FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 9 - 15 DECEMBER 1974
This week's many stories include the bid to close down Leathers Chemicals, the need for a secondary school in Rainhill, a fire in Beth Avenue badly burns two children, Pilks confirm their new float glass factory is to be built in Greengate, the ‘60s beat groups performing at the Theatre Royal and the 16-year-old girls that smiled at strangers for a survey.
We begin on the 9th when Knowsley Housing Committee gave the green light for the third stage of the Lickers Lane development in Whiston to proceed. That meant that a further 350 homes were going to be built as a continuation of the two previous stages of development.
On the 10th the St Helens Planning Committee held a special meeting to discuss the situation with Leathers Chemicals in Sutton (pictured above). A report on the sulphuric acid company that experts had compiled over the past few months was the main subject of the gathering. But much to the annoyance of the St Helens Reporter, their first decision was to exclude members of the press and public from the meeting and go into secret session. The councillors' reasoning was that they would be discussing future legal action against the chemicals firm and they did not want to publicly show their hand.
However, it was learnt that a move to close Leathers at the meeting was defeated by eight votes to seven. The sulphuric acid factory in Lancots Lane was blamed for caused considerable pollution. But a forced closure of the firm would mean large levels of compensation would have to be paid to them. It was decided that instead of closure a report would be made on the feasibility of creating a buffer zone near the plant, which would mean that nearby houses could be included in a clearance programme.
That was the view of Dr Judah Arotsky, one of the independent scientific experts that had advised St Helens Council to grant planning permission for the plant in 1968. In a somewhat bizarre interview with the Reporter, Dr Arotsky, the Head of the Science Department at St Helens College of Technology, said:
"Instead of compensation, I prefer to think of how much it would cost to rehouse the people in Sutton. It will never be a nice place anyway….Leathers have been dishonourable, and I think the Council should behave in a dishonourable manner." By that remark he said he meant they should harass the firm through practices such as digging up Lancots Lane under the pretext of looking for a water main in order to stop Leathers tankers from getting inside the factory!
In a separate development this week an accountant called Wakefield, who had been investigating Leathers for the East Sutton Residents Association, issued his report. He said that if the company was closed and compensation had to be paid, it would be somewhere between £700,000 and £1.8 million. A lot would depend on the projected life of the plant and its profitability, details of which Leathers were not revealing.
But if the maximum figure of £1.8m had to be paid, it would mean a 6p in the pound increase in the council rates for one year. Mr Wakefield's estimate of compensation was well under others that had previously been made, most notably one of £10 million that had been recently suggested by a councillor.
On the 11th Terence Keenan of Waring Avenue in Parr was fatally injured on a demolition site in Westfield Street. The 36-year-old had been employed salvaging timber when a chimneystack came crashing down and struck him.
On the 12th, a fortnight after the Reporter had revealed that Pilkingtons had decided not to build their new plant in Gorsey Lane, the firm confirmed that the story was true. The glass giant stated that they had applied for permission to construct their new £30m float glass plant on derelict land in Ravenhead. The site at Greengate covered 82 acres and would be bounded by Sutton Heath Road, Burtonhead Road and the Liverpool to Wigan rail line.
Pilks would not admit that the pressure of public opinion had anything to do with their shift away from Gorsey Lane but instead stated that St Helens had a massive land reclamation problem and Greengate was one of the largest such derelict tracts. The presence of old mine shafts, shallow workings, chemical waste and a difference in levels of 24 metres from one end of the site to the other, would, however, mean that Greengate would require a massive facelift for a new factory to be built there. However, the company said that after discussions with the council's Planning Committee, they were now satisfied that the practical drawbacks could be overcome with the site possibly being cleared within nine months.
Last week I reported how a family in McCormack Avenue in Parr had had a lucky escape after fire had struck their home in the middle of the night. A stranger banging on their front door had woken them just in time as flames leapt from windows.
