FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (6 - 12 NOVEMBER 1973)
This week's many stories include the storm over a proposed betting shop at the Black Bull, a Rainhill eyesore that was set to disappear, the first St Helens Star is published, the Silcock's fair that had voyeurism as an added attraction, the restoration work at Prescot's historic Parish Church and why local youngsters had difficulty following in the footsteps of Olga Korbut.
We begin with a busy week of diverse entertainment at the Theatre Royal. On the 6th the Corporation Street theatre hosted a Spanish dance company called Rafael Da Sevilla. Then on the 7th classical music enthusiasts could enjoy the English Concert Orchestra presenting 'Music of Strauss Family'. And then on the following evening the Liverpool band the Hillsiders returned for yet another country night. That was followed on the 9th with brass band music provided by Wingates Band and Besses o’ th Barn. And finally, on the 10th at the Theatre Royal there was comedy with Jimmy Edwards and Joan Turner, as well as the Eric Delany Band.
A big story in the St Helens Reporter this week described a campaign to stop a betting shop being installed in a pub car park. The fight was being led by the Rev Harry Chapman, the Vicar of St Luke's in Knowsley Road, whose church faced the Black Bull where the betting shop was going to be located. And it was the close proximity between the two that was the problem.
Rev Chapman feared that gamblers that lost on the horses might raid his church collection boxes, saying: "I don't see why we need another betting office near here – there are already enough in the area. There's practically nothing to stop people who have lost all their money trying to get cash from the offertory boxes to try and recover their losses on the next bet. The church is always open – and I don't want to close it."
Mr Chapman also claimed that the planned betting shop would increase the hazard to motorists on a bad corner. A number of local residents were also against the proposal, with Elaine Fairclough of Knowsley Road commenting: "Having a pub and a betting shop together is bound to be tempting to some people – especially with the Social Security offices down the road." And pensioner Wilf Luckett added: "We don't need it – and it's not right to put it right opposite a church."
However, the licensee of the Black Bull, Brian Whitley, disagreed, saying: "I don't really see what the objections are about. The betting shop will not be near the main road and 30 per cent of pubs in St. Helens have betting shops on their land already. But this has been a brewery decision – not mine."
He claimed that the vicar's fears of thefts were "ridiculous", adding: "There's a betting shop just up the road and I'm sure if this was going to happen it would have done so already." The betting shop at the rear of the Black Bull was ultimately approved and Ladbrokes still run it to this day.
The Reporter also described how "one of Rainhill's worst eyesores" would soon disappear when a number of derelict properties in Warrington Road were demolished. The two shops and a row of cottages opposite the Victoria Hotel were set to come down to make way for new shops as part of a redevelopment scheme. The site had been vacant for ten years and had become the target for vandals, with windows and boards smashed and slogans daubed on walls.
Another Reporter story concerned fans of Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut who became a household name in this country during the 1972 Olympic Games. Her performances had been inspirational – but according to the Reporter those inspired in the St Helens and Liverpool area had no one to teach them. Pauline Blore from Eccleston Park had brought the matter to the newspaper's attention. Her daughters Pamela (12) and Carolyn (9) wanted to follow in the footsteps of little Olga but their mother had searched high and low but could not find a teacher.
Mrs Blore said: "This sport is growing more popular and it's a pity there seems to be a shortage of instructors. Everyone seems very interested in the idea but no-one is actually teaching gymnastics." Lawrence McClemens of the St Helens YMCA echoed her comments: "There is a big interest in the sport and we would start a course tomorrow if we could. But you need a properly-qualified person for the job and there just doesn't seem to be enough of them."
Another article in the Reporter began: "Attractions at a fair in Prescot include birds-eye views of the Wilson family having tea and Megan Daley washing the dishes. "For residents in Brookside Close and Brookside Road have a fair literally at the bottom of their gardens – and they don't think it any fun at all." The problem was that some of Silcocks' rides allowed youngsters to look down on neighbouring houses and wave to people in them. Rose Wilson told the paper:
"At night my back bedroom's like a disco with flashing lights. My one-year-old daughter can't get to sleep because of them even with the curtains drawn." The Clerk to Prescot Council told the Reporter that Edward Silcock actually owned the land and did not need planning permission for his fair, as long as it was not held for more than 28 days in a year. Mr Silcock admitted to the paper that a couple of his rides had been badly sited, explaining: "The last thing we want to do is disturb the residents. I can promise them that if and when we come back those rides will be somewhere else."
