FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 18 - 24 MAY 1976
This week's many stories include the Pilks' strike that was connected to a punch-up, the Pilkington lorries accused of damaging Cowley Street, the controversy over Saints' wheelchair and invalid car ban, the children scavenging rotting food from a Clock Face supermarket's bins and the greengrocers given notice to vacate their market stall because they were proving too popular.
We begin on the 18th with the death of Dr Thomas Jackson, who had been the principal of St Helens College for 24 years. The 64-year-old from Eccleston had seen the college grow from its former base in the Gamble Institute to its present huge complex (pictured above).
Also on that day, the St Helens Rotary Club presented Peggy McNamara, the Mayor of St Helens, with a cheque for £200. The money was going towards Mrs McNamara's appeal to raise £6,000 so that speech therapy machines could be bought for deaf children. The target figure had now been reached and consequently 51 machines had been purchased with another nine on order. That would make St Helens the only place in Britain able to provide speech therapy facilities for all deaf children in its area.
On the 20th a 40-hour strike at Pilks' City Road works that was connected to a punch-up was brought to an end. That was after the 400 members of the General and Municipal Workers Union that had downed tools voted to return to their jobs. The trouble had started during the previous week with a row between union convenor Ron Jones and member Paddy Drury. Mr Jones said:
"Paddy was very abusive and threatening, saying I had sold him short to the management over a job change. He threw a punch, and I retaliated. It was just a scuffle – I wouldn't call it a fight." But Pilkington's management did and suspended both men for 10 days and the firm was adamant that the penalty, which amounted to a fortnight off work, would not be reduced.
At a union meeting at City Road it was decided that the punishment was too hard and the men voted for a strike. Mr Jones admitted that the works' regulations stated that the penalty for fighting was suspension or sacking but insisted that no offender had previously got more than seven days suspension. "I got 10, and the members were claiming it's victimisation", he said.
During the short strike union representatives attempted to negotiate a reduction in the 10-day suspension. But when they realised that Pilks would not back down, they recommended a return to work. A Pilkington spokesman said: "Initially the company considered dismissal, and it was as a result of discussions with the GMWU that the matter was reconsidered, and a two-week suspension decided upon."
Greengrocer Edie Bate was profiled in the St Helens Reporter on the 21st under the headline "Edith Pays Price of Fame". St Helens Council had given the 56-year-old and her son Norman notice to vacate their market stall. That was for the curious reason that they were doing so much business in the Tontine Market through offering produce at low prices, that queues to their stall were annoying other traders!
The council claimed it was a health and safety issue, which would be resolved if Edie and Norman (pictured above) increased their prices. When the Bates' declined to do so, a month's notice was served on them – although the greengrocers were offered another, somewhat out of the way stall to move to. In the short time that Edie and Norman had been in the Tontine they had become very popular through selling cut-price fruit and veg and had around 2,700 customers a week.
The couple had established very good contacts with local farmers and had a regular supply of produce at a time when shortages were making other retailers increase their prices. Edie explained their situation to the Reporter: "The council told us that we had to move from the stall because the queues were causing an obstruction to other traders and to passers-by. I am sure that because of our cut prices and the queues we have received more than our fair share of jealousy."
Upon being asked about the alternative stall that had been offered to Edie and Norman, she replied: "Why should I move? Other stalls in the market have long queues but no-one is to shift them. The other stall is right at the back of the market, right out of the way." But Edith said she did not intend to give up her stall without a fight. She planned to present a petition to the council signed by her regular customers, including Moss Bank councillor Pat Ashton.
The Reporter had a disturbing article about children scavenging rotting fruit and raw meat from a supermarket's dustbins. Residents of Burnage Avenue in Clock Face said children aged between 4 and 10 had been seen foraging in containers of waste food at the Mac Market store in the Four Acre Lane shopping precinct. Speaking on behalf of the residents, Mary Speakman warned:
"Gangs of youngsters raid the dustbins and come away with handfuls of food. What we fear is a poison epidemic. We are surprised no one has come down with a serious illness before now." Mrs Speakman said there had been horrifying scenes of toddlers rummaging in the bins and eating decaying bananas and uncooked sausages. Residents claimed that the bins were only emptied once a week but the store said they were emptied daily and blamed vandals for circumventing their measures to safely dispose of unwanted food.
The Reporter also described how vandals had hit another school in the borough. On this occasion it had been the new part of St Anne's Junior School in View Road in Rainhill. Teachers' desks had been broken into, papers and books scattered around and much of the school's equipment had been smashed, including some ceiling tiles.
