FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 22 - 28 APRIL 1974
This week's many stories include the death of a St Helens-born atom bomb scientist, the sentencing of a group of schoolboy rapists, the help for illiterate folk in St Helens, the excruciatingly funny Sam Shed, Stuart Hall judges a beauty contest in Rainford, the weekend racket in Rainhill and the menswear boutique in St Mary's Arcade controversially showing erotic film slides of female nudes.
We begin on the 22nd when resurfacing began on a section of the East Lancashire Road. The long-promised work caused the Manchester-bound carriageway near the Windle Island traffic lights to be closed, which created problems for a petrol station on the wrong side of the road.
A curious article in the Liverpool Echo on the 22nd began: "Uri Geller is the agent for beings from outer space who are planning a mass landing on earth in the next few years, his biographer claims today." Next to the piece was a review of George Melly's new late night chat show on Granada TV that included the "St Helens wag and jazz singer, Sam Shed". Critic Derrick Hill wrote: "And in Shed, Melly seems to have unearthed a real rough diamond – an excruciatingly funny man, and a fair singer too. If this is the last we see of Sam Shed, I shall be very surprised."
It looks as if St Helens bears some responsibility for the development of the atom bomb. The St Helens Newspaper wrote on the 23rd: "St. Helens-born Sir Hugh Taylor, who won fame in the scientific world with an important chemical discovery in the development of atom bombs, has died in Princeton, USA, aged 84. Sir Hugh, one of a family of seven, lived in Windle Street and went to Lowe House Boys School in Halefield Street, before going to Cowley Boys. His father, James Taylor, was chief chemist at Pilkington's."
On the 23rd Scottish folk singers Jimmie Macgregor and Robin Hall performed in the Crystal Suite at the Fleece Hotel in St Helens (pictured above).
In 1970 the St Helens Council of Social Service had revealed that some people in St Helens were completely illiterate. However, the organisation did not know how many such individuals there were in the town as people were too embarrassed to admit their illiteracy. Then in 1973 the Reporter described how "secret" classes were going to be organised to "free illiterate people from the anguish of being unable to read or write". Volunteers were being recruited to teach adults to read and write in their own homes.
On the 24th the Echo reported that the St Helens Libraries Committee was to spend £300 (about £5,000 in today's money) on providing special books to help adults who could not read or who had difficulty in reading well. Two members of the library's staff specialised in supporting those with literacy issues. Jennifer Mawdsley was mentioned as a voluntary tutor to the illiterate at St Helens College and another member of the library staff was at present on a course in London studying the problems of people who could not read.
A dreadful story of a rape that had been committed by a gang of St Helens schoolboys was told in Liverpool Crown Court on the 25th. The 24-year-old woman was attacked while walking her dog by a wooded area near the East Lancs. The prosecutor told the court that the four boys aged between 14 and 16 had thrown their victim to the ground, pulled off her clothes and raped her. The judge said: "There are no mitigating circumstances in the case. You have each raped or assisted in the rape of a defenceless woman who was struggling and screaming and crying throughout and left her in a state of utter distress."
One of the lads had said to the young woman, "If you don't shut up we will stab you." Her ordeal was only ended after two men approached, causing her attackers to flee. Partially clothed and severely distressed, she had staggered towards the men and after dropping to the ground said: "Help me, I have been attacked." Three of the lads received four years detention and a fourth was committed to borstal. A fifth from Pocket Nook pleaded not guilty and was sent for trial.
On the 25th Silcock's returned to what was then known as the Queen's Recreational Park for an "amusement fair" that lasted four days.
Last year I wrote this: "On December 1st Dave Lee Travis signed over 300 autographs when he opened a new branch of the Countdown “man's shop” in St Mary's Precinct in St Helens. The Radio 1 DJ arrived at the boutique after what was described as a “lightning tour” of the town in an 1932 Austin Seven. The Reporter in its preview wrote:
"“Dave will then introduce the Top Ten and play them to fans inside and outside the shop, where there will be loudspeakers so that everyone can join in the fun. Well-dressed men of all age groups, and from all walks of life will welcome the opening of the new boutique. For owner Dave Halliwell, 29, who runs a similar boutique in Wigan, plans to cater for everyone.”"
Back to this week and the Reporter described on the 26th how a seven-strong group of councillors had marched into the Countdown shop to confront its manager. That was after complaints had been received that the menswear boutique had been showing, as the paper put it, "erotic film slides of female nudes". Cllr Joe Mulcrow had led the party of censors and said of the offending slides: "They have got nothing to do with selling clothes. They wouldn't even qualify for an X certificate."
