FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 13 - 19 JANUARY 1975
This week's many stories include the end of an era with the closure of Oxleys and Rigby's stores, the sacking row at Saints Social Club, another attempt is made to close down Leathers Chemicals, the opening of a new Waterloo Street night club featuring go-go dancers, Graham Smith's £20,000 painting and there's concern that dangerous criminals from top security mental hospitals could be transferred to Rainhill.
There was a wide range of musical performances at the Theatre Royal this week embracing classical, trad jazz, country, folk and brass band music. On the 14th Terry Lightfoot and His Jazzmen were in concert and on the following evening there was a piano recital by John Ogdon. The Liverpool country group The Hillsiders were regulars in Corporation Street and they made another appearance on the 16th. Then on the 17th the Brighouse & Rastrick Band performed and on the 18th the folk group the Five Penny Piece were on stage.
It was the end of an era this week when it was revealed that Oxley's of Claughton Street (pictured above) had decided to close down. The firm had been in St Helens for decades with founder Charles Oxley originally keeping a stall in the market. Now owned by a company called Combined English Stores, the firm explained that Oxley's profits had slumped over the last few years and they no longer considered their business to be economically worthwhile. They put the blame on parking restrictions outside the store and the opening of the new precinct in St Helens.
Also shutting was Rigby's drapery shop in Duke Street, which had also been trading for about 50 years. Its former owner Bill Rigby had sold out to a firm called George Sturia and Son in 1970 but he'd been retained as manager. Bill told the St Helens Reporter: "It's a terrible shame, especially as we are so well-known in the town. But I can see no other way."
Poor sales were again blamed and Sturia now planned to use the premises as a cheque trading centre with the shop's seven existing staff having been offered alternative jobs. In cheque trading customers purchased vouchers which could be used at any shop where the system was allowed.
The Reporter spoke to Charlotte Penketh who was the secretary of the St Helens Chamber of Trade who said many of their members had expressed concerns about the new precinct's effect on their trade, combined with new government legislation and higher rates bills.
But St Helens Town Hall forecast a shopping boom, with a spokesman telling the paper that the new shopping arcades would attract more shoppers and benefit all of the traders in the town. And Tesco – who had closed their shop in Bridge Street on Christmas Eve – had announced that they planned to re-open in the new precinct and Boots had also confirmed that they would have a presence.
At the council's Planning Committee meeting on the 14th, another unsuccessful attempt was made to close Leathers Chemicals of Sutton. For several years the controversial sulphuric acid manufacturer from Lancots Lane had been accused of numerous incidents of discharging fumes into the atmosphere – but a compulsory closure of the plant could result in many millions of compensation having to be paid.
The committee held another vote which, like on the previous occasion, resulted in an 8 - 7 decision in favour of not shutting the plant. However, the committee did decide to continue making spot checks on the firm and investigate and evaluate complaints speedily, as well as commission a report on the feasibility of creating a buffer zone around the plant.
Councillor Tony Brown condemned the buffer zone idea claiming demolishing homes near to the acid works and housing their residents elsewhere could cost as much as £9 million. Cllr Brown also announced that he had tabled another closure motion for the next full council meeting which would be held on January 29th. And so the Leathers saga would continue…
On the 16th union officials at Rainhill Hospital (pictured above) released a statement expressing concern that dangerous criminals from top security mental hospitals like Broadmoor were likely to be transferred to their institution. They said nurses and the public could be in serious danger of being attacked and claimed that a 20-bed ward at Rainhill had already been earmarked for the patients – but nurses had refused to run it.
That, they said, was through a fear of being harmed and because the patients could easily escape, as the hospital did not have adequate security facilities. The union also expressed concern that Home Office pressure could be placed on the hospital in the future to take more cases from Broadmoor or Rampton. And that could lead to some of the existing patients in the ward being classed as informal and allowed to wander freely around the hospital.
On the 17th an inquest was held on Terence Keenan of Waring Avenue in Parr who had been fatally injured on a demolition site in Westfield Street on December 11th. The 36-year-old had been employed salvaging timber from a demolition site when a chimneystack came crashing down on him. Mr Keenan was buried up to his waist in rubble but was still conscious. However, he died just a few hours after being admitted to Providence Hospital.
