FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 23 FEBRUARY - 1 MARCH 1976
This week's many stories include the gang of thieves terrorising St Mary's Arcade, a vicar's criticism of porn magazines in St Helens' shops, there's a big rise in Savoy cinemagoers, an attack on fly-tippers, the closure of the Ravenhead TV glassware plant and the Eccleston man that fled from a new club after finding himself the only male among 40 women.
We begin on the 23rd when the Fleece Hotel in Church Street held what was described as a "Brides To Be Cheese & Wine Party Fashion Show".
Do you remember Bobby Crush who won Opportunity Knocks six times in 1972? He was also an actor as well as a pianist and for a week from the 23rd, Bobby played the title role of Aladdin at the Theatre Royal.
The St Helens Reporter on the 27th gave much prominence to a story describing how a gang of thieves was preying on the new St Mary's Arcade. And after raiding shops and stalls, the thieves then met up in a Church Street cafe to split the goods. But there was no secrecy about their noisy get togethers at Reece's Rendezvous. In fact the combined cafe and cake shop had got so fed up with the robbers' rowdy behaviour that they had hired what was described as a "special manageress" to try and put a stop to it.
And even she described the situation as: "Definitely the worst problem I have ever come across. I have never seen anything like it in my life." Monday was a favourite day for the gang to converge on the town centre shops and visit the market. The newly opened Idea For Living in St Mary's Arcade condemned the market security for not dealing with the shoplifting, saying: "We were losing articles of all shapes and sizes from various parts of the store."
And Jane Crosby, the assistant manageress of Preedy's stationery shop and newsagents, said: "It is becoming a terrible problem." And Kay's Fashions, next door to Reece's Rendezvous, described how during the previous week thieves had made off with over £40 worth of their shirts, adding: "The gang sometimes charge into the shop and terrorise the assistants. They are real hooligans."
One customer of the café described her experience: "I was having a drink in the café when the gang came in and offered me some goods which still had the labels on. From what they said it seems they have regular stealing trips to St. Helens." The café manageress said sometimes as many as 20 gang members would come in and sit around drinking just a couple of cups of coffee.
When asked to leave they came out with all sorts of language and they had been seen passing goods around. Curiously, a spokesman for the security company that patrolled the market complex told the Reporter that their main job was just to lock and unlock the arcades. He said they were not policemen but would call the police if there was any trouble.
The winner of the Miss Françoise 1976 contest was announced in the Reporter. She was Pat Taylor of Peet Avenue in Eccleston who worked at Boundary Road Baths as a sauna attendant and had won a holiday for two in Spain and a modelling course. The Waterloo Street club had just marked its first anniversary since opening.
The Vicar of St Peter's Church in Parr was appealing for people to boycott newsagents and other shops that sold sex magazines. The Rev John Roberts said: "If enough people take their trade away from shops which sell this cheap trash the shops could be forced to take it out. It is our duty as Christians and serious-minded citizens to try and do something about it."
Rev Roberts said he believed that widespread immorality could damage a child's mind and claimed to know of shops that had pornographic magazines openly on display. "The shops are visited by schoolchildren in their dinner hours and they stand around giggling at it but I am sure it will deeply damage their morality and their view of life. Society is sick and the law on pornography should be tightened."
Widower William Molyneux was described as having beaten a hasty retreat upon attending the newly formed Eccleston and Windle Monday Club. The 88-year-old from Springfield Lane had grabbed his hat and coat and made a beeline for the door, reportedly leaving other members of the club open-mouthed. On the following day he explained his actions to the Reporter, saying: "I was embarrassed. I was the only man among about 40 women."
Audrey Innes had established the club for what was described as the village's lonely and handicapped in which members could have a cup of tea, a chat and play a game of cards. But despite William's withdrawal, Audrey said she was determined to attract men to her Monday lonely hearts club that was held in the Lester Drive Old People's Centre.
The problem of fly tipping was given some prominence in the Reporter, with the paper writing: "The fly-tippers and twilight dumpers keep on committing their “crimes” against the environment. And the majority of us suffer. All over the Borough, little pockets of land are being used for illegal tipping. The beauty spots are made ugly and the already ugly spots are made worse than ever." Recently youths on a Job Creation scheme had cleared up Clinkham Wood but within days the area was reported to have been as bad as ever through fly tipping.