On the 12th the children of Helena Duncan of Beth Avenue in Sutton were not so lucky. Both suffered extensive burns when fire gutted their downstairs living room. Mrs Duncan had rushed three-year-old Malcolm and 17-month-old Phillip out of their burning house just after 5 am and then collapsed from the fumes. The boys were taken to Whiston Hospital and later transferred to the Intensive Care unit at Alder Hey Children's Hospital where their condition was described as serious.
On the 13th the genesis of Rainhill High School in Warrington Road was intimated in an article in the Widnes Weekly News. The Rainhill branch of the Confederation for the Advancement of State Education had carried out a survey, which supported their argument that a secondary school needed to be built in the village.
The results revealed that more than 4,000 children of school or pre-school age lived in Rainhill. 91% of non-Roman Catholic parents wanted their children to be educated at a comprehensive school in Rainhill and so did 75% of Catholic parents. Most were currently forced to send their children to secondary schools in Whiston and Prescot, which were becoming overcrowded and the survey indicated that Rainhill's growing population would aggravate the situation.
In a Christmas advertising feature on the 13th the St Helens Reporter gave some rather simplistic advice for the "hostess" of Christmas dinners and parties to plan ahead. The lady of the house was advised to work out how many people would be attending so she would know how much food to order, something I'm sure would otherwise never have occurred to the hostess!
A curious survey by 16-year-old girls attending Newton College of FE was detailed in the Reporter. This was the introduction: "What would your reaction be if a pretty girl smiled at you on the street, in a railway carriage or on a bus?" St Helens' smilers Catherine White of Alder Hey Road and Denise Hughes of Grange Park Road, along with four other students, had carried out their unusual survey while commuting to college.
They had smiled at complete strangers and noted whether they received a smile back, a verbal response or no response at all. The experiment was part of an observational study for their O-level sociology course. They found that older people responded better to their smiles, although unsurprisingly, one or two young males got the wrong idea and asked for a date!
Jewellers R. Lunt of 11 Church Square had an advert in the Reporter under the heading "Something Special For Her". As well as bracelets and brooches there was a diamond cluster ring on sale for £1,200. In today's money that's nearly £20,000!
On the 14th "The Great Sound of The Swinging Sixties" came to the Theatre Royal featuring six beat groups. These were the Swinging Blue Jeans, the Mojos, Honeycombs, Love Affair, Cupid's Inspiration and the Nashville Teens.
On the 15th an event called the Mayor's "New Toy Appeal and Carol Sing" was held at St Helens Town Hall. Those taking part included The St Helens Emmanuel Choir, the Russel Hartley Singers and the Warrington Salvation Army Band. The adverts said: "Come, bring a friend and a new toy to this great annual event".
At the ABC Savoy cinema for 7 days from the 15th, 'Caravan To Vaccares' starring Charlotte Rampling was shown and at the Capitol, the oddly named 'W' starring Twiggy began a week's screening. That film was a doubleheader with Clint Eastwood's 'For A Few Dollars More'. And finally, the Golden Lion Folk Club in Rainford was very popular during the 1970s and on the 15th Cyder Pie was again in concert.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Fleet Lane garage that disappeared while improvement work took place, Santa takes to the St Helens' streets, the high levels of air pollution and St Helens Angling Association's campaign against plans for Carr Mill Dam.
We begin on the 9th when Knowsley Housing Committee gave the green light for the third stage of the Lickers Lane development in Whiston to proceed. That meant that a further 350 homes were going to be built as a continuation of the two previous stages of development.
However, it was learnt that a move to close Leathers at the meeting was defeated by eight votes to seven. The sulphuric acid factory in Lancots Lane was blamed for caused considerable pollution. But a forced closure of the firm would mean large levels of compensation would have to be paid to them. It was decided that instead of closure a report would be made on the feasibility of creating a buffer zone near the plant, which would mean that nearby houses could be included in a clearance programme.