In another story concerns were raised about a road diversion that residents felt was endangering their lives. Some roadworks were taking place at the junction of Lord Street and Alfred Street in St Helens leading to lorries leaving Pilkington's Cowley Hill Works having to use Cowley Street. But that was narrow and cobbled and residents were complaining that as a result the roadway was sinking and they said the large lorries also posed a danger to their children.
Mary Coope of Wellington Terrace told the Reporter: "We want Pilkingtons to order the lorries to stop using Cowley Street. The road has plunged several inches in the past few weeks and one of our children might lose their lives."
And Ellen Middlehurst of Cowley Street said: "Someone is going to get killed. I was pinned up against the wall when I went out of my house the other day because of a huge lorry trying to get up the street. The street and the houses are just rapidly sinking into the ground. The street can't take all this weight." But the council seemed unconcerned, stating that the problem would resolve itself within 10 days when roadworks were completed.
The Reporter also revealed that Saints had a wheelchair and invalid car ban in place at their Knowsley Road ground after a disabled fan had complained of being denied access. In 1972 Saints had informed John Henry that his invalid carriage would not be allowed into their ground. After many delays John eventually obtained a wheelchair, after wrongly believing that they were allowed. But when he rang up the club he found to his horror that was not the case.
The article was published under the headline "Saints Wheelchair Ban Hits Super Fan John" and began: "A ban on invalid carriages and wheelchairs at Knowsley Road robbed John Henry of a four-year dream to see the Saints in cup action last weekend. For 56-year-old John, an osteo-arthritis sufferer, of Broadway, Grange Park, has twice been told by the club he has supported all his life that he could not be allowed on the ground because of his handicap."
Secretary Geoff Sutcliffe told the Reporter: "There is just nowhere to put people with wheelchairs, especially with the size of crowd we had on Sunday. An odd one is allowed occasionally but if I had allowed one on Sunday then I would have had 30 because there were so many enquiries. Handicapped people with wheelchairs were allowed at one time but there were so many problems. We would like to help but there is no way around the problem."
And finally, on the 22nd seventy-two children in fancy dress took part in a two-hour procession through the streets of Four Acre in St Helens. The youngsters from the Four Acre Children's Club walked for 1½ miles to raise money to buy new equipment for their club and Redgate Boys Band performed a concert.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the protest meeting over plans to close St Helens Hospital's A&E at night, the campaign against powerboats on Carr Mill Dam and St Helens is described as a town of despair and hardship.
Also on that day, the St Helens Rotary Club presented Peggy McNamara, the Mayor of St Helens, with a cheque for £200. The money was going towards Mrs McNamara's appeal to raise £6,000 so that speech therapy machines could be bought for deaf children. The target figure had now been reached and consequently 51 machines had been purchased with another nine on order. That would make St Helens the only place in Britain able to provide speech therapy facilities for all deaf children in its area.
On the 20th a 40-hour strike at Pilks' City Road works that was connected to a punch-up was brought to an end. That was after the 400 members of the General and Municipal Workers Union that had downed tools voted to return to their jobs. The trouble had started during the previous week with a row between union convenor Ron Jones and member Paddy Drury. Mr Jones said:
"Paddy was very abusive and threatening, saying I had sold him short to the management over a job change. He threw a punch, and I retaliated. It was just a scuffle – I wouldn't call it a fight." But Pilkington's management did and suspended both men for 10 days and the firm was adamant that the penalty, which amounted to a fortnight off work, would not be reduced.
At a union meeting at City Road it was decided that the punishment was too hard and the men voted for a strike. Mr Jones admitted that the works' regulations stated that the penalty for fighting was suspension or sacking but insisted that no offender had previously got more than seven days suspension. "I got 10, and the members were claiming it's victimisation", he said.
During the short strike union representatives attempted to negotiate a reduction in the 10-day suspension. But when they realised that Pilks would not back down, they recommended a return to work. A Pilkington spokesman said: "Initially the company considered dismissal, and it was as a result of discussions with the GMWU that the matter was reconsidered, and a two-week suspension decided upon."
The council claimed it was a health and safety issue, which would be resolved if Edie and Norman (pictured above) increased their prices. When the Bates' declined to do so, a month's notice was served on them – although the greengrocers were offered another, somewhat out of the way stall to move to. In the short time that Edie and Norman had been in the Tontine they had become very popular through selling cut-price fruit and veg and had around 2,700 customers a week.