This week figures released by the ABC Savoy cinema in Bridge Street revealed a big increase in attendances since last May. Over 104,000 filmgoers had visited the cinema, a 20,000 increase on the same period during the previous year. John Clayton, the cinema's manager, said:
"Last year's attendances were outstanding but this year they have been terrific. ‘Jaws’ has obviously accounted for a large amount of the increase but our attendances would have still been thousands higher than last year's. More young people and families are coming out for a night. I have worked as a cinema manager for 16 years and these are easily the best attendances I have seen." Mr Clayton thought the poor quality of television programmes was responsible for the increase.
The 1970s were in some ways quite officious times, with some organisations demonstrating a lack of consideration for people. Joseph and Frances Phillipson were featured in the Reporter after the couple had received a rather abrupt letter from the Family Practitioner Committee, which was part of the Area Health Authority. The two pensioners from Shakespeare Road in Sutton Manor were bluntly told without explanation that they had to find another doctor within eight days. The letter read:
"I have to inform you that Drs. O’Donnell, McCann and Bhabani have given information that they wish to have the names of Joseph and Frances Phillipson removed from their list. You will therefore be required to choose another doctor within not more than eight days. If after the date of this notice, but before you have selected another doctor, you should require treatment, you may consult Drs. O’Donnell, McCann and Bhabani up to eight days from the date hereof."
Mr Phillipson, aged 71, said: "The letter has upset us both because of its tone. I was ill with worry. I thought we had done something wrong, and that was why they struck us off the list." The couple had been attending the Leach Lane practice since 1939 and later discovered after telephoning the Health Authority that they had been removed from the list because the surgery had too many patients.
And what did a spokesman for the Area Health Authority have to say to the Reporter in response to their request for an explanation? Did he apologise for the way the letter had been phrased? No, in the typical brusque manner of the times, the person simply said: "If these people are unhappy they should write to the administrator of the Family Practitioner Committee."
During the 1970s as a Citizens Band enthusiast, we CB users in our conversations would rather cruelly refer to the Golden Lion in Rainford as "the moon". That was because it had no atmosphere! But it did have very good mild, apparently, not that I ever drank the stuff. In this week's paper both the Lion and the Vine Tavern in Thatto Heath were celebrated as having some of the finest mild beer on Merseyside.
CAMRA had included the pair of pubs in their list of the eight best mild beer-drinking houses on Merseyside. The Lion's landlord Tom Cowing was able to give the Reporter the reason for his success: "It is because we are one of the very few pubs left with handpumps. Greenall were going to install electric pumps but I suggested that they would not be in character with the rest of the pub. I am very glad they agreed."
The Reporter also wrote: "Today, 200 years after the first piece of glass was cast there, Pilkington's Ravenhead factory shuts down, and 86 people will go home tonight with no job to clock into on Monday morning." Once there had been 1,350 workers at Ravenhead but now only the nearby engineering section would remain in business.
All kinds of glass had in the past been manufactured on the site but from 1949 the factory had been devoted to making television glassware. But in 1975 Pilks announced that the works – that was believed to be losing as much as £400,000 a month – had to close with the government refusing to provide a temporary subsidy on the ground that the factory had no future.
And finally, at the Capitol Cinema for 7 days from the 29th, 'Death Race 2000' starring David Carradine replaced 'Emmanuelle'. Meanwhile at the ABC Savoy, 'Dog Day Afternoon' starring Al Pacino replaced 'Earthquake' starring Charlton Heston.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the troublesome travellers in Rainhill, the stopping of The Court's teenage disco, the St Helens Civic Society claim lack of support and Eccleston Parish Council complain about the chopping down of trees.
We begin on the 23rd when the Fleece Hotel in Church Street held what was described as a "Brides To Be Cheese & Wine Party Fashion Show".
Do you remember Bobby Crush who won Opportunity Knocks six times in 1972? He was also an actor as well as a pianist and for a week from the 23rd, Bobby played the title role of Aladdin at the Theatre Royal.
The St Helens Reporter on the 27th gave much prominence to a story describing how a gang of thieves was preying on the new St Mary's Arcade. And after raiding shops and stalls, the thieves then met up in a Church Street cafe to split the goods. But there was no secrecy about their noisy get togethers at Reece's Rendezvous. In fact the combined cafe and cake shop had got so fed up with the robbers' rowdy behaviour that they had hired what was described as a "special manageress" to try and put a stop to it.
