FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 13 - 19 JULY 1976
This week's many stories include a worker's death at Leathers Chemicals, why Percy the penguin could not have a partner, the stigma of Beth Avenue, the houses in St Helens that were breaking the £10,000 price barrier, the Kirkland Street motorcycle shop that had been repeatedly burgled and how the heatwave was leading to big increases in sales of ice lollies and drink.
We begin on the 14th when James Rimmer of Porlock Avenue in St Helens was trapped for an hour after his forklift truck overturned at Pilkington's Albert Street works. The 24-year-old was reported as having driven his truck down a sharp incline and it had overturned as he took a bend. James was rushed to Whiston Hospital with extensive injuries where his condition was said to be satisfactory.
On the evening of the 14th, a public meeting of Beth Avenue residents was held in St Anne's Hall in Sutton where it was decided to reform their residents association. That had broken up two months earlier and part of the reason for its renewal was a desire to address the poor reputation that the council estate was developing.
Resident Ron Burks said: "We have been saddled with the stigma of Beth Avenue. People have called us wife-swappers, alcoholics, and the rest. But our rents are one of the highest in the town. We have to improve this."
Also on the 14th a special meeting of the East Sutton Residents Association took place to discuss Leathers Chemicals (pictured above). In 1975 after years of complaints, St Helens Council had issued an order for the sulphuric acid factory to close. Leathers had appealed against the order and a public inquiry had taken place in January 1976.
The government's decision on whether to approve the closure would be based on a recommendation by the inquiry's chairman. However, that was still awaited but last week an accident had occurred at the Lancots Lane plant in which a worker had died and another was badly injured. A storm of protest had erupted in the local community over the incident and the Residents Association said they were planning to send a report to the Environment Minister, Peter Shore.
The accident occurred after a pipe had burst, showering William Delaney and Ian Twist with acid. Mr Delaney of Buckfast Avenue in Haydock had subsequently died in Whiston Hospital and Mr Twist of Sidlaw Avenue in Parr was said to be fairly comfortable.
The St Helens Reporter was published on the 16th and described how almost forty new jobs could be created if plans by Cadbury-Schweppes to return to St Helens were supported by the council. The firm planned to reopen their factory in Reginald Road that had opened in 1972 but was closed just three years later when its tea production facilities were transferred to other sites. If planning permission was granted, the company's tea and food group, Cadbury-Typhoo, planned to make St Helens their distribution depot.
The Reporter also described how almost £5,000 worth of goods had been taken in three raids on a St Helens motorcycle shop. Fred Hartley, of Hartley Motor Cycles of Kirkland Street, said as a result he was on the verge of going out of business. "I am surrounded by empty property and if the council bought me out I would gladly pack in tomorrow and go on the dole. It is that bad," he said. The goods stolen in the three burglaries over the past seven weeks had mainly been items of clothing, including leather jackets and crash helmets.
I wrote in April how for the last two years fundraising had been taking place in St Helens for the Sunray project. That, I said, was intended to provide deprived persons from the borough with a holiday at a home in Abergele that had been renovated at a cost of £75,000. My statement was how the Reporter had described Sunray in its articles, which, it seems, was not completely accurate.
The holiday home was only due to be officially opened next week but in this week's paper its organiser Reg Kershaw said Sunray was in danger of closing down through lack of guests. He explained: "The main problem is that people think that they can only go to the home if they are disabled or elderly or sent there with the help of the Social Services Department. But anyone who wants a rest can go there. We would like families to holiday at the home as well as others."
It is hardly surprising that people thought the general public could not book the home when their publicity suggested it was exclusively for particular groups of people to use. But if any St Helens holidaymakers did want to stay at the holiday home in North Wales for a week, it would cost them just £28 per person.
Do you remember Percy the penguin in the Sherdley Park Pets Corner? The Reporter described how five-year-old Percy had been sentenced to solitary confinement because animal experts had warned the council that the penguin would likely be killed if they brought in any new companions.
A council spokesman said: "The experts told us that if more penguins were introduced to the park's animal compound they would regard Percy as an outsider and probably kill him." In 1974 vandals had killed Percy's two companions using air guns and he himself had been injured and had needed an operation. The spokesman added:
"Percy is such a great favourite with the kiddies who come each day to see him. He acts more like a child than a penguin. He never goes short of attention. We all think the world of him. There doesn't seem to be a solution to the problem. It looks as though Percy will be facing a lonely future."