The Reporter said the councillors spent ten minutes staring through the doors of the store, "as lurid pictures – interspersed with harmless clothing promotion photos – were projected on to a wall screen." Then they went to see the boutique's manager, Ian Sharrock, and asked him what the connection was between the pictures and the clothing that he was selling. To that the 20-year-old admitted, "Nothing, really."
Dennis Collins was one of the party of councillors and told the Reporter: "Personally it doesn't offend me, but I don't think these pictures should be where children can see them." And Cllr Gordon Roberts said: "If these were used to get people to come in and buy clothes, then I think it was in bad taste." The shop manager Ian Sharrock told the paper: "Everyone who comes in here points them out to their mates – there's not one person who has complained. They all have a laugh about it. One or two of them are going a bit too far. When we get elderly people in here I feel embarrassed about it and turn the projector off."
The owner of the shop, Dave Halliwell, commented: "I agree that one or two of them were a bit too strong, but I don't think it does a kid any harm. To me it's natural, and the more they're exposed to it the less they tend to be perverted." Cllr Joe Mulcrow said he had been shocked when he saw the pictures but Mr Sharrock had given him a promise that no more nude photos would be shown. The young manager had told him that he would try and find some harmless images of mountain scenery to use instead.
Some of the residents of Rainhill were up in arms this week over loud music being played in the village hall at the weekend. An extension to the building was said to have made matters much worse with Margaret Griffiths of Derwent Close telling the Reporter: "Now that the extension is in full swing the noise is unbearable."
The problem was blamed on groups and disco DJs bringing in their own amplifiers that were too powerful for the building. The village hall's management committee said they sympathised with the residents and hoped to be able to install their own sound system soon, which everyone hiring the hall would be obliged to use. That, it was hoped, would resolve the issue.
And finally, Stuart Hall headed the judging panel for the "Miss Foster ‘74 Personality Girl Competition" on the 27th. Also on the judging panel in Rainford Village Hall, as well as the now disgraced TV star, were Saints captain Kel Coslett, former Miss Great Britain Wendy George and model Patricia Labone, the wife of former Everton player Brian Labone. The event was organised by the Foster group of companies in Rainford and there were 12 entrants for the title.
St Helens Reporter and Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the suicide attempt in Carr Mill Dam, the storm over plans to demolish 139 houses in Rainford and Crank, St Helens police's car parking conundrum and the eggstraordinary deposit at Barclays Bank.
We begin on the 22nd when resurfacing began on a section of the East Lancashire Road. The long-promised work caused the Manchester-bound carriageway near the Windle Island traffic lights to be closed, which created problems for a petrol station on the wrong side of the road.
A curious article in the Liverpool Echo on the 22nd began: "Uri Geller is the agent for beings from outer space who are planning a mass landing on earth in the next few years, his biographer claims today." Next to the piece was a review of George Melly's new late night chat show on Granada TV that included the "St Helens wag and jazz singer, Sam Shed". Critic Derrick Hill wrote: "And in Shed, Melly seems to have unearthed a real rough diamond – an excruciatingly funny man, and a fair singer too. If this is the last we see of Sam Shed, I shall be very surprised."
It looks as if St Helens bears some responsibility for the development of the atom bomb. The St Helens Newspaper wrote on the 23rd: "St. Helens-born Sir Hugh Taylor, who won fame in the scientific world with an important chemical discovery in the development of atom bombs, has died in Princeton, USA, aged 84. Sir Hugh, one of a family of seven, lived in Windle Street and went to Lowe House Boys School in Halefield Street, before going to Cowley Boys. His father, James Taylor, was chief chemist at Pilkington's."
In 1970 the St Helens Council of Social Service had revealed that some people in St Helens were completely illiterate. However, the organisation did not know how many such individuals there were in the town as people were too embarrassed to admit their illiteracy. Then in 1973 the Reporter described how "secret" classes were going to be organised to "free illiterate people from the anguish of being unable to read or write". Volunteers were being recruited to teach adults to read and write in their own homes.
On the 24th the Echo reported that the St Helens Libraries Committee was to spend £300 (about £5,000 in today's money) on providing special books to help adults who could not read or who had difficulty in reading well. Two members of the library's staff specialised in supporting those with literacy issues. Jennifer Mawdsley was mentioned as a voluntary tutor to the illiterate at St Helens College and another member of the library staff was at present on a course in London studying the problems of people who could not read.