That was the view of Dr Judah Arotsky, one of the independent scientific experts that had advised St Helens Council to grant planning permission for the plant in 1968. In a somewhat bizarre interview with the Reporter, Dr Arotsky, the Head of the Science Department at St Helens College of Technology, said:
"Instead of compensation, I prefer to think of how much it would cost to rehouse the people in Sutton. It will never be a nice place anyway….Leathers have been dishonourable, and I think the Council should behave in a dishonourable manner." By that remark he said he meant they should harass the firm through practices such as digging up Lancots Lane under the pretext of looking for a water main in order to stop Leathers tankers from getting inside the factory!
In a separate development this week an accountant called Wakefield, who had been investigating Leathers for the East Sutton Residents Association, issued his report. He said that if the company was closed and compensation had to be paid, it would be somewhere between £700,000 and £1.8 million. A lot would depend on the projected life of the plant and its profitability, details of which Leathers were not revealing.
But if the maximum figure of £1.8m had to be paid, it would mean a 6p in the pound increase in the council rates for one year. Mr Wakefield's estimate of compensation was well under others that had previously been made, most notably one of £10 million that had been recently suggested by a councillor.
On the 11th Terence Keenan of Waring Avenue in Parr was fatally injured on a demolition site in Westfield Street. The 36-year-old had been employed salvaging timber when a chimneystack came crashing down and struck him.
On the 12th, a fortnight after the Reporter had revealed that Pilkingtons had decided not to build their new plant in Gorsey Lane, the firm confirmed that the story was true. The glass giant stated that they had applied for permission to construct their new £30m float glass plant on derelict land in Ravenhead. The site at Greengate covered 82 acres and would be bounded by Sutton Heath Road, Burtonhead Road and the Liverpool to Wigan rail line.
Pilks would not admit that the pressure of public opinion had anything to do with their shift away from Gorsey Lane but instead stated that St Helens had a massive land reclamation problem and Greengate was one of the largest such derelict tracts. The presence of old mine shafts, shallow workings, chemical waste and a difference in levels of 24 metres from one end of the site to the other, would, however, mean that Greengate would require a massive facelift for a new factory to be built there. However, the company said that after discussions with the council's Planning Committee, they were now satisfied that the practical drawbacks could be overcome with the site possibly being cleared within nine months.
Last week I reported how a family in McCormack Avenue in Parr had had a lucky escape after fire had struck their home in the middle of the night. A stranger banging on their front door had woken them just in time as flames leapt from windows.
On the 12th the children of Helena Duncan of Beth Avenue in Sutton were not so lucky. Both suffered extensive burns when fire gutted their downstairs living room. Mrs Duncan had rushed three-year-old Malcolm and 17-month-old Phillip out of their burning house just after 5 am and then collapsed from the fumes. The boys were taken to Whiston Hospital and later transferred to the Intensive Care unit at Alder Hey Children's Hospital where their condition was described as serious.
On the 13th the genesis of Rainhill High School in Warrington Road was intimated in an article in the Widnes Weekly News. The Rainhill branch of the Confederation for the Advancement of State Education had carried out a survey, which supported their argument that a secondary school needed to be built in the village.
The results revealed that more than 4,000 children of school or pre-school age lived in Rainhill. 91% of non-Roman Catholic parents wanted their children to be educated at a comprehensive school in Rainhill and so did 75% of Catholic parents. Most were currently forced to send their children to secondary schools in Whiston and Prescot, which were becoming overcrowded and the survey indicated that Rainhill's growing population would aggravate the situation.
In a Christmas advertising feature on the 13th the St Helens Reporter gave some rather simplistic advice for the "hostess" of Christmas dinners and parties to plan ahead. The lady of the house was advised to work out how many people would be attending so she would know how much food to order, something I'm sure would otherwise never have occurred to the hostess!
A curious survey by 16-year-old girls attending Newton College of FE was detailed in the Reporter. This was the introduction: "What would your reaction be if a pretty girl smiled at you on the street, in a railway carriage or on a bus?" St Helens' smilers Catherine White of Alder Hey Road and Denise Hughes of Grange Park Road, along with four other students, had carried out their unusual survey while commuting to college.