The couple had established very good contacts with local farmers and had a regular supply of produce at a time when shortages were making other retailers increase their prices. Edie explained their situation to the Reporter: "The council told us that we had to move from the stall because the queues were causing an obstruction to other traders and to passers-by. I am sure that because of our cut prices and the queues we have received more than our fair share of jealousy."
Upon being asked about the alternative stall that had been offered to Edie and Norman, she replied: "Why should I move? Other stalls in the market have long queues but no-one is to shift them. The other stall is right at the back of the market, right out of the way." But Edith said she did not intend to give up her stall without a fight. She planned to present a petition to the council signed by her regular customers, including Moss Bank councillor Pat Ashton.
The Reporter had a disturbing article about children scavenging rotting fruit and raw meat from a supermarket's dustbins. Residents of Burnage Avenue in Clock Face said children aged between 4 and 10 had been seen foraging in containers of waste food at the Mac Market store in the Four Acre Lane shopping precinct. Speaking on behalf of the residents, Mary Speakman warned:
"Gangs of youngsters raid the dustbins and come away with handfuls of food. What we fear is a poison epidemic. We are surprised no one has come down with a serious illness before now." Mrs Speakman said there had been horrifying scenes of toddlers rummaging in the bins and eating decaying bananas and uncooked sausages. Residents claimed that the bins were only emptied once a week but the store said they were emptied daily and blamed vandals for circumventing their measures to safely dispose of unwanted food.
The Reporter also described how vandals had hit another school in the borough. On this occasion it had been the new part of St Anne's Junior School in View Road in Rainhill. Teachers' desks had been broken into, papers and books scattered around and much of the school's equipment had been smashed, including some ceiling tiles.
In another story concerns were raised about a road diversion that residents felt was endangering their lives. Some roadworks were taking place at the junction of Lord Street and Alfred Street in St Helens leading to lorries leaving Pilkington's Cowley Hill Works having to use Cowley Street. But that was narrow and cobbled and residents were complaining that as a result the roadway was sinking and they said the large lorries also posed a danger to their children.
Mary Coope of Wellington Terrace told the Reporter: "We want Pilkingtons to order the lorries to stop using Cowley Street. The road has plunged several inches in the past few weeks and one of our children might lose their lives."
And Ellen Middlehurst of Cowley Street said: "Someone is going to get killed. I was pinned up against the wall when I went out of my house the other day because of a huge lorry trying to get up the street. The street and the houses are just rapidly sinking into the ground. The street can't take all this weight." But the council seemed unconcerned, stating that the problem would resolve itself within 10 days when roadworks were completed.
The Reporter also revealed that Saints had a wheelchair and invalid car ban in place at their Knowsley Road ground after a disabled fan had complained of being denied access. In 1972 Saints had informed John Henry that his invalid carriage would not be allowed into their ground. After many delays John eventually obtained a wheelchair, after wrongly believing that they were allowed. But when he rang up the club he found to his horror that was not the case.
The article was published under the headline "Saints Wheelchair Ban Hits Super Fan John" and began: "A ban on invalid carriages and wheelchairs at Knowsley Road robbed John Henry of a four-year dream to see the Saints in cup action last weekend. For 56-year-old John, an osteo-arthritis sufferer, of Broadway, Grange Park, has twice been told by the club he has supported all his life that he could not be allowed on the ground because of his handicap."
Secretary Geoff Sutcliffe told the Reporter: "There is just nowhere to put people with wheelchairs, especially with the size of crowd we had on Sunday. An odd one is allowed occasionally but if I had allowed one on Sunday then I would have had 30 because there were so many enquiries. Handicapped people with wheelchairs were allowed at one time but there were so many problems. We would like to help but there is no way around the problem."
And finally, on the 22nd seventy-two children in fancy dress took part in a two-hour procession through the streets of Four Acre in St Helens. The youngsters from the Four Acre Children's Club walked for 1½ miles to raise money to buy new equipment for their club and Redgate Boys Band performed a concert.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the protest meeting over plans to close St Helens Hospital's A&E at night, the campaign against powerboats on Carr Mill Dam and St Helens is described as a town of despair and hardship.
This week's many stories include the Pilks' strike that was connected to a punch-up, the Pilkington lorries accused of damaging Cowley Street, the controversy over Saints' wheelchair and invalid car ban, the children scavenging rotting food from a Clock Face supermarket's bins and the greengrocers given notice to vacate their market stall because they were proving too popular.