It was stated at the hearing that despite the dangerous nature of the job, Mr Keenan had not done that kind of work before and no props had been used to shore up the shell of the house prior to the accident. The coroner in recording a verdict of misadventure said there had clearly been a technical breach of the building regulations.
There was a curious row at Saints Social Club this week that on the 17th made the front page of the Reporter. A petition had been signed by 250 customers of the Knowsley Bar saying they were "disgusted and annoyed" by the sacking of part-time compere Frankie Barrow and demanding his return. Entertainments Manager Fred Shawcross had dismissed Frankie after accusing the newsagent from Virgil Street of being unreliable – which he denied.
Christine Grimes from Sutton Manor was the organiser of the petition and she was clearly a fan of Frankie, telling the Reporter: "He would be doing all sorts of cheeky things like pinching folks' drinks and cigarettes. And he's a belting singer. Everybody likes him and they were chuffed to death when I got up the petition. The new compere is not going down well at all."
And he was the Ents Manager Fred Shawcross who had decided to do the job himself and defended his position to the paper: "I've been in show business for 20 years and I'm no fool. I won't take him back. I have no wish to enter into a slanging match with either Mrs. Grimes or Frankie. My brief is to make money for the Saints club, and I answer to the board of directors."
Seven Saints players had signed the petition including centre Billy Benyon, who said the team had been annoyed by the sacking: "We were a bit disgusted when we heard about it. We've been very satisfied with Frankie." The petition was going to be handed in before the next meeting of the club's directors and it contained a threat to boycott the Social Club if the decision to sack Frankie was confirmed.
The Reporter also described how the Victoria Street Preservation Society had been formed in Rainford to fight possible plans by St Helens Council to demolish their road. Last November the residents of Victoria Street had learnt that the council's Environmental Health department had declared their homes to be potentially unfit, although the residents claimed that most of their 14 houses had never been inspected.
The paper also described how a new disco and restaurant capable of accommodating 250 people was going to open in St Helens. Run by a business company from Birmingham, the two-storey building would have go-go dancers, DJs and facilities for three bars. The premises in Waterloo Street were being leased from owners Greenalls and the entertainments firm Gibson and Tibet were behind the new venture, with David Tibet telling the Reporter:
"We are applying for a licence from magistrates on February 3. If we are granted the permit then we shall be opening the club on February 5. We chose St. Helens as an ideal spot for a club of this kind, mainly because of the availability of the property in Waterloo Street, which is in the town centre. Also we feel that St. Helens is a viable commercial prospect."
The club would be called Francoise and was currently advertising for go-go dancers and DJs with Mr Tibet saying: "We are looking for people who can dance and who have had previous experience in club dancing and who have personality." Those dancers would now likely be around 70 and so probably don't go-go quite so well!
For many years Graham Smith was a fixture down Duke Street, based in his wife Shelagh's Christian Book Shop and later in his own Religious Shop just a few doors away. A flamboyant dresser with his floppy hat and cravat, who, when interviewed in newspapers or on television, would invariably say: "I want to be famous". Graham would become known as the "Egg and Sausage Artist" and some would laugh at his eccentricities, not realising that these had been borne out of a severe nervous breakdown. Alan Whalley in 1970 had written: "Graham's courageous comeback is an example to all who are broken down by the pressures of modern living."
In this week’s Reporter there was a picture of Graham alongside a painting in his shop window that bore the large sign: "Another Masterpiece By Graham Smith. For Sale At Twenty Thousand Pounds". Although at first glance the painting was a nice study of a shipwreck, there were two large eggs in the top right hand corner. Explaining their inclusion, Graham told the Reporter "I want to use eggs as my ‘nom-de-plume’, or trademark." And he said he justified his £20,000 price tag (around £300,000 in today's money) because David Hockney sold his paintings for £50,000.
And finally, on the 19th Clint Eastwood's 'Thunderbolt & Lightfoot' replaced the war film 'The Dirty Dozen' at the ABC Savoy, with the Capitol showing Bruce Lee's 'Enter the Dragon', which was described as "returned by public demand".
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the opposition in St Helens to male midwives, Tom O’Connor returns to the Rael Brook factory in Rainhill, the Labour party votes to shut down Leathers and British Sidac admits to being in severe trouble.