The Reporter also described how budgerigars and goldfish kept by children at Knowsley Road School had been tortured and killed by hooligans in a weekend raid. Headmistress Doreen Brady said: "These pets had been senselessly slaughtered. Its difficult to imagine what type of people could do such a revolting thing. Luckily most of the hamsters had been taken home by the children for the weekend."
The Reporter described how house prices in certain parts of St Helens had jumped by a "shock" 20% over the previous year against all national trends and estate agents were warning they could rise by a further 10% next year. The increase had added £2,000 to the cost of a £10,000 house in areas such as Eccleston, Windle, Billinge and Rainford where demand was highest.
Estate agent Leslie Lomax told the paper: "Anyone now buying a property of around £10,000 could well be sitting on a future goldmine. For prices are going up again."
The plight of Betty Carberry of Dunmail Avenue was also featured. The mother of three claimed that since council workmen had repaired pipes near to her home in Carr Mill, the water had tasted dreadful. As a result, Mrs Carberry said she was having to borrow water from her neighbours because she feared lead poisoning from her own water supply.
She told the Reporter: "It is ridiculous. I am not allowing anyone in this house to drink it, not even the dog. We are having to use water from neighbours but it is better than getting lead poisoning."
The North West Water Authority confirmed that there were lead particles in her water but there was a dispute between them and St Helens Council as to the exact cause of the problem and the required fix. The Water Authority felt the pipes probably needed changing but the Environment Health Department told the Reporter a "good flushing" would sort things out.
Under the headline "Suppliers Are ‘Licking’ The Great Thirst", David Lawrenson in the Reporter described how the hot weather in St Helens had led to big increases in sales of ice lollies and drink in recent weeks. But so far local producers and retailers had been able to satisfy the huge demand:
"Local pop firms and ice cream manufacturers are battling to build up their stocks after quenching the town's giant thirst. And one St. Helens firm estimates that their customers have downed over one million bottles of soft drinks during the heatwave. Mr. Eric Latham, managing director of Kerr's Minerals Ltd., Barrow Street, said:
"“We are working every hour God sends to meet the demand. Last week we sold over 250,000 bottles and it has been the same story during the previous four or five weeks. Usually the hot spell only lasts for a couple of weeks and then the demand tails off, but this prolonged spell has produced the highest demand ever.”"
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the opening of the new St Helens Registry Office, the fire at Cowley Boys School, Cobalt Hi-Fi's new music centre, the fierce row over Carr Mill Dam and the objections to plans to dump toxic waste in a former clay pit.
We begin on the 14th when James Rimmer of Porlock Avenue in St Helens was trapped for an hour after his forklift truck overturned at Pilkington's Albert Street works. The 24-year-old was reported as having driven his truck down a sharp incline and it had overturned as he took a bend. James was rushed to Whiston Hospital with extensive injuries where his condition was said to be satisfactory.
On the evening of the 14th, a public meeting of Beth Avenue residents was held in St Anne's Hall in Sutton where it was decided to reform their residents association. That had broken up two months earlier and part of the reason for its renewal was a desire to address the poor reputation that the council estate was developing.
Resident Ron Burks said: "We have been saddled with the stigma of Beth Avenue. People have called us wife-swappers, alcoholics, and the rest. But our rents are one of the highest in the town. We have to improve this."
The government's decision on whether to approve the closure would be based on a recommendation by the inquiry's chairman. However, that was still awaited but last week an accident had occurred at the Lancots Lane plant in which a worker had died and another was badly injured. A storm of protest had erupted in the local community over the incident and the Residents Association said they were planning to send a report to the Environment Minister, Peter Shore.
The accident occurred after a pipe had burst, showering William Delaney and Ian Twist with acid. Mr Delaney of Buckfast Avenue in Haydock had subsequently died in Whiston Hospital and Mr Twist of Sidlaw Avenue in Parr was said to be fairly comfortable.
The St Helens Reporter was published on the 16th and described how almost forty new jobs could be created if plans by Cadbury-Schweppes to return to St Helens were supported by the council. The firm planned to reopen their factory in Reginald Road that had opened in 1972 but was closed just three years later when its tea production facilities were transferred to other sites. If planning permission was granted, the company's tea and food group, Cadbury-Typhoo, planned to make St Helens their distribution depot.