They had smiled at complete strangers and noted whether they received a smile back, a verbal response or no response at all. The experiment was part of an observational study for their O-level sociology course. They found that older people responded better to their smiles, although unsurprisingly, one or two young males got the wrong idea and asked for a date!
Jewellers R. Lunt of 11 Church Square had an advert in the Reporter under the heading "Something Special For Her". As well as bracelets and brooches there was a diamond cluster ring on sale for £1,200. In today's money that's nearly £20,000!
On the 14th "The Great Sound of The Swinging Sixties" came to the Theatre Royal featuring six beat groups. These were the Swinging Blue Jeans, the Mojos, Honeycombs, Love Affair, Cupid's Inspiration and the Nashville Teens.
On the 15th an event called the Mayor's "New Toy Appeal and Carol Sing" was held at St Helens Town Hall. Those taking part included The St Helens Emmanuel Choir, the Russel Hartley Singers and the Warrington Salvation Army Band. The adverts said: "Come, bring a friend and a new toy to this great annual event".
At the ABC Savoy cinema for 7 days from the 15th, 'Caravan To Vaccares' starring Charlotte Rampling was shown and at the Capitol, the oddly named 'W' starring Twiggy began a week's screening. That film was a doubleheader with Clint Eastwood's 'For A Few Dollars More'. And finally, the Golden Lion Folk Club in Rainford was very popular during the 1970s and on the 15th Cyder Pie was again in concert.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Fleet Lane garage that disappeared while improvement work took place, Santa takes to the St Helens' streets, the high levels of air pollution and St Helens Angling Association's campaign against plans for Carr Mill Dam.
This week's many stories include the bid to close down Leathers Chemicals, the need for a secondary school in Rainhill, a fire in Beth Avenue badly burns two children, Pilks confirm their new float glass factory is to be built in Greengate, the ‘60s beat groups performing at the Theatre Royal and the 16-year-old girls that smiled at strangers for a survey.
We begin on the 9th when Knowsley Housing Committee gave the green light for the third stage of the Lickers Lane development in Whiston to proceed.
That meant that a further 350 homes were going to be built as a continuation of the two previous stages of development.
On the 10th the St Helens Planning Committee held a special meeting to discuss the situation with Leathers Chemicals in Sutton (pictured above).
A report on the sulphuric acid company that experts had compiled over the past few months was the main subject of the gathering.
But much to the annoyance of the St Helens Reporter, their first decision was to exclude members of the press and public from the meeting and go into secret session.
The councillors' reasoning was that they would be discussing future legal action against the chemicals firm and they did not want to publicly show their hand.
However, it was learnt that a move to close Leathers at the meeting was defeated by eight votes to seven.
The sulphuric acid factory in Lancots Lane was blamed for caused considerable pollution.
But a forced closure of the firm would mean large levels of compensation would have to be paid to them.
It was decided that instead of closure a report would be made on the feasibility of creating a buffer zone near the plant, which would mean that nearby houses could be included in a clearance programme.
That was the view of Dr Judah Arotsky, one of the independent scientific experts that had advised St Helens Council to grant planning permission for the plant in 1968.
In a somewhat bizarre interview with the Reporter, Dr Arotsky, the Head of the Science Department at St Helens College of Technology, said:
"Instead of compensation, I prefer to think of how much it would cost to rehouse the people in Sutton. It will never be a nice place anyway….Leathers have been dishonourable, and I think the Council should behave in a dishonourable manner."
By that remark he said he meant they should harass the firm through practices such as digging up Lancots Lane under the pretext of looking for a water main in order to stop Leathers tankers from getting inside the factory!
In a separate development this week an accountant called Wakefield, who had been investigating Leathers for the East Sutton Residents Association, issued his report.
He said that if the company was closed and compensation had to be paid, it would be somewhere between £700,000 and £1.8 million.