There was a wide range of musical performances at the Theatre Royal this week embracing classical, trad jazz, country, folk and brass band music. On the 14th Terry Lightfoot and His Jazzmen were in concert and on the following evening there was a piano recital by John Ogdon. The Liverpool country group The Hillsiders were regulars in Corporation Street and they made another appearance on the 16th. Then on the 17th the Brighouse & Rastrick Band performed and on the 18th the folk group the Five Penny Piece were on stage.
Also shutting was Rigby's drapery shop in Duke Street, which had also been trading for about 50 years. Its former owner Bill Rigby had sold out to a firm called George Sturia and Son in 1970 but he'd been retained as manager. Bill told the St Helens Reporter: "It's a terrible shame, especially as we are so well-known in the town. But I can see no other way."
Poor sales were again blamed and Sturia now planned to use the premises as a cheque trading centre with the shop's seven existing staff having been offered alternative jobs. In cheque trading customers purchased vouchers which could be used at any shop where the system was allowed.
The Reporter spoke to Charlotte Penketh who was the secretary of the St Helens Chamber of Trade who said many of their members had expressed concerns about the new precinct's effect on their trade, combined with new government legislation and higher rates bills.
But St Helens Town Hall forecast a shopping boom, with a spokesman telling the paper that the new shopping arcades would attract more shoppers and benefit all of the traders in the town. And Tesco – who had closed their shop in Bridge Street on Christmas Eve – had announced that they planned to re-open in the new precinct and Boots had also confirmed that they would have a presence.
At the council's Planning Committee meeting on the 14th, another unsuccessful attempt was made to close Leathers Chemicals of Sutton. For several years the controversial sulphuric acid manufacturer from Lancots Lane had been accused of numerous incidents of discharging fumes into the atmosphere – but a compulsory closure of the plant could result in many millions of compensation having to be paid.
The committee held another vote which, like on the previous occasion, resulted in an 8 - 7 decision in favour of not shutting the plant. However, the committee did decide to continue making spot checks on the firm and investigate and evaluate complaints speedily, as well as commission a report on the feasibility of creating a buffer zone around the plant.
Councillor Tony Brown condemned the buffer zone idea claiming demolishing homes near to the acid works and housing their residents elsewhere could cost as much as £9 million. Cllr Brown also announced that he had tabled another closure motion for the next full council meeting which would be held on January 29th. And so the Leathers saga would continue…
That, they said, was through a fear of being harmed and because the patients could easily escape, as the hospital did not have adequate security facilities. The union also expressed concern that Home Office pressure could be placed on the hospital in the future to take more cases from Broadmoor or Rampton. And that could lead to some of the existing patients in the ward being classed as informal and allowed to wander freely around the hospital.
On the 17th an inquest was held on Terence Keenan of Waring Avenue in Parr who had been fatally injured on a demolition site in Westfield Street on December 11th. The 36-year-old had been employed salvaging timber from a demolition site when a chimneystack came crashing down on him. Mr Keenan was buried up to his waist in rubble but was still conscious. However, he died just a few hours after being admitted to Providence Hospital.
It was stated at the hearing that despite the dangerous nature of the job, Mr Keenan had not done that kind of work before and no props had been used to shore up the shell of the house prior to the accident. The coroner in recording a verdict of misadventure said there had clearly been a technical breach of the building regulations.
There was a curious row at Saints Social Club this week that on the 17th made the front page of the Reporter. A petition had been signed by 250 customers of the Knowsley Bar saying they were "disgusted and annoyed" by the sacking of part-time compere Frankie Barrow and demanding his return. Entertainments Manager Fred Shawcross had dismissed Frankie after accusing the newsagent from Virgil Street of being unreliable – which he denied.
Christine Grimes from Sutton Manor was the organiser of the petition and she was clearly a fan of Frankie, telling the Reporter: "He would be doing all sorts of cheeky things like pinching folks' drinks and cigarettes. And he's a belting singer. Everybody likes him and they were chuffed to death when I got up the petition. The new compere is not going down well at all."
