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.
Alastair Pilkington summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (24th FEB. - 1st MARCH 1970)

This week's many stories include fury over the pirate taxi drivers on the streets of St Helens, the fish invaders who were annoying the council in Sutton Manor, the prayer books that had been stolen from Lowe House church, the battle of Billinge Hill between councillors and a quarrying firm, the woman who dubbed the town dilapidated, miserable and a dump and an advertising feature on the shops in Westfield Street.
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Dubliners summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (17th - 23rd FEBRUARY 1970)

This week's stories include the overnight snow that caused chaos in St Helens, the scandal of the Crab Street child gamblers, the troublesome teenagers leaving Moss Lane dances, the Transport Department's new social club in Tolver Street, Lord Pilkington calls for industrial harmony, there's news on the town centre redevelopment plans and a councillor and the Dean of St Helens complain about a "sex by post" book.
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Bold colliery summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (10th - 16th FEBRUARY 1970)

This week's stories include the first ever strike at Stoves cooker factory in Rainhill, the opening of the new Prescot Bypass, a street in Parr is labelled "squalor row", a profile of the telephonists employed at the St Helens Telephone Exchange, a Clock Face couple's terror of a giant crane, the "wonder-wards" planned for Rainhill Hospital, the ABC Minors Club at the Capitol and the record-breaking Bold Colliery.
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Television Toppers summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (3rd - 9th FEBRUARY 1970)

This week's many stories include vandalism at Allanson Street School, a new maternity unit for Whiston Hospital, what St Helens' folk thought of Valentines, a rent rise for council house tenants, support for the proposed Sherdley Road gipsy camp, a group of "gorgeous dollies" visit the Pilkington Glass Museum, the Reporter profiles conductresses on St Helens' buses and the new Century House is ready for occupation.
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St Helens Town Hall summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (27th JAN. - 2nd FEB. 1970)

This week's stories include a naked prowler in Thatto Heath, what St Helens' women thought of the Pill, a campaign against plans to set up a permanent gipsy camp off Sherdley Road, Blaster Bates is back in town, snooker champion John Spencer plays at Lowe House, a big increase in telephone subscribers, the new Friendly Club for over 40s and criticism of the police Panda car system as a crime wave hits the town.
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Boundary Road baths summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (20th - 26th JANUARY 1970)

This week's stories include the trainee engineer dolly girls at Pilkingtons, the abusive phone calls over bin collections that the Corporation's cleansing superintendent received, the wall of silence between neighbours in St Helens Road, the new industrial estate in Rainford, there’s criticism of the state of Newton Road and Provident Street and a dispute over the building of new homes on green space in Parr.
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Poachers summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (13th - 19th JANUARY 1970)

This week's stories include a raid on a Higher Parr Street post office, the flood of funerals in St Helens, the Reporter's new Spot Ball competition, two smash and grab raids in St Helens, the Thatto Heath clinic that was riddled with air raid shelters, Rainford plans to revive its village carnival, fears that the bus driver shortage in the town would worsen and the "rocket gantry" that was towering over Sutton.
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Sidac summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (6th - 12th JANUARY 1970)

This week's many stories include the shortage of doctors in St Helens, the dispute between the council and the National Coal Board over a slag heap, the man who head-butted a policeman in a St Helens court, Saints' experimental measures to combat frost, work is scheduled to start on the town centre redevelopment and British Sidac is accused of leading the council up the garden path with their sulphuric acid plant.
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Church Street summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (30th DEC. 1969 - 5th JAN. 1970)

This week's 22 stories include the increasing number of pets that were put down after Christmas, the London woman who asked St Helens Police to buy her a pie, the Alsatian guard dog in Walkers Lane that was a friendly witness to a burglary, how cleaners averted a serious fire at St Alban's school, a robbery at Duggie Greenall's pub and Pilkingtons create a mechanical housewife to study the long-term wear on glass.
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Rockware Glass summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (23rd - 29th DECEMBER 1969)

This week's stories include the toy doctor from Nutgrove who repaired thrown away and broken toys, Saints sensational Boxing Day victory over Wigan, Jack Nevin's "drop-a-line-to Santa" campaign, a new shopping precinct for Fingerpost, the dark and dangerous mornings in Walkers Lane in Sutton Manor, the "one trip" beer bottles made by Rockware Glass and there is a special feature on New Year babies in the Reporter.
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St Helens bus summary

FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (16th - 22nd DECEMBER 1969)

This week's many stories include the Sutton Manor pitmen with "bombs" in their grates, the seas of mud in Haydock, a new policy for smoking on one-man buses, the move to a pedestrianised town centre, the many nativity plays and Christmas parties in St Helens, the heating of the planned Beth Avenue estate in Sutton and the opening of a new clubhouse in Ruskin Drive for Pilkingtons' women pensioners.
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