And even she described the situation as: "Definitely the worst problem I have ever come across. I have never seen anything like it in my life." Monday was a favourite day for the gang to converge on the town centre shops and visit the market. The newly opened Idea For Living in St Mary's Arcade condemned the market security for not dealing with the shoplifting, saying: "We were losing articles of all shapes and sizes from various parts of the store."
And Jane Crosby, the assistant manageress of Preedy's stationery shop and newsagents, said: "It is becoming a terrible problem." And Kay's Fashions, next door to Reece's Rendezvous, described how during the previous week thieves had made off with over £40 worth of their shirts, adding: "The gang sometimes charge into the shop and terrorise the assistants. They are real hooligans."
One customer of the café described her experience: "I was having a drink in the café when the gang came in and offered me some goods which still had the labels on. From what they said it seems they have regular stealing trips to St. Helens." The café manageress said sometimes as many as 20 gang members would come in and sit around drinking just a couple of cups of coffee.
When asked to leave they came out with all sorts of language and they had been seen passing goods around. Curiously, a spokesman for the security company that patrolled the market complex told the Reporter that their main job was just to lock and unlock the arcades. He said they were not policemen but would call the police if there was any trouble.
The winner of the Miss Françoise 1976 contest was announced in the Reporter. She was Pat Taylor of Peet Avenue in Eccleston who worked at Boundary Road Baths as a sauna attendant and had won a holiday for two in Spain and a modelling course. The Waterloo Street club had just marked its first anniversary since opening.
The Vicar of St Peter's Church in Parr was appealing for people to boycott newsagents and other shops that sold sex magazines. The Rev John Roberts said: "If enough people take their trade away from shops which sell this cheap trash the shops could be forced to take it out. It is our duty as Christians and serious-minded citizens to try and do something about it."
Rev Roberts said he believed that widespread immorality could damage a child's mind and claimed to know of shops that had pornographic magazines openly on display. "The shops are visited by schoolchildren in their dinner hours and they stand around giggling at it but I am sure it will deeply damage their morality and their view of life. Society is sick and the law on pornography should be tightened."
Widower William Molyneux was described as having beaten a hasty retreat upon attending the newly formed Eccleston and Windle Monday Club. The 88-year-old from Springfield Lane had grabbed his hat and coat and made a beeline for the door, reportedly leaving other members of the club open-mouthed. On the following day he explained his actions to the Reporter, saying: "I was embarrassed. I was the only man among about 40 women."
Audrey Innes had established the club for what was described as the village's lonely and handicapped in which members could have a cup of tea, a chat and play a game of cards. But despite William's withdrawal, Audrey said she was determined to attract men to her Monday lonely hearts club that was held in the Lester Drive Old People's Centre.
The problem of fly tipping was given some prominence in the Reporter, with the paper writing: "The fly-tippers and twilight dumpers keep on committing their “crimes” against the environment. And the majority of us suffer. All over the Borough, little pockets of land are being used for illegal tipping. The beauty spots are made ugly and the already ugly spots are made worse than ever." Recently youths on a Job Creation scheme had cleared up Clinkham Wood but within days the area was reported to have been as bad as ever through fly tipping.
"Last year's attendances were outstanding but this year they have been terrific. ‘Jaws’ has obviously accounted for a large amount of the increase but our attendances would have still been thousands higher than last year's. More young people and families are coming out for a night. I have worked as a cinema manager for 16 years and these are easily the best attendances I have seen." Mr Clayton thought the poor quality of television programmes was responsible for the increase.
The 1970s were in some ways quite officious times, with some organisations demonstrating a lack of consideration for people. Joseph and Frances Phillipson were featured in the Reporter after the couple had received a rather abrupt letter from the Family Practitioner Committee, which was part of the Area Health Authority. The two pensioners from Shakespeare Road in Sutton Manor were bluntly told without explanation that they had to find another doctor within eight days. The letter read:
"I have to inform you that Drs. O’Donnell, McCann and Bhabani have given information that they wish to have the names of Joseph and Frances Phillipson removed from their list. You will therefore be required to choose another doctor within not more than eight days. If after the date of this notice, but before you have selected another doctor, you should require treatment, you may consult Drs. O’Donnell, McCann and Bhabani up to eight days from the date hereof."
Mr Phillipson, aged 71, said: "The letter has upset us both because of its tone. I was ill with worry. I thought we had done something wrong, and that was why they struck us off the list." The couple had been attending the Leach Lane practice since 1939 and later discovered after telephoning the Health Authority that they had been removed from the list because the surgery had too many patients.