A dreadful story of a rape that had been committed by a gang of St Helens schoolboys was told in Liverpool Crown Court on the 25th. The 24-year-old woman was attacked while walking her dog by a wooded area near the East Lancs. The prosecutor told the court that the four boys aged between 14 and 16 had thrown their victim to the ground, pulled off her clothes and raped her. The judge said: "There are no mitigating circumstances in the case. You have each raped or assisted in the rape of a defenceless woman who was struggling and screaming and crying throughout and left her in a state of utter distress."
One of the lads had said to the young woman, "If you don't shut up we will stab you." Her ordeal was only ended after two men approached, causing her attackers to flee. Partially clothed and severely distressed, she had staggered towards the men and after dropping to the ground said: "Help me, I have been attacked." Three of the lads received four years detention and a fourth was committed to borstal. A fifth from Pocket Nook pleaded not guilty and was sent for trial.
On the 25th Silcock's returned to what was then known as the Queen's Recreational Park for an "amusement fair" that lasted four days.
Last year I wrote this: "On December 1st Dave Lee Travis signed over 300 autographs when he opened a new branch of the Countdown “man's shop” in St Mary's Precinct in St Helens. The Radio 1 DJ arrived at the boutique after what was described as a “lightning tour” of the town in an 1932 Austin Seven. The Reporter in its preview wrote:
"“Dave will then introduce the Top Ten and play them to fans inside and outside the shop, where there will be loudspeakers so that everyone can join in the fun. Well-dressed men of all age groups, and from all walks of life will welcome the opening of the new boutique. For owner Dave Halliwell, 29, who runs a similar boutique in Wigan, plans to cater for everyone.”"
Back to this week and the Reporter described on the 26th how a seven-strong group of councillors had marched into the Countdown shop to confront its manager. That was after complaints had been received that the menswear boutique had been showing, as the paper put it, "erotic film slides of female nudes". Cllr Joe Mulcrow had led the party of censors and said of the offending slides: "They have got nothing to do with selling clothes. They wouldn't even qualify for an X certificate."
The Reporter said the councillors spent ten minutes staring through the doors of the store, "as lurid pictures – interspersed with harmless clothing promotion photos – were projected on to a wall screen." Then they went to see the boutique's manager, Ian Sharrock, and asked him what the connection was between the pictures and the clothing that he was selling. To that the 20-year-old admitted, "Nothing, really."
Dennis Collins was one of the party of councillors and told the Reporter: "Personally it doesn't offend me, but I don't think these pictures should be where children can see them." And Cllr Gordon Roberts said: "If these were used to get people to come in and buy clothes, then I think it was in bad taste." The shop manager Ian Sharrock told the paper: "Everyone who comes in here points them out to their mates – there's not one person who has complained. They all have a laugh about it. One or two of them are going a bit too far. When we get elderly people in here I feel embarrassed about it and turn the projector off."
The owner of the shop, Dave Halliwell, commented: "I agree that one or two of them were a bit too strong, but I don't think it does a kid any harm. To me it's natural, and the more they're exposed to it the less they tend to be perverted." Cllr Joe Mulcrow said he had been shocked when he saw the pictures but Mr Sharrock had given him a promise that no more nude photos would be shown. The young manager had told him that he would try and find some harmless images of mountain scenery to use instead.
Some of the residents of Rainhill were up in arms this week over loud music being played in the village hall at the weekend. An extension to the building was said to have made matters much worse with Margaret Griffiths of Derwent Close telling the Reporter: "Now that the extension is in full swing the noise is unbearable."
The problem was blamed on groups and disco DJs bringing in their own amplifiers that were too powerful for the building. The village hall's management committee said they sympathised with the residents and hoped to be able to install their own sound system soon, which everyone hiring the hall would be obliged to use. That, it was hoped, would resolve the issue.
And finally, Stuart Hall headed the judging panel for the "Miss Foster ‘74 Personality Girl Competition" on the 27th. Also on the judging panel in Rainford Village Hall, as well as the now disgraced TV star, were Saints captain Kel Coslett, former Miss Great Britain Wendy George and model Patricia Labone, the wife of former Everton player Brian Labone. The event was organised by the Foster group of companies in Rainford and there were 12 entrants for the title.
St Helens Reporter and Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the suicide attempt in Carr Mill Dam, the storm over plans to demolish 139 houses in Rainford and Crank, St Helens police's car parking conundrum and the eggstraordinary deposit at Barclays Bank.