We begin on the 18th with the death of Dr Thomas Jackson, who had been the principal of St Helens College for 24 years.
The 64-year-old from Eccleston had seen the college grow from its former base in the Gamble Institute to its present huge complex (pictured above).
Also on that day, the St Helens Rotary Club presented Peggy McNamara, the Mayor of St Helens, with a cheque for £200.
The money was going towards Mrs McNamara's appeal to raise £6,000 so that speech therapy machines could be bought for deaf children.
The target figure had now been reached and consequently 51 machines had been purchased with another nine on order.
That would make St Helens the only place in Britain able to provide speech therapy facilities for all deaf children in its area.
On the 20th a 40-hour strike at Pilks' City Road works that was connected to a punch-up was brought to an end.
That was after the 400 members of the General and Municipal Workers Union that had downed tools voted to return to their jobs.
The trouble had started during the previous week with a row between union convenor Ron Jones and member Paddy Drury. Mr Jones said:
"Paddy was very abusive and threatening, saying I had sold him short to the management over a job change. He threw a punch, and I retaliated. It was just a scuffle – I wouldn't call it a fight."
But Pilkington's management did and suspended both men for 10 days and the firm was adamant that the penalty, which amounted to a fortnight off work, would not be reduced.
At a union meeting at City Road it was decided that the punishment was too hard and the men voted for a strike.
Mr Jones admitted that the works' regulations stated that the penalty for fighting was suspension or sacking but insisted that no offender had previously got more than seven days suspension.
"I got 10, and the members were claiming it's victimisation", he said.
During the short strike union representatives attempted to negotiate a reduction in the 10-day suspension. But when they realised that Pilks would not back down, they recommended a return to work.
A Pilkington spokesman said: "Initially the company considered dismissal, and it was as a result of discussions with the GMWU that the matter was reconsidered, and a two-week suspension decided upon."
Greengrocer Edie Bate was profiled in the St Helens Reporter on the 21st under the headline "Edith Pays Price of Fame".
St Helens Council had given the 56-year-old and her son Norman notice to vacate their market stall.
That was for the curious reason that they were doing so much business in the Tontine Market through offering produce at low prices, that queues to their stall were annoying other traders!
The council claimed it was a health and safety issue, which would be resolved if Edie and Norman increased their prices.
When the Bates' (pictured above) declined to do so, a month's notice was served on them – although the greengrocers were offered another, somewhat out of the way stall to move to.
In the short time that Edie and Norman had been in the Tontine they had become very popular through selling cut-price fruit and veg and had around 2,700 customers a week.
The couple had established very good contacts with local farmers and had a regular supply of produce at a time when shortages were making other retailers increase their prices. Edie explained their situation to the Reporter:
"The council told us that we had to move from the stall because the queues were causing an obstruction to other traders and to passers-by. I am sure that because of our cut prices and the queues we have received more than our fair share of jealousy."
Upon being asked about the alternative stall that had been offered to Edie and Norman, she replied:
"Why should I move? Other stalls in the market have long queues but no-one is to shift them. The other stall is right at the back of the market, right out of the way."
But Edith said she did not intend to give up her stall without a fight. She planned to present a petition to the council signed by her regular customers, including Moss Bank councillor Pat Ashton.
The Reporter had a disturbing article about children scavenging rotting fruit and raw meat from a supermarket's dustbins.
Residents of Burnage Avenue in Clock Face said children aged between 4 and 10 had been seen foraging in containers of waste food at the Mac Market store in the Four Acre Lane shopping precinct.
Speaking on behalf of the residents, Mary Speakman warned:
"Gangs of youngsters raid the dustbins and come away with handfuls of food. What we fear is a poison epidemic. We are surprised no one has come down with a serious illness before now."
Mrs Speakman said there had been horrifying scenes of toddlers rummaging in the bins and eating decaying bananas and uncooked sausages.
Residents claimed that the bins were only emptied once a week but the store said they were emptied daily and blamed vandals for circumventing their measures to safely dispose of unwanted food.
The Reporter also described how vandals had hit another school in the borough.
On this occasion it had been the new part of St Anne's Junior School in View Road in Rainhill.
Teachers' desks had been broken into, papers and books scattered around and much of the school's equipment had been smashed, including some ceiling tiles.
In another story concerns were raised about a road diversion that residents felt was endangering their lives.