And what did a spokesman for the Area Health Authority have to say to the Reporter in response to their request for an explanation? Did he apologise for the way the letter had been phrased? No, in the typical brusque manner of the times, the person simply said: "If these people are unhappy they should write to the administrator of the Family Practitioner Committee."
During the 1970s as a Citizens Band enthusiast, we CB users in our conversations would rather cruelly refer to the Golden Lion in Rainford as "the moon". That was because it had no atmosphere! But it did have very good mild, apparently, not that I ever drank the stuff. In this week's paper both the Lion and the Vine Tavern in Thatto Heath were celebrated as having some of the finest mild beer on Merseyside.
CAMRA had included the pair of pubs in their list of the eight best mild beer-drinking houses on Merseyside. The Lion's landlord Tom Cowing was able to give the Reporter the reason for his success: "It is because we are one of the very few pubs left with handpumps. Greenall were going to install electric pumps but I suggested that they would not be in character with the rest of the pub. I am very glad they agreed."
The Reporter also wrote: "Today, 200 years after the first piece of glass was cast there, Pilkington's Ravenhead factory shuts down, and 86 people will go home tonight with no job to clock into on Monday morning." Once there had been 1,350 workers at Ravenhead but now only the nearby engineering section would remain in business.
All kinds of glass had in the past been manufactured on the site but from 1949 the factory had been devoted to making television glassware. But in 1975 Pilks announced that the works – that was believed to be losing as much as £400,000 a month – had to close with the government refusing to provide a temporary subsidy on the ground that the factory had no future.
And finally, at the Capitol Cinema for 7 days from the 29th, 'Death Race 2000' starring David Carradine replaced 'Emmanuelle'. Meanwhile at the ABC Savoy, 'Dog Day Afternoon' starring Al Pacino replaced 'Earthquake' starring Charlton Heston.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the troublesome travellers in Rainhill, the stopping of The Court's teenage disco, the St Helens Civic Society claim lack of support and Eccleston Parish Council complain about the chopping down of trees.
This week's many stories include the gang of thieves terrorising St Mary's Arcade, a vicar's criticism of porn magazines in St Helens' shops, there's a big rise in Savoy cinemagoers, an attack on fly-tippers, the closure of the Ravenhead TV glassware plant and the Eccleston man that fled from a new club after finding himself the only male among 40 women.
We begin on the 23rd when the Fleece Hotel in Church Street held what was described as a "Brides To Be Cheese & Wine Party Fashion Show".
Do you remember Bobby Crush who won Opportunity Knocks six times in 1972?
He was also an actor as well as a pianist and for a week from the 23rd, Bobby played the title role of Aladdin at the Theatre Royal.
The St Helens Reporter on the 27th gave much prominence to a story describing how a gang of thieves was preying on the new St Mary's Arcade.
And after raiding shops and stalls, the thieves then met up in a Church Street cafe to split the goods.
But there was no secrecy about their noisy get togethers at Reece's Rendezvous.
In fact the combined cafe and cake shop had got so fed up with the robbers' rowdy behaviour that they had hired what was described as a "special manageress" to try and put a stop to it.
And even she described the situation as: "Definitely the worst problem I have ever come across. I have never seen anything like it in my life."
Monday was a favourite day for the gang to converge on the town centre shops and visit the market.
The newly opened Idea For Living in St Mary's Arcade condemned the market security for not dealing with the shoplifting, saying:
"We were losing articles of all shapes and sizes from various parts of the store."
And Jane Crosby, the assistant manageress of Preedy's stationery shop and newsagents, said: "It is becoming a terrible problem."
And Kay's Fashions, next door to Reece's Rendezvous, described how during the previous week thieves had made off with over £40 worth of their shirts, adding:
"The gang sometimes charge into the shop and terrorise the assistants. They are real hooligans." One customer of the café described her experience:
"I was having a drink in the café when the gang came in and offered me some goods which still had the labels on. From what they said it seems they have regular stealing trips to St. Helens."
The café manageress said sometimes as many as 20 gang members would come in and sit around drinking just a couple of cups of coffee.
When asked to leave they came out with all sorts of language and they had been seen passing goods around.
Curiously, a spokesman for the security company that patrolled the market complex told the Reporter that their main job was just to lock and unlock the arcades.
He said they were not policemen but would call the police if there was any trouble.
