing and it is of some concern. I hope to raise the matter with local councillors."
They wanted the abolition of the dangerous three-wheeler with, instead, ordinary vehicles being issued to claimants with adjustments made to suit different disabilities. The group was part of the nationwide Disabled Drivers Association and they planned to meet once a month at the welfare centre in Lord Street in St Helens. The campaign would prove to be successful as the introduction of the Motability scheme in the late 1970s offered disabled drivers a conventional car with modified options.
Janet Hesketh and Karen Liptrot were pictured in the Reporter. They were described as "two pretty misses with a royal date", as they were leaving St Helens for London where they were going to receive gold medals from the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace.
A new store in St Mary's Arcade called Idea For Living had a full-page advert in the Reporter. A £1 voucher could be cut out of the paper and used to pay for any purchases over £5 that were made at the "dazzling new store for homemakers". Idea For Living sold tiles, wall coverings, paints, light fittings, fabrics, blinds and lamp shades.
In 1995 Cable North West dug up the streets of St Helens to install cable TV and radio in subscribers' homes. However, Rediffusion had pioneered a similar service many years before. They attracted viewers in parts of the town that suffered from poor reception or where communal aerials in flats proved unsatisfactory. But Rediffusion only offered the existing TV channels and radio stations, unlike modern day cable and satellite services.
At this week's Housing Committee meeting it was stated that many council tenants connected to the Rediffusion system were still putting up aerials and in the process some were damaging tiles and chimneys. The claims were made when the committee was asked to approve the installation of Rediffusion on their new Pinfold estate in Eccleston. Councillor Jack Morris said some tenants in Clock Face and Sutton were not getting good reception with Rediffusion and they had resorted to buying their own aerials.
But the Borough Architect, Brian Lee, was concerned about damage caused by aerials mushrooming on the council's estates. And the Borough Treasurer Douglas Pennington was concerned about their "aesthetic encumbrance" – in other words having unsightly aerials stuck on buildings. It was decided that the committee's chairman and vice-chairman would investigate further and make their own decision over the Pinfold estate.
This week the Mayor of St Helens launched the annual Christmas appeal for donations of toys and food parcels for what were described as underprivileged people. Ernie Robinson organised the appeal on behalf of the Mayor and told the Reporter:
"If we know of any family or person who are in need we try to ensure that they are sent a food parcel at Christmas. If we hear of any family who, through no fault of their own can't afford to buy their children Christmas presents, then we also try to ensure that they receive toys to give to the children."
The Reporter also described how last weekend St Helens motorists had been making the most of the old petrol prices. In Denis Healey's recent budget the Chancellor of the Exchequer had increased VAT by what was described as a "massive" 8½p. But the increase had only kicked in at the start of this week and so many motorists had in the days before been filling up their tanks.
The new Heron service station on Prescot Road said that demand over the weekend had been "colossal" and Peter Glover, the General Manager of McLean and Appleton, also reported a big increase. Mr Glover added that it was too early to tell what the demand for petrol would be in the coming weeks, but thought it would likely be reduced: "I think people are going to think twice about taking the car down to the shop on the corner – it's so expensive now." The Reporter provided detailed information on how readers could make more efficient use of the petrol in their tank – mainly by lowering their speed and keeping their vehicle steady in top gear if possible.
Haydock Male Voice Choir had an LP record set for release in a fortnight and the Reporter wrote that orders for 'Haydock Sings' were already pouring in. Also in the paper the Sefton Arms in Baldwin Street was advertising their traditional Christmas dinner – for £1.50! Their festive fare was now available at lunchtime and would continue throughout December.
And the Prescot Karate School was advertising their beginners' course to learn "the fighting art of Japan" with enrolment taking place at St John's Hall in Prescot's High Street. On the 23rd the fourth annual festival of Highland dancing was held. The venue was Rainford Village Hall and the British Association of Teachers of Dancing sponsored the event.
And finally, it was all change at the town's two cinemas on the 24th. At the ABC Savoy, there was a double-header featuring a drama film called 'Sunshine' and George Hamilton in 'Evel Knievel', which replaced 'The Con Man And The Kung Fu Kid'. And the Capitol Cinema replaced Roger Moore in the adventure thriller 'Gold' with 'Dillinger', starring Warren Oates.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the disturbing dossier on living conditions in St Helens, Pilks' plans to build a factory at Greengate in Ravenhead, the St Helens Show's Western theme and the start of nursery provision at St Helens schools.
