FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (25th NOV. - 1st DEC. 1969)
This week's stories include a boycott by motorists of St Helens' car parks, more complaints about the gipsies of Reginald Road, the latest on the teachers' strike, the erroneous Pudden Bag Hotel, the police's wild goose chase and the man who claimed to have been "bombed" on Billinge Beacon.
We begin on the 25th when a dozen teachers at Grange Park School staged an extra half-day strike. This was after learning that their headmaster had taken classes during their official strike on the previous day. Teachers were demanding a pay rise of £135 per year and a series of half-day strikes was taking place. The joint action by the NAS and NUT unions on the previous morning had led to 59 out of a possible 70 St Helens' schools closing their doors.
From next Monday teachers at selected schools throughout the country would participate in extended strikes. It was revealed that the 22 teachers at Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Eccleston Hill had been chosen to be the St Helens' school closing for a fortnight.
On the 26th St Helens Magistrates heard how three police cars and an ambulance had been sent on a "wild goose chase" as a result of a bizarre hoax 999 call. A man from Berry's Lane had rung the emergency services to claim he was drowning in the clayhole at the rear of St Helens Hospital. After eight policemen spent 45 minutes searching for the drowning man, they went to his house where they found him relaxing with his feet up! The 26-year-old told the officers: "I made the call. I was a bit drunk and got this daft idea of telephoning the police." He was put on probation for two years.
The St Helens unemployment figures for November were released this week and showed a 1% increase to 1,220. The number of jobs for women was higher than for many years with Area Manager R. Kerry saying this was reflected in their increasing use of the Employment Exchange's 'Job Shop'.
This self-service system had been introduced to St Helens in 1968 as a pilot scheme for the rest of Britain's exchanges with cards put on display detailing job vacancies. Mr Kerry said women making their own choice of jobs from those on display filled more than half of female vacancies. However the proportion of male vacancies filled this way was lower, as men appeared to have not yet got accustomed to the idea.
It was also announced this week that a piece of land on the western side of the entrance to the new housing estate in Church Road, Haydock, had been reserved as the site for a new library. However Haydock Council was not able to say when building work would start and what the cost would be.
The front-page lead in the Reporter on the 28th was how Frank Penketh had been forced to move house in order to keep his council seat. The 60-year-old kept a butcher's shop in Cambridge Road but lived in a 300-year-old cottage set in its own grounds at Dalton, near Up Holland. A new law meant that councillors must live within the boundary of the council of which he/she was a member and so Cllr. Penketh had spent £1,500 moving to Dentons Green.
Pensioner John Hampson also featured in the paper after claiming he'd been "bombed" on Billinge Beacon by a dynamite charge. The 77-year-old had been taking his daily stroll across the beacon when a series of charges were exploded by quarrymen. John claimed one charge exploded less than 20 yards from where he'd been standing and he'd been struck on the shoulder by a stone. As a result Mr Hampson had written to Billinge Council to get more warning notices installed on the beacon.
"Boy From The 'Pudden Bag' Gets Top Job", was the headline to an article in the Reporter. It described how Harry Cain had been appointed area manager of the new British Rail shipping division at Euston. The article claimed that Harry had been born in the Pudden Bag Hotel in Sutton and had attended Sutton National and Central Modern schools. There was, of course, no such place as the Pudden Bag Hotel. They were clearly referring to the Golden Cross pub (pictured above) that was situated in Woodcock Street within two sets of triangular railway lines that people called "Pudding Bag".
The Reporter had a two-page spread on the so-called gipsies of Reginald Road, who had been occupying a wasteland site since the summer of 1968. Eric Dysart described how every week he had to spread lime along a passageway at the side of his home in Clovelly Avenue. That was because the travellers regularly used the passageway as a toilet. Bertha Harrison of Reginald Road said she lived in constant fear but did not believe the gipsies were authentic. "Real gipsies are clean and well behaved", she said. "These folk are the opposite."