Some roadworks were taking place at the junction of Lord Street and Alfred Street in St Helens leading to lorries leaving Pilkington's Cowley Hill Works having to use Cowley Street.
But that was narrow and cobbled and residents were complaining that as a result the roadway was sinking and they said the large lorries also posed a danger to their children.
Mary Coope of Wellington Terrace told the Reporter:
"We want Pilkingtons to order the lorries to stop using Cowley Street. The road has plunged several inches in the past few weeks and one of our children might lose their lives."
And Ellen Middlehurst of Cowley Street said:
"Someone is going to get killed. I was pinned up against the wall when I went out of my house the other day because of a huge lorry trying to get up the street. The street and the houses are just rapidly sinking into the ground. The street can't take all this weight."
But the council seemed unconcerned, stating that the problem would resolve itself within 10 days when roadworks were completed.
The Reporter also revealed that Saints had a wheelchair and invalid car ban in place at their Knowsley Road ground after a disabled fan had complained of being denied access.
In 1972 Saints had informed John Henry that his invalid carriage would not be allowed into their ground.
After many delays John eventually obtained a wheelchair, after wrongly believing that they were allowed.
But when he rang up the club he found to his horror that was not the case.
The article was published under the headline "Saints Wheelchair Ban Hits Super Fan John" and began:
"A ban on invalid carriages and wheelchairs at Knowsley Road robbed John Henry of a four-year dream to see the Saints in cup action last weekend.
"For 56-year-old John, an osteo-arthritis sufferer, of Broadway, Grange Park, has twice been told by the club he has supported all his life that he could not be allowed on the ground because of his handicap."
Secretary Geoff Sutcliffe told the Reporter: "There is just nowhere to put people with wheelchairs, especially with the size of crowd we had on Sunday.
"An odd one is allowed occasionally but if I had allowed one on Sunday then I would have had 30 because there were so many enquiries.
"Handicapped people with wheelchairs were allowed at one time but there were so many problems. We would like to help but there is no way around the problem."
And finally, on the 22nd seventy-two children in fancy dress took part in a two-hour procession through the streets of Four Acre in St Helens.
The youngsters from the Four Acre Children's Club walked for 1½ miles to raise money to buy new equipment for their club and Redgate Boys Band performed a concert.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the protest meeting over plans to close St Helens Hospital's A&E at night, the campaign against powerboats on Carr Mill Dam and St Helens is described as a town of despair and hardship.
The 64-year-old from Eccleston had seen the college grow from its former base in the Gamble Institute to its present huge complex (pictured above).
Also on that day, the St Helens Rotary Club presented Peggy McNamara, the Mayor of St Helens, with a cheque for £200.
The money was going towards Mrs McNamara's appeal to raise £6,000 so that speech therapy machines could be bought for deaf children.
The target figure had now been reached and consequently 51 machines had been purchased with another nine on order.
That would make St Helens the only place in Britain able to provide speech therapy facilities for all deaf children in its area.
On the 20th a 40-hour strike at Pilks' City Road works that was connected to a punch-up was brought to an end.
That was after the 400 members of the General and Municipal Workers Union that had downed tools voted to return to their jobs.
The trouble had started during the previous week with a row between union convenor Ron Jones and member Paddy Drury. Mr Jones said:
"Paddy was very abusive and threatening, saying I had sold him short to the management over a job change. He threw a punch, and I retaliated. It was just a scuffle – I wouldn't call it a fight."
But Pilkington's management did and suspended both men for 10 days and the firm was adamant that the penalty, which amounted to a fortnight off work, would not be reduced.
At a union meeting at City Road it was decided that the punishment was too hard and the men voted for a strike.
Mr Jones admitted that the works' regulations stated that the penalty for fighting was suspension or sacking but insisted that no offender had previously got more than seven days suspension.
"I got 10, and the members were claiming it's victimisation", he said.
During the short strike union representatives attempted to negotiate a reduction in the 10-day suspension. But when they realised that Pilks would not back down, they recommended a return to work.
A Pilkington spokesman said: "Initially the company considered dismissal, and it was as a result of discussions with the GMWU that the matter was reconsidered, and a two-week suspension decided upon."
Greengrocer Edie Bate was profiled in the St Helens Reporter on the 21st under the headline "Edith Pays Price of Fame".
St Helens Council had given the 56-year-old and her son Norman notice to vacate their market stall.
That was for the curious reason that they were doing so much business in the Tontine Market through offering produce at low prices, that queues to their stall were annoying other traders!