This week's many stories include the massive demand for petrol to beat the budget, anger after Suttons Transport deny anglers access to their fishing pond, Rediffusion's pioneering cable service, the St Helens disabled drivers group that wanted to ban the Invacar and the annual Christmas appeal for donations of toys and food parcels.
We begin on the 18th when Bold Parish Council decided to endorse Pilkington's plans for a float glass factory in Gorsey Lane.
Last month the glass giant suspended its proposed £20 million scheme while they considered their options after a storm of protest from residents.
The parish council said they had been considering the matter since late July and had decided that the plant would benefit the area.
But Malcolm Hughes, the Chairman of the Clock Face and Sutton Leach Amenity Action Group, accused them of making a "very sad mistake".
On the 18th the Liverpool Echo reported that due to increases in postal charges it was setting up collection points at many newsagents for entries to its Place the Ball contest. Those in St Helens that had agreed to accept the football coupons were:
Newsfare, 125 Higher Parr Street; Lockheart, 157 Greenfield Road; Wainwrights, 129 Boundary Road; Gilligan Bros., 28 Waterdale Crescent, Sutton; Buckleys, 36 Duke Street; Davies, 92 Eccleston Street; Maltby, 9 Gerrard Street, Ashton and the Billinge Newsagency, 196 Main Street.
The Liverpool Daily Post reported on the 20th that Ted Parr of Olga Road in Sutton was to be presented with the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society's Bronze Medal.
That was for his valiant but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to save a six-year-old boy from drowning in Sutton's Monastery Dam.
Sutton and Sons of Elton Head Road were featured in the St Helens Reporter on the 22nd after the hauliers had banned anglers from a stretch of water at Lea Green.
Managing Director Alf Sutton said although fishing attracted a "nice type of person", youths on motorbikes had been using a nearby tip as a dirt track.
This had so annoyed the firm that they had decided to revoke fishing permits from the stretch of water that they owned and fence off their land.
Joe Powell, secretary of St Helens Angling Association, told the Reporter that he felt very strongly about the matter:
"Waters keep on diminishing and it is of some concern. I hope to raise the matter with local councillors."
Do you remember the pale blue Invacar (short for invalid carriage) that thousands of disabled drivers drove, particularly during the 1960s and ‘70s?
The little cars were loaned free of charge to those with disabilities but were eventually scrapped on safety concerns.
This week the Reporter described how a group of disabled drivers was being established in St Helens to campaign for better invalid cars.
They wanted the abolition of the dangerous three-wheeler with, instead, ordinary vehicles being issued to claimants with adjustments made to suit different disabilities.
The group was part of the nationwide Disabled Drivers Association and they planned to meet once a month at the welfare centre in Lord Street in St Helens.
The campaign would prove to be successful as the introduction of the Motability scheme in the late 1970s offered disabled drivers a conventional car with modified options.
Janet Hesketh and Karen Liptrot were pictured in the Reporter.
They were described as "two pretty misses with a royal date", as they were leaving St Helens for London where they were going to receive gold medals from the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace.
A new store in St Mary's Arcade called Idea For Living had a full-page advert in the Reporter.
A £1 voucher could be cut out of the paper and used to pay for any purchases over £5 that were made at the "dazzling new store for homemakers".
Idea For Living sold tiles, wall coverings, paints, light fittings, fabrics, blinds and lamp shades.
In 1995 Cable North West dug up the streets of St Helens to install cable TV and radio in subscribers' homes.
However, Rediffusion had pioneered a similar service many years before. They attracted viewers in parts of the town that suffered from poor reception or where communal aerials in flats proved unsatisfactory.
But Rediffusion only offered the existing TV channels and radio stations, unlike modern day cable and satellite services.
At this week's Housing Committee meeting it was stated that many council tenants connected to the Rediffusion system were still putting up aerials and in the process some were damaging tiles and chimneys.
The claims were made when the committee was asked to approve the installation of Rediffusion on their new Pinfold estate in Eccleston.
Councillor Jack Morris said some tenants in Clock Face and Sutton were not getting good reception with Rediffusion and they had resorted to buying their own aerials.
But the Borough Architect, Brian Lee, was concerned about damage caused by aerials mushrooming on the council's estates.
And the Borough Treasurer Douglas Pennington was concerned about their "aesthetic encumbrance" – in other words having unsightly aerials stuck on buildings.
It was decided that the committee's chairman and vice-chairman would investigate further and make their own decision over the Pinfold estate.