The Reporter also described how restoration work at Prescot's historic Parish Church was now well underway. Masons had started work on the tower in August and repairs would soon be made to the chancel window. Interior decoration would also be undertaken and it was hoped that the first phase of the project would be finished by next June.
"Start Living, Start Dancing" had been the headline to a short ad published in the Reporter last year by Neil and Sandra McMahon. Describing themselves as "ex amateur champions" and "Come Dancing representatives", the pair had turned professional and they were starting dancing classes in Prescot Road.
In this week’s paper "Start Living, Start Dancing", was the headline to an ad from The Court. Courtenay Castle's dancing school had been in Prescot Road since 1969 and they were starting a new 12-week course for "absolute beginners". The dances taught included the waltz, quickstep, square tango, cha-cha, jive and what were described as party dances.
Hughie Molyneux and his wife Jo were pictured in the Reporter with a plaque of Horatio Nelson. The plaque had decorated the bar of the Lord Nelson Hotel in College Street that the couple had run for many years. Upon the pub's demolition in 1971 a customer had taken the plaque as a souvenir.
Hughie and Jo then spent two years running the Locomotive Inn in Ellamsbridge Road in Sutton – known locally as the Roundhouse – but the couple had since retired. However, customers of both the Nelson and the Locomotive had given them the plaque of Lord Nelson as a memento of their years in the licensed trade and it was now adorning their flat in Sutton.
On the 8th the St Helens Star published its very first edition, with no news! Its front page headline was: "No News Is Good News – For You!" and then began its first report with: "Good news for you, inasmuch as you now have a further local paper; a paper which will interest you with specialised articles on Fashion, Motoring, Gardening, Letters, etc. Good news because it will contain weekly competitions, all with prizes.
"No News, at least no local news however, will be published initially as this is not the aim of the publication. Items of controversial interest will appear – but only if these are submitted by YOU. In order to encourage this, we intend to publish your letters every week on any subject, but primarily dealing with local topics. Each letter published will win the writer 50p. The “Star” letter of the week will win £1.00."
The Star was then a black and white broadsheet with what was called spot colour. I believe the real reason that the paper had no news for some weeks was that they had next to no journalists!
The two-day St Helens Autumn Show opened on the 9th in the Town Hall. There were over 400 entries in the various categories, which included chrysanthemums, arts and crafts, cookery and domestic.
For some years Billinge Council and Joseph Pickavance Ltd had been at loggerheads and at one point in 1970 the Reporter dubbed their dispute "The Battle of Billinge Hill". The company had quarrying rights to the "lump" but they were often accused of creating a nuisance. This week Pickavances lost a court case in Liverpool in which they'd tried to stop two footpaths through a wood known as Billinge Plants being confirmed as rights of way.
On the 10th Helena House's Xmas Grotto opened in their Baldwin Street basement. Their advert in the Reporter said: "Santa Claus will be waiting to greet you after your thrilling ride on his magical traction engine. He has lovely gifts for boys and girls of all ages. Grotto in basement – toy fair first floor."
Also on the 10th, the Sutton Parish Winter Fair took place in the Parish Hall in New Street. A recently held sponsored walk had raised over £100 to help pay for the holding of the annual event.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the bogus Spina Bifida collectors in Parr, the Rockware open day for the families of grumpy workers, the traffic light delay in Rainhill and Currys, Martin Dawes and Lakeland Pennine all come to St Helens.
We begin with a busy week of diverse entertainment at the Theatre Royal. On the 6th the Corporation Street theatre hosted a Spanish dance company called Rafael Da Sevilla. Then on the 7th classical music enthusiasts could enjoy the English Concert Orchestra presenting 'Music of Strauss Family'. And then on the following evening the Liverpool band the Hillsiders returned for yet another country night. That was followed on the 9th with brass band music provided by Wingates Band and Besses o’ th Barn. And finally, on the 10th at the Theatre Royal there was comedy with Jimmy Edwards and Joan Turner, as well as the Eric Delany Band.
A big story in the St Helens Reporter this week described a campaign to stop a betting shop being installed in a pub car park. The fight was being led by the Rev Harry Chapman, the Vicar of St Luke's in Knowsley Road, whose church faced the Black Bull where the betting shop was going to be located. And it was the close proximity between the two that was the problem.