The winner of the Miss Françoise 1976 contest was announced in the Reporter.
She was Pat Taylor of Peet Avenue in Eccleston who worked at Boundary Road Baths as a sauna attendant and had won a holiday for two in Spain and a modelling course. The Waterloo Street club had just marked its first anniversary since opening.
The Vicar of St Peter's Church in Parr was appealing for people to boycott newsagents and other shops that sold sex magazines.
The Rev John Roberts said: "If enough people take their trade away from shops which sell this cheap trash the shops could be forced to take it out. It is our duty as Christians and serious-minded citizens to try and do something about it."
Rev Roberts said he believed that widespread immorality could damage a child's mind and claimed to know of shops that had pornographic magazines openly on display.
"The shops are visited by schoolchildren in their dinner hours and they stand around giggling at it but I am sure it will deeply damage their morality and their view of life. Society is sick and the law on pornography should be tightened."
Widower William Molyneux was described as having beaten a hasty retreat upon attending the newly formed Eccleston and Windle Monday Club.
The 88-year-old from Springfield Lane had grabbed his hat and coat and made a beeline for the door, reportedly leaving other members of the club open-mouthed.
On the following day he explained his actions to the Reporter, saying: "I was embarrassed. I was the only man among about 40 women."
Audrey Innes had established the club for what was described as the village's lonely and handicapped in which members could have a cup of tea, a chat and play a game of cards.
But despite William's withdrawal, Audrey said she was determined to attract men to her Monday lonely hearts club that was held in the Lester Drive Old People's Centre.
The problem of fly tipping was given some prominence in the Reporter, with the paper writing:
"The fly-tippers and twilight dumpers keep on committing their “crimes” against the environment. And the majority of us suffer. All over the Borough, little pockets of land are being used for illegal tipping. The beauty spots are made ugly and the already ugly spots are made worse than ever."
Recently youths on a Job Creation scheme had cleared up Clinkham Wood but within days the area was reported to have been as bad as ever through fly tipping.
This week figures released by the ABC Savoy cinema in Bridge Street revealed a big increase in attendances since last May.
Over 104,000 filmgoers had visited the cinema, a 20,000 increase on the same period during the previous year. John Clayton, the cinema's manager, said:
"Last year's attendances were outstanding but this year they have been terrific. ‘Jaws’ has obviously accounted for a large amount of the increase but our attendances would have still been thousands higher than last year's.
"More young people and families are coming out for a night. I have worked as a cinema manager for 16 years and these are easily the best attendances I have seen."
Mr Clayton thought the poor quality of television programmes was responsible for the increase.
The 1970s were in some ways quite officious times, with some organisations demonstrating a lack of consideration for people.
Joseph and Frances Phillipson were featured in the Reporter after the couple had received a rather abrupt letter from the Family Practitioner Committee, which was part of the Area Health Authority.
The two pensioners from Shakespeare Road in Sutton Manor were bluntly told without explanation that they had to find another doctor within eight days. The letter read:
"I have to inform you that Drs. O’Donnell, McCann and Bhabani have given information that they wish to have the names of Joseph and Frances Phillipson removed from their list.
"You will therefore be required to choose another doctor within not more than eight days. If after the date of this notice, but before you have selected another doctor, you should require treatment, you may consult Drs. O’Donnell, McCann and Bhabani up to eight days from the date hereof."
Mr Phillipson, aged 71, said: "The letter has upset us both because of its tone. I was ill with worry. I thought we had done something wrong, and that was why they struck us off the list."
The couple had been attending the Leach Lane practice since 1939 and later discovered after telephoning the Health Authority that they had been removed from the list because the surgery had too many patients.
And what did a spokesman for the Area Health Authority have to say to the Reporter in response to their request for an explanation? Did he apologise for the way the letter had been phrased?
No, in the typical brusque manner of the times, the person simply said: "If these people are unhappy they should write to the administrator of the Family Practitioner Committee."
During the 1970s as a Citizens Band enthusiast, we CB users in our conversations would rather cruelly refer to the Golden Lion in Rainford as "the moon". That was because it had no atmosphere!
But it did have very good mild, apparently, not that I ever drank the stuff.
In this week's paper both the Lion and the Vine Tavern in Thatto Heath were celebrated as having some of the finest mild beer on Merseyside.
CAMRA had included the pair of pubs in their list of the eight best mild beer-drinking houses on Merseyside.