This week's many stories include the death of a St Helens-born atom bomb scientist, the sentencing of a group of schoolboy rapists, the help for illiterate folk in St Helens, the excruciatingly funny Sam Shed, Stuart Hall judges a beauty contest in Rainford, the weekend racket in Rainhill and the menswear boutique in St Mary's Arcade controversially showing erotic film slides of female nudes.
We begin on the 22nd when resurfacing began on a section of the East Lancashire Road. The long-promised work caused the Manchester-bound carriageway near the Windle Island traffic lights to be closed, which created problems for a petrol station on the wrong side of the road.
A curious article in the Liverpool Echo on the 22nd began: "Uri Geller is the agent for beings from outer space who are planning a mass landing on earth in the next few years, his biographer claims today." Next to the piece was a review of George Melly's new late night chat show on Granada TV that included the "St Helens wag and jazz singer, Sam Shed". Critic Derrick Hill wrote: "And in Shed, Melly seems to have unearthed a real rough diamond – an excruciatingly funny man, and a fair singer too. If this is the last we see of Sam Shed, I shall be very surprised."
It looks as if St Helens bears some responsibility for the development of the atom bomb. The St Helens Newspaper wrote on the 23rd: "St. Helens-born Sir Hugh Taylor, who won fame in the scientific world with an important chemical discovery in the development of atom bombs, has died in Princeton, USA, aged 84. Sir Hugh, one of a family of seven, lived in Windle Street and went to Lowe House Boys School in Halefield Street, before going to Cowley Boys. His father, James Taylor, was chief chemist at Pilkington's."
On the 23rd Scottish folk singers Jimmie Macgregor and Robin Hall performed in the Crystal Suite at the Fleece Hotel in St Helens (pictured above).
In 1970 the St Helens Council of Social Service had revealed that some people in St Helens were completely illiterate. However, the organisation did not know how many such individuals there were in the town as people were too embarrassed to admit their illiteracy. Then in 1973 the Reporter described how "secret" classes were going to be organised to "free illiterate people from the anguish of being unable to read or write". Volunteers were being recruited to teach adults to read and write in their own homes.
On the 24th the Echo reported that the St Helens Libraries Committee was to spend £300 (about £5,000 in today's money) on providing special books to help adults who could not read or who had difficulty in reading well. Two members of the library's staff specialised in supporting those with literacy issues. Jennifer Mawdsley was mentioned as a voluntary tutor to the illiterate at St Helens College and another member of the library staff was at present on a course in London studying the problems of people who could not read.
A dreadful story of a rape that had been committed by a gang of St Helens schoolboys was told in Liverpool Crown Court on the 25th. The 24-year-old woman was attacked while walking her dog by a wooded area near the East Lancs. The prosecutor told the court that the four boys aged between 14 and 16 had thrown their victim to the ground, pulled off her clothes and raped her. The judge said: "There are no mitigating circumstances in the case. You have each raped or assisted in the rape of a defenceless woman who was struggling and screaming and crying throughout and left her in a state of utter distress."
One of the lads had said to the young woman, "If you don't shut up we will stab you." Her ordeal was only ended after two men approached, causing her attackers to flee. Partially clothed and severely distressed, she had staggered towards the men and after dropping to the ground said: "Help me, I have been attacked." Three of the lads received four years detention and a fourth was committed to borstal. A fifth from Pocket Nook pleaded not guilty and was sent for trial.
On the 25th Silcock's returned to what was then known as the Queen's Recreational Park for an "amusement fair" that lasted four days.
Last year I wrote this: "On December 1st Dave Lee Travis signed over 300 autographs when he opened a new branch of the Countdown “man's shop” in St Mary's Precinct in St Helens. The Radio 1 DJ arrived at the boutique after what was described as a “lightning tour” of the town in an 1932 Austin Seven. The Reporter in its preview wrote:
"“Dave will then introduce the Top Ten and play them to fans inside and outside the shop, where there will be loudspeakers so that everyone can join in the fun. Well-dressed men of all age groups, and from all walks of life will welcome the opening of the new boutique. For owner Dave Halliwell, 29, who runs a similar boutique in Wigan, plans to cater for everyone.”"
Back to this week and the Reporter described on the 26th how a seven-strong group of councillors had marched into the Countdown shop to confront its manager. That was after complaints had been received that the menswear boutique had been showing, as the paper put it, "erotic film slides of female nudes". Cllr Joe Mulcrow had led the party of censors and said of the offending slides: "They have got nothing to do with selling clothes. They wouldn't even qualify for an X certificate."