Rev Chapman feared that gamblers that lost on the horses might raid his church collection boxes, saying: "I don't see why we need another betting office near here – there are already enough in the area. There's practically nothing to stop people who have lost all their money trying to get cash from the offertory boxes to try and recover their losses on the next bet. The church is always open – and I don't want to close it."
Mr Chapman also claimed that the planned betting shop would increase the hazard to motorists on a bad corner. A number of local residents were also against the proposal, with Elaine Fairclough of Knowsley Road commenting: "Having a pub and a betting shop together is bound to be tempting to some people – especially with the Social Security offices down the road." And pensioner Wilf Luckett added: "We don't need it – and it's not right to put it right opposite a church."
However, the licensee of the Black Bull, Brian Whitley, disagreed, saying: "I don't really see what the objections are about. The betting shop will not be near the main road and 30 per cent of pubs in St. Helens have betting shops on their land already. But this has been a brewery decision – not mine."
He claimed that the vicar's fears of thefts were "ridiculous", adding: "There's a betting shop just up the road and I'm sure if this was going to happen it would have done so already." The betting shop at the rear of the Black Bull was ultimately approved and Ladbrokes still run it to this day.
The Reporter also described how "one of Rainhill's worst eyesores" would soon disappear when a number of derelict properties in Warrington Road were demolished. The two shops and a row of cottages opposite the Victoria Hotel were set to come down to make way for new shops as part of a redevelopment scheme. The site had been vacant for ten years and had become the target for vandals, with windows and boards smashed and slogans daubed on walls.
Another Reporter story concerned fans of Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut who became a household name in this country during the 1972 Olympic Games. Her performances had been inspirational – but according to the Reporter those inspired in the St Helens and Liverpool area had no one to teach them. Pauline Blore from Eccleston Park had brought the matter to the newspaper's attention. Her daughters Pamela (12) and Carolyn (9) wanted to follow in the footsteps of little Olga but their mother had searched high and low but could not find a teacher.
Mrs Blore said: "This sport is growing more popular and it's a pity there seems to be a shortage of instructors. Everyone seems very interested in the idea but no-one is actually teaching gymnastics." Lawrence McClemens of the St Helens YMCA echoed her comments: "There is a big interest in the sport and we would start a course tomorrow if we could. But you need a properly-qualified person for the job and there just doesn't seem to be enough of them."
Another article in the Reporter began: "Attractions at a fair in Prescot include birds-eye views of the Wilson family having tea and Megan Daley washing the dishes. "For residents in Brookside Close and Brookside Road have a fair literally at the bottom of their gardens – and they don't think it any fun at all." The problem was that some of Silcocks' rides allowed youngsters to look down on neighbouring houses and wave to people in them. Rose Wilson told the paper:
"At night my back bedroom's like a disco with flashing lights. My one-year-old daughter can't get to sleep because of them even with the curtains drawn." The Clerk to Prescot Council told the Reporter that Edward Silcock actually owned the land and did not need planning permission for his fair, as long as it was not held for more than 28 days in a year. Mr Silcock admitted to the paper that a couple of his rides had been badly sited, explaining: "The last thing we want to do is disturb the residents. I can promise them that if and when we come back those rides will be somewhere else."
The Reporter also described how restoration work at Prescot's historic Parish Church was now well underway. Masons had started work on the tower in August and repairs would soon be made to the chancel window. Interior decoration would also be undertaken and it was hoped that the first phase of the project would be finished by next June.
"Start Living, Start Dancing" had been the headline to a short ad published in the Reporter last year by Neil and Sandra McMahon. Describing themselves as "ex amateur champions" and "Come Dancing representatives", the pair had turned professional and they were starting dancing classes in Prescot Road.
In this week’s paper "Start Living, Start Dancing", was the headline to an ad from The Court. Courtenay Castle's dancing school had been in Prescot Road since 1969 and they were starting a new 12-week course for "absolute beginners". The dances taught included the waltz, quickstep, square tango, cha-cha, jive and what were described as party dances.
Hughie Molyneux and his wife Jo were pictured in the Reporter with a plaque of Horatio Nelson. The plaque had decorated the bar of the Lord Nelson Hotel in College Street that the couple had run for many years. Upon the pub's demolition in 1971 a customer had taken the plaque as a souvenir.
