FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (7th - 13th October 1969)
This week's 20 stories include the controversy over fluoride in the St Helens' water supply, bad news for golfers in the town, a new textiles firm in Reginald Road, the Polish Pantomime Theatre at the Theatre Royal, what St Helens' folk thought of politicians and the lot of the bin men in the town.
We begin on the 7th when Auntie Joan of the Liverpool Echo's 'Children's Corner' published a picture of Janet Doyle of Rainford. The little girl was praised for collecting halfpennies for the column's Cot Fund, which bought beds for the Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital. Also on that day Mrs. M. Foster from Leach Lane in Sutton had a letter published in the Daily Mirror's 'Old Codgers' column under the headline "Tips from a lady milkman". Mrs Foster wrote:
"Now that the dark mornings are with us again, I would like to make a request to your women readers on behalf of people like me who deliver their daily pinta. When we start work in the half-light it is so frustrating trying to read notes written faintly on tiny scraps of paper. Often these notes fall to the bottom of the bottles, where they stick with the damp and we simply can't get them out, or they disintegrate. The simplest way to leave a note is to tear a piece of cardboard from a cigarette or cereal packet and print in one large figure the number of pints required. The cardboard can be jammed into the top of the bottle without fear of falling through."
During the evening of the 7th, the Theatre Royal hosted soloists of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the North West Arts Association's Polish festival in St Helens called 'From Poland With Art'.
A stunt was pulled on members of the council's Health Committee when they met on the 8th – although it failed to have the desired effect. The councillors were considering whether to add more fluoride to the town's water supply and while they were deliberating were given tea to drink. There already was some fluoride in the borough's water but it was nowhere near the one part per million that medical authorities said was needed to reduce tooth decay.
Dr Baines – the town's recently appointed Medical Officer of Health – was a great advocate of fluoridation and secretly arranged for some to be added to the councillors' tea. Many foodstuffs and drinks like tea already contained a small amount of fluoride but the amount added by Dr Baines equated to the recommended dosage that health experts felt was needed for the water supply.
However Alderman William Burrows and Alderman Tom Hignett were not impressed. They said they had studied reports on fluoridation and thought the council's earlier refusal should stand. Only the Mayor, Cllr. Tom Wilcock and Cllr. Joe Tickle were in favour, with the former saying: "The evidence for it is overwhelming." Dr Baines told the committee that fluoride was safe and effective in reducing tooth decay but the members chose to recommend to the council not to increase the existing level of fluoride in the water.
The Geraldo Club at Gerard Hall in Lord Street was offering what they called a "Crash course in modern dancing" with Elsie Morgan from the 8th. "Start learning to dance. Don't be a wallflower at your Christmas party", said their ad in the Reporter.
There was bad news for the town's golfers this week with the announcement that the Ministry of Housing had refused the council's application for a £63,000 loan for their proposed course in Sherdley Park. The private Grange Park Golf Club was overcrowded and difficult to join and so many golfers were looking forward to the creation of a municipal course. But all was not lost as it was hoped that the loan sanction would come through in the next financial year.
That would mean that the opening of the 9-hole course would simply be delayed by a year. In the meantime the Parks Department was seeding the fairway but the work on the clubhouse and driving range shelter would be delayed until the loan came through. The golf course would be located near the present pitch and putt and cover ninety acres. Parks Director S. B. Adamson also stated that a bar was under consideration for the clubhouse.
Manweb issued their annual report this week for the year 1968 - 69 that showed an increase in electricity consumption in St Helens of more than 10% over the previous year. Much of the rise was through an increase in house building and industrial development with 1,536 new supplies having been connected, although more people were also buying electrical goods. Manweb's Bridge Street store sold a record £150,000 worth of appliances (about £2½ million in today's money), £17,000 more than in the previous year.
There was an advert in the Liverpool Echo on the 9th for executive style homes in Burrows Lane, Eccleston. The detached houses had either 3 or 4 bedrooms with full central heating and were priced from £6,750.