The Lion's landlord Tom Cowing was able to give the Reporter the reason for his success:
"It is because we are one of the very few pubs left with handpumps. Greenall were going to install electric pumps but I suggested that they would not be in character with the rest of the pub. I am very glad they agreed."
The Reporter also wrote: "Today, 200 years after the first piece of glass was cast there, Pilkington's Ravenhead factory shuts down, and 86 people will go home tonight with no job to clock into on Monday morning."
Once there had been 1,350 workers at Ravenhead but now only the nearby engineering section would remain in business.
All kinds of glass had in the past been manufactured on the site but from 1949 the factory had been devoted to making television glassware.
But in 1975 Pilks announced that the works – that was believed to be losing as much as £400,000 a month – had to close with the government refusing to provide a temporary subsidy on the ground that the factory had no future.
And finally, at the Capitol Cinema for 7 days from the 29th, 'Death Race 2000' starring David Carradine replaced 'Emmanuelle'.
Meanwhile at the ABC Savoy, 'Dog Day Afternoon' starring Al Pacino replaced 'Earthquake' starring Charlton Heston.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the troublesome travellers in Rainhill, the stopping of The Court's teenage disco, the St Helens Civic Society claim lack of support and Eccleston Parish Council complain about the chopping down of trees.
We begin on the 23rd when the Fleece Hotel in Church Street held what was described as a "Brides To Be Cheese & Wine Party Fashion Show".
Do you remember Bobby Crush who won Opportunity Knocks six times in 1972?
He was also an actor as well as a pianist and for a week from the 23rd, Bobby played the title role of Aladdin at the Theatre Royal.
The St Helens Reporter on the 27th gave much prominence to a story describing how a gang of thieves was preying on the new St Mary's Arcade.
And after raiding shops and stalls, the thieves then met up in a Church Street cafe to split the goods.
But there was no secrecy about their noisy get togethers at Reece's Rendezvous.
In fact the combined cafe and cake shop had got so fed up with the robbers' rowdy behaviour that they had hired what was described as a "special manageress" to try and put a stop to it.
And even she described the situation as: "Definitely the worst problem I have ever come across. I have never seen anything like it in my life."
Monday was a favourite day for the gang to converge on the town centre shops and visit the market.
The newly opened Idea For Living in St Mary's Arcade condemned the market security for not dealing with the shoplifting, saying:
"We were losing articles of all shapes and sizes from various parts of the store."
And Jane Crosby, the assistant manageress of Preedy's stationery shop and newsagents, said: "It is becoming a terrible problem."
And Kay's Fashions, next door to Reece's Rendezvous, described how during the previous week thieves had made off with over £40 worth of their shirts, adding:
"The gang sometimes charge into the shop and terrorise the assistants. They are real hooligans." One customer of the café described her experience:
"I was having a drink in the café when the gang came in and offered me some goods which still had the labels on. From what they said it seems they have regular stealing trips to St. Helens."
The café manageress said sometimes as many as 20 gang members would come in and sit around drinking just a couple of cups of coffee.
When asked to leave they came out with all sorts of language and they had been seen passing goods around.
Curiously, a spokesman for the security company that patrolled the market complex told the Reporter that their main job was just to lock and unlock the arcades.
He said they were not policemen but would call the police if there was any trouble.
The winner of the Miss Françoise 1976 contest was announced in the Reporter.
She was Pat Taylor of Peet Avenue in Eccleston who worked at Boundary Road Baths as a sauna attendant and had won a holiday for two in Spain and a modelling course. The Waterloo Street club had just marked its first anniversary since opening.
The Vicar of St Peter's Church in Parr was appealing for people to boycott newsagents and other shops that sold sex magazines.
The Rev John Roberts said: "If enough people take their trade away from shops which sell this cheap trash the shops could be forced to take it out. It is our duty as Christians and serious-minded citizens to try and do something about it."
Rev Roberts said he believed that widespread immorality could damage a child's mind and claimed to know of shops that had pornographic magazines openly on display.
"The shops are visited by schoolchildren in their dinner hours and they stand around giggling at it but I am sure it will deeply damage their morality and their view of life. Society is sick and the law on pornography should be tightened."
Widower William Molyneux was described as having beaten a hasty retreat upon attending the newly formed Eccleston and Windle Monday Club.
The 88-year-old from Springfield Lane had grabbed his hat and coat and made a beeline for the door, reportedly leaving other members of the club open-mouthed.