And he was the Ents Manager Fred Shawcross who had decided to do the job himself and defended his position to the paper: "I've been in show business for 20 years and I'm no fool. I won't take him back. I have no wish to enter into a slanging match with either Mrs. Grimes or Frankie. My brief is to make money for the Saints club, and I answer to the board of directors."
Seven Saints players had signed the petition including centre Billy Benyon, who said the team had been annoyed by the sacking: "We were a bit disgusted when we heard about it. We've been very satisfied with Frankie." The petition was going to be handed in before the next meeting of the club's directors and it contained a threat to boycott the Social Club if the decision to sack Frankie was confirmed.
The Reporter also described how the Victoria Street Preservation Society had been formed in Rainford to fight possible plans by St Helens Council to demolish their road. Last November the residents of Victoria Street had learnt that the council's Environmental Health department had declared their homes to be potentially unfit, although the residents claimed that most of their 14 houses had never been inspected.
The paper also described how a new disco and restaurant capable of accommodating 250 people was going to open in St Helens. Run by a business company from Birmingham, the two-storey building would have go-go dancers, DJs and facilities for three bars. The premises in Waterloo Street were being leased from owners Greenalls and the entertainments firm Gibson and Tibet were behind the new venture, with David Tibet telling the Reporter:
"We are applying for a licence from magistrates on February 3. If we are granted the permit then we shall be opening the club on February 5. We chose St. Helens as an ideal spot for a club of this kind, mainly because of the availability of the property in Waterloo Street, which is in the town centre. Also we feel that St. Helens is a viable commercial prospect."
The club would be called Francoise and was currently advertising for go-go dancers and DJs with Mr Tibet saying: "We are looking for people who can dance and who have had previous experience in club dancing and who have personality." Those dancers would now likely be around 70 and so probably don't go-go quite so well!
For many years Graham Smith was a fixture down Duke Street, based in his wife Shelagh's Christian Book Shop and later in his own Religious Shop just a few doors away. A flamboyant dresser with his floppy hat and cravat, who, when interviewed in newspapers or on television, would invariably say: "I want to be famous". Graham would become known as the "Egg and Sausage Artist" and some would laugh at his eccentricities, not realising that these had been borne out of a severe nervous breakdown. Alan Whalley in 1970 had written: "Graham's courageous comeback is an example to all who are broken down by the pressures of modern living."
In this week’s Reporter there was a picture of Graham alongside a painting in his shop window that bore the large sign: "Another Masterpiece By Graham Smith. For Sale At Twenty Thousand Pounds". Although at first glance the painting was a nice study of a shipwreck, there were two large eggs in the top right hand corner. Explaining their inclusion, Graham told the Reporter "I want to use eggs as my ‘nom-de-plume’, or trademark." And he said he justified his £20,000 price tag (around £300,000 in today's money) because David Hockney sold his paintings for £50,000.
And finally, on the 19th Clint Eastwood's 'Thunderbolt & Lightfoot' replaced the war film 'The Dirty Dozen' at the ABC Savoy, with the Capitol showing Bruce Lee's 'Enter the Dragon', which was described as "returned by public demand".
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the opposition in St Helens to male midwives, Tom O’Connor returns to the Rael Brook factory in Rainhill, the Labour party votes to shut down Leathers and British Sidac admits to being in severe trouble.
This week's many stories include the end of an era with the closure of Oxleys and Rigby's stores, the sacking row at Saints Social Club, another attempt is made to close down Leathers Chemicals, the opening of a new Waterloo Street night club featuring go-go dancers, Graham Smith's £20,000 painting and there's concern that dangerous criminals from top security mental hospitals could be transferred to Rainhill.
There was a wide range of musical performances at the Theatre Royal this week embracing classical, trad jazz, country, folk and brass band music.
On the 14th Terry Lightfoot and His Jazzmen were in concert and on the following evening there was a piano recital by John Ogdon.
The Liverpool country group The Hillsiders were regulars in Corporation Street and they made another appearance on the 16th.
Then on the 17th the Brighouse & Rastrick Band performed and on the 18th the folk group the Five Penny Piece were on stage.
It was the end of an era this week when it was revealed that Oxley's of Claughton Street (pictured above) had decided to close down.
The firm had been in St Helens for decades with founder Charles Oxley originally keeping a stall in the market.