Hughie and Jo then spent two years running the Locomotive Inn in Ellamsbridge Road in Sutton – known locally as the Roundhouse – but the couple had since retired. However, customers of both the Nelson and the Locomotive had given them the plaque of Lord Nelson as a memento of their years in the licensed trade and it was now adorning their flat in Sutton.
On the 8th the St Helens Star published its very first edition, with no news! Its front page headline was: "No News Is Good News – For You!" and then began its first report with: "Good news for you, inasmuch as you now have a further local paper; a paper which will interest you with specialised articles on Fashion, Motoring, Gardening, Letters, etc. Good news because it will contain weekly competitions, all with prizes.
"No News, at least no local news however, will be published initially as this is not the aim of the publication. Items of controversial interest will appear – but only if these are submitted by YOU. In order to encourage this, we intend to publish your letters every week on any subject, but primarily dealing with local topics. Each letter published will win the writer 50p. The “Star” letter of the week will win £1.00."
The Star was then a black and white broadsheet with what was called spot colour. I believe the real reason that the paper had no news for some weeks was that they had next to no journalists!
The two-day St Helens Autumn Show opened on the 9th in the Town Hall. There were over 400 entries in the various categories, which included chrysanthemums, arts and crafts, cookery and domestic.
For some years Billinge Council and Joseph Pickavance Ltd had been at loggerheads and at one point in 1970 the Reporter dubbed their dispute "The Battle of Billinge Hill". The company had quarrying rights to the "lump" but they were often accused of creating a nuisance. This week Pickavances lost a court case in Liverpool in which they'd tried to stop two footpaths through a wood known as Billinge Plants being confirmed as rights of way.
Also on the 10th, the Sutton Parish Winter Fair took place in the Parish Hall in New Street. A recently held sponsored walk had raised over £100 to help pay for the holding of the annual event.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the bogus Spina Bifida collectors in Parr, the Rockware open day for the families of grumpy workers, the traffic light delay in Rainhill and Currys, Martin Dawes and Lakeland Pennine all come to St Helens.
This week's many stories include the storm over a proposed betting shop at the Black Bull, a Rainhill eyesore that was set to disappear, the first St Helens Star is published, the Silcock's fair that had voyeurism as an added attraction, the restoration work at Prescot's historic Parish Church and why local youngsters had difficulty following in the footsteps of Olga Korbut.
We begin with a busy week of diverse entertainment at the Theatre Royal.
On the 6th the Corporation Street theatre hosted a Spanish dance company called Rafael Da Sevilla.
Then on the 7th classical music enthusiasts could enjoy the English Concert Orchestra presenting 'Music of Strauss Family'.
And then on the following evening the Liverpool band the Hillsiders returned for yet another country night.
That was followed on the 9th with brass band music provided by Wingates Band and Besses o’ th Barn.
And finally, on the 10th at the Theatre Royal there was comedy with Jimmy Edwards and Joan Turner, as well as the Eric Delany Band.
A big story in the St Helens Reporter this week described a campaign to stop a betting shop being installed in a pub car park.
The fight was being led by the Rev Harry Chapman, the Vicar of St Luke's in Knowsley Road, whose church faced the Black Bull where the betting shop was going to be located.
And it was the close proximity between the two that was the problem.
Rev Chapman feared that gamblers that lost on the horses might raid his church collection boxes, saying:
"I don't see why we need another betting office near here – there are already enough in the area.
"There's practically nothing to stop people who have lost all their money trying to get cash from the offertory boxes to try and recover their losses on the next bet. The church is always open – and I don't want to close it."
Mr Chapman also claimed that the planned betting shop would increase the hazard to motorists on a bad corner.
A number of local residents were also against the proposal, with Elaine Fairclough of Knowsley Road commenting:
"Having a pub and a betting shop together is bound to be tempting to some people – especially with the Social Security offices down the road."
And pensioner Wilf Luckett added: "We don't need it – and it's not right to put it right opposite a church."
However, the licensee of the Black Bull, Brian Whitley, disagreed, saying:
"I don't really see what the objections are about. The betting shop will not be near the main road and 30 per cent of pubs in St. Helens have betting shops on their land already. But this has been a brewery decision – not mine."
He claimed that the vicar's fears of thefts were "ridiculous", adding: "There's a betting shop just up the road and I'm sure if this was going to happen it would have done so already."