A lot would depend on the projected life of the plant and its profitability, details of which Leathers were not revealing.
But if the maximum figure of £1.8m had to be paid, it would mean a 6p in the pound increase in the council rates for one year.
Mr Wakefield's estimate of compensation was well under others that had previously been made, most notably one of £10 million that had been recently suggested by a councillor.
On the 11th Terence Keenan of Waring Avenue in Parr was fatally injured on a demolition site in Westfield Street.
The 36-year-old had been employed salvaging timber when a chimneystack came crashing down and struck him.
On the 12th, a fortnight after the Reporter had revealed that Pilkingtons had decided not to build their new plant in Gorsey Lane, the firm confirmed that the story was true.
The glass giant stated that they had applied for permission to construct their new £30m float glass plant on derelict land in Ravenhead.
The site at Greengate covered 82 acres and would be bounded by Sutton Heath Road, Burtonhead Road and the Liverpool to Wigan rail line.
Pilks would not admit that the pressure of public opinion had anything to do with their shift away from Gorsey Lane but instead stated that St Helens had a massive land reclamation problem and Greengate was one of the largest such derelict tracts.
The presence of old mine shafts, shallow workings, chemical waste and a difference in levels of 24 metres from one end of the site to the other, would, however, mean that Greengate would require a massive facelift for a new factory to be built there.
However, the company said that after discussions with the council's Planning Committee, they were now satisfied that the practical drawbacks could be overcome with the site possibly being cleared within nine months.
Last week I reported how a family in McCormack Avenue in Parr had had a lucky escape after fire had struck their home in the middle of the night.
A stranger banging on their front door had woken them just in time as flames leapt from windows.
On the 12th the children of Helena Duncan of Beth Avenue in Sutton were not so lucky. Both suffered extensive burns when fire gutted their downstairs living room.
Mrs Duncan had rushed three-year-old Malcolm and 17-month-old Phillip out of their burning house just after 5 am and then collapsed from the fumes.
The boys were taken to Whiston Hospital and later transferred to the Intensive Care unit at Alder Hey Children's Hospital where their condition was described as serious.
On the 13th the genesis of Rainhill High School in Warrington Road was intimated in an article in the Widnes Weekly News.
The Rainhill branch of the Confederation for the Advancement of State Education had carried out a survey, which supported their argument that a secondary school needed to be built in the village.
The results revealed that more than 4,000 children of school or pre-school age lived in Rainhill.
91% of non-Roman Catholic parents wanted their children to be educated at a comprehensive school in Rainhill and so did 75% of Catholic parents.
Most were currently forced to send their children to secondary schools in Whiston and Prescot, which were becoming overcrowded and the survey indicated that Rainhill's growing population would aggravate the situation.
In a Christmas advertising feature on the 13th the St Helens Reporter gave some rather simplistic advice for the "hostess" of Christmas dinners and parties to plan ahead.
The lady of the house was advised to work out how many people would be attending so she would know how much food to order, something I'm sure would otherwise never have occurred to the hostess!
A curious survey by 16-year-old girls attending Newton College of FE was detailed in the Reporter. This was the introduction:
"What would your reaction be if a pretty girl smiled at you on the street, in a railway carriage or on a bus?"
St Helens' smilers Catherine White of Alder Hey Road and Denise Hughes of Grange Park Road, along with four other students, had carried out their unusual survey while commuting to college.
They had smiled at complete strangers and noted whether they received a smile back, a verbal response or no response at all.
The experiment was part of an observational study for their O-level sociology course.
They found that older people responded better to their smiles, although unsurprisingly, one or two young males got the wrong idea and asked for a date!
Jewellers R. Lunt of 11 Church Square had an advert in the Reporter under the heading "Something Special For Her".
As well as bracelets and brooches there was a diamond cluster ring on sale for £1,200. In today's money that's nearly £20,000!
On the 14th "The Great Sound of The Swinging Sixties" came to the Theatre Royal featuring six beat groups.