Neighbour Walter Rattigan agreed that the gipsies were a nuisance – especially as they were almost on the residents' doorsteps. The 62-year-old said it wouldn't be so bad if they moved further back a few hundred yards. However residents were not able to ask them to relocate as they were always shouted at. A permanent site off Sherdley Road had been found for the gipsies – although there would only be sufficient space for twelve caravans and there were around fifty on the Reginald Road site. And the residents of Sherdley Road were now up in arms about the proposed new encampment on their doorsteps.
Dixons World Wide Travel had a big ad in the Reporter showcasing their new premises at 25 Baldwin Street. "21 years' travel experience is at your service – entirely free", they wrote. Do you remember radiograms – a combination of record player, radio and furniture? Rothery's of Baldwin Street was offering 10% off their stock this week and Harold Stott of Westfield Street was advertising "stereograms" for between £75 and £126.
The Reporter had another Christmas advertising feature in this week's edition, which they called 'Christmas Shopper Stoppers'. The Model Shop from 113 Duke Street was suggesting hobby gifts with models of aircraft, boats, cars and railways available. "Happy, happy Christmas, you're in love", was the headline to Watkinson's ad. The Church Street jeweller was promoting its "fine selection" of diamond engagement rings. "Toys! Toys! Toys!" said the ad of Prestts of 32 - 34 Duke Street. "Make your choice from a wonderful selection."
There were a wide range of Christmas gifts being advertised. T. Jones of 29 North Road was promoting their Morlands sheepskin coats and Laughton's of 6/8 Cotham Street was advertising cine and still projectors. P. A. White of 56 - 58 North Road was advertising perfumes and men's cosmetics, such as Old Spice. They were also were offering electric shavers, Instamatic cameras and an 8mm film library with children's party films.
Then there was the all-important food for Christmas. "Buy Your Xmas Fayre at Everson's" was the simple message from the Westfield Street bakery. "Make Christmas Complete with Party Foods", was Pimblett's strapline. They then had shops in Bridge Street, Duke Street, Westfield Street, Thatto Heath Road, Rivington Gardens, Church Road in Rainford, as well as their College Street bakery.
There was also a house-buying feature in the paper with advertisers selling 3-bedroom semis in Sutton Manor for £3,895 and 4-bedroom detached houses in Burrows Lane, Eccleston from £6,750.
Also in the Reporter was news of a big expansion at Rainford Secondary School as it prepared for comprehensive education. More than £600,000 (about £10 million in today's money) was going to be spent extending the overcrowded school so it could accommodate 1,500 pupils. The new build would include a block of laboratories and workshops, new senior and junior blocks and additional facilities for PE.
The Montanas performed at the Plaza Theatre Club during the evenings of the 28th and 29th. The pop rock band from Wolverhampton's biggest claim to fame was having a minor hit in the USA in 1968. The Duke Street club was also advertising forthcoming gigs from Long John Baldry, the Ronnettes and James and Bobby Purify.
Rainford Boys Brigade held their Christmas Fayre on the 30th in the Parish Hall, with the opening performed by Arthur Leslie of Coronation Street. Arthur played Jack Walker from 1960 to 1970 and he was presented with a pair of bookends as a token of the company's appreciation. The actor then signed autographs for a tanner a time with autographed pictures costing 1s 6d, with the proceeds in aid of company funds.
There was 'The Big, Big Band Show' at the Theatre Royal on the 30th featuring St Helens musicians. Also on that day seven days of screenings of 'The Killing of Sister George' starring Beryl Reid began at the ABC Savoy. Then for three days from December 1st, the Capitol started showing a double-header of 'Carry On Cleo' and 'Carry On Jack'.
Also on that day the St Helens Chamber of Commerce met the Borough Engineer, George James, to discuss concerns over the town's car parks. A month ago charges were introduced at the car parks in Birchley Street, Water Street and on the Inner Ring Road. Motorists were used to parking on these for free and were now boycotting the car parks en masse. Some were using alternative transport but others were clogging up side streets with their cars.