The betting shop at the rear of the Black Bull was ultimately approved and Ladbrokes still run it to this day.
The Reporter also described how "one of Rainhill's worst eyesores" would soon disappear when a number of derelict properties in Warrington Road were demolished.
The two shops and a row of cottages opposite the Victoria Hotel were set to come down to make way for new shops as part of a redevelopment scheme.
The site had been vacant for ten years and had become the target for vandals, with windows and boards smashed and slogans daubed on walls.
Another Reporter story concerned fans of Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut who became a household name in this country during the 1972 Olympic Games.
Her performances had been inspirational – but according to the Reporter those inspired in the St Helens and Liverpool area had no one to teach them.
Pauline Blore from Eccleston Park had brought the matter to the newspaper's attention.
Her daughters Pamela (12) and Carolyn (9) wanted to follow in the footsteps of little Olga but their mother had searched high and low but could not find a teacher.
Mrs Blore said: "This sport is growing more popular and it's a pity there seems to be a shortage of instructors. Everyone seems very interested in the idea but no-one is actually teaching gymnastics."
Lawrence McClemens of the St Helens YMCA echoed her comments: "There is a big interest in the sport and we would start a course tomorrow if we could. But you need a properly-qualified person for the job and there just doesn't seem to be enough of them."
Another article in the Reporter began: "Attractions at a fair in Prescot include birds-eye views of the Wilson family having tea and Megan Daley washing the dishes.
"For residents in Brookside Close and Brookside Road have a fair literally at the bottom of their gardens – and they don't think it any fun at all."
The problem was that some of Silcocks' rides allowed youngsters to look down on neighbouring houses and wave to people in them. Rose Wilson told the paper:
"At night my back bedroom's like a disco with flashing lights. My one-year-old daughter can't get to sleep because of them even with the curtains drawn."
The Clerk to Prescot Council told the Reporter that Edward Silcock actually owned the land and did not need planning permission for his fair, as long as it was not held for more than 28 days in a year.
Mr Silcock admitted to the paper that a couple of his rides had been badly sited, explaining:
"The last thing we want to do is disturb the residents. I can promise them that if and when we come back those rides will be somewhere else."
The Reporter also described how restoration work at Prescot's historic Parish Church was now well underway.
Masons had started work on the tower in August and repairs would soon be made to the chancel window.
Interior decoration would also be undertaken and it was hoped that the first phase of the project would be finished by next June.
"Start Living, Start Dancing" had been the headline to a short ad published in the Reporter last year by Neil and Sandra McMahon.
Describing themselves as "ex amateur champions" and "Come Dancing representatives", the pair had turned professional and they were starting dancing classes in Prescot Road.
In this week’s paper "Start Living, Start Dancing", was the headline to an ad from The Court.
Courtenay Castle's dancing school had been in Prescot Road since 1969 and they were starting a new 12-week course for "absolute beginners".
The dances taught included the waltz, quickstep, square tango, cha-cha, jive and what were described as party dances.
Hughie Molyneux and his wife Jo were pictured in the Reporter with a plaque of Horatio Nelson.
The plaque had decorated the bar of the Lord Nelson Hotel in College Street that the couple had run for many years.
Upon the pub's demolition in 1971 a customer had taken the plaque as a souvenir.
Hughie and Jo then spent two years running the Locomotive Inn in Ellamsbridge Road in Sutton – known locally as the Roundhouse – but the couple had since retired.
However, customers of both the Nelson and the Locomotive had given them the plaque of Lord Nelson as a memento of their years in the licensed trade and it was now adorning their flat in Sutton.
On the 8th the St Helens Star published its very first edition, with no news! Its front page headline was: "No News Is Good News – For You!" and then began its first report with:
"Good news for you, inasmuch as you now have a further local paper; a paper which will interest you with specialised articles on Fashion, Motoring, Gardening, Letters, etc. Good news because it will contain weekly competitions, all with prizes.
"No News, at least no local news however, will be published initially as this is not the aim of the publication. Items of controversial interest will appear – but only if these are submitted by YOU.
"In order to encourage this, we intend to publish your letters every week on any subject, but primarily dealing with local topics. Each letter published will win the writer 50p. The “Star” letter of the week will win £1.00."
The Star was then a black and white broadsheet with what was called spot colour. I believe the real reason that the paper had no news for some weeks was that they had next to no journalists!