The council claimed it was a health and safety issue, which would be resolved if Edie and Norman increased their prices.
In the short time that Edie and Norman had been in the Tontine they had become very popular through selling cut-price fruit and veg and had around 2,700 customers a week.
The couple had established very good contacts with local farmers and had a regular supply of produce at a time when shortages were making other retailers increase their prices. Edie explained their situation to the Reporter:
"The council told us that we had to move from the stall because the queues were causing an obstruction to other traders and to passers-by. I am sure that because of our cut prices and the queues we have received more than our fair share of jealousy."
Upon being asked about the alternative stall that had been offered to Edie and Norman, she replied:
"Why should I move? Other stalls in the market have long queues but no-one is to shift them. The other stall is right at the back of the market, right out of the way."
But Edith said she did not intend to give up her stall without a fight. She planned to present a petition to the council signed by her regular customers, including Moss Bank councillor Pat Ashton.
The Reporter had a disturbing article about children scavenging rotting fruit and raw meat from a supermarket's dustbins.
Residents of Burnage Avenue in Clock Face said children aged between 4 and 10 had been seen foraging in containers of waste food at the Mac Market store in the Four Acre Lane shopping precinct.
Speaking on behalf of the residents, Mary Speakman warned:
"Gangs of youngsters raid the dustbins and come away with handfuls of food. What we fear is a poison epidemic. We are surprised no one has come down with a serious illness before now."
Mrs Speakman said there had been horrifying scenes of toddlers rummaging in the bins and eating decaying bananas and uncooked sausages.
Residents claimed that the bins were only emptied once a week but the store said they were emptied daily and blamed vandals for circumventing their measures to safely dispose of unwanted food.
The Reporter also described how vandals had hit another school in the borough.
On this occasion it had been the new part of St Anne's Junior School in View Road in Rainhill.
Teachers' desks had been broken into, papers and books scattered around and much of the school's equipment had been smashed, including some ceiling tiles.
In another story concerns were raised about a road diversion that residents felt was endangering their lives.
Some roadworks were taking place at the junction of Lord Street and Alfred Street in St Helens leading to lorries leaving Pilkington's Cowley Hill Works having to use Cowley Street.
But that was narrow and cobbled and residents were complaining that as a result the roadway was sinking and they said the large lorries also posed a danger to their children.
Mary Coope of Wellington Terrace told the Reporter:
"We want Pilkingtons to order the lorries to stop using Cowley Street. The road has plunged several inches in the past few weeks and one of our children might lose their lives."
And Ellen Middlehurst of Cowley Street said:
"Someone is going to get killed. I was pinned up against the wall when I went out of my house the other day because of a huge lorry trying to get up the street. The street and the houses are just rapidly sinking into the ground. The street can't take all this weight."
But the council seemed unconcerned, stating that the problem would resolve itself within 10 days when roadworks were completed.
The Reporter also revealed that Saints had a wheelchair and invalid car ban in place at their Knowsley Road ground after a disabled fan had complained of being denied access.
In 1972 Saints had informed John Henry that his invalid carriage would not be allowed into their ground.
After many delays John eventually obtained a wheelchair, after wrongly believing that they were allowed.
But when he rang up the club he found to his horror that was not the case.
The article was published under the headline "Saints Wheelchair Ban Hits Super Fan John" and began:
"A ban on invalid carriages and wheelchairs at Knowsley Road robbed John Henry of a four-year dream to see the Saints in cup action last weekend.
"For 56-year-old John, an osteo-arthritis sufferer, of Broadway, Grange Park, has twice been told by the club he has supported all his life that he could not be allowed on the ground because of his handicap."
Secretary Geoff Sutcliffe told the Reporter: "There is just nowhere to put people with wheelchairs, especially with the size of crowd we had on Sunday.
"An odd one is allowed occasionally but if I had allowed one on Sunday then I would have had 30 because there were so many enquiries.
"Handicapped people with wheelchairs were allowed at one time but there were so many problems. We would like to help but there is no way around the problem."
And finally, on the 22nd seventy-two children in fancy dress took part in a two-hour procession through the streets of Four Acre in St Helens.
The youngsters from the Four Acre Children's Club walked for 1½ miles to raise money to buy new equipment for their club and Redgate Boys Band performed a concert.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the protest meeting over plans to close St Helens Hospital's A&E at night, the campaign against powerboats on Carr Mill Dam and St Helens is described as a town of despair and hardship.