Now owned by a company called Combined English Stores, the firm explained that Oxley's profits had slumped over the last few years and they no longer considered their business to be economically worthwhile.
They put the blame on parking restrictions outside the store and the opening of the new precinct in St Helens.
Also shutting was Rigby's drapery shop in Duke Street, which had also been trading for about 50 years.
Its former owner Bill Rigby had sold out to a firm called George Sturia and Son in 1970 but he'd been retained as manager.
Bill told the St Helens Reporter: "It's a terrible shame, especially as we are so well-known in the town. But I can see no other way."
Poor sales were again blamed and Sturia now planned to use the premises as a cheque trading centre with the shop's seven existing staff having been offered alternative jobs.
In cheque trading customers purchased vouchers which could be used at any shop where the system was allowed.
The Reporter spoke to Charlotte Penketh who was the secretary of the St Helens Chamber of Trade who said many of their members had expressed concerns about the new precinct's effect on their trade, combined with new government legislation and higher rates bills.
But St Helens Town Hall forecast a shopping boom, with a spokesman telling the paper that the new shopping arcades would attract more shoppers and benefit all of the traders in the town.
And Tesco – who had closed their shop in Bridge Street on Christmas Eve – had announced that they planned to re-open in the new precinct and Boots had also confirmed that they would have a presence.
At the council's Planning Committee meeting on the 14th, another unsuccessful attempt was made to close Leathers Chemicals of Sutton.
For several years the controversial sulphuric acid manufacturer from Lancots Lane had been accused of numerous incidents of discharging fumes into the atmosphere – but a compulsory closure of the plant could result in many millions of compensation having to be paid.
The committee held another vote which, like on the previous occasion, resulted in an 8 - 7 decision in favour of not shutting the plant.
However, the committee did decide to continue making spot checks on the firm and investigate and evaluate complaints speedily, as well as commission a report on the feasibility of creating a buffer zone around the plant.
Councillor Tony Brown condemned the buffer zone idea claiming demolishing homes near to the acid works and housing their residents elsewhere could cost as much as £9 million.
Cllr Brown also announced that he had tabled another closure motion for the next full council meeting which would be held on January 29th. And so the Leathers saga would continue…
On the 16th union officials at Rainhill Hospital (pictured above) released a statement expressing concern that dangerous criminals from top security mental hospitals like Broadmoor were likely to be transferred to their institution.
They said nurses and the public could be in serious danger of being attacked and claimed that a 20-bed ward at Rainhill had already been earmarked for the patients – but nurses had refused to run it.
That, they said, was through a fear of being harmed and because the patients could easily escape, as the hospital did not have adequate security facilities.
The union also expressed concern that Home Office pressure could be placed on the hospital in the future to take more cases from Broadmoor or Rampton.
And that could lead to some of the existing patients in the ward being classed as informal and allowed to wander freely around the hospital.
Also on the 16th the Fleece Hotel in Church Street began a series of weekly discos in their Crystal Suite.
"In luxurious surrounds, with sophisticated sounds, for the over 20's every Thursday. Admission 50p, 8.00 p.m. – 1.30 a.m.," said their advert.
And there was a guest appearance on the opening night of Radio Merseyside's Billy Butler.
On the 17th an inquest was held on Terence Keenan of Waring Avenue in Parr who had been fatally injured on a demolition site in Westfield Street on December 11th.
The 36-year-old had been employed salvaging timber from a demolition site when a chimneystack came crashing down on him.
Mr Keenan was buried up to his waist in rubble but was still conscious. However, he died just a few hours after being admitted to Providence Hospital.
It was stated at the hearing that despite the dangerous nature of the job, Mr Keenan had not done that kind of work before and no props had been used to shore up the shell of the house prior to the accident.
The coroner in recording a verdict of misadventure said there had clearly been a technical breach of the building regulations.
There was a curious row at Saints Social Club this week that on the 17th made the front page of the Reporter.
A petition had been signed by 250 customers of the Knowsley Bar saying they were "disgusted and annoyed" by the sacking of part-time compere Frankie Barrow and demanding his return.
Entertainments Manager Fred Shawcross had dismissed Frankie after accusing the newsagent from Virgil Street of being unreliable – which he denied.