The Reporter also described how almost £5,000 worth of goods had been taken in three raids on a St Helens motorcycle shop. Fred Hartley, of Hartley Motor Cycles of Kirkland Street, said as a result he was on the verge of going out of business. "I am surrounded by empty property and if the council bought me out I would gladly pack in tomorrow and go on the dole. It is that bad," he said. The goods stolen in the three burglaries over the past seven weeks had mainly been items of clothing, including leather jackets and crash helmets.
I wrote in April how for the last two years fundraising had been taking place in St Helens for the Sunray project. That, I said, was intended to provide deprived persons from the borough with a holiday at a home in Abergele that had been renovated at a cost of £75,000. My statement was how the Reporter had described Sunray in its articles, which, it seems, was not completely accurate.
The holiday home was only due to be officially opened next week but in this week's paper its organiser Reg Kershaw said Sunray was in danger of closing down through lack of guests. He explained: "The main problem is that people think that they can only go to the home if they are disabled or elderly or sent there with the help of the Social Services Department. But anyone who wants a rest can go there. We would like families to holiday at the home as well as others."
It is hardly surprising that people thought the general public could not book the home when their publicity suggested it was exclusively for particular groups of people to use. But if any St Helens holidaymakers did want to stay at the holiday home in North Wales for a week, it would cost them just £28 per person.
Do you remember Percy the penguin in the Sherdley Park Pets Corner? The Reporter described how five-year-old Percy had been sentenced to solitary confinement because animal experts had warned the council that the penguin would likely be killed if they brought in any new companions.
A council spokesman said: "The experts told us that if more penguins were introduced to the park's animal compound they would regard Percy as an outsider and probably kill him." In 1974 vandals had killed Percy's two companions using air guns and he himself had been injured and had needed an operation. The spokesman added:
"Percy is such a great favourite with the kiddies who come each day to see him. He acts more like a child than a penguin. He never goes short of attention. We all think the world of him. There doesn't seem to be a solution to the problem. It looks as though Percy will be facing a lonely future."
The Reporter also described how budgerigars and goldfish kept by children at Knowsley Road School had been tortured and killed by hooligans in a weekend raid. Headmistress Doreen Brady said: "These pets had been senselessly slaughtered. Its difficult to imagine what type of people could do such a revolting thing. Luckily most of the hamsters had been taken home by the children for the weekend."
The Reporter described how house prices in certain parts of St Helens had jumped by a "shock" 20% over the previous year against all national trends and estate agents were warning they could rise by a further 10% next year. The increase had added £2,000 to the cost of a £10,000 house in areas such as Eccleston, Windle, Billinge and Rainford where demand was highest.
Estate agent Leslie Lomax told the paper: "Anyone now buying a property of around £10,000 could well be sitting on a future goldmine. For prices are going up again."
The plight of Betty Carberry of Dunmail Avenue was also featured. The mother of three claimed that since council workmen had repaired pipes near to her home in Carr Mill, the water had tasted dreadful. As a result, Mrs Carberry said she was having to borrow water from her neighbours because she feared lead poisoning from her own water supply.
She told the Reporter: "It is ridiculous. I am not allowing anyone in this house to drink it, not even the dog. We are having to use water from neighbours but it is better than getting lead poisoning."
The North West Water Authority confirmed that there were lead particles in her water but there was a dispute between them and St Helens Council as to the exact cause of the problem and the required fix. The Water Authority felt the pipes probably needed changing but the Environment Health Department told the Reporter a "good flushing" would sort things out.
Under the headline "Suppliers Are ‘Licking’ The Great Thirst", David Lawrenson in the Reporter described how the hot weather in St Helens had led to big increases in sales of ice lollies and drink in recent weeks. But so far local producers and retailers had been able to satisfy the huge demand:
"Local pop firms and ice cream manufacturers are battling to build up their stocks after quenching the town's giant thirst. And one St. Helens firm estimates that their customers have downed over one million bottles of soft drinks during the heatwave. Mr. Eric Latham, managing director of Kerr's Minerals Ltd., Barrow Street, said:
"“We are working every hour God sends to meet the demand. Last week we sold over 250,000 bottles and it has been the same story during the previous four or five weeks. Usually the hot spell only lasts for a couple of weeks and then the demand tails off, but this prolonged spell has produced the highest demand ever.”"
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the opening of the new St Helens Registry Office, the fire at Cowley Boys School, Cobalt Hi-Fi's new music centre, the fierce row over Carr Mill Dam and the objections to plans to dump toxic waste in a former clay pit.