It also appeared that some motorists objected to paying to park on the Birchley Street car park as it was riddled with potholes, some filled with rainwater. The scale of charges started at one shilling for a 2-hour stay. Some people felt this was excessive and traders were concerned about the effect on business in the run up to Christmas. However the council said it had no plans to review the charges.
Next week's stories will include good news for the angry families of Baxters Lane, a gipsy lorry ploughs into a house in Reginald Road, the buzzing sound that was driving two families in Parr up the wall, a profile of the characters in St Helens Market and more Christmas gifts adverts are in the Reporter.
We begin on the 25th when a dozen teachers at Grange Park School staged an extra half-day strike. This was after learning that their headmaster had taken classes during their official strike on the previous day. Teachers were demanding a pay rise of £135 per year and a series of half-day strikes was taking place. The joint action by the NAS and NUT unions on the previous morning had led to 59 out of a possible 70 St Helens' schools closing their doors.
From next Monday teachers at selected schools throughout the country would participate in extended strikes. It was revealed that the 22 teachers at Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Eccleston Hill had been chosen to be the St Helens' school closing for a fortnight.
The clayhole at the rear of St Helens Hospital and Eversons Bakery in Westfield Street
Clayhole at the rear of St Helens Hospital and Eversons Bakery
Clayhole near St Helens Hospital
The St Helens unemployment figures for November were released this week and showed a 1% increase to 1,220. The number of jobs for women was higher than for many years with Area Manager R. Kerry saying this was reflected in their increasing use of the Employment Exchange's 'Job Shop'.
This self-service system had been introduced to St Helens in 1968 as a pilot scheme for the rest of Britain's exchanges with cards put on display detailing job vacancies. Mr Kerry said women making their own choice of jobs from those on display filled more than half of female vacancies. However the proportion of male vacancies filled this way was lower, as men appeared to have not yet got accustomed to the idea.
It was also announced this week that a piece of land on the western side of the entrance to the new housing estate in Church Road, Haydock, had been reserved as the site for a new library. However Haydock Council was not able to say when building work would start and what the cost would be.
The front-page lead in the Reporter on the 28th was how Frank Penketh had been forced to move house in order to keep his council seat. The 60-year-old kept a butcher's shop in Cambridge Road but lived in a 300-year-old cottage set in its own grounds at Dalton, near Up Holland. A new law meant that councillors must live within the boundary of the council of which he/she was a member and so Cllr. Penketh had spent £1,500 moving to Dentons Green.
Pensioner John Hampson also featured in the paper after claiming he'd been "bombed" on Billinge Beacon by a dynamite charge. The 77-year-old had been taking his daily stroll across the beacon when a series of charges were exploded by quarrymen. John claimed one charge exploded less than 20 yards from where he'd been standing and he'd been struck on the shoulder by a stone. As a result Mr Hampson had written to Billinge Council to get more warning notices installed on the beacon.
The Reporter had a two-page spread on the so-called gipsies of Reginald Road, who had been occupying a wasteland site since the summer of 1968. Eric Dysart described how every week he had to spread lime along a passageway at the side of his home in Clovelly Avenue. That was because the travellers regularly used the passageway as a toilet. Bertha Harrison of Reginald Road said she lived in constant fear but did not believe the gipsies were authentic. "Real gipsies are clean and well behaved", she said. "These folk are the opposite."
Neighbour Walter Rattigan agreed that the gipsies were a nuisance – especially as they were almost on the residents' doorsteps. The 62-year-old said it wouldn't be so bad if they moved further back a few hundred yards. However residents were not able to ask them to relocate as they were always shouted at. A permanent site off Sherdley Road had been found for the gipsies – although there would only be sufficient space for twelve caravans and there were around fifty on the Reginald Road site. And the residents of Sherdley Road were now up in arms about the proposed new encampment on their doorsteps.