These were the Swinging Blue Jeans, the Mojos, Honeycombs, Love Affair, Cupid's Inspiration and the Nashville Teens.
On the 15th an event called the Mayor's "New Toy Appeal and Carol Sing" was held at St Helens Town Hall.
Those taking part included The St Helens Emmanuel Choir, the Russel Hartley Singers and the Warrington Salvation Army Band.
The adverts said: "Come, bring a friend and a new toy to this great annual event".
At the ABC Savoy cinema for 7 days from the 15th, 'Caravan To Vaccares' starring Charlotte Rampling was shown and at the Capitol, the oddly named 'W' starring Twiggy began a week's screening.
That film was a doubleheader with Clint Eastwood's 'For A Few Dollars More'.
And finally, the Golden Lion Folk Club in Rainford was very popular during the 1970s and on the 15th Cyder Pie was again in concert.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Fleet Lane garage that disappeared while improvement work took place, Santa takes to the St Helens' streets, the high levels of air pollution and St Helens Angling Association's campaign against plans for Carr Mill Dam.
We begin on the 9th when Knowsley Housing Committee gave the green light for the third stage of the Lickers Lane development in Whiston to proceed.
That meant that a further 350 homes were going to be built as a continuation of the two previous stages of development.
A report on the sulphuric acid company that experts had compiled over the past few months was the main subject of the gathering.
But much to the annoyance of the St Helens Reporter, their first decision was to exclude members of the press and public from the meeting and go into secret session.
The councillors' reasoning was that they would be discussing future legal action against the chemicals firm and they did not want to publicly show their hand.
However, it was learnt that a move to close Leathers at the meeting was defeated by eight votes to seven.
The sulphuric acid factory in Lancots Lane was blamed for caused considerable pollution.
But a forced closure of the firm would mean large levels of compensation would have to be paid to them.
It was decided that instead of closure a report would be made on the feasibility of creating a buffer zone near the plant, which would mean that nearby houses could be included in a clearance programme.
That was the view of Dr Judah Arotsky, one of the independent scientific experts that had advised St Helens Council to grant planning permission for the plant in 1968.
In a somewhat bizarre interview with the Reporter, Dr Arotsky, the Head of the Science Department at St Helens College of Technology, said:
"Instead of compensation, I prefer to think of how much it would cost to rehouse the people in Sutton. It will never be a nice place anyway….Leathers have been dishonourable, and I think the Council should behave in a dishonourable manner."
By that remark he said he meant they should harass the firm through practices such as digging up Lancots Lane under the pretext of looking for a water main in order to stop Leathers tankers from getting inside the factory!
In a separate development this week an accountant called Wakefield, who had been investigating Leathers for the East Sutton Residents Association, issued his report.
He said that if the company was closed and compensation had to be paid, it would be somewhere between £700,000 and £1.8 million.
A lot would depend on the projected life of the plant and its profitability, details of which Leathers were not revealing.
But if the maximum figure of £1.8m had to be paid, it would mean a 6p in the pound increase in the council rates for one year.
Mr Wakefield's estimate of compensation was well under others that had previously been made, most notably one of £10 million that had been recently suggested by a councillor.
On the 11th Terence Keenan of Waring Avenue in Parr was fatally injured on a demolition site in Westfield Street.
The 36-year-old had been employed salvaging timber when a chimneystack came crashing down and struck him.
On the 12th, a fortnight after the Reporter had revealed that Pilkingtons had decided not to build their new plant in Gorsey Lane, the firm confirmed that the story was true.
The glass giant stated that they had applied for permission to construct their new £30m float glass plant on derelict land in Ravenhead.
The site at Greengate covered 82 acres and would be bounded by Sutton Heath Road, Burtonhead Road and the Liverpool to Wigan rail line.
Pilks would not admit that the pressure of public opinion had anything to do with their shift away from Gorsey Lane but instead stated that St Helens had a massive land reclamation problem and Greengate was one of the largest such derelict tracts.