This week's many stories include a worker's death at Leathers Chemicals, why Percy the penguin could not have a partner, the stigma of Beth Avenue, the houses in St Helens that were breaking the £10,000 price barrier, the Kirkland Street motorcycle shop that had been repeatedly burgled and how the heatwave was leading to big increases in sales of ice lollies and drink.
We begin on the 14th when James Rimmer of Porlock Avenue in St Helens was trapped for an hour after his forklift truck overturned at Pilkington's Albert Street works.
The 24-year-old was reported as having driven his truck down a sharp incline and it had overturned as he took a bend.
James was rushed to Whiston Hospital with extensive injuries where his condition was said to be satisfactory.
On the evening of the 14th, a public meeting of Beth Avenue residents was held in St Anne's Hall in Sutton where it was decided to reform their residents association.
That had broken up two months earlier and part of the reason for its renewal was a desire to address the poor reputation that the council estate was developing.
Resident Ron Burks said: "We have been saddled with the stigma of Beth Avenue. People have called us wife-swappers, alcoholics, and the rest. But our rents are one of the highest in the town. We have to improve this."
Also on the 14th a special meeting of the East Sutton Residents Association took place to discuss Leathers Chemicals (pictured above).
In 1975 after years of complaints, St Helens Council had issued an order for the sulphuric acid factory to close.
Leathers had appealed against the order and a public inquiry had taken place in January 1976.
The government's decision on whether to approve the closure would be based on a recommendation by the inquiry's chairman.
However, that was still awaited but last week an accident had occurred at the Lancots Lane plant in which a worker had died and another was badly injured.
A storm of protest had erupted in the local community over the incident and the Residents Association said they were planning to send a report to the Environment Minister, Peter Shore.
The accident occurred after a pipe had burst, showering William Delaney and Ian Twist with acid.
Mr Delaney of Buckfast Avenue in Haydock had subsequently died in Whiston Hospital and Mr Twist of Sidlaw Avenue in Parr was said to be fairly comfortable.
The St Helens Reporter was published on the 16th and described how almost forty new jobs could be created if plans by Cadbury-Schweppes to return to St Helens were supported by the council.
The firm planned to reopen their factory in Reginald Road that had opened in 1972 but was closed just three years later when its tea production facilities were transferred to other sites.
If planning permission was granted, the company's tea and food group, Cadbury-Typhoo, planned to make St Helens their distribution depot.
The Reporter also described how almost £5,000 worth of goods had been taken in three raids on a St Helens motorcycle shop.
Fred Hartley, of Hartley Motor Cycles of Kirkland Street, said as a result he was on the verge of going out of business.
"I am surrounded by empty property and if the council bought me out I would gladly pack in tomorrow and go on the dole. It is that bad," he said.
The goods stolen in the three burglaries over the past seven weeks had mainly been items of clothing, including leather jackets and crash helmets.
I wrote in April how for the last two years fundraising had been taking place in St Helens for the Sunray project.
That, I said, was intended to provide deprived persons from the borough with a holiday at a home in Abergele that had been renovated at a cost of £75,000.
My statement was how the Reporter had described Sunray in its articles, which, it seems, was not completely accurate.
The holiday home was only due to be officially opened next week but in this week's paper its organiser Reg Kershaw said Sunray was in danger of closing down through lack of guests. He explained:
"The main problem is that people think that they can only go to the home if they are disabled or elderly or sent there with the help of the Social Services Department. But anyone who wants a rest can go there. We would like families to holiday at the home as well as others."
It is hardly surprising that people thought the general public could not book the home when their publicity suggested it was exclusively for particular groups of people to use.
But if any St Helens holidaymakers did want to stay at the holiday home in North Wales for a week, it would cost them just £28 per person.
Do you remember Percy the penguin in the Sherdley Park Pets Corner?
The Reporter described how five-year-old Percy had been sentenced to solitary confinement because animal experts had warned the council that the penguin would likely be killed if they brought in any new companions.
A council spokesman said: "The experts told us that if more penguins were introduced to the park's animal compound they would regard Percy as an outsider and probably kill him."
In 1974 vandals had killed Percy's two companions using air guns and he himself had been injured and had needed an operation. The spokesman added:
"Percy is such a great favourite with the kiddies who come each day to see him. He acts more like a child than a penguin. He never goes short of attention.
"We all think the world of him. There doesn't seem to be a solution to the problem. It looks as though Percy will be facing a lonely future."
The Reporter also described how budgerigars and goldfish kept by children at Knowsley Road School had been tortured and killed by hooligans in a weekend raid.