Christine Grimes from Sutton Manor was the organiser of the petition and she was clearly a fan of Frankie, telling the Reporter:
"He would be doing all sorts of cheeky things like pinching folks' drinks and cigarettes. And he's a belting singer. Everybody likes him and they were chuffed to death when I got up the petition. The new compere is not going down well at all."
And he was the Ents Manager Fred Shawcross who had decided to do the job himself and defended his position to the paper:
"I've been in show business for 20 years and I'm no fool. I won't take him back. I have no wish to enter into a slanging match with either Mrs. Grimes or Frankie. My brief is to make money for the Saints club, and I answer to the board of directors."
Seven Saints players had signed the petition including centre Billy Benyon, who said the team had been annoyed by the sacking: "We were a bit disgusted when we heard about it. We've been very satisfied with Frankie."
The petition was going to be handed in before the next meeting of the club's directors and it contained a threat to boycott the Social Club if the decision to sack Frankie was confirmed.
The Reporter also stated that a Victoria Street Preservation Society had been formed in Rainford to fight possible plans by St Helens Council to demolish their road.
Last November the residents of Victoria Street had learnt that the council's Environmental Health department had declared their homes to be potentially unfit, although the residents claimed that most of their 14 houses had never been inspected.
The paper also described how a new disco and restaurant capable of accommodating 250 people was going to open in St Helens.
Run by a business company from Birmingham, the two-storey building would have go-go dancers, DJs and facilities for three bars.
The premises in Waterloo Street were being leased from owners Greenalls and the entertainments firm Gibson and Tibet were behind the new venture, with David Tibet telling the Reporter:
"We are applying for a licence from magistrates on February 3. If we are granted the permit then we shall be opening the club on February 5.
"We chose St. Helens as an ideal spot for a club of this kind, mainly because of the availability of the property in Waterloo Street, which is in the town centre. Also we feel that St. Helens is a viable commercial prospect."
The club would be called Francoise and was currently advertising for go-go dancers and DJs with Mr Tibet saying:
"We are looking for people who can dance and who have had previous experience in club dancing and who have personality."
Those dancers would now likely be around 70 and so probably don't go-go quite so well!
Tiffany's of Blackpool also had an advert in the paper offering free coach travel to "the North's No. 1 night spot".
Eckersley Coaches had pick-ups from Birchley Street at 7pm and from the Golden Lion in Rainford fifteen minutes later.
"Non-stop dancing", said their advert, which, presumably, was not compulsory, as the coach did not return until 1am.
For many years Graham Smith was a fixture down Duke Street, based in his wife Shelagh's Christian Book Shop and later in his own Religious Shop just a few doors away.
A flamboyant dresser with his floppy hat and cravat, who, when interviewed in newspapers or on television, would invariably say: "I want to be famous".
Graham would become known as the "Egg and Sausage Artist" and some would laugh at his eccentricities, not realising that these had been borne out of a severe nervous breakdown.
Alan Whalley in 1970 had written: "Graham's courageous comeback is an example to all who are broken down by the pressures of modern living."
In this week’s Reporter there was a picture of Graham alongside a painting in his shop window that bore the large sign: "Another Masterpiece By Graham Smith. For Sale At Twenty Thousand Pounds".
Although at first glance the painting was a nice study of a shipwreck, there were two large eggs in the top right hand corner.
Explaining their inclusion, Graham told the Reporter "I want to use eggs as my ‘nom-de-plume’, or trademark."
And he said he justified his £20,000 price tag (around £300,000 in today's money) because David Hockney sold his paintings for £50,000.
And finally, on the 19th Clint Eastwood's 'Thunderbolt & Lightfoot' replaced the war film 'The Dirty Dozen' at the ABC Savoy, with the Capitol showing Bruce Lee's 'Enter the Dragon', which was described as "returned by public demand".
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the opposition in St Helens to male midwives, Tom O’Connor returns to the Rael Brook factory in Rainhill, the Labour party votes to shut down Leathers and British Sidac admits to being in severe trouble.
There was a wide range of musical performances at the Theatre Royal this week embracing classical, trad jazz, country, folk and brass band music.
On the 14th Terry Lightfoot and His Jazzmen were in concert and on the following evening there was a piano recital by John Ogdon.