A major story in the St Helens Reporter on the 10th was that a textiles firm from Burnley was opening a 44,500 sq. ft. factory later in the month on the Reginald Road industrial estate in Sutton. This would be the first factory on the estate and Qualitex Yarns was set to employ 100 people making mainly nylon and terylene man-made fibres. Five warehouses were also going to be built, along with offices.
The Reporter also stated that Vera Peet from Parr had won a Ford Escort car for just 1s 6d. That was the amount that the grandmother from Pennine Drive paid each week for her entry in the unfortunately named Spastics Pool, Britain's largest weekly charity competition.
Earlier in this article we'd heard of the lot of the milkmen / milkwomen of St Helens. But what about the bin men, who had to lug those heavy metal bins about? Well a letter from A. Dustbinman was published in the Reporter explaining why they could not provide a 7-day service. Mr Dustbinman said the problem was the lack of men, with only four bin men currently on the lorries when there should be six.
There was also much more refuse than ever to clear, with many houses having two or three dustbins in their yards. The anonymous refuse collector said their basic wage for a 40-hour week was £14 "and for that you have to work in hail, rain and snow." An additional six hours overtime was also available to them each week. The main reason for the increased amount of rubbish was the introduction of smoke control areas in parts of St Helens. Refuse that otherwise would have been burnt was now having to be collected. By the time the letter was published, most of the town's dustmen had gone on strike for better pay and conditions.
This week's subject in the paper's "What The People Think" column was "Politicians and those pre-election promises." So the man and woman in the street were essentially invited to have a pop at politicians – and they didn't hold back! Crane driver Peter Kay from Bronte Street said: "They make me laugh with the things they promise and expect you to believe. Their promises are just a lot of eye-wash."
John Litherland from Dawson Avenue in Sutton was equally cynical, saying: "They all say this and that and promise us the moon, but they never keep their part of the bargain." Jean Johnson from Pemberton Street in Croppers Hill felt that all politicians did was increase the cost of living: "Politicians never tell us about how much everything is going to go up when they get in power. I take everything they say with a big pinch of salt."
Also in the St Helens Reporter was a report on the Soroptomists' Charter dinner at the Fleece Hotel in which the Dean of Liverpool Cathedral called for equal opportunities for women. The Very Rev. Edward Patey hoped it wouldn't be long before a woman occupied his post, although that didn't happen until 2018.
The Liverpool Echo wrote on the 10th: "Merseyside's topsy-turvy weather hit peak-hour traffic to-day, causing numerous crashes, delays and snarl-ups. A blanket of thick swirling fog reduced visibility in some place to only five yards. Twelve vehicles including a van were involved in a monster pile-up on the northbound carriageway of the M6 at Newton-le-Willows." Traffic was also delayed at Windle Island because of an accident near the Wheatsheaf on the Rainford by-pass.
The Plaza in Duke Street held another Talent Night on the 10th with prizes of up to £100 on offer. Meanwhile at the Geraldo Club in Gerard Hall in Lord Street, it was 'Beat Night' with The Fabulous Magoo's.
As part of 'From Poland With Art', the Polish Pantomime Theatre performed at the Theatre Royal on October 10th and 11th. Although there was a matinee on the company's final day, this was not panto as we know it. There was no speaking or singing within the performance, which the Guardian described as "ritualised drama", that was carried forward through gymnastic movement. Their reviewer, Alexander Bland, said the St Helens show made for "strong theatrical entertainment".
At the ABC Savoy for 7 days from the 12th, the all-star comedy musical 'Oh! What a Lovely War' was screened, with Richard Attenborough making his directorial debut.
Rael Brook Limited "the world's leading shirt manufacturers" was advertising in the Echo on the 13th for "trainee sewing instructresses" at their Rainhill factory in Warrington Road.
Meanwhile at the Capitol from the 13th, 'The Boston Strangler' featuring Tony Curtis and Henry Fonda began six days on the big screen.