The Reporter said the councillors spent ten minutes staring through the doors of the store, "as lurid pictures – interspersed with harmless clothing promotion photos – were projected on to a wall screen." Then they went to see the boutique's manager, Ian Sharrock, and asked him what the connection was between the pictures and the clothing that he was selling. To that the 20-year-old admitted, "Nothing, really."
Dennis Collins was one of the party of councillors and told the Reporter: "Personally it doesn't offend me, but I don't think these pictures should be where children can see them." And Cllr Gordon Roberts said: "If these were used to get people to come in and buy clothes, then I think it was in bad taste." The shop manager Ian Sharrock told the paper: "Everyone who comes in here points them out to their mates – there's not one person who has complained. They all have a laugh about it. One or two of them are going a bit too far. When we get elderly people in here I feel embarrassed about it and turn the projector off."
The owner of the shop, Dave Halliwell, commented: "I agree that one or two of them were a bit too strong, but I don't think it does a kid any harm. To me it's natural, and the more they're exposed to it the less they tend to be perverted." Cllr Joe Mulcrow said he had been shocked when he saw the pictures but Mr Sharrock had given him a promise that no more nude photos would be shown. The young manager had told him that he would try and find some harmless images of mountain scenery to use instead.
Some of the residents of Rainhill were up in arms this week over loud music being played in the village hall at the weekend. An extension to the building was said to have made matters much worse with Margaret Griffiths of Derwent Close telling the Reporter: "Now that the extension is in full swing the noise is unbearable."
The problem was blamed on groups and disco DJs bringing in their own amplifiers that were too powerful for the building. The village hall's management committee said they sympathised with the residents and hoped to be able to install their own sound system soon, which everyone hiring the hall would be obliged to use. That, it was hoped, would resolve the issue.
And finally, Stuart Hall headed the judging panel for the "Miss Foster ‘74 Personality Girl Competition" on the 27th. Also on the judging panel in Rainford Village Hall, as well as the now disgraced TV star, were Saints captain Kel Coslett, former Miss Great Britain Wendy George and model Patricia Labone, the wife of former Everton player Brian Labone. The event was organised by the Foster group of companies in Rainford and there were 12 entrants for the title.
St Helens Reporter and Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the suicide attempt in Carr Mill Dam, the storm over plans to demolish 139 houses in Rainford and Crank, St Helens police's car parking conundrum and the eggstraordinary deposit at Barclays Bank.
We begin on the 22nd when resurfacing began on a section of the East Lancashire Road. The long-promised work caused the Manchester-bound carriageway near the Windle Island traffic lights to be closed, which created problems for a petrol station on the wrong side of the road.
A curious article in the Liverpool Echo on the 22nd began: "Uri Geller is the agent for beings from outer space who are planning a mass landing on earth in the next few years, his biographer claims today." Next to the piece was a review of George Melly's new late night chat show on Granada TV that included the "St Helens wag and jazz singer, Sam Shed". Critic Derrick Hill wrote: "And in Shed, Melly seems to have unearthed a real rough diamond – an excruciatingly funny man, and a fair singer too. If this is the last we see of Sam Shed, I shall be very surprised."
It looks as if St Helens bears some responsibility for the development of the atom bomb. The St Helens Newspaper wrote on the 23rd: "St. Helens-born Sir Hugh Taylor, who won fame in the scientific world with an important chemical discovery in the development of atom bombs, has died in Princeton, USA, aged 84. Sir Hugh, one of a family of seven, lived in Windle Street and went to Lowe House Boys School in Halefield Street, before going to Cowley Boys. His father, James Taylor, was chief chemist at Pilkington's."
In 1970 the St Helens Council of Social Service had revealed that some people in St Helens were completely illiterate. However, the organisation did not know how many such individuals there were in the town as people were too embarrassed to admit their illiteracy. Then in 1973 the Reporter described how "secret" classes were going to be organised to "free illiterate people from the anguish of being unable to read or write". Volunteers were being recruited to teach adults to read and write in their own homes.
On the 24th the Echo reported that the St Helens Libraries Committee was to spend £300 (about £5,000 in today's money) on providing special books to help adults who could not read or who had difficulty in reading well. Two members of the library's staff specialised in supporting those with literacy issues. Jennifer Mawdsley was mentioned as a voluntary tutor to the illiterate at St Helens College and another member of the library staff was at present on a course in London studying the problems of people who could not read.