Headmistress Doreen Brady said: "These pets had been senselessly slaughtered. Its difficult to imagine what type of people could do such a revolting thing. Luckily most of the hamsters had been taken home by the children for the weekend."
The Reporter described how house prices in certain parts of St Helens had jumped by a "shock" 20% over the previous year against all national trends and estate agents were warning they could rise by a further 10% next year.
The increase had added £2,000 to the cost of a £10,000 house in areas such as Eccleston, Windle, Billinge and Rainford where demand was highest.
Estate agent Leslie Lomax told the paper:
"Anyone now buying a property of around £10,000 could well be sitting on a future goldmine. For prices are going up again."
The plight of Betty Carberry of Dunmail Avenue was also featured. The mother of three claimed that since council workmen had repaired pipes near to her home in Carr Mill, the water had tasted dreadful.
As a result, Mrs Carberry said she was having to borrow water from her neighbours because she feared lead poisoning from her own water supply.
She told the Reporter: "It is ridiculous. I am not allowing anyone in this house to drink it, not even the dog. We are having to use water from neighbours but it is better than getting lead poisoning."
The North West Water Authority confirmed that there were lead particles in her water but there was a dispute between them and St Helens Council as to the exact cause of the problem and the required fix.
The Water Authority felt the pipes probably needed changing but the Environment Health Department told the Reporter a "good flushing" would sort things out.
Under the headline "Suppliers Are ‘Licking’ The Great Thirst", David Lawrenson in the Reporter described how the hot weather in St Helens had led to big increases in sales of ice lollies and drink in recent weeks.
But so far local producers and retailers had been able to satisfy the huge demand:
"Local pop firms and ice cream manufacturers are battling to build up their stocks after quenching the town's giant thirst. And one St. Helens firm estimates that their customers have downed over one million bottles of soft drinks during the heatwave.
"Mr. Eric Latham, managing director of Kerr's Minerals Ltd., Barrow Street, said:
"“We are working every hour God sends to meet the demand. Last week we sold over 250,000 bottles and it has been the same story during the previous four or five weeks.
"“Usually the hot spell only lasts for a couple of weeks and then the demand tails off, but this prolonged spell has produced the highest demand ever.”"
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the opening of the new St Helens Registry Office, the fire at Cowley Boys School, Cobalt Hi-Fi's new music centre, the fierce row over Carr Mill Dam and the objections to plans to dump toxic waste in a former clay pit.
We begin on the 14th when James Rimmer of Porlock Avenue in St Helens was trapped for an hour after his forklift truck overturned at Pilkington's Albert Street works.
The 24-year-old was reported as having driven his truck down a sharp incline and it had overturned as he took a bend.
James was rushed to Whiston Hospital with extensive injuries where his condition was said to be satisfactory.
On the evening of the 14th, a public meeting of Beth Avenue residents was held in St Anne's Hall in Sutton where it was decided to reform their residents association.
That had broken up two months earlier and part of the reason for its renewal was a desire to address the poor reputation that the council estate was developing.
Resident Ron Burks said: "We have been saddled with the stigma of Beth Avenue. People have called us wife-swappers, alcoholics, and the rest. But our rents are one of the highest in the town. We have to improve this."
In 1975 after years of complaints, St Helens Council had issued an order for the sulphuric acid factory to close.
Leathers had appealed against the order and a public inquiry had taken place in January 1976.
The government's decision on whether to approve the closure would be based on a recommendation by the inquiry's chairman.
However, that was still awaited but last week an accident had occurred at the Lancots Lane plant in which a worker had died and another was badly injured.
A storm of protest had erupted in the local community over the incident and the Residents Association said they were planning to send a report to the Environment Minister, Peter Shore.
The accident occurred after a pipe had burst, showering William Delaney and Ian Twist with acid.
Mr Delaney of Buckfast Avenue in Haydock had subsequently died in Whiston Hospital and Mr Twist of Sidlaw Avenue in Parr was said to be fairly comfortable.
The St Helens Reporter was published on the 16th and described how almost forty new jobs could be created if plans by Cadbury-Schweppes to return to St Helens were supported by the council.
The firm planned to reopen their factory in Reginald Road that had opened in 1972 but was closed just three years later when its tea production facilities were transferred to other sites.
If planning permission was granted, the company's tea and food group, Cadbury-Typhoo, planned to make St Helens their distribution depot.
The Reporter also described how almost £5,000 worth of goods had been taken in three raids on a St Helens motorcycle shop.