The two-day St Helens Autumn Show opened on the 9th in the Town Hall. There were over 400 entries in the various categories, which included chrysanthemums, arts and crafts, cookery and domestic.
For some years Billinge Council and Joseph Pickavance Ltd had been at loggerheads and at one point in 1970 the Reporter dubbed their dispute "The Battle of Billinge Hill".
The company had quarrying rights to the "lump" but they were often accused of creating a nuisance.
This week Pickavances lost a court case in Liverpool in which they'd tried to stop two footpaths through a wood known as Billinge Plants being confirmed as rights of way.
On the 10th Helena House's Xmas Grotto opened in their Baldwin Street basement. Their advert in the Reporter said:
"Santa Claus will be waiting to greet you after your thrilling ride on his magical traction engine. He has lovely gifts for boys and girls of all ages. Grotto in basement – toy fair first floor."
Also on the 10th, the Sutton Parish Winter Fair took place in the Parish Hall in New Street.
A recently held sponsored walk had raised over £100 to help pay for the holding of the annual event.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the bogus Spina Bifida collectors in Parr, the Rockware open day for the families of grumpy workers, the traffic light delay in Rainhill and Currys, Martin Dawes and Lakeland Pennine all come to St Helens.
We begin with a busy week of diverse entertainment at the Theatre Royal.
On the 6th the Corporation Street theatre hosted a Spanish dance company called Rafael Da Sevilla.
Then on the 7th classical music enthusiasts could enjoy the English Concert Orchestra presenting 'Music of Strauss Family'.
And then on the following evening the Liverpool band the Hillsiders returned for yet another country night.
That was followed on the 9th with brass band music provided by Wingates Band and Besses o’ th Barn.
And finally, on the 10th at the Theatre Royal there was comedy with Jimmy Edwards and Joan Turner, as well as the Eric Delany Band.
A big story in the St Helens Reporter this week described a campaign to stop a betting shop being installed in a pub car park.
The fight was being led by the Rev Harry Chapman, the Vicar of St Luke's in Knowsley Road, whose church faced the Black Bull where the betting shop was going to be located.
And it was the close proximity between the two that was the problem.
Rev Chapman feared that gamblers that lost on the horses might raid his church collection boxes, saying:
"I don't see why we need another betting office near here – there are already enough in the area.
"There's practically nothing to stop people who have lost all their money trying to get cash from the offertory boxes to try and recover their losses on the next bet. The church is always open – and I don't want to close it."
Mr Chapman also claimed that the planned betting shop would increase the hazard to motorists on a bad corner.
A number of local residents were also against the proposal, with Elaine Fairclough of Knowsley Road commenting:
"Having a pub and a betting shop together is bound to be tempting to some people – especially with the Social Security offices down the road."
And pensioner Wilf Luckett added: "We don't need it – and it's not right to put it right opposite a church."
However, the licensee of the Black Bull, Brian Whitley, disagreed, saying:
"I don't really see what the objections are about. The betting shop will not be near the main road and 30 per cent of pubs in St. Helens have betting shops on their land already. But this has been a brewery decision – not mine."
He claimed that the vicar's fears of thefts were "ridiculous", adding: "There's a betting shop just up the road and I'm sure if this was going to happen it would have done so already."
The betting shop at the rear of the Black Bull was ultimately approved and Ladbrokes still run it to this day.
The Reporter also described how "one of Rainhill's worst eyesores" would soon disappear when a number of derelict properties in Warrington Road were demolished.
The two shops and a row of cottages opposite the Victoria Hotel were set to come down to make way for new shops as part of a redevelopment scheme.
The site had been vacant for ten years and had become the target for vandals, with windows and boards smashed and slogans daubed on walls.
Another Reporter story concerned fans of Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut who became a household name in this country during the 1972 Olympic Games.
Her performances had been inspirational – but according to the Reporter those inspired in the St Helens and Liverpool area had no one to teach them.
Pauline Blore from Eccleston Park had brought the matter to the newspaper's attention.
Her daughters Pamela (12) and Carolyn (9) wanted to follow in the footsteps of little Olga but their mother had searched high and low but could not find a teacher.
Mrs Blore said: "This sport is growing more popular and it's a pity there seems to be a shortage of instructors. Everyone seems very interested in the idea but no-one is actually teaching gymnastics."