At the Theatre Royal from the 13th 'The Desert Song' was performed by the St Helens Amateur Operatic Society and in Rainhill Village Hall the Garrick Society similarly started six evenings of performances of 'A Man For All Seasons'.
Next week's stories will include the "Jack the Ripper" street in Sutton Manor, the end of a 5-day bin strike in St Helens, plans are announced for the Beth Avenue estate in Sutton, the decline of the bobby on the beat and the closure of the historic Windle Smithy Stores and the opening of Dennis Cowley's replacement Food Market.
"Now that the dark mornings are with us again, I would like to make a request to your women readers on behalf of people like me who deliver their daily pinta. When we start work in the half-light it is so frustrating trying to read notes written faintly on tiny scraps of paper. Often these notes fall to the bottom of the bottles, where they stick with the damp and we simply can't get them out, or they disintegrate. The simplest way to leave a note is to tear a piece of cardboard from a cigarette or cereal packet and print in one large figure the number of pints required. The cardboard can be jammed into the top of the bottle without fear of falling through."
During the evening of the 7th, the Theatre Royal hosted soloists of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the North West Arts Association's Polish festival in St Helens called 'From Poland With Art'.
A stunt was pulled on members of the council's Health Committee when they met on the 8th – although it failed to have the desired effect. The councillors were considering whether to add more fluoride to the town's water supply and while they were deliberating were given tea to drink. There already was some fluoride in the borough's water but it was nowhere near the one part per million that medical authorities said was needed to reduce tooth decay.
Dr Baines – the town's recently appointed Medical Officer of Health – was a great advocate of fluoridation and secretly arranged for some to be added to the councillors' tea. Many foodstuffs and drinks like tea already contained a small amount of fluoride but the amount added by Dr Baines equated to the recommended dosage that health experts felt was needed for the water supply.
However Alderman William Burrows and Alderman Tom Hignett were not impressed. They said they had studied reports on fluoridation and thought the council's earlier refusal should stand. Only the Mayor, Cllr. Tom Wilcock and Cllr. Joe Tickle were in favour, with the former saying: "The evidence for it is overwhelming." Dr Baines told the committee that fluoride was safe and effective in reducing tooth decay but the members chose to recommend to the council not to increase the existing level of fluoride in the water.
The Geraldo Club at Gerard Hall in Lord Street was offering what they called a "Crash course in modern dancing" with Elsie Morgan from the 8th. "Start learning to dance. Don't be a wallflower at your Christmas party", said their ad in the Reporter.
There was bad news for the town's golfers this week with the announcement that the Ministry of Housing had refused the council's application for a £63,000 loan for their proposed course in Sherdley Park. The private Grange Park Golf Club was overcrowded and difficult to join and so many golfers were looking forward to the creation of a municipal course. But all was not lost as it was hoped that the loan sanction would come through in the next financial year.
That would mean that the opening of the 9-hole course would simply be delayed by a year. In the meantime the Parks Department was seeding the fairway but the work on the clubhouse and driving range shelter would be delayed until the loan came through. The golf course would be located near the present pitch and putt and cover ninety acres. Parks Director S. B. Adamson also stated that a bar was under consideration for the clubhouse.
The dazzling electricity showrooms at the top of Bridge Street pictured not long after being opened in December 1932
Bridge Street electricity showrooms not long after being opened in 1932
Bridge Street electricity showrooms 1932
There was an advert in the Liverpool Echo on the 9th for executive style homes in Burrows Lane, Eccleston. The detached houses had either 3 or 4 bedrooms with full central heating and were priced from £6,750.
A major story in the St Helens Reporter on the 10th was that a textiles firm from Burnley was opening a 44,500 sq. ft. factory later in the month on the Reginald Road industrial estate in Sutton. This would be the first factory on the estate and Qualitex Yarns was set to employ 100 people making mainly nylon and terylene man-made fibres. Five warehouses were also going to be built, along with offices.
The Reporter also stated that Vera Peet from Parr had won a Ford Escort car for just 1s 6d. That was the amount that the grandmother from Pennine Drive paid each week for her entry in the unfortunately named Spastics Pool, Britain's largest weekly charity competition.
Earlier in this article we'd heard of the lot of the milkmen / milkwomen of St Helens. But what about the bin men, who had to lug those heavy metal bins about? Well a letter from A. Dustbinman was published in the Reporter explaining why they could not provide a 7-day service. Mr Dustbinman said the problem was the lack of men, with only four bin men currently on the lorries when there should be six.
There was also much more refuse than ever to clear, with many houses having two or three dustbins in their yards. The anonymous refuse collector said their basic wage for a 40-hour week was £14 "and for that you have to work in hail, rain and snow." An additional six hours overtime was also available to them each week. The main reason for the increased amount of rubbish was the introduction of smoke control areas in parts of St Helens. Refuse that otherwise would have been burnt was now having to be collected. By the time the letter was published, most of the town's dustmen had gone on strike for better pay and conditions.
This week's subject in the paper's "What The People Think" column was "Politicians and those pre-election promises." So the man and woman in the street were essentially invited to have a pop at politicians – and they didn't hold back! Crane driver Peter Kay from Bronte Street said: "They make me laugh with the things they promise and expect you to believe. Their promises are just a lot of eye-wash."
John Litherland from Dawson Avenue in Sutton was equally cynical, saying: "They all say this and that and promise us the moon, but they never keep their part of the bargain." Jean Johnson from Pemberton Street in Croppers Hill felt that all politicians did was increase the cost of living: "Politicians never tell us about how much everything is going to go up when they get in power. I take everything they say with a big pinch of salt."
Also in the St Helens Reporter was a report on the Soroptomists' Charter dinner at the Fleece Hotel in which the Dean of Liverpool Cathedral called for equal opportunities for women. The Very Rev. Edward Patey hoped it wouldn't be long before a woman occupied his post, although that didn't happen until 2018.
The Liverpool Echo wrote on the 10th: "Merseyside's topsy-turvy weather hit peak-hour traffic to-day, causing numerous crashes, delays and snarl-ups. A blanket of thick swirling fog reduced visibility in some place to only five yards. Twelve vehicles including a van were involved in a monster pile-up on the northbound carriageway of the M6 at Newton-le-Willows." Traffic was also delayed at Windle Island because of an accident near the Wheatsheaf on the Rainford by-pass.
The Plaza in Duke Street held another Talent Night on the 10th with prizes of up to £100 on offer. Meanwhile at the Geraldo Club in Gerard Hall in Lord Street, it was 'Beat Night' with The Fabulous Magoo's.
As part of 'From Poland With Art', the Polish Pantomime Theatre performed at the Theatre Royal on October 10th and 11th. Although there was a matinee on the company's final day, this was not panto as we know it. There was no speaking or singing within the performance, which the Guardian described as "ritualised drama", that was carried forward through gymnastic movement. Their reviewer, Alexander Bland, said the St Helens show made for "strong theatrical entertainment".
At the ABC Savoy for 7 days from the 12th, the all-star comedy musical 'Oh! What a Lovely War' was screened, with Richard Attenborough making his directorial debut.
Rael Brook Limited "the world's leading shirt manufacturers" was advertising in the Echo on the 13th for "trainee sewing instructresses" at their Rainhill factory in Warrington Road.
Meanwhile at the Capitol from the 13th, 'The Boston Strangler' featuring Tony Curtis and Henry Fonda began six days on the big screen.
At the Theatre Royal from the 13th 'The Desert Song' was performed by the St Helens Amateur Operatic Society and in Rainhill Village Hall the Garrick Society similarly started six evenings of performances of 'A Man For All Seasons'.
Next week's stories will include the "Jack the Ripper" street in Sutton Manor, the end of a 5-day bin strike in St Helens, plans are announced for the Beth Avenue estate in Sutton, the decline of the bobby on the beat and the closure of the historic Windle Smithy Stores and the opening of Dennis Cowley's replacement Food Market.