The Liverpool country group The Hillsiders were regulars in Corporation Street and they made another appearance on the 16th.
Then on the 17th the Brighouse & Rastrick Band performed and on the 18th the folk group the Five Penny Piece were on stage.
The firm had been in St Helens for decades with founder Charles Oxley originally keeping a stall in the market.
Now owned by a company called Combined English Stores, the firm explained that Oxley's profits had slumped over the last few years and they no longer considered their business to be economically worthwhile.
They put the blame on parking restrictions outside the store and the opening of the new precinct in St Helens.
Also shutting was Rigby's drapery shop in Duke Street, which had also been trading for about 50 years.
Its former owner Bill Rigby had sold out to a firm called George Sturia and Son in 1970 but he'd been retained as manager.
Bill told the St Helens Reporter: "It's a terrible shame, especially as we are so well-known in the town. But I can see no other way."
Poor sales were again blamed and Sturia now planned to use the premises as a cheque trading centre with the shop's seven existing staff having been offered alternative jobs.
In cheque trading customers purchased vouchers which could be used at any shop where the system was allowed.
The Reporter spoke to Charlotte Penketh who was the secretary of the St Helens Chamber of Trade who said many of their members had expressed concerns about the new precinct's effect on their trade, combined with new government legislation and higher rates bills.
But St Helens Town Hall forecast a shopping boom, with a spokesman telling the paper that the new shopping arcades would attract more shoppers and benefit all of the traders in the town.
And Tesco – who had closed their shop in Bridge Street on Christmas Eve – had announced that they planned to re-open in the new precinct and Boots had also confirmed that they would have a presence.
At the council's Planning Committee meeting on the 14th, another unsuccessful attempt was made to close Leathers Chemicals of Sutton.
For several years the controversial sulphuric acid manufacturer from Lancots Lane had been accused of numerous incidents of discharging fumes into the atmosphere – but a compulsory closure of the plant could result in many millions of compensation having to be paid.
The committee held another vote which, like on the previous occasion, resulted in an 8 - 7 decision in favour of not shutting the plant.
However, the committee did decide to continue making spot checks on the firm and investigate and evaluate complaints speedily, as well as commission a report on the feasibility of creating a buffer zone around the plant.
Councillor Tony Brown condemned the buffer zone idea claiming demolishing homes near to the acid works and housing their residents elsewhere could cost as much as £9 million.
Cllr Brown also announced that he had tabled another closure motion for the next full council meeting which would be held on January 29th. And so the Leathers saga would continue…
They said nurses and the public could be in serious danger of being attacked and claimed that a 20-bed ward at Rainhill had already been earmarked for the patients – but nurses had refused to run it.
That, they said, was through a fear of being harmed and because the patients could easily escape, as the hospital did not have adequate security facilities.
The union also expressed concern that Home Office pressure could be placed on the hospital in the future to take more cases from Broadmoor or Rampton.
And that could lead to some of the existing patients in the ward being classed as informal and allowed to wander freely around the hospital.
Also on the 16th the Fleece Hotel in Church Street began a series of weekly discos in their Crystal Suite.
"In luxurious surrounds, with sophisticated sounds, for the over 20's every Thursday. Admission 50p, 8.00 p.m. – 1.30 a.m.," said their advert.
And there was a guest appearance on the opening night of Radio Merseyside's Billy Butler.
On the 17th an inquest was held on Terence Keenan of Waring Avenue in Parr who had been fatally injured on a demolition site in Westfield Street on December 11th.
The 36-year-old had been employed salvaging timber from a demolition site when a chimneystack came crashing down on him.
Mr Keenan was buried up to his waist in rubble but was still conscious. However, he died just a few hours after being admitted to Providence Hospital.
It was stated at the hearing that despite the dangerous nature of the job, Mr Keenan had not done that kind of work before and no props had been used to shore up the shell of the house prior to the accident.
The coroner in recording a verdict of misadventure said there had clearly been a technical breach of the building regulations.
There was a curious row at Saints Social Club this week that on the 17th made the front page of the Reporter.
A petition had been signed by 250 customers of the Knowsley Bar saying they were "disgusted and annoyed" by the sacking of part-time compere Frankie Barrow and demanding his return.