A dreadful story of a rape that had been committed by a gang of St Helens schoolboys was told in Liverpool Crown Court on the 25th. The 24-year-old woman was attacked while walking her dog by a wooded area near the East Lancs. The prosecutor told the court that the four boys aged between 14 and 16 had thrown their victim to the ground, pulled off her clothes and raped her. The judge said: "There are no mitigating circumstances in the case. You have each raped or assisted in the rape of a defenceless woman who was struggling and screaming and crying throughout and left her in a state of utter distress."
One of the lads had said to the young woman, "If you don't shut up we will stab you." Her ordeal was only ended after two men approached, causing her attackers to flee. Partially clothed and severely distressed, she had staggered towards the men and after dropping to the ground said: "Help me, I have been attacked." Three of the lads received four years detention and a fourth was committed to borstal. A fifth from Pocket Nook pleaded not guilty and was sent for trial.
On the 25th Silcock's returned to what was then known as the Queen's Recreational Park for an "amusement fair" that lasted four days.
Last year I wrote this: "On December 1st Dave Lee Travis signed over 300 autographs when he opened a new branch of the Countdown “man's shop” in St Mary's Precinct in St Helens. The Radio 1 DJ arrived at the boutique after what was described as a “lightning tour” of the town in an 1932 Austin Seven. The Reporter in its preview wrote:
"“Dave will then introduce the Top Ten and play them to fans inside and outside the shop, where there will be loudspeakers so that everyone can join in the fun. Well-dressed men of all age groups, and from all walks of life will welcome the opening of the new boutique. For owner Dave Halliwell, 29, who runs a similar boutique in Wigan, plans to cater for everyone.”"
Back to this week and the Reporter described on the 26th how a seven-strong group of councillors had marched into the Countdown shop to confront its manager. That was after complaints had been received that the menswear boutique had been showing, as the paper put it, "erotic film slides of female nudes". Cllr Joe Mulcrow had led the party of censors and said of the offending slides: "They have got nothing to do with selling clothes. They wouldn't even qualify for an X certificate."
The Reporter said the councillors spent ten minutes staring through the doors of the store, "as lurid pictures – interspersed with harmless clothing promotion photos – were projected on to a wall screen." Then they went to see the boutique's manager, Ian Sharrock, and asked him what the connection was between the pictures and the clothing that he was selling. To that the 20-year-old admitted, "Nothing, really."
Dennis Collins was one of the party of councillors and told the Reporter: "Personally it doesn't offend me, but I don't think these pictures should be where children can see them." And Cllr Gordon Roberts said: "If these were used to get people to come in and buy clothes, then I think it was in bad taste." The shop manager Ian Sharrock told the paper: "Everyone who comes in here points them out to their mates – there's not one person who has complained. They all have a laugh about it. One or two of them are going a bit too far. When we get elderly people in here I feel embarrassed about it and turn the projector off."
The owner of the shop, Dave Halliwell, commented: "I agree that one or two of them were a bit too strong, but I don't think it does a kid any harm. To me it's natural, and the more they're exposed to it the less they tend to be perverted." Cllr Joe Mulcrow said he had been shocked when he saw the pictures but Mr Sharrock had given him a promise that no more nude photos would be shown. The young manager had told him that he would try and find some harmless images of mountain scenery to use instead.
Some of the residents of Rainhill were up in arms this week over loud music being played in the village hall at the weekend. An extension to the building was said to have made matters much worse with Margaret Griffiths of Derwent Close telling the Reporter: "Now that the extension is in full swing the noise is unbearable."
The problem was blamed on groups and disco DJs bringing in their own amplifiers that were too powerful for the building. The village hall's management committee said they sympathised with the residents and hoped to be able to install their own sound system soon, which everyone hiring the hall would be obliged to use. That, it was hoped, would resolve the issue.
And finally, Stuart Hall headed the judging panel for the "Miss Foster ‘74 Personality Girl Competition" on the 27th. Also on the judging panel in Rainford Village Hall, as well as the now disgraced TV star, were Saints captain Kel Coslett, former Miss Great Britain Wendy George and model Patricia Labone, the wife of former Everton player Brian Labone. The event was organised by the Foster group of companies in Rainford and there were 12 entrants for the title.
St Helens Reporter and Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the suicide attempt in Carr Mill Dam, the storm over plans to demolish 139 houses in Rainford and Crank, St Helens police's car parking conundrum and the eggstraordinary deposit at Barclays Bank.