Dixons World Wide Travel had a big ad in the Reporter showcasing their new premises at 25 Baldwin Street. "21 years' travel experience is at your service – entirely free", they wrote. Do you remember radiograms – a combination of record player, radio and furniture? Rothery's of Baldwin Street was offering 10% off their stock this week and Harold Stott of Westfield Street was advertising "stereograms" for between £75 and £126.
The Reporter had another Christmas advertising feature in this week's edition, which they called 'Christmas Shopper Stoppers'. The Model Shop from 113 Duke Street was suggesting hobby gifts with models of aircraft, boats, cars and railways available. "Happy, happy Christmas, you're in love", was the headline to Watkinson's ad. The Church Street jeweller was promoting its "fine selection" of diamond engagement rings. "Toys! Toys! Toys!" said the ad of Prestts of 32 - 34 Duke Street. "Make your choice from a wonderful selection."
There were a wide range of Christmas gifts being advertised. T. Jones of 29 North Road was promoting their Morlands sheepskin coats and Laughton's of 6/8 Cotham Street was advertising cine and still projectors. P. A. White of 56 - 58 North Road was advertising perfumes and men's cosmetics, such as Old Spice. They were also were offering electric shavers, Instamatic cameras and an 8mm film library with children's party films.
Then there was the all-important food for Christmas. "Buy Your Xmas Fayre at Everson's" was the simple message from the Westfield Street bakery. "Make Christmas Complete with Party Foods", was Pimblett's strapline. They then had shops in Bridge Street, Duke Street, Westfield Street, Thatto Heath Road, Rivington Gardens, Church Road in Rainford, as well as their College Street bakery.
There was also a house-buying feature in the paper with advertisers selling 3-bedroom semis in Sutton Manor for £3,895 and 4-bedroom detached houses in Burrows Lane, Eccleston from £6,750.
Also in the Reporter was news of a big expansion at Rainford Secondary School as it prepared for comprehensive education. More than £600,000 (about £10 million in today's money) was going to be spent extending the overcrowded school so it could accommodate 1,500 pupils. The new build would include a block of laboratories and workshops, new senior and junior blocks and additional facilities for PE.
The Montanas performed at the Plaza Theatre Club during the evenings of the 28th and 29th. The pop rock band from Wolverhampton's biggest claim to fame was having a minor hit in the USA in 1968. The Duke Street club was also advertising forthcoming gigs from Long John Baldry, the Ronnettes and James and Bobby Purify.
Rainford Boys Brigade held their Christmas Fayre on the 30th in the Parish Hall, with the opening performed by Arthur Leslie of Coronation Street. Arthur played Jack Walker from 1960 to 1970 and he was presented with a pair of bookends as a token of the company's appreciation. The actor then signed autographs for a tanner a time with autographed pictures costing 1s 6d, with the proceeds in aid of company funds.
There was 'The Big, Big Band Show' at the Theatre Royal on the 30th featuring St Helens musicians. Also on that day seven days of screenings of 'The Killing of Sister George' starring Beryl Reid began at the ABC Savoy. Then for three days from December 1st, the Capitol started showing a double-header of 'Carry On Cleo' and 'Carry On Jack'.
Also on that day the St Helens Chamber of Commerce met the Borough Engineer, George James, to discuss concerns over the town's car parks. A month ago charges were introduced at the car parks in Birchley Street, Water Street and on the Inner Ring Road. Motorists were used to parking on these for free and were now boycotting the car parks en masse. Some were using alternative transport but others were clogging up side streets with their cars.
It also appeared that some motorists objected to paying to park on the Birchley Street car park as it was riddled with potholes, some filled with rainwater. The scale of charges started at one shilling for a 2-hour stay. Some people felt this was excessive and traders were concerned about the effect on business in the run up to Christmas. However the council said it had no plans to review the charges.
Next week's stories will include good news for the angry families of Baxters Lane, a gipsy lorry ploughs into a house in Reginald Road, the buzzing sound that was driving two families in Parr up the wall, a profile of the characters in St Helens Market and more Christmas gifts adverts are in the Reporter.