This week the Mayor of St Helens launched the annual Christmas appeal for donations of toys and food parcels for what were described as underprivileged people.
Ernie Robinson organised the appeal on behalf of the Mayor and told the Reporter:
"If we know of any family or person who are in need we try to ensure that they are sent a food parcel at Christmas.
"If we hear of any family who, through no fault of their own can't afford to buy their children Christmas presents, then we also try to ensure that they receive toys to give to the children."
The Reporter also described how last weekend St Helens motorists had been making the most of the old petrol prices.
In Denis Healey's recent budget the Chancellor of the Exchequer had increased VAT by what was described as a "massive" 8½p.
But the increase had only kicked in at the start of this week and so many motorists had in the days before been filling up their tanks.
The new Heron service station on Prescot Road said that demand over the weekend had been "colossal" and Peter Glover, the General Manager of McLean and Appleton, also reported a big increase.
Mr Glover added that it was too early to tell what the demand for petrol would be in the coming weeks, but thought it would likely be reduced:
"I think people are going to think twice about taking the car down to the shop on the corner – it's so expensive now."
The Reporter provided detailed information on how readers could make more efficient use of the petrol in their tank – mainly by lowering their speed and keeping their vehicle steady in top gear if possible.
Haydock Male Voice Choir had an LP record set for release in a fortnight and the Reporter wrote that orders for 'Haydock Sings' were already pouring in.
Also in the paper the Sefton Arms in Baldwin Street was advertising their traditional Christmas dinner – for £1.50!
Their festive fare was now available at lunchtime and would continue throughout December.
And the Prescot Karate School was advertising their beginners' course to learn "the fighting art of Japan" with enrolment taking place at St John's Hall in Prescot's High Street.
On the 23rd the fourth annual festival of Highland dancing was held.
The venue was Rainford Village Hall and the British Association of Teachers of Dancing sponsored the event.
And finally, it was all change at the town's two cinemas on the 24th.
At the ABC Savoy, there was a double-header featuring a drama film called 'Sunshine' and George Hamilton in 'Evel Knievel', which replaced 'The Con Man And The Kung Fu Kid'.
And the Capitol Cinema replaced Roger Moore in the adventure thriller 'Gold' with 'Dillinger', starring Warren Oates.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the disturbing dossier on living conditions in St Helens, Pilks' plans to build a factory at Greengate in Ravenhead, the St Helens Show's Western theme and the start of nursery provision at St Helens schools.
We begin on the 18th when Bold Parish Council decided to endorse Pilkington's plans for a float glass factory in Gorsey Lane.
Last month the glass giant suspended its proposed £20 million scheme while they considered their options after a storm of protest from residents.
The parish council said they had been considering the matter since late July and had decided that the plant would benefit the area.
But Malcolm Hughes, the Chairman of the Clock Face and Sutton Leach Amenity Action Group, accused them of making a "very sad mistake".
On the 18th the Liverpool Echo reported that due to increases in postal charges it was setting up collection points at many newsagents for entries to its Place the Ball contest. Those in St Helens that had agreed to accept the football coupons were:
Newsfare, 125 Higher Parr Street; Lockheart, 157 Greenfield Road; Wainwrights, 129 Boundary Road; Gilligan Bros., 28 Waterdale Crescent, Sutton; Buckleys, 36 Duke Street; Davies, 92 Eccleston Street; Maltby, 9 Gerrard Street, Ashton and the Billinge Newsagency, 196 Main Street.
The Liverpool Daily Post reported on the 20th that Ted Parr of Olga Road in Sutton was to be presented with the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society's Bronze Medal.
That was for his valiant but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to save a six-year-old boy from drowning in Sutton's Monastery Dam.
Sutton and Sons of Elton Head Road were featured in the St Helens Reporter on the 22nd after the hauliers had banned anglers from a stretch of water at Lea Green.
Managing Director Alf Sutton said although fishing attracted a "nice type of person", youths on motorbikes had been using a nearby tip as a dirt track.
This had so annoyed the firm that they had decided to revoke fishing permits from the stretch of water that they owned and fence off their land.
Joe Powell, secretary of St Helens Angling Association, told the Reporter that he felt very strongly about the matter:
"Waters keep on diminishing and it is of some concern. I hope to raise the matter with local councillors."
The little cars were loaned free of charge to those with disabilities but were eventually scrapped on safety concerns.
This week the Reporter described how a group of disabled drivers was being established in St Helens to campaign for better invalid cars.