On the following day he explained his actions to the Reporter, saying: "I was embarrassed. I was the only man among about 40 women."
Audrey Innes had established the club for what was described as the village's lonely and handicapped in which members could have a cup of tea, a chat and play a game of cards.
But despite William's withdrawal, Audrey said she was determined to attract men to her Monday lonely hearts club that was held in the Lester Drive Old People's Centre.
The problem of fly tipping was given some prominence in the Reporter, with the paper writing:
"The fly-tippers and twilight dumpers keep on committing their “crimes” against the environment. And the majority of us suffer. All over the Borough, little pockets of land are being used for illegal tipping. The beauty spots are made ugly and the already ugly spots are made worse than ever."
Recently youths on a Job Creation scheme had cleared up Clinkham Wood but within days the area was reported to have been as bad as ever through fly tipping.
Over 104,000 filmgoers had visited the cinema, a 20,000 increase on the same period during the previous year. John Clayton, the cinema's manager, said:
"Last year's attendances were outstanding but this year they have been terrific. ‘Jaws’ has obviously accounted for a large amount of the increase but our attendances would have still been thousands higher than last year's.
"More young people and families are coming out for a night. I have worked as a cinema manager for 16 years and these are easily the best attendances I have seen."
Mr Clayton thought the poor quality of television programmes was responsible for the increase.
The 1970s were in some ways quite officious times, with some organisations demonstrating a lack of consideration for people.
Joseph and Frances Phillipson were featured in the Reporter after the couple had received a rather abrupt letter from the Family Practitioner Committee, which was part of the Area Health Authority.
The two pensioners from Shakespeare Road in Sutton Manor were bluntly told without explanation that they had to find another doctor within eight days. The letter read:
"I have to inform you that Drs. O’Donnell, McCann and Bhabani have given information that they wish to have the names of Joseph and Frances Phillipson removed from their list.
"You will therefore be required to choose another doctor within not more than eight days. If after the date of this notice, but before you have selected another doctor, you should require treatment, you may consult Drs. O’Donnell, McCann and Bhabani up to eight days from the date hereof."
Mr Phillipson, aged 71, said: "The letter has upset us both because of its tone. I was ill with worry. I thought we had done something wrong, and that was why they struck us off the list."
The couple had been attending the Leach Lane practice since 1939 and later discovered after telephoning the Health Authority that they had been removed from the list because the surgery had too many patients.
And what did a spokesman for the Area Health Authority have to say to the Reporter in response to their request for an explanation? Did he apologise for the way the letter had been phrased?
No, in the typical brusque manner of the times, the person simply said: "If these people are unhappy they should write to the administrator of the Family Practitioner Committee."
During the 1970s as a Citizens Band enthusiast, we CB users in our conversations would rather cruelly refer to the Golden Lion in Rainford as "the moon". That was because it had no atmosphere!
But it did have very good mild, apparently, not that I ever drank the stuff.
In this week's paper both the Lion and the Vine Tavern in Thatto Heath were celebrated as having some of the finest mild beer on Merseyside.
CAMRA had included the pair of pubs in their list of the eight best mild beer-drinking houses on Merseyside.
The Lion's landlord Tom Cowing was able to give the Reporter the reason for his success:
"It is because we are one of the very few pubs left with handpumps. Greenall were going to install electric pumps but I suggested that they would not be in character with the rest of the pub. I am very glad they agreed."
The Reporter also wrote: "Today, 200 years after the first piece of glass was cast there, Pilkington's Ravenhead factory shuts down, and 86 people will go home tonight with no job to clock into on Monday morning."
Once there had been 1,350 workers at Ravenhead but now only the nearby engineering section would remain in business.
All kinds of glass had in the past been manufactured on the site but from 1949 the factory had been devoted to making television glassware.
But in 1975 Pilks announced that the works – that was believed to be losing as much as £400,000 a month – had to close with the government refusing to provide a temporary subsidy on the ground that the factory had no future.
And finally, at the Capitol Cinema for 7 days from the 29th, 'Death Race 2000' starring David Carradine replaced 'Emmanuelle'.
Meanwhile at the ABC Savoy, 'Dog Day Afternoon' starring Al Pacino replaced 'Earthquake' starring Charlton Heston.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the troublesome travellers in Rainhill, the stopping of The Court's teenage disco, the St Helens Civic Society claim lack of support and Eccleston Parish Council complain about the chopping down of trees.