Fred Hartley, of Hartley Motor Cycles of Kirkland Street, said as a result he was on the verge of going out of business.
"I am surrounded by empty property and if the council bought me out I would gladly pack in tomorrow and go on the dole. It is that bad," he said.
The goods stolen in the three burglaries over the past seven weeks had mainly been items of clothing, including leather jackets and crash helmets.
I wrote in April how for the last two years fundraising had been taking place in St Helens for the Sunray project.
That, I said, was intended to provide deprived persons from the borough with a holiday at a home in Abergele that had been renovated at a cost of £75,000.
My statement was how the Reporter had described Sunray in its articles, which, it seems, was not completely accurate.
The holiday home was only due to be officially opened next week but in this week's paper its organiser Reg Kershaw said Sunray was in danger of closing down through lack of guests. He explained:
"The main problem is that people think that they can only go to the home if they are disabled or elderly or sent there with the help of the Social Services Department. But anyone who wants a rest can go there. We would like families to holiday at the home as well as others."
It is hardly surprising that people thought the general public could not book the home when their publicity suggested it was exclusively for particular groups of people to use.
But if any St Helens holidaymakers did want to stay at the holiday home in North Wales for a week, it would cost them just £28 per person.
Do you remember Percy the penguin in the Sherdley Park Pets Corner?
The Reporter described how five-year-old Percy had been sentenced to solitary confinement because animal experts had warned the council that the penguin would likely be killed if they brought in any new companions.
A council spokesman said: "The experts told us that if more penguins were introduced to the park's animal compound they would regard Percy as an outsider and probably kill him."
In 1974 vandals had killed Percy's two companions using air guns and he himself had been injured and had needed an operation. The spokesman added:
"Percy is such a great favourite with the kiddies who come each day to see him. He acts more like a child than a penguin. He never goes short of attention.
"We all think the world of him. There doesn't seem to be a solution to the problem. It looks as though Percy will be facing a lonely future."
The Reporter also described how budgerigars and goldfish kept by children at Knowsley Road School had been tortured and killed by hooligans in a weekend raid.
Headmistress Doreen Brady said: "These pets had been senselessly slaughtered. Its difficult to imagine what type of people could do such a revolting thing. Luckily most of the hamsters had been taken home by the children for the weekend."
The Reporter described how house prices in certain parts of St Helens had jumped by a "shock" 20% over the previous year against all national trends and estate agents were warning they could rise by a further 10% next year.
The increase had added £2,000 to the cost of a £10,000 house in areas such as Eccleston, Windle, Billinge and Rainford where demand was highest.
Estate agent Leslie Lomax told the paper:
"Anyone now buying a property of around £10,000 could well be sitting on a future goldmine. For prices are going up again."
The plight of Betty Carberry of Dunmail Avenue was also featured. The mother of three claimed that since council workmen had repaired pipes near to her home in Carr Mill, the water had tasted dreadful.
As a result, Mrs Carberry said she was having to borrow water from her neighbours because she feared lead poisoning from her own water supply.
She told the Reporter: "It is ridiculous. I am not allowing anyone in this house to drink it, not even the dog. We are having to use water from neighbours but it is better than getting lead poisoning."
The North West Water Authority confirmed that there were lead particles in her water but there was a dispute between them and St Helens Council as to the exact cause of the problem and the required fix.
The Water Authority felt the pipes probably needed changing but the Environment Health Department told the Reporter a "good flushing" would sort things out.
Under the headline "Suppliers Are ‘Licking’ The Great Thirst", David Lawrenson in the Reporter described how the hot weather in St Helens had led to big increases in sales of ice lollies and drink in recent weeks.
But so far local producers and retailers had been able to satisfy the huge demand:
"Local pop firms and ice cream manufacturers are battling to build up their stocks after quenching the town's giant thirst. And one St. Helens firm estimates that their customers have downed over one million bottles of soft drinks during the heatwave.
"Mr. Eric Latham, managing director of Kerr's Minerals Ltd., Barrow Street, said:
"“We are working every hour God sends to meet the demand. Last week we sold over 250,000 bottles and it has been the same story during the previous four or five weeks.
"“Usually the hot spell only lasts for a couple of weeks and then the demand tails off, but this prolonged spell has produced the highest demand ever.”"
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the opening of the new St Helens Registry Office, the fire at Cowley Boys School, Cobalt Hi-Fi's new music centre, the fierce row over Carr Mill Dam and the objections to plans to dump toxic waste in a former clay pit.