They wanted the abolition of the dangerous three-wheeler with, instead, ordinary vehicles being issued to claimants with adjustments made to suit different disabilities.
The group was part of the nationwide Disabled Drivers Association and they planned to meet once a month at the welfare centre in Lord Street in St Helens.
The campaign would prove to be successful as the introduction of the Motability scheme in the late 1970s offered disabled drivers a conventional car with modified options.
Janet Hesketh and Karen Liptrot were pictured in the Reporter.
They were described as "two pretty misses with a royal date", as they were leaving St Helens for London where they were going to receive gold medals from the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace.
A new store in St Mary's Arcade called Idea For Living had a full-page advert in the Reporter.
A £1 voucher could be cut out of the paper and used to pay for any purchases over £5 that were made at the "dazzling new store for homemakers".
Idea For Living sold tiles, wall coverings, paints, light fittings, fabrics, blinds and lamp shades.
In 1995 Cable North West dug up the streets of St Helens to install cable TV and radio in subscribers' homes.
However, Rediffusion had pioneered a similar service many years before. They attracted viewers in parts of the town that suffered from poor reception or where communal aerials in flats proved unsatisfactory.
But Rediffusion only offered the existing TV channels and radio stations, unlike modern day cable and satellite services.
At this week's Housing Committee meeting it was stated that many council tenants connected to the Rediffusion system were still putting up aerials and in the process some were damaging tiles and chimneys.
The claims were made when the committee was asked to approve the installation of Rediffusion on their new Pinfold estate in Eccleston.
Councillor Jack Morris said some tenants in Clock Face and Sutton were not getting good reception with Rediffusion and they had resorted to buying their own aerials.
But the Borough Architect, Brian Lee, was concerned about damage caused by aerials mushrooming on the council's estates.
And the Borough Treasurer Douglas Pennington was concerned about their "aesthetic encumbrance" – in other words having unsightly aerials stuck on buildings.
It was decided that the committee's chairman and vice-chairman would investigate further and make their own decision over the Pinfold estate.
This week the Mayor of St Helens launched the annual Christmas appeal for donations of toys and food parcels for what were described as underprivileged people.
Ernie Robinson organised the appeal on behalf of the Mayor and told the Reporter:
"If we know of any family or person who are in need we try to ensure that they are sent a food parcel at Christmas.
"If we hear of any family who, through no fault of their own can't afford to buy their children Christmas presents, then we also try to ensure that they receive toys to give to the children."
The Reporter also described how last weekend St Helens motorists had been making the most of the old petrol prices.
In Denis Healey's recent budget the Chancellor of the Exchequer had increased VAT by what was described as a "massive" 8½p.
But the increase had only kicked in at the start of this week and so many motorists had in the days before been filling up their tanks.
The new Heron service station on Prescot Road said that demand over the weekend had been "colossal" and Peter Glover, the General Manager of McLean and Appleton, also reported a big increase.
Mr Glover added that it was too early to tell what the demand for petrol would be in the coming weeks, but thought it would likely be reduced:
"I think people are going to think twice about taking the car down to the shop on the corner – it's so expensive now."
The Reporter provided detailed information on how readers could make more efficient use of the petrol in their tank – mainly by lowering their speed and keeping their vehicle steady in top gear if possible.
Haydock Male Voice Choir had an LP record set for release in a fortnight and the Reporter wrote that orders for 'Haydock Sings' were already pouring in.
Also in the paper the Sefton Arms in Baldwin Street was advertising their traditional Christmas dinner – for £1.50!
Their festive fare was now available at lunchtime and would continue throughout December.
And the Prescot Karate School was advertising their beginners' course to learn "the fighting art of Japan" with enrolment taking place at St John's Hall in Prescot's High Street.
On the 23rd the fourth annual festival of Highland dancing was held.
The venue was Rainford Village Hall and the British Association of Teachers of Dancing sponsored the event.
And finally, it was all change at the town's two cinemas on the 24th.
At the ABC Savoy, there was a double-header featuring a drama film called 'Sunshine' and George Hamilton in 'Evel Knievel', which replaced 'The Con Man And The Kung Fu Kid'.
And the Capitol Cinema replaced Roger Moore in the adventure thriller 'Gold' with 'Dillinger', starring Warren Oates.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the disturbing dossier on living conditions in St Helens, Pilks' plans to build a factory at Greengate in Ravenhead, the St Helens Show's Western theme and the start of nursery provision at St Helens schools.