Entertainments Manager Fred Shawcross had dismissed Frankie after accusing the newsagent from Virgil Street of being unreliable – which he denied.
Christine Grimes from Sutton Manor was the organiser of the petition and she was clearly a fan of Frankie, telling the Reporter:
"He would be doing all sorts of cheeky things like pinching folks' drinks and cigarettes. And he's a belting singer. Everybody likes him and they were chuffed to death when I got up the petition. The new compere is not going down well at all."
And he was the Ents Manager Fred Shawcross who had decided to do the job himself and defended his position to the paper:
"I've been in show business for 20 years and I'm no fool. I won't take him back. I have no wish to enter into a slanging match with either Mrs. Grimes or Frankie. My brief is to make money for the Saints club, and I answer to the board of directors."
Seven Saints players had signed the petition including centre Billy Benyon, who said the team had been annoyed by the sacking: "We were a bit disgusted when we heard about it. We've been very satisfied with Frankie."
The petition was going to be handed in before the next meeting of the club's directors and it contained a threat to boycott the Social Club if the decision to sack Frankie was confirmed.
The Reporter also stated that a Victoria Street Preservation Society had been formed in Rainford to fight possible plans by St Helens Council to demolish their road.
Last November the residents of Victoria Street had learnt that the council's Environmental Health department had declared their homes to be potentially unfit, although the residents claimed that most of their 14 houses had never been inspected.
The paper also described how a new disco and restaurant capable of accommodating 250 people was going to open in St Helens.
Run by a business company from Birmingham, the two-storey building would have go-go dancers, DJs and facilities for three bars.
The premises in Waterloo Street were being leased from owners Greenalls and the entertainments firm Gibson and Tibet were behind the new venture, with David Tibet telling the Reporter:
"We are applying for a licence from magistrates on February 3. If we are granted the permit then we shall be opening the club on February 5.
"We chose St. Helens as an ideal spot for a club of this kind, mainly because of the availability of the property in Waterloo Street, which is in the town centre. Also we feel that St. Helens is a viable commercial prospect."
The club would be called Francoise and was currently advertising for go-go dancers and DJs with Mr Tibet saying:
"We are looking for people who can dance and who have had previous experience in club dancing and who have personality."
Those dancers would now likely be around 70 and so probably don't go-go quite so well!
Tiffany's of Blackpool also had an advert in the paper offering free coach travel to "the North's No. 1 night spot".
Eckersley Coaches had pick-ups from Birchley Street at 7pm and from the Golden Lion in Rainford fifteen minutes later.
"Non-stop dancing", said their advert, which, presumably, was not compulsory, as the coach did not return until 1am.
For many years Graham Smith was a fixture down Duke Street, based in his wife Shelagh's Christian Book Shop and later in his own Religious Shop just a few doors away.
A flamboyant dresser with his floppy hat and cravat, who, when interviewed in newspapers or on television, would invariably say: "I want to be famous".
Graham would become known as the "Egg and Sausage Artist" and some would laugh at his eccentricities, not realising that these had been borne out of a severe nervous breakdown.
Alan Whalley in 1970 had written: "Graham's courageous comeback is an example to all who are broken down by the pressures of modern living."
In this week’s Reporter there was a picture of Graham alongside a painting in his shop window that bore the large sign: "Another Masterpiece By Graham Smith. For Sale At Twenty Thousand Pounds".
Although at first glance the painting was a nice study of a shipwreck, there were two large eggs in the top right hand corner.
Explaining their inclusion, Graham told the Reporter "I want to use eggs as my ‘nom-de-plume’, or trademark."
And he said he justified his £20,000 price tag (around £300,000 in today's money) because David Hockney sold his paintings for £50,000.
And finally, on the 19th Clint Eastwood's 'Thunderbolt & Lightfoot' replaced the war film 'The Dirty Dozen' at the ABC Savoy, with the Capitol showing Bruce Lee's 'Enter the Dragon', which was described as "returned by public demand".
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the opposition in St Helens to male midwives, Tom O’Connor returns to the Rael Brook factory in Rainhill, the Labour party votes to shut down Leathers and British Sidac admits to being in severe trouble.