Lawrence McClemens of the St Helens YMCA echoed her comments: "There is a big interest in the sport and we would start a course tomorrow if we could. But you need a properly-qualified person for the job and there just doesn't seem to be enough of them."
Another article in the Reporter began: "Attractions at a fair in Prescot include birds-eye views of the Wilson family having tea and Megan Daley washing the dishes.
"For residents in Brookside Close and Brookside Road have a fair literally at the bottom of their gardens – and they don't think it any fun at all."
The problem was that some of Silcocks' rides allowed youngsters to look down on neighbouring houses and wave to people in them. Rose Wilson told the paper:
"At night my back bedroom's like a disco with flashing lights. My one-year-old daughter can't get to sleep because of them even with the curtains drawn."
The Clerk to Prescot Council told the Reporter that Edward Silcock actually owned the land and did not need planning permission for his fair, as long as it was not held for more than 28 days in a year.
Mr Silcock admitted to the paper that a couple of his rides had been badly sited, explaining:
"The last thing we want to do is disturb the residents. I can promise them that if and when we come back those rides will be somewhere else."
The Reporter also described how restoration work at Prescot's historic Parish Church was now well underway.
Masons had started work on the tower in August and repairs would soon be made to the chancel window.
Interior decoration would also be undertaken and it was hoped that the first phase of the project would be finished by next June.
"Start Living, Start Dancing" had been the headline to a short ad published in the Reporter last year by Neil and Sandra McMahon.
Describing themselves as "ex amateur champions" and "Come Dancing representatives", the pair had turned professional and they were starting dancing classes in Prescot Road.
In this week’s paper "Start Living, Start Dancing", was the headline to an ad from The Court.
Courtenay Castle's dancing school had been in Prescot Road since 1969 and they were starting a new 12-week course for "absolute beginners".
The dances taught included the waltz, quickstep, square tango, cha-cha, jive and what were described as party dances.
Hughie Molyneux and his wife Jo were pictured in the Reporter with a plaque of Horatio Nelson.
The plaque had decorated the bar of the Lord Nelson Hotel in College Street that the couple had run for many years.
Upon the pub's demolition in 1971 a customer had taken the plaque as a souvenir.
Hughie and Jo then spent two years running the Locomotive Inn in Ellamsbridge Road in Sutton – known locally as the Roundhouse – but the couple had since retired.
However, customers of both the Nelson and the Locomotive had given them the plaque of Lord Nelson as a memento of their years in the licensed trade and it was now adorning their flat in Sutton.
On the 8th the St Helens Star published its very first edition, with no news! Its front page headline was: "No News Is Good News – For You!" and then began its first report with:
"Good news for you, inasmuch as you now have a further local paper; a paper which will interest you with specialised articles on Fashion, Motoring, Gardening, Letters, etc. Good news because it will contain weekly competitions, all with prizes.
"No News, at least no local news however, will be published initially as this is not the aim of the publication. Items of controversial interest will appear – but only if these are submitted by YOU.
"In order to encourage this, we intend to publish your letters every week on any subject, but primarily dealing with local topics. Each letter published will win the writer 50p. The “Star” letter of the week will win £1.00."
The Star was then a black and white broadsheet with what was called spot colour. I believe the real reason that the paper had no news for some weeks was that they had next to no journalists!
The two-day St Helens Autumn Show opened on the 9th in the Town Hall. There were over 400 entries in the various categories, which included chrysanthemums, arts and crafts, cookery and domestic.
For some years Billinge Council and Joseph Pickavance Ltd had been at loggerheads and at one point in 1970 the Reporter dubbed their dispute "The Battle of Billinge Hill".
The company had quarrying rights to the "lump" but they were often accused of creating a nuisance.
This week Pickavances lost a court case in Liverpool in which they'd tried to stop two footpaths through a wood known as Billinge Plants being confirmed as rights of way.
"Santa Claus will be waiting to greet you after your thrilling ride on his magical traction engine. He has lovely gifts for boys and girls of all ages. Grotto in basement – toy fair first floor."
Also on the 10th, the Sutton Parish Winter Fair took place in the Parish Hall in New Street.
A recently held sponsored walk had raised over £100 to help pay for the holding of the annual event.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the bogus Spina Bifida collectors in Parr, the Rockware open day for the families of grumpy workers, the traffic light delay in Rainhill and Currys, Martin Dawes and Lakeland Pennine all come to St Helens.