The presence of old mine shafts, shallow workings, chemical waste and a difference in levels of 24 metres from one end of the site to the other, would, however, mean that Greengate would require a massive facelift for a new factory to be built there.
However, the company said that after discussions with the council's Planning Committee, they were now satisfied that the practical drawbacks could be overcome with the site possibly being cleared within nine months.
Last week I reported how a family in McCormack Avenue in Parr had had a lucky escape after fire had struck their home in the middle of the night.
A stranger banging on their front door had woken them just in time as flames leapt from windows.
On the 12th the children of Helena Duncan of Beth Avenue in Sutton were not so lucky. Both suffered extensive burns when fire gutted their downstairs living room.
Mrs Duncan had rushed three-year-old Malcolm and 17-month-old Phillip out of their burning house just after 5 am and then collapsed from the fumes.
The boys were taken to Whiston Hospital and later transferred to the Intensive Care unit at Alder Hey Children's Hospital where their condition was described as serious.
On the 13th the genesis of Rainhill High School in Warrington Road was intimated in an article in the Widnes Weekly News.
The Rainhill branch of the Confederation for the Advancement of State Education had carried out a survey, which supported their argument that a secondary school needed to be built in the village.
The results revealed that more than 4,000 children of school or pre-school age lived in Rainhill.
91% of non-Roman Catholic parents wanted their children to be educated at a comprehensive school in Rainhill and so did 75% of Catholic parents.
Most were currently forced to send their children to secondary schools in Whiston and Prescot, which were becoming overcrowded and the survey indicated that Rainhill's growing population would aggravate the situation.
In a Christmas advertising feature on the 13th the St Helens Reporter gave some rather simplistic advice for the "hostess" of Christmas dinners and parties to plan ahead.
The lady of the house was advised to work out how many people would be attending so she would know how much food to order, something I'm sure would otherwise never have occurred to the hostess!
A curious survey by 16-year-old girls attending Newton College of FE was detailed in the Reporter. This was the introduction:
"What would your reaction be if a pretty girl smiled at you on the street, in a railway carriage or on a bus?"
St Helens' smilers Catherine White of Alder Hey Road and Denise Hughes of Grange Park Road, along with four other students, had carried out their unusual survey while commuting to college.
They had smiled at complete strangers and noted whether they received a smile back, a verbal response or no response at all.
The experiment was part of an observational study for their O-level sociology course.
They found that older people responded better to their smiles, although unsurprisingly, one or two young males got the wrong idea and asked for a date!
Jewellers R. Lunt of 11 Church Square had an advert in the Reporter under the heading "Something Special For Her".
As well as bracelets and brooches there was a diamond cluster ring on sale for £1,200. In today's money that's nearly £20,000!
On the 14th "The Great Sound of The Swinging Sixties" came to the Theatre Royal featuring six beat groups.
These were the Swinging Blue Jeans, the Mojos, Honeycombs, Love Affair, Cupid's Inspiration and the Nashville Teens.
On the 15th an event called the Mayor's "New Toy Appeal and Carol Sing" was held at St Helens Town Hall.
Those taking part included The St Helens Emmanuel Choir, the Russel Hartley Singers and the Warrington Salvation Army Band.
The adverts said: "Come, bring a friend and a new toy to this great annual event".
At the ABC Savoy cinema for 7 days from the 15th, 'Caravan To Vaccares' starring Charlotte Rampling was shown and at the Capitol, the oddly named 'W' starring Twiggy began a week's screening.
That film was a doubleheader with Clint Eastwood's 'For A Few Dollars More'.
And finally, the Golden Lion Folk Club in Rainford was very popular during the 1970s and on the 15th Cyder Pie was again in concert.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Fleet Lane garage that disappeared while improvement work took place, Santa takes to the St Helens' streets, the high levels of air pollution and St Helens Angling Association's campaign against plans for Carr Mill Dam.