St Helens History This Week

Bringing History to Life from 50, 100 and 150 Years Ago!

Bringing History to Life from 50, 100 and 150 Years Ago!

ST HELENS 50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
This page is a series of weekly articles that describe llfe in the Lancashire town in the 1970s and which are updated every Sunday morning.
50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
This page is a series of weekly articles that describe llfe in St Helens in Lancashire in the 1970s and which are updated every Sunday morning.
Helena House Summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (16th - 22nd MAY 1972)

This week's 17 stories include another arson attack on the Four Acre estate, a Labour alderman is sacked as party leader for being too old, a claim that 999 calls were receiving the engaged tone, Lady Pilkington refutes criticism of getting over-excited in the Royal Box at Wembley, the St Helens MP claims VAT on tickets would kill off rugby league and why a zebra crossing in Haydock was considered a safety hazard.
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Hijacked Plane Summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (9th - 15th MAY 1972)

This week's stories include the unexploded bomb that was found in St Helens Canal, the busman's holiday operation to take stranded Saints fans to Wembley, the ending of the Linpac Plastics sit-in, the three schoolboy crime fighters, the St Helens-born woman involved in a terrorist hijack, victory for the residents of Green End Road and concern that coin-operated gas meters in St Helens were attracting robbers.
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Bold Colliery summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (2nd - 8th MAY 1972)

This week's stories include the Four Acre arson attack that had destroyed two newly built homes, the cruel battering to death of a school pet in Parr, the vandalism of a new Peasley Cross antique shop, the friendless patients at Rainhill Hospital that never received visits, the colour television-winning Bold Colliery pitmen and a Sutton firm threatens to leave the town after St Helens Council chooses to reject its expansion plans.
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St Helens College summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (25th APRIL - 1st MAY 1972)

This week's many stories include the thin Rag Week at St Helens College, the shocking vandalism of newly-built Park Road homes, Providence Hospital reaches its fundraising target, the travel options that were available for Saints' fans to get to Wembley, the angry Rainhill mad-mile mothers return to the news and the St Helens Corporation double-decker buses that were destined to carry American tourists in Canada.
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Sparky summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (18th - 24th APRIL 1972)

This week's many stories include the trouble with skinheads in Thatto Heath, the St Helens Fire Brigade decide to retain their four white fire engines, Sparky the parrot gets the bird from the members of West Sutton Labour Club, anglers fight plans to fill in six miles of the St Helens / Sankey Canal and the nine bar staff at St Joseph's social club in Peasley Cross all get the sack because its committee wanted a clean sweep.
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Windle Hall summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (11th - 17th APRIL 1972)

This week's stories include the Nutgrove boy who saved two pups from drowning, the daring post office robbery in Higher Parr Street, St Helens Park Rangers are set to receive Alsatian guard dogs, the single-decker bus joke in Kings Moss, the sudden drop in the St Helens birth rate, the Duke Street shopkeeper forced to retire after five break-ins and the novel fundraising to send a Cowley rugby team to Argentina.
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Sidac ads summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (4th - 10th APRIL 1972)

This week's stories include the topsy-turvy town of St Helens that didn't give a damn about dogs, Sidac warns that the Stinky Brook would be getting stinkier, the winner of Pilks most glamorous Mrs Mopp contest is announced, Rainhill Hospital conducts a review after three deaths in three months, an All Star XI play at Hoghton Road and the book printed in St Helens that cost up to £3,000 to buy in today's money.
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Love Bug poster summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (28th MARCH - 3rd APRIL 1972)

This week's many stories include the vandalising of a new Haydock canal safety bridge, Saints are furious with the Rugby League for turning down their loan application, St Helens is claimed to have the worst lung cancer rate in the world, Heaton's Transport take a trade union to court, the genesis of the creation of the Siding Lane Nature Reserve in Rainford and why Hammy the hamster had to vacate Bleak Hill Road.
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Beth Avenue summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (21st - 27th MARCH 1972)

This week's stories include the new super-loos being built in St Helens, the jet age grannie of Carnegie Crescent, Alan Whalley dubs Beth Avenue houses "Downtown Morocco", the crossing danger of Elton Head Road, the death of John Molyneux VC, the terrified old lady of Somerset Street that kids called Old Nanny Grunt and the Government tells the town to put its house in order before complaining about pollution.
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Green Shield stamps

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (14th - 20th MARCH 1972)

This week's stories include the pain-crazed dog that ran along the East Lancs with a rabbit trap on its leg, Parr is dubbed the dustbin of the town, a modernisation scheme for old council homes is announced, a Green Shield Stamps advertising feature is in the Reporter, the bizarre personal questions that were asked of job applicants by Linpac Plastics and the lucky lad that fell off a Sutton railway bridge late at night.
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Parr Stocks Fire Station St Helens

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (7th - 13th MARCH 1972)

This week's nineteen stories include Pilkingtons' shock announcement of a glass tank closure at their Grove Street sheetworks, the expansion of one-man buses in St Helens, a campaign for more newspaper sellers in Rainford, a Down Your Way advertising feature in the Reporter, the dangerous Dorothy Street dump, the Duke of Edinburgh plans to come to St Helens but Queen Mary's reign in Taylor